I Wanted to Demote Myself as a Brown Belt Training at This Gym 

I’m a brown belt. Been on the mats for a while. One of the best perspectives I can give is this: When you tap to anyone, lower or higher belt, it’s proof that Jiu Jitsu works. You’ll never be so good at Jiu Jitsu, that Jiu Jitsu won’t work on you. That’s a good thing. Now stop sulking and go train.

I often want to demote myself as a white belt, but I’m as low as it goes 😂. On the bright side I guess there’s no where to go but up!

GREAT advice I’m a 55 year old brown belt, trained 13 + years, getting my black …TOMORROW MORNING ! Gulp! I’ve been going through all the negative self talk, self doubt, excessive introspection that you describe. This helped!

I know this is unrelated to jiu-jitsu, but this was quite comforting to hear as a kid who just tested into a advanced class for college. Like, I was proud of myself for doing so, but I constantly worry about how good the people in the class will be, how I won't stack up on the curve, and the risk of not getting good grades. You remind me of the one thing I like about jiu-jitsu was that I was always eager to sign up for hard shit, and be unashamed about it. I'm a white belt and get beat by basically everyone in the gym, yet I still think jiu-jitsu's fun and I learn new stuff. You going to that Jiu-jitsu training in Nashville (or me signing up for advanced classes) isn't showing that you or I are better than anyone else, but allows us to humble ourselves to accept frustration as part of the process. Truly a life lesson in this video.

Thanks man, as a newly promoted blue belt I needed to hear this 🙏

46 year old blue belt. Gi beats me up waaayyy more than NoGi. Great to hear someone validate that, since I usually here the opposite from others.

I’m 51 y/o and I say it to people all the time. I don’t have anything against the gi per se but it’s hard on the body. It’s all the pulling and tugging, that where’s on you when you get older

Chwie your such a legend for these vid's. Keep up the goof work mate and I hope you're well

Love your content, as always. Things change after 40 years old - LOL. Great seeing you again at Origin. Can't wait for Costa Rica.

Belts mean nothing. Haven't trained in 10 years. There is no way I'd walk into a gym today in my blue belt. It's back to white for me.

I am currently going through that insomnia thing. Good.

This video makes me think of something I heard from Jesse Enkamp (The Karate Nerd) about belts and rankings. Namely that they are only truly helpful for ranking students in a single dojo. I think it might be a bit different in BJJ because my impression is that the curriculum is a little more standardized across different dojos (as opposed to Karate where there are seemingly thousands of different styles), but I can still imagine a situation where a blue belt with better and/or different training can out grapple a brown belt. I can also imagine that a 38 year old blue belt will probably be able to submit a 60-y-o black belt just by virtue of strength differences? There's a limit to what experience, skills and knowledge can do against a much physically stronger opponent, no?

If im a white belt and i demote myself, what belt would i be?

❤ good stuff! I am a purple belt 44 years old and had a really hard time with a very strong athletic wrestler who is a 4 stripe white belt the other night. I was WTF happen😂

Guys, please realise belts mean nothing and obsessing over them prevents you from actually learning.

This seriously helped. One stripe blue belt here and my schedule has been putting me exclusively in live/Randori sessions that I love, but my technique has been slipping hard as those classes are not as guided so I've been getting myself stuck doing the same techniques in the name of "honing" them. I really need to open up my game and give myself more breakthrough moments. Anyways, thank you Chewy I always value your wisdom!

Matthew 13:18-23 18 Hear ye therefore the parable of the sower. 19 When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side. 20 But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it; 21 Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended. 22 He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful. 23 But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.

Ice cream truck at the Immersion camp? Sugar coated Lies!!!!!!!

All no gi guys don't know the pleasures of gi burns

I admit I haven't watched in a bit. Chewy...why have you lost so much muscle?

PAUSE

must of have been Khabib

Training partners and Jiu-jitsu people in general are not your enemies. Tapping to them don't matter. It's the crazy people at the gas station or at concerts you gotta train for. And your tough training partners can get you ready for them

I'm a blue belt in my 60's and I question my ability often, especially when I roll with the younger stronger guys (at my age, most of them are). Sometimes I go home thinking how much I suck lol. You always give great inspiring advice and It sometimes seems like you are talking to me. Thanks Chewy.

