If you’ve read any of my other Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu related posts, you already know that I’ve been training for what seems like ever. And since I’ve hung around for as long as I have, you’d think that the conversation about being bored with the sport has come up once or twice. The thing is, it actually hasn’t. It’s never come up. I’ve never heard one person during all the years of my training say, “Hey, this is actually becoming a bit played out. I mean, how many times are we going to do the same things over and over again?”
If I had to guess, I’d say there are two factors that have led to the absence of the aforementioned conversation.
First, so few students make it past a year of training when it comes to jiu-jitsu. It’s not a, shall we say, high-retention activity. So for the conversation of whether or not classes become boring, it’s a moot point because the person or persons who may have brought the topic to light aren’t likely to even be around anymore.
Second, those who do stick around, do so for much more than the training alone. They make friends on the mats and prioritize the social aspect of training just as much as they do the physical. So for someone to say that classes are getting boring or monotonous or whatever, they’d also be saying that their friendships are becoming those things as well.
The question remains though; does training actually get boring? Let’s see what the rest of the world has to say about it:
Nope. There’s too much to learn. Even if you know everything, which I think is impossible, there are refinements to be made on everything. No matter what you think you’re good at, you can be better at it.
My opinion: It makes no difference how deep a field is, of course it can become boring. Even if you’re an astrophysicist and have been for the past 50 years and there’s a constant rate of new development, there’s no way a person can remain perpetually interested. Good grief. The above was obviously written by a white belt.
There are new things being created/expanded on all the time. So much to learn and not enough time!
My opinion: Written by another white belt. Or perhaps someone who doesn’t train at all. Yes, BJJ is awesome and fun and all that, but in reality, that awesomeness fades through the years. Why do you think black belts avoid warmups and only attend class once in a while?
I’m 13 years in and I’m barely scratching the surface. In the last 6 months, I’ve made significant changes to my A game and I feel like I’m learning faster than ever. And that’s just in BJJ. Add judo and boxing to the mix and I’d need 5 extra lifetimes before getting bored.
My opinion: Okay, fine. There are people who can do things for a very long time and never tire of them. Let’s see if this sentiment persists below.
I feel like I’ve learned enough BJJ for one person. I train sporadically now – mostly when I feel like a roll or seeing good pals. You won’t get many folks who quit to discuss their quitting here on the internet because they’ve likely already moved on from the sport, never to be heard from again.
My opinion: I agree with this. It’s a realistic view. It makes sense.
I’ve been grappling since 1999. Burning out is a real thing. When I feel burned out, I start doing other hobbies and things that interest me. These other hobbies get more attention. Eventually, I start getting the itch to roll and the cycle restarts all over again. This is my personal view, but I’m sure I’m not the only one to have it.
and…
I’m going on 16 years. There are ups and downs when it comes to repetitiveness. I use jiu-jitsu as a sort of therapy on top of fun and exercise. I lean on it for those things, but it does become repetitive. It helps to have goals in mind though, whether it’s positions to improve upon or tournaments or coaching.
My opinion: Do you have any idea how many black belts I’ve become friends with or have rolled with through the years who I haven’t heard from in a good long while? They’re no longer on the mats. It happens. BJJ is like love; it’s hot and heavy in the beginning, but there surely comes a time when it either moderates or becomes stale. This is just the way it is. There’s nothing wrong with knowing this.
Ultimately, if you’re the type of person who enjoys staying fit, who likes to challenge yourself, and who has made or who’s interested in making some good friends, jiu-jitsu is definitely for you. The longer you train, the better. Just know that your white belt obsession will eventually morph into something more sustained, moderated, and mature. These things get the best of us. I suppose it’s neither good nor bad that the change occurs – it’s simply nature.
How’s it gone for me personally? During my white, blue, and purple belt days, I trained like there was no tomorrow. During my white and blue belt days, I trained jiu-jitsu, krav maga, and muay thai at three gyms consistently. During purple belt, I was down to two gyms (BJJ only) and during my brown and black belt days, I began teaching and barely, if ever, attended class to learn. I slowed down tremendously, but that may have been due to age as well as BJJ losing it’s overall luster.
Black belts like to chill and chat with one another. They teach and go to barbeques. If I ever met a black belt who was just as enthusiastic about Brazilian jiu-jitsu as he or she was during his or her white belt days, I’d likely think the person was a little weird.
