Why do they/we quit?

[Gary Chartier]

Thinking about what makes people quit jiu jitsu on the way in and one thing that popped in to my head was the slowing of learning curve. As you progress in to blue belt you have got a basic grasp of most of the concepts and it starts to seem like there aren't any big break throughs. What the breakthroughs become are, infact, the little puzzle pieces that fill in the gaps in the techniques. Bit by bit your techniques will become tighter and tighter and your individual techniques mesh into chains. Hitting your first arm bar or triangle is huge but when you can chain them to Omaplata to Twister side to Truck to Twister to Swedish Twister, that's money.

[Chris Herzog]

I don't think there is a slower learning curve at all. Its the same at all levels. Rep tech, drill tech and roll, if you follow this and are consistant you will maintain progress. I see attenedance drop occasionally, this could lead to an effect in the learning curve, however not if the student stays consistant.

[Phill Schwartz]

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[HerbChao]

For me (from what I've observed) is a lot of the kids who have stopped attending classes my theory is that either they're no longer dominating the majority of the class (because the ones they were beating up on have not caught up technique and rep wise) so now they can't deal with that and quit. Second I think is people get impatient, and despite making gains after 3-4 months they still don't like where they are and just give up. Third is the commitment needed to make progress-I've seen people try to float in and out 1-2 a week (barely, with weeks where they don't make it in at all) and they decide the time isn't worth it either. All of the above come down to a mix of ego, and work ethic.

[David Rosado]

I don't think there is a slower learning curve at all. Its the same at all levels. Rep tech, drill tech and roll, if you follow this and are consistant you will maintain progress. I see attenedance drop occasionally, this could lead to an effect in the learning curve, however not if the student stays consistant.

I"m only a white so I don't have much experience to go off of, but I guess coach confirmed my thoughts. I recall times when we revisited some series in class. Sure I already knew it, but I'd still learn more from it. In fact, I'd learn it better.

I hate to use cliches, but I like the quote "fear not the man who practices 1000 kicks one time...." BJ Penn admits he only has like 2 guard passes. But he's such a badass with those passes. And that's kind of the point. I don't feel like the learning curve should slow. I think it's a matter of perception. Basically, what do you expect to learn? I'm not expecting to learn every single submission in the world. That would be insanity. I want to learn what is high percentage and I want to get good at THAT. And from my experience in repeating series, and getting more the second time around, I realized, you're always learning, even if it looks the same.

What causes people to quit? Not counting temporary hiatus?

Lack of passion: they just don't love it. Some strikers will always be strikers. They just can't get into grappling even though they know they need it.

Unrealistic expectations: some guys expect to be instant killers cuz they know a few moves from TV or youtube. Some guys expect to collect 100 submissions in a year. When they realize the beginning is mostly fundamentals, lotta people probably get discouraged. Or they expect to always be ahead of the curve. I can assume a blue belt who took a year off feels like crap getting tapped by 9 month white belt.

Wrong intentions: Some guys think that they're just gonna jump into MMA. "Oh, I'm gonna learn some BJJ, and I'm a just knock dudes out in MMA." Or maybe they just want to fight in general. Suddenly when coaches reel them in and slow their horses, they don't like it. They think, "I pay you to teach me so I can do whatever I want." They don't respect the position of a coach.

These have been my observations.

[Aaron Gustaveson]

I have to assume most people quit for financial reasons or time reasons, if you think about it time reasons can always be solved if you have enough money so I'd have to say $$$ is the number one reason people have to stop. Not necessarily that they cant afford the cost of class but maybe they cant afford babysitters or have to work to much.

[Tori Applegate]

Also, jiu jitsu makes you face things head on..in Jiu Jitsu and about yourself, etc. Some people are weak, they're ego is too big and they don't want to learn to manage it, etc. There's a million reasons. Bottom line is...so many people start, but a tiny percentage make it to black belt.

[AKRhino]

The original reason I stepped away for a month break (re:almost two year break) was due to a shoulder injury. Add to that a marriage and a daughter... Plus starting my own business on the side (not to mention my day job) and it's about time. There are many days when I elect to hang out and play board games with my kiddo instead of heading to the gym. So basically, Life. Course I haven't quit, just slowed way down...

[David Rosado]

I have to assume most people quit for financial reasons or time reasons, if you think about it time reasons can always be solved if you have enough money so I'd have to say $$$ is the number one reason people have to stop. Not necessarily that they cant afford the cost of class but maybe they cant afford babysitters or have to work to much.

I don't consider that quitting though. I consider that a hiatus. I don't think I'll every quit BJJ. I have taken a couple hiatuses due to money and time, but I'm not quitting. I'm still learning. Still do solo drills at home. Quitting is quitting. Never coming back.

[Aaron Gustaveson]

I don't consider that quitting though. I consider that a hiatus. I don't think I'll every quit BJJ. I have taken a couple hiatuses due to money and time, but I'm not quitting. I'm still learning. Still do solo drills at home. Quitting is quitting. Never coming back.

i see your point but if that's how you define quitting, then you can never say if someone has quit or is on hiatus until they die. IMO even stopping for an injury is quitting unless you keep working around the injury to whatever capacity you can.

Also, jiu jitsu makes you face things head on..in Jiu Jitsu and about yourself, etc. Some people are weak, they're ego is too big and they don't want to learn to manage it, etc. There's a million reasons. Bottom line is...so many people start, but a tiny percentage make it to black belt.

very true but these people dont even make it to a year of regular training right? This is a good response to the op's question of why people quit at the entry level. I dont want to hijack the thread but Im more curious why people quit after several years of regular training or legit blue/purple status.

The original reason I stepped away for a month break (re:almost two year break) was due to a shoulder injury. Add to that a marriage and a daughter... Plus starting my own business on the side (not to mention my day job) and it's about time. There are many days when I elect to hang out and play board games with my kiddo instead of heading to the gym. So basically, Life. Course I haven't quit, just slowed way down...

If you were rich
-you could get high level medical care and get back faster (you can still study videos and do certain exercises injured too)
-your family could just give you the money to start a new business and you could live for a time off savings instead of working a day job allowing you to focus on your new business.
-you can pay people to plan your wedding.

enough money can overcome the obstacles that make most people have to stop. When gene labell was on JRE recently he said he when he was young in japan, he trained 6-8 hours a day 7 days a week. I was fucking enraged with jealously wondering how the fuck he afforded food? My head coach and my shotokan coach train me for free (i give what i can though) If $$ wasn't an issue Id go spend some time with denny then dave terrell,(my coaches suggestion) then train for some time at HQ and with Gokor and then relocate to Rochester.

Obviously im kinda making this about what i see as my own main obstacle, am I wrong ion thinking this is what keeps most of us from the level/amount of training that we want?