“How can you say you lost anything when you just learned so much” -Royce Gracie

I've been rolling for 15 years and I received my brown belt last week, I feel like a poser. I'm 40 years old now, working on night shift, no major injury so far but it takes long for me to recover after hard rolling.. thank you for sharing this input sir..

Need this, try to remind myself of it. Being 40 and a father, trying to keep up with jacked athletic 18 year Olds is hard, but I like it most of the time

I’ve experienced this frequently. I’ve been training since 2012. I’d say over the past 4 years consistency has been tough for me due to work, changing jobs and life. Moved across the country in 2020 and prior to moving I was given my purple belt. Didn’t think I was ready when I got it. Started training at a new academy and really felt like I didn’t know anything and felt super behind. On top of life happening, it was hard to drive myself to train because I didn’t feel even close to the purple belt level at the new gym. I stopped feeling sorry for myself and just showed up as much as I could. I may not be at the level I’d like to be, but I’ve got to just keep grinding. Today I was given my first stripe on my purple. Always getting better than the guy that doesn’t show up.

Belts don't matter. You can be a 50 year old, 160lb, black belt and you can get smashed by a 25 year old blue belt. So what? I gave up that stuff years ago. At 48, I just go because I like it. I don't care about the elusive black belt, I don't care about getting smashed by some young kid. I go to help others learn and I go to fail. No qualms about it, bjj doesn't make you a killer, your belt isn't anything.

At 42 I have changed completely to no Gi. I agree it's easier on the body. I have small hands and gripping lapels etc was just brutal. The high judo throws compared to more single and double leg takedowns was also brutal. Multiple rib fractures brutal.

😂 when you get to my age (50 next month) you’ll look back at 38/39 as if it’s your 20’s. You’re young. Embrace that.

It’s opposite for me. I’m 46 and When I roll no-gi, I go instantly back to my wrestling days and tend to forego the bjj aspect. I love gi rolling because I can slow it down, have time to think and not just react. I’m pretty strong (competitive power lifter) and once I grab something, I can keep it until I let go. I love the various grips and ability to use their kimono against them.

I'm 37, a purple belt and black belt in judo. I feel this a lot, there are just times when youre gonna get beat. Sometimes I get down on myself because my best doesn't look the same every day. But without those low points, we don't get better.

As a 42 year old four stripe white belt, I literally felt the europhia when I submitted a blue belt then a purple belt last week. Then on following Monday tapped to a 17 year old kid. Although he was a blue I was gutted. Thank you Chew, for reminding us that highs and lows are just equally beautiful parts of BJJ's journey.

I’ve been dealing with this same situation myself. I’m a 50 year old 4 stripe white belt who has had a string of bad days. I have lost a little sleep over this past week and really needed to hear something like this. I always felt like my game had been progressing pretty well in the 2 short years I have been rolling but this past week has been tough to say the least. I really appreciate this Chewy. It gives me a different outlook when I was on the verge of giving up.

