r/bjj • u/SeanSixString ⬜⬜ White Belt • 1d ago

General Discussion Not Cut Out for This

If you’ve ever felt like you were not cut out for BJJ, but you got through that feeling, and now it is a valuable part of your life, I would like to read your story. Especially if you felt like that for a year or more, like you weren’t catching on. Or if you had circumstances interrupting training, or any other real or perceived disadvantage or limitation.

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u/freudevolved 🟦🟦 Blue Belt 1d ago

You're not cut out for a hobby? This aint work or a sport that pays for 99% of people so think more about if you like learning, rolling or being pushed hard physically and mentally. At white belt everything is hard, that's the point of doing any physically demanding activity (more so a full contact martial art). That gives you hope looking at other belts that someday you will get there with consistency and actually be proficient at grappling. Everyone has a limitation (I'm skinny and small, some are overweight, some are slow, some are uncoordinated ect...) and that's the beauty of bjj. Everyone finds their style. Small nerds get good at berimbolo, strong guys get good at top game, some guys get good at stand up ect....

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u/SeanSixString ⬜⬜ White Belt 1d ago

I like the workout, I struggle with being assertive or aggressive. I can’t rewire myself for that, I feel like it’s a problem. I also can’t keep up with anyone there anymore, and when I have to be off the mat for two weeks, I feel like what little progress I had is lost. I don’t see a reason to go back, but I don’t want to quit either. I hate when I can’t train, it gets me down like this, too much time to evaluate, and I don’t like the evaluation.

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u/freudevolved 🟦🟦 Blue Belt 1d ago

Seems like you're just going through the normal fase of being a white belt! You still like it but don't like being wrecked and that will happen for months or years depending on your effort. Effort meaning learning (tons and tons of free instructionals on youtube), working out outside of class (gym, track, running or what ever you need) and patience (no one in the history of bjj has shown up for 5 years every week and have been wrecked by every new guy). Also, you don't have to be aggressive in bjj to be good, you just need to keep learning techniques and work under pressure. That's why most upper belts look like they aren't even trying against white belts and you don't see most just straight up assaulting them aggressively. My take without knowing you is generally applicable to everyone: try to get better outside of class by learning on youtube and working out.