YinvsYang

For those of you who don’t know me, I am currently a purple belt in Gracie Jiu Jitsu. I have been training for over 4 years and I can safely say Jiu Jitsu has changed my life for the better. I have not only become a better Martial artist, but I have become a 1000x better person as well. Jiu Jitsu is a martial art which naturally permeates throughout the rest of your life.

This is because Jiu Jitsu takes persistence, patience, and perseverance to be successful at, just like anything else in life.  Even getting just my purple belt is probably one of the accomplishments I am most proud of in my young life. However, if you don’t train Jiu Jitsu, then you probably don’t understand why. Lucky for you, that’s what I’m here to explain.

The goal of everyone who starts out in Jiu Jitsu is to get a black belt. There is no test to pass, or requirements to meet. There is no specific time period. Simply put, after you pass the white belt level, you only get promoted when your Instructor thinks it is time. It is completely a judgment call. That’s what makes it so special. Getting a black belt probably takes on average about 10 or so years.

Most people never get one.

Being a purple belt, I have met & rolled with a few different Jiu Jitsu black belts. Lou Vintaloro, Tyrone Elijea, Jim Destefano, Joe Lombardo, Rich Dimino, Rodrigo Piniero, Royler Gracie, David Adiv, & Asher Willner (who I saw actually get his black belt). These guys are all different ages, backgrounds, sizes, body types, etc. The only thing that they all have in common is one simple trait:

They never stopped trying.

That’s the only difference. They never stopped training, and eventually, they got to a goal that once seemed impossible.

A black belt is the pinnacle. It means you have mastered your art. You have reached the top level in your field. It commands automatic respect and is a constant reflection of all the effort, sweat, and persistence it took to get there.

I have known 4 or 5 of these aforementioned names before they were black belts. Now that they wear that dark cotton around there waist, you can see the sheer pride reflected in their gait. It’s almost as if they derive power from that belt. The fact that their peers deemed them worthy boosts their own confidence level. They now believe that they are a black belt. They became better overnight, when all that changed was the color of their belt.

Any dream you desire in life is achieved exactly the same way a black belt is.

It takes persistence, but most of all, it just means never giving up. If you don’t stop, then how can you can have possibly failed?

That does not mean it is easy, but it is simple. Just keep going no matter what. No one can tell you how long it will take, or when it will happen. Whatever dream you are after, just start slowly working towards it one day at a time. Some days will be bad, some days will be worse, and some days it will feel like it is all worth it.

However, no matter what kind of day you are experiencing, the important thing is to keep moving forward. If you want to succeed, giving up is not an option. In fact, it’s the only way to actually fail.

Don’t spend your day questioning if it is all worth it, or trying to decide each moment if you are going to succeed or not. That is a waste of time & energy. If you are having doubts, the best thing to do is to either take a break, or just get back to work.

Eventually, if you keep persisting, you will get the recognition you deserve, except probably for the 2-inch wide dark cotton belt around your waist. Oh well, if it’s a problem, I’m sure you can get one of those in the store