There are definitely times in competitive combat sports like Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) and judo, even in sparring environments, where higher ranking participants get absolutely flogged by lower ranking students. It can honestly be a demoralizing experience, but there is no shame in it, even though that may be easier said than thought. We are all unique and have our own life experiences and backgrounds outside of the gym/dojo. Some people might do other exercise outside of their martial arts club that could benefit their physical strength and conditioning in BJJ/judo. Some people may even do, or have prior experience in other grappling related arts like wrestling or sambo. In addition, some people might also have self-defense training and experience, especially participants of police and/or military backgrounds. Then of course, sometimes we can just have bad days. Maybe we have stuff going on in our head or/and lives (whether it's personal and/or work related) and we could be experiencing unwanted anxiety and stress. We may not be eating as much food as we could (or too much bad food), we may not be getting enough sleep etc. and this can of course influence our mindset and performance in both training and competition. For me personally, I remember the years 2016 to 2018 were possibly the worst years of my adult life. I was at conflict with close family members, I was having a lot of trouble with my closest of friends, I was working full-time for a narcissistic bully of a manager, I was trying to study to further educate and qualify myself, and I was working a freelance job... I had so much on my plate, I slept poorly, was constantly agitated and stressed... I gained so much weight during that time, and hell, I remember being in the shed one evening and just sitting on the ground, breaking down into tears. During this time, my judo absolutely sucked. So many people 'beat' me in both competition and training. There's... a lot of variables, and they can really hit us hard. Since improving my health, lowering my weight, getting a new job, getting into a better headspace and earning my blackbelt in judo, my mentality toward myself and the sport has become a lot better, and my judo is much better. I still lose some fights at competitions and I do 'lose' sometimes in training, but it is not nearly as bad as it was years ago... that, and now when I do lose, I at least can still have a smile on my face. As a coach nowadays, something I tell the students of our judo club is once you reach a senior level of competition (older teenagers, adults, veterans, masters etc.), never underestimate the person in front of you, whether it is training or competition, because they may have no idea what kind of experiences their training partner or competition opponent quietly carries under their belt, e.g., their physical strength, their stamina, their agility, to other skills (like other martial arts experience and/or self-defense training) and other life experiences. At the end of the day, all we can try and do is focus on the things we can control. Keep showing up to training, keep working with those who are besting us, learn from them and learn from your own mistakes. Practice the techniques you want to become good at. We might also be able to control outside stuff as well, such as our nutrition, our sleep, and additional training and regular exercise. If your mental health is down, you can try talking to someone... maybe starting with a close family member or friend, your coach, and then a mental health professional. The founder of judo, Professor Kano Jigoro, apparently once said "If there is effort, there is always accomplishment". All we can do is keep trying.

I'm a blue belt. I still struggle with some white belts. It is what it is. I'm glad that I'm not the only person who feels like they dont deserve their rank sometimes.

50 here. Grizzle seasoned grappling bastard. When I hit rock bottom, cause even us do to, I plunge into some good techniques I haven't tried before, and curiously, students are so puzzled they freeze. For example, during a week I was down and moody, I decided to hit imanari rolls on each and every students during the open mat. Surprised how my success rate went up like at 95%. Then when my mood went back, weeks later, I said to myself, maybe those down moments are a blessing and should happened more often cause look at what I'm willing to go for. And I really imanari rolled anyone with wreckless abandon. Cant forget those moments.

I understand what your saying I've had those days. Some days your the hammer and other days you're the nail, Jiu-jitsu is never easy, but you showed up

Here’s a pertinent motivational quote for you 😂: “If you’re going through hell, keep going.”

I describe myself as a 66 year old “hobbyist “ brown belt light feather weight. While I can survive most mat attacks, a decent competition blue belt can run circles around me. Pretty much everyone in my academy is heavier than me and younger by 2-4 decades. Even if I do get subbed by anybody, I like to still be hard to kill. Meantime I look to see what happened that I didn’t counter the lead up to the sub and figure out how to recognize the lead up and effectively stuff it.

When i was young i felt this way all the time in bushidokan, there judo and ground fighting was way above me. I mean kids that started at age 6 would just destroy me and there like 18 at the time i rolled with them or did throws. Man it was depressing.

Thanks Chewy i needed this. I tore my MCL a week after getting my blue belt eight months ago and i'm just now getting back on the matts. I have alot of catching up to do to feel like i deserve my belt.

45 year old FW Brown belt here and going through a similar thing with jiu-jitsu. My ego is really struggling to accept that I'm not the kind of brown belt I want to be, and due to age/injuries and physical decline I'm feeling like I never will be. It's got me really questioning the value in carrying on with the journey. Hoping it passes but have zero motivation to train at the minute.

I had this happen this recently. A difficult day of training, wasn't getting the moves right. I was thinking that I hadn't seen my coach in two training days, about a week's time. Then the Professor took over and announced after the second day of classes that our Coach wouldn't be working here anymore and chose a different career path. I really liked my Coach. It got me down for a couple of days. Still don't know what happened, but I just had to move on and start getting used to the current Professor. Mix in a couple of minor injuries and it wasn't my best week, but I weathered the storm and got through it. I know there's going to be more stormy weather ahead, and I'll deal with it then. Love your channel Chewie, great stuff.

I get smashed by every race sex age weight. I just learn from my mistakes and move on. I dont look at belts. I look at getting better on the things im weak at. People get caught up too much on hey im this belt and lost to this belt. Just worry about your game because most of the times the people skills do not match with their "belt" rank especially in the early stages.

the motivational quote is "the obstacle is the way". the challenge can be a stair or a wall, it is what you make of it.

