Why is Brazilian Jiu Jitsu so hard for newcomers? And why it's worth it.

Ask any newcomer to BJJ: it is hard. But why?

This answer is multi-faceted. However, a few things come to mind very quickly:

1. Skill Gap as a Newcomer

2. Lack of General Grappling Fitness

3. Instant Feedback, which can make progress seem slow
   

Let's start with the skill gap as a brand new BJJ practitioner. There is simply no getting around this. You might be stepping onto the mats with 0 grappling experience whatsoever. That is okay! I promise it is.

Everyone has been in your exact position at least once. Your goal should be simple at this stage: learn the fundamentals, pick up your conditioning, and take care of your training partners. Grappling, while competitive on an individual level, thrives on teamwork. It's the team that allows you to train, spar, experiment, and learn. We have to take care of one another. Your team at Protasio Jiu Jitsu is here to help you on this journey. We want good partners to continue making us better as well. It's actually beneficial to the team to train with new grapplers; the stronger and more competent they get, the stronger the rest of the team becomes.

Lack of grappling fitness: If you have ever tried to control another resisting human being, you quickly realize that it is not an easy thing to do. It’s a combination of cardiovascular fitness and complete body strength. Most folks, even if they are in shape, will face a grappling conditioning curve. You will use muscles that have probably been neglected for quite some time. Just as with anything else: this comes with time and practice. There are specific grappling weight programs that may help, but for the first year, we at Protasio Jiu Jitsu will encourage and push you to simply train more. More rounds. More grappling-specific movements. Again, be patient; progress will be slow, but that’s expected.

Finally, the infamous feedback loop. The feedback loop is an immensely useful learning tool that can be applied to almost any situation. With grappling, however, the feedback you get is often swift and highly noticeable. What does that even mean? A basic example: You are sparring with your partner, they shoot a double leg, you were too delayed on your sprawl, and immediately got taken down. Being a newcomer, you are discouraged because you knew WHAT to do, but it just didn’t work (in time). Then, after the double leg, you find yourself on the bottom of your training partner, and they continue to progress as if you aren't even participating in the roll.

This feedback loop can be discouraging, only because the feedback can be quite harsh sometimes. How I found solace in this whole thing was simple: I have only been practicing my sprawl for four months; my partner has been practicing their double leg for four years. How do I expect my sprawl to beat their double-leg attack? I simply need more practice.

Use the feedback loop to figure out what works in various positions. Think about your mistakes, work through solutions, and practice them.

After a bit of time, you will have some success. It may not be earth-shattering. It may be a simple sweep, an escape, or a successful takedown. The feedback is now in your favor! You will be excited because all of your effort thus far has paid off in this single moment. The great thing about this feeling is it never really goes away. There is so much to learn, whether you're a 5-year grappling veteran or a 15-year grappling veteran; you will still have those moments.

Your team is here to help. We have so much experience here at Protasio Jiu Jitsu, and we are always looking to make one another better. We have different styles that give us different experiences and challenges that need to be solved.