After Blue Belt Funk/Plateau/Burnout

[Tori Applegate]

Good, so everyone just kept on the grind and maybe refocused some. I don't plan on stopping. I know it's a journey, and the belts matter, but don't necessarily mean anything. It is what you make it.

Amber, I think you're right about once they're the best at their skill level they stop. It just blows my mind, I've seen such talent in people and at blue belt a lot of times..just boom, like that they're not coming to class anymore or move on to other things.

Bobby, I agree. No breaks.

[john botello]

There's always something to work on.. Even while injured. If you hurt your leg work you squeeze. If you hurt your arm work guard retention etc.

[Eddie Bravo]

It's impossible to hit plateaus if you are rolling and drilling consistently.

It may only seem that way because most everyone else in class is also progressing along with you.

Just keep training and don't trip. If Jitz is truly your passion quitting would never be considered. Always remind yourself how awesome it is having the ability to kill people in self defense with your bare hands :-)

[Greg W]

While just a blue myself, I have been going mostly no stop for 11 years. I wasn't able(didin't want to) to progress through belts like most, so I was forced to base "progress" on other things. When I start to feel a bit of a rut start I try and visit another gym. Something out learning something different, stomping people, or getting stomped with a new look, gets my blood going again. Try not to get stuck in the same old four walls, it will help, trust me. When you come back to the familiar four walls, they will seem familiar but just a somehow little different.

[Slick Rick]

Second what you all have said.
Tori, here's my POV on the matter.
Jiu Jitsu will become a way of life for you beyond the belts. I mean even if ther weren't belts, you'd still train because there's no other sort of physical fitness like this on the planet. Physically fit while learning to defend yourself- this is a way of life.

I have gotten burned out before so I would tone my training down to two days that week. As a matter of fact, I feel 2 days is a minimum number of days you need to sustain your current level of technique(you will still progress, however). Any less and you tend to say, "Oh shoot I forgot about that option." Any more than 2 days in a week, you're progressing at a faster rate than those in sustain mode.

I came up with some numbers a while back that I have used as a rule of thumb:
1000 5 minute matches ~ blue belt
3000 5 minute matches ~ purple
5000 5 minute matches ~ brown
8000-> whenever is black belt level

Again a rule of thumb based on my own calcs, but if you run the numbers at 2 days a week and 5 matches a day, that brings you to about 2 years to reach a blue belt. That seems about right to me.
So in your plateau periods, think about the bigger picture and keep a log of all the matches you've had, all the times you've tapped, why you've tapped, what body types gave you trouble, why they gave you trouble, keep a log of techniques you've drilled, take note why you like the techniques that are your go to techniques, etc. Learn about yourself along the way and have fun playing with the numbers. Then if you get bored, go choke someone out.

[Brian Debes]

I’ve heard what you’re referring to called “the curse” or “the blue belt curse” and it happens. My opinion is that it happens because your train for the belt exclusively. So, for 1 to 2 years (usually) your goal is that blue belt. And then you finally get it. And that next belt is potentially 4+ years away (it happens, I was 6 years in to training getting mine.). It’s hard to wait that long for “progress” if only belt ranks are progress to you. In addition, everyone is moving upward with you so you don’t see much progress many times. It never really affected me because early on I embraced the fact that because of my training choices and options around me, I would never get a belt. Thanks to Eddie and others that have helped me, that turned out not to be the case. Try to measure your progress based on changes in your game rather than the belt. And remember, nothing “entitles you to it”, you just get it when your instructor says you’re ready Best of luck Tori, you can do it!!!
P.S. “You” in this paragraph just meant the “generic blue belts” I have observed and not anyone person and definitely not you Tori. I just wanted to be clear

[Tori Applegate]

It's impossible to hit plateaus if you are rolling and drilling consistently.

It may only seem that way because most everyone else in class is also progressing along with you.

Just keep training and don't trip. If Jitz is truly your passion quitting would never be considered. Always remind yourself how awesome it is having the ability to kill people in self defense with your bare hands :-)

I want to be one of at least the first ten or twenty 10P women black belts. I don't plan on stopping!!

Second what you all have said.
Tori, here's my POV on the matter.
Jiu Jitsu will become a way of life for you beyond the belts. I mean even if ther weren't belts, you'd still train because there's no other sort of physical fitness like this on the planet. Physically fit while learning to defend yourself- this is a way of life.

I have gotten burned out before so I would tone my training down to two days that week. As a matter of fact, I feel 2 days is a minimum number of days you need to sustain your current level of technique(you will still progress, however). Any less and you tend to say, "Oh shoot I forgot about that option." Any more than 2 days in a week, you're progressing at a faster rate than those in sustain mode.

I came up with some numbers a while back that I have used as a rule of thumb:
1000 5 minute matches ~ blue belt
3000 5 minute matches ~ purple
5000 5 minute matches ~ brown
8000-> whenever is black belt level

Again a rule of thumb based on my own calcs, but if you run the numbers at 2 days a week and 5 matches a day, that brings you to about 2 years to reach a blue belt. That seems about right to me.
So in your plateau periods, think about the bigger picture and keep a log of all the matches you've had, all the times you've tapped, why you've tapped, what body types gave you trouble, why they gave you trouble, keep a log of techniques you've drilled, take note why you like the techniques that are your go to techniques, etc. Learn about yourself along the way and have fun playing with the numbers. Then if you get bored, go choke someone out.

Great advice, I train 4 nights a week, and I just started adding reps for (starting tomorrow) an hour every night before class with a drilling partner. Come July 2014, I gotta be the best girl in blue belt 135 & below..in the world. :-) like the tip on starting a notebook on issues and breakthroughs in training. That's golden. :-)

I’ve heard what you’re referring to called “the curse” or “the blue belt curse” and it happens. My opinion is that it happens because your train for the belt exclusively. So, for 1 to 2 years (usually) your goal is that blue belt. And then you finally get it. And that next belt is potentially 4+ years away (it happens, I was 6 years in to training getting mine.). It’s hard to wait that long for “progress” if only belt ranks are progress to you. In addition, everyone is moving upward with you so you don’t see much progress many times. It never really affected me because early on I embraced the fact that because of my training choices and options around me, I would never get a belt. Thanks to Eddie and others that have helped me, that turned out not to be the case. Try to measure your progress based on changes in your game rather than the belt. And remember, nothing “entitles you to it”, you just get it when your instructor says you’re ready Best of luck Tori, you can do it!!!
P.S. “You” in this paragraph just meant the “generic blue belts” I have observed and not anyone person and definitely not you Tori. I just wanted to be clear

To be honest if you would have asked me a year ago I would've been plenty happy with just getting a blue belt some day...I didn't expect to get my belt. That's awesome everyone helped you get ranked!!

[Amber Kamischke]

I want to be one of at least the first ten or twenty 10P women black belts. I don't plan on stopping!

I'm right there with you!

[Brandon Mccaghren]

Blue Flu. I've seen it a lot. Even from people who are serious about their training.

The key to me is never stop showing up. The nights that you don't really feel like training are the most important times for you to be there. Even if you don't wanna roll hard. Just be there. Put on your rash guard, close your eyes, take a deep breath and think about how amazing it is for you to even be blessed enough to participate in something like this. Sit down stretch and train as hard as you feel like!

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[Mario Lopez Alvarez]

Keeping having fun in your training! Enjoy the journey. Believe in yourself