How Long Does it Take to Fully Learn Jiu Jitsu? | Easily Explained
In this page, we'll explain how long it takes to learn Jiu-Jitsu, whether you need a black belt to properly defend yourself, and how hard BJJ is for beginners.
How Long to Learn Jiu-Jitsu?
Jiu-Jitsu is a martial art that is famous for taking very long to achieve a black belt, as the average time to get a black belt in BJJ is typically 10 years.
However, there are exceptions to this rule, as famously BJ Penn obtained his black belt in only a little over 3 years, and he would prove that his instructor was right, later becoming a Jiu-Jitsu world champion and UFC champion.
Penn would go on to place first in the World Jiu-Jitsu Championship at only 21 years of age.
You Don't Need to Be a Black Belt to Know Jiu Jitsu
A Blue belt is widely considered a stage where the student is not yet a proficient grappler but has enough of an understanding to use their skills in a real-life scenario.
In fact, Ryan Young, a 3rd degree black belt went on to say:
A BJJ blue belt typically demonstrates an understanding of the basic Jiu-Jitsu positions. They have put enough into training so that their instructor now sees them as a more serious practitioner who wants to learn more and get better. Ryan Young in the video above describes blue belts as “street ready,” meaning the student is not yet a proficient grappler, but has enough of an understanding to use their skills in a real-life scenario. A blue belt is required to stay as a blue belt for at least 2 years, but many remain at this rank for as long as 3-5 years before being promoted.
For your reference, the typical time to get a BJJ blue belt is between 1-3 years.
A year to a year and a half is the normal amount of time to get a blue belt.
Assuming that you are training around 3 times a week, every week for a year, and classes are 45 minutes.
You can expect to have put 117 hours on the mat for the year.
If we put this into a real-life context, you can expect to be over 100 hours of training providing you with the confidence and sufficient tools to be able to protect yourself.
Is Jiu-Jitsu Difficult to Learn?
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is one of the hardest martial arts to learn, and the average time to obtain a black belt (10 years) accurately reflects that.
The world of grappling is completely different than anything else, and it can take quite some time to adjust.
Is Jiu-Jitsu Hard For Beginners?
The high difficulty of BJJ is actually what attracts most students. Realizing that they won't be able to master this overnight, or even in a few years, keeps students focused on motivated on their end goal of obtaining a black belt.
Additionally, there are beginner classes, intermediate classes, and advanced classes that you can work your way up to.
BJJ programs do a great job of allowing students to continually progress, and even allow them to train in tournaments to put their skills to the test.
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