how long does it take to become proficient at brazilian jiu jitsu

**mrpimpateer** · Posted On: 5/16/2007 9:16pm

i've never done a martial art before and i don't have a wrestling background. i run competitively though so i'm in decent cardiovascular shape. i am looking to take up brazilian jiu jitsu this summer. I figure i have about a 6 week span where I'm going to be taking classes about 3 times a week at a bjj school. how long do you think the it would take before i rise from total useless newbie status to decently competent (i.e. not world beating, but competitive at a low level). i don't know anything about the belts, if they exist, so i can't relate my desired level to them. thanks

**Sam Browning** · Posted On: 5/16/2007 9:19pm

Depending on your coordination and the time you put into this art, it will typically take 18 months to two years to reach blue belt level which is typically understood as indicating basic skill in BJJ. Of course if you study say 8 hours a week and are fast on the uptake, this could be achieved sooner.

**Fitz** · Posted On: 5/16/2007 9:37pm

Something worth reading and keeping in mind as you start training

http://aliveness101.blogspot.com/

**HongKongFukYu** · Posted On: 5/27/2007 10:37am

Originally Posted by Fitz

Something worth reading and keeping in mind as you start training

http://aliveness101.blogspot.com/

Awesome article! I really enjoy Matt's writings.

To the original poster, I've seen one guy pull of blue belt in one year from an instructor who is EXTREMELY stingey with giving belt ranks and I've seen another take as long as 3 and a quarter years. It's all relative I guess.

**vinhthekid** · Posted On: 5/27/2007 3:01pm

yeah... some people just have the gift for this ****.

i personally don't. i'm a good worker, wrestled in highschool and i'm naturally athletic. i'm at the gym 2-3 hours a day 5-6 days a week. work damned hard. i'm 150, fight at 139 and fight all bigger guys and can do well.

but my teacher told me i got around another 6 months of training. i've already done 6 months. i'm better than most guys who've started when i did. but there's guys who've only been here for 3 months, working as hard as me who have such natural talent that they just make me look like a first day.

**HongKongFukYu** · Posted On: 5/28/2007 3:32pm

Originally Posted by vinhthekid

yeah... some people just have the gift for this ****.

i personally don't. i'm a good worker, wrestled in highschool and i'm naturally athletic. i'm at the gym 2-3 hours a day 5-6 days a week. work damned hard. i'm 150, fight at 139 and fight all bigger guys and can do well.

but my teacher told me i got around another 6 months of training. i've already done 6 months. i'm better than most guys who've started when i did. but there's guys who've only been here for 3 months, working as hard as me who have such natural talent that they just make me look like a first day.

Have you only done BJJ for six months total?

For me personally, I'm VERY dense when it comes to learning ANY new skill out of the gate. When I first went from Karate to boxing/kickboxing I sucked...I was really tense and not fluid. Very mechanical. This went on for a year despite my instructor telling me over and over again to relax, loosen up, etc. Finally one day I was doing pad work and things felt "natural". My combinations were fluid and quick, I had good snap, and I wasn't sucking wind. Funny thing is it was anything but natural. It just sorta happened. For me I tend to get better at things all at once. It's rarely a gradual change.

I see that you're from MA. Do you train at Nexus?