How Long Does It Take To Learn BJJ?
Most of us know it takes a while to become a BJJ master. That prestigious black belt could take one at least 10 years to obtain. Prodigies can be exceptions to this rule, but there’s a reason they have that designation. Alas, mere mortals that we are, we’d need to spend countless hours on the mat for more than a decade to be proficient in the said combat sport.
What Is BJJ?
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is a martial art form that centers on mat or ground fighting. Heavily influenced by Japanese martial art forms Jujitsu and Judo, BJJ developed into the practical combat sport we know today back in 1900. That was largely in part because of the Gracie family, who spread the culture from Brazil to the rest of the world.
BJJ focuses on leverage, technique, and ground fighting to subdue opponents who could be bigger, stronger, and heavier. It’s become known as a “human chess game,” making use of tactics and concepts learned through several years of constant training. It rose to popularity alongside MMA, which often uses the BJJ discipline.
How Many Years Does It Take To Earn Your Stripes in BJJ?
Before setting off onto the path of BJJ greatness, it’s crucial for people to think about the sport as a journey of a lifetime, as opposed to something with a beginning and an end. That BJJ black belt might be your end goal at the start, but that could slowly change as you immerse yourself further and further into the discipline.
Granted, earning that black belt alone would be extremely hard. You would need to push your mind, body, and spirit to the limit for many years.
BJJ Ranking
Beginners start off with a white belt and are then given stripes as they progress, though the school may have another way of marking beginner progression. One then earns a blue belt, which labels him as a practitioner. By this point, he can showcase skills and techniques he spent hundreds of hours training to get correctly.
Basically, when talking about “the time it takes to learn BJJ,” it could mean the point at which you are able to understand and implement the discipline. That should be around the time one gets the rank of blue belt, which is usually obtained within a year or two of constant training.
How Often Should You Train in BJJ?
BJJ progression depends highly on training frequency. Beginners aren’t advised to overwork themselves and should only spend at least two times a week training for that blue belt. You might think twice a week is too low, but BJJ can be especially tough on an untrained body.
Injuries and burnout can result from overtraining in the beginning. And even when you do train at the appropriate frequency, you would still need to integrate traditional exercise into your routine to boost overall performance. Depending on your progress in the next six months, it may be okay to bump your weekly sessions to three.
Also, even when you find ways to exercise like a professional fighter, there’s no rushing BJJ proficiency. You either get there in the allotted time, or you don’t.
How Safe Is BJJ?
Safety is often an issue in many martial art forms, and this includes Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. However, in BJJ’s case, the rules governing the sport are tied heavily towards safety. In fact, it’s known as one of the safest forms of martial arts for beginners and practitioners.
Learn BJJ Today!
If you see yourself developing a passion for BJJ, don’t let anything stop you from pursuing it. The time it takes to earn that black belt shouldn’t matter when you’re committed to the sport from the beginning. For all you know, time could fly by quickly, and you could be joining ranks with the masters in no time.
