Congratulations! You have took the first steps in your journey to becoming a Black Belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. You have already received your first promotion and you may not have even realized it. You did what so many only dream about, you got your butt off the couch and for the first time, you did something about it. You traded that leather work belt you wear everyday and were promoted to White belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu! In your head, you’re like, “Big Whoop. White Belt, WooWho.” Trust me, we were all there before. “A Black Belt is simply a White Belt who never gave up.” This is the God’s Honest Truth. Is it going to be hard? Sure it is. Are there going to be days where you just want to say, “Screw this!” Of Course there will be. Its days like these that will test if you really want it. These days are nothing to worry about. It is only your mind trying to trick you into falling back into the same old routine. Its up to you to say NO!! Push through and it will be worth it…. I can’t begin to even start to tell you how BJJ has benefited my life. That is a Whole Other blog lol. Listen, all this stuff about how “Jiu Jitsu is for everyone.” Well, I’m sorry to burst your bubble but it isn’t. It is for everyone to try of course, but you will see very quickly who the “JiuJiteros” are and who will only be there for a short period of time. Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is designed to make you fail. It is thru failure that we achieve success. It is designed to weed out the weak and the weak minded, because believe me when I tell you. Both your Physical Body and your Mind will be pushed to their limits. Sounds like fun right! It is, I promise. For those who stick it out, and continue the journey. Buckle up, it’s going to be a long but beautiful ride.

First, let get this out of the way, if you didn’t know before, you will now. The average amount of time it takes to receive a Black Belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, depending on training schedule, is 8-10 years. In the amount of time it takes to receive a Black Belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, you could earn a Doctorates degree in college. So needless to say, if you have commitment issues, they are about to be tested.. If you are looking for a place to train where you get promoted quickly, then BJJ may not be for you. Karate maybe be more your style. Nothing against Karate at all, again, all martial arts have merit. They are just not the same. I have heard instances where individuals enter a conversation with another person about the length of time they have been training. So and so says” I have been training BJJ for 2 years!” “Oh that awesome, what is your rank?” “I am a 4 stripe White belt, just waiting on my Blue!” and here it comes. The Gasp and Wow. “Timmy has been training at Blank Karate School for the same amount of time and he is studying for his Black Belt Exam already.” Comments like this upset me a little and make me laugh. “It is only through ignorance that we then become truly enlightened.” this quote comes to mind every time. If they knew the true difference between the two, this comment would have never even been thought.

Comments like the one above do 1 of 2 things. One, it frustrates the White Belt and they begin to question themselves and their art. They start to think, Man, I’ve been training for 2 years and I’m still not a Blue or Purple. TImmy is about to be a Black Belt in Karate and I’m still stuck at White! Why did I waste all this time? I could have been a Black Belt by now. That’s it, I Quit… And Boom.. Another one bites the dust. They let their EGO’s get in the way of training and learning. The weak minded will always fail. The first sign of resistance, they back down and cower. You need to leave that ego at the door. There is no room for Ego’s on the mat. Fear, doubt, it all has to leave. You cannot listen to all the negative comments. These are all the scared people on the couch that don’t have the motivation to do something better for themselves. This was You a couple of years ago! All they can do is make comments to try and bring you down with them to their sense of normalcy. Some people just hate you doing something positive for your life. Screw that, YOU ARE BETTER THAN THAT! Prove them wrong. Educate them on the difference. This brings me to number 2.

Now, the other thing uneducated comments like the one above will do is make you laugh. Inside or out, it will just happen. You see, you are gathering together all the information that you have stored in your brain, and it’s ready to go into education mode. Instead of freaking out and second guessing yourself and your whole way of life the last 2 years, you know that there is no way to fairly compare Karate to Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. It’s like comparing Apples to Oranges. May be the same genre, but completely different look, texture, taste, smell. It’s just not the same. As you start to explain to the people the difference between the two, and start to list reasons as to why BJJ is superior to Karate, many people will still doubt it until they witness or experience it firsthand. Sometimes a little demonstration is required to further the convincing. TIme to have a little fun.