Yeah, as 54 yr old brown belt and I can honestly say that blue belts and purple belts kick my ass more than brown and black belts. 😂

53, 1st Degree Blackbelt.. Only time being tapped matters is in actual confrontation. Hopefully avoidable. As one ages, measuring success/victory changes.

Some days I'm just grateful to still be on the mats, turning 53 this month. Some days I really really want to wristlock whitebelts and teenagers. 🤣

I think Jiujitsu would be much easier on some if they were colour blind. Forget the belts, learn, drill and roll. It is hard to ignore, but that's part of the game. There is always a 17-25 blue belt killer out there who's just going to get you. So what? Maybe he burns out and quits in another year from now, maybe he goes on to be a competitive champion? We run our own race, take away our own lessons from this sport.

Hi I'm 58 now. I've been training martial arts all my life. I've just started bjj in Cyprus and I love it but because of age I'm being tapped even by kids. Do you think I'm too old to progress?

I’m 39, I stoped doing no gi for a while after I tweaked my shoulder securing an underhook. Guy tuck his elbow down real tight and my shoulder did one of those old man injury things

With the internet ,BJJfanatics, RU-vid etc, the extra study really helps. I never take a blue or white belt lightly nowadays lol. BJJ isn’t a secret anymore

Jiu-jitsu goes from "Yep, that's it I'm signing up for worlds" to "Jesus, dude have you ever done this before?" 😅

Pressure bust pipes or creates diamonds... Some days you're the hammer, some you're the nail, others you're the wood... whichever you are that day just be happy to be part if the process... Lastly, that grass is immaculate. I'm in landscaping and can always appreciate a stadium cut... #BJJforEveryone #ChokeMeTapMePullMyGi

Funny, I am opposite. As I am in my 50's, I find myself loving to train gi more than no-gi. I am wrecked for 3-5 days after training no-gi as just being a little sore for a day after training gi.

Im only a white belt with a few stripes, im nothing special but i also hate to lose at anything in life cause im very VERY competitive BUT i purposely look for higher ranking belts to roll with knowing good and well i will lose, because i learn so much in those few seconds than i will in a whole hours of training some days. I learn quicker when i lose but i learn so much. This has been the most humbling AND uplifting thing ive ever done in my life. I have some of our higher up blue belts and a brown belt tell me that "for a white belt, your good and very strong!" "you actually made me work for that tap and im tired now." and even though i lost, it kept me going knowing "maybe i dont suck at this after all if i made a higher up belt hate his life for a few min?" so in this sport, for me, losing isnt just fun but it very rewarding.

It wouldn't be summer without cicada's. I've come to enjoy their sound.

years ago you got so proud that you beat a higher belt that one time. years later, lost so much pride when a lower belt beat you one time. that's just the circle of life my friend.

This is problem when belts are based mostly on performance and guys can sandbag for years. Wait until you hit age 45.

I’m 43 and I agree 100%. The gi absolutely wears me out faster.

So well timed. I was getting smashed by a white belt as a purple belt. He was bigger and stronger but fuck… haven’t felt like that rolling against a lower belt in a long time.

“Older guy… I’m 38.” Hahahahaha!!!!!

I have found that sometimes training with the same partners everyday can pay a toll on your strategy for new competitors as anyone would assume. So getting out and into new territory can be intimidating. And also blue belts are going to try so hard on a brown as well. When I go to other gyms open mats i definitely start off feeling a little defeated because it’s very new people and I roll better with my partners because I expect some of the things they might do, and have a understanding on a higher basis of how hard they want to roll vs a new gym and new competitors

Yes, if you help greater Germany invaderussia your Popsicles are gonna go up.

Oh you’re getting smashed by a blue belt? GHOOD.

I had a moment last weak were I had a competitive roll with a brown belt and got tapped by a blue belt twice in one roll (Ima blue belt) this shit makes no sense guys lol but chewie is right

I got 2 stripes on my white belt. I always wanted to be promoted. Now that i am i do not feel worthy. My trainer says i am at blue belt level but i do not feel like i am.