Trust yourself and in your techniques. At this point in your career, you are more than capable of handling some regular moe on the street no problem. The average person doesn’t understand the concepts of leverage and how to use them. The average person does not engage in any form of combat on a regular basis like we do. Everytime we roll in class, we are engaging in combat. Remember, We call it the “Gentle Art” for a reason. We allow ourselves to Tap out so we can reset and do it all over again. In the words of Joe Rogan, “Essentially, we are playing a game of I kill you, you kill me using our bodies over and over again in a 7 min session. After, we smile, shake hands, switch partners and ask for more! Keep this in mind during your demonstration, it’s just like class. You will literally be rolling with a brand new white belt. This is what the average Joe is walking around the city, a first day White Belt, Think about how you tooled that new guy that has only been there a few months in class the other day. It is exactly the same. You got this. Prove your point but be humble. It’s all about control. They will realize how defenseless they really are when they get put out of their element.

Another thing that will greatly assist you on your journey to black belt as a white belt is to pay attention in class. Let me elaborate. Don’t be the YouTube warrior. Spend all day watching videos and trying to learn moves so you can go to class and try them on your buddy. Don’t be that Guy/Woman, nothing frustrates a Professor more than teaching a class based around a certain technique only to see someone trying to do something completely different. Practice what is taught in class, in class! Save all those other moves for open mat time. Can’t sit there and drill your berimbolo while you’re supposed to be working X chokes. Just bad JuJu.

Also, when you are drilling a technique in class and you and your partner are done with your sets, this is not the time to sit there and talk about how work was. Keep busting them out til professor yells “Break!” My Professor, Bryan Evans, says repeatedly, “In order to be a Master of a technique, a minimum of 10,000 repetitions are required.” So that little 25 reps you did of that triangle, guess what, that’s right. Keep doing them. This will only help you in the long run, guaranteed. In conjunction with this, unless directed by your professor, Do Not try to teach techniques. Even though you may be drilling your favorite pass, sub, or whatever, this is why we pay our dues every month, so we can learn from a quality instructor. Don’t try and do his/her job for them. Pretty sure they have a better understanding of what they are teaching and how to explain what they are doing. Last thing you need is to try and teach someone a technique only to teach them wrong.

Better to be an Hour Early than a Minute Late. Show your Professor and your training partners some respect. Show up in enough time to allow yourself to get dressed out and stretched out before class. You don’t want to make a habit out of showing up late for class all the time. Remember, Steel Sharpens Steel. Your favorite training partner is waiting for you in class the same way you are waiting for them when you are there. If you have a legitimate reason for being late, and it is just not possible to make it on time, still show up. Some training is better than no training. You get what you put into it. Hands down.

Ask questions! I cannot say that enough. Ask Questions. My professor waits for those questions. He tells students all the time, “Don’t just do something because I say so. Ask why. Understand why we do things a certain way.” I love to understand the mechanics of how a technique works. Where and how to apply the proper leverage, how to grip and why you use the grips in general. I get all this thru questions. I can see how a technique is done but to truly know how to apply it, you must understand the mechanics. Any time you have a question, ask. “The only Stupid question is the one not asked”

At the end of the day when you are at the house thinking about your time at class, just remember. Being successful as a white belt starts with the basics. Be on time, Be presentable, train hard and train what is taught. Don’t be afraid to ask questions or ask for help with a technique. This is what our instructors are here for. Use that knowledge the right way. At the same time, don’t try and teach over your instructor. Respect them and your academy with a good attitude and no Ego. Always be open for suggestion. Steel Sharpens Steel remember. Follow these basic steps and your white belt days will be rich in quality and you will have a great foundation for building your base in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. Enjoy every single step in your journey. It will be one of the most rewarding things you every do with your life. In the words of my General, Professor Rafael Lovato Jr. “Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is a long, hard journey, but it’s a beautiful one that is priceless.” Until next time, Work Hard, Stay Humble. See yall on the mats. Oss.

Written by:

Chris IronMan Hinojosa

Brown Belt

Austin Submission Fighting

Rafael Lovato Jr, Association