At my old school I used to triangle everyone. Fast forward a decade or so, I end up in a "new school" gym and I couldnt triangle anyone.... at least with the approach I was used to. The new school guys just had great triangle defense, and the old school guys I realized had very little effective defense.

my grey and white belt son stepped up to the grey belt division and got crushed in the tourney on saturday. Going to show him this.

Doesn't make sense to say throw away the motivational quotes. Other than that everything you said made a lot of sense and I needed to hear that after the other day

Great to put this out there - thx Chewy. At 45, experience this a lot. When it comes down to it, one of the beautiful things about Jiu Jitsu is the humility and the minimization of the ego it requires. Always something to be grateful for - at minimum, you’ve walked off the mat without injury or you continued to build community.

As an old grappler you have to get over your ego. You are going to lose to lower ranks you're old.

Is your friend Dave, Karate Dave Newton?

To me if there has to be belts it should only be two colors. One for the student and the other for the instructor. You don't NEED to visually identify that someone is better than you. Everyone knows who is better than them after like 4 days. After that you'll know who to ask for advice, who will help you get better or who will smash you.

46 years old purple belt No gi is way easier on my body

There are blue belts, an then there are BLUE BELTS.

Kentucky looks so nice! I visited a gym in Denver last week (Great Gym BTW) and as a blue belt I was completely getting destroyed by their blue belts.

If there’s no video evidence then it didnt happen 😂

my issue is being off for a whole month and then some due to a broken fingar...I haven't lifted or done any physical activity beyond my job, I'm skittish of getting a finger broken again, it sure does throw a wrench into my progress cause time is money

Or maybe he should be promoted?

I'm the same. Prefer nogi.

dude great perspective.........

I love the rough rounds

I really needed to hear this

I'm going to roll with it 😏

I am a white belt, it almost feel like I need to stay quite LOL but started late. I am 18 months in and my life changed as I know it. I am competing this Sunday in ADCC Africa Cape Town. My nervs is shot and I am a bit scared. I know I did put in the work but in a way feels like not enough but I am going for XP. Thanks for the videos and insights it gives some sort of perceptive...

No wonder the ice cream man has to charge $72 for a popsicle, you in the middle of nowhere brah. Tell him to try a densely populated neighborhood. Ice cream truck 101.

Its so green where you are. So beautiful. Horses would get so fat. In summer it looks like mars here and in winter(now) it still looks desolate in comparison. So distracted, I barely noticed you were talking about grappling.

Nobody cares in our gym, you have so many iBJJF champs, we're all game on that mat. You see striped white belts tapping blue belts in open mat, purples getting tapped by blue, vice versa. Everyone is very mentoring though and everyone feeds off one another. The Black betls don't care they mentor and roll with every level and you see the sweat on that mat and you realize that system is why our place has that many high level champs. No judgment, just resepct and roll. Egos get checked out fast.

I train at the Gracie HQ in California and Professor Ryron always taught us to not be concerned with tapping someone every roll, rather learn on surviving and escaping against your opponent.

If that’s Chewy’s yard, I’m stoked for him. Looks like a beautiful piece of property.

Nobody cares

I have been training 14 months and have 1 stripe on my white belt. The guys with 2 or 3 stripes crush me every day. Guys with 4 stripes I can hardly defend their attacks. I want to go back to 0 stripes haha

I love these videos where he kinda bares his soul in regards to jiu jitsu. There are plenty of channels that will show you how to perform a move, but not enough content out there like this. This is what makes Chewy's channel my favorite.

Nicky Rod's 2018 ADCC video highlights...Chewy is seen coming off mats at @20s

Really needed to hear this after my first gi comp didn’t go the way I wanted this weekend. I had all my excuses lined up which were all valid, but trying to focus on the fact that I got on the mat regardless.

This is fantastic and fits so well into the growth mindset concept! Thank you for reinforcing this, Chewy! Also, ice cream truck and cicadas… nice chance to change it up from the old days of “Ambalanz!”

Hey chew I have a question I am training bjj for a year now in 2 bjj gyms that are connected and in one of the gyms there are a pretty weird rule that says that we are not allowed to use takedowns in rolling if we don’t drill takedowns at the same class and if we do drill takedowns we are only allowed to use them in rolling in a way that only one tries to takedown and the other need to defend. the professor says that we do that for protection is it a red flag in the gym?