Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu can feel really tough when you start, but it gets much easier after your first 6-12 months of practice. The hard part isn’t that you’re “bad at it”—it’s that BJJ is very technical and you’re learning against people who are actively trying to stop you, which is different from most other sports or martial arts.
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Is It Hard to Learn Brazilian Jiu Jitsu?
Yes, learning Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is challenging because you’re trying to remember moves, use timing, and control your body against partners who don’t want you to win. Unlike martial arts where you punch pads or practice alone, BJJ makes you wrestle with real people from day one, and that shows you exactly where you need to improve.​
Most new students struggle with three things at once: remembering the techniques, getting tired really fast, and feeling frustrated when higher belts (more experienced students) beat them easily. This mix can make you feel like you’re not learning anything—even though you actually are getting better every class.​
If you’re nervous about your first BJJ class, that’s totally normal—everyone feels that way at the start.​
Why Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Feels Difficult at First
1. There’s a lot to remember
BJJ isn’t just “one fighting style.” It has many different positions like guard (when you’re on your back), side control (when someone is lying across your chest), mount (when someone sits on top of you), and back control (when someone is behind you). Each position has its own escapes, attacks, and ways to move.​
On top of that, small details matter a lot. If your hip is in the wrong spot by just a few inches, or you grab with the wrong hand, a technique that should work won’t work at all. This makes early learning feel slow because you have to pay attention to so many little things.​
2. You practice against people who fight back
From the beginning, most BJJ gyms include “rolling” (live practice where you try to submit your partner while they try to submit you). This is super helpful for learning, but it can feel hard because your partner isn’t letting you win—they’re actively trying to stop you.​
Unlike solo practice or drilling on pads, rolling forces you to use techniques when you’re tired, stressed, and being squeezed. That’s why BJJ feels “harder” than arts where you mostly practice alone or with light contact.​
3. It uses muscles you didn’t know you had
BJJ works your hips, core (stomach and lower back muscles), grip strength, and neck in ways you’ve probably never done before. Even people who are “in shape” from running or lifting weights get tired really fast in their first few BJJ classes.​
Also, when you’re new and nervous, you tense up and use way more energy than needed, which makes you even more tired. Learning to relax while someone is trying to choke you is a skill that takes time to learn.​
Understanding what is BJJ and its core principles helps you see why certain movements feel so different from other sports.​
Mental and Emotional Challenges
4. Being a beginner is embarrassing (but that’s okay!)
Most adults aren’t used to being the worst person in the room at something physical, especially with other people watching. In BJJ, you’ll get tapped out (forced to give up) by people who are smaller, weaker, or less athletic than you—just because they’ve been training longer.​
This can make you feel frustrated or embarrassed, which is why some people quit before they get good. But the students who stick with it learn to be okay with being a beginner and treat each round as a chance to learn, not as a test.​
5. Progress is slow and confusing
Getting better at BJJ doesn’t happen in a straight line. Some weeks you’ll feel great, and the next week you’ll feel like you forgot everything. Belt promotions (moving up ranks from white to blue to purple) take years, so you don’t get quick rewards like in video games.​
That’s why coaches tell you to celebrate small wins: escaping a position you couldn’t before, lasting longer with tough training partners, or successfully doing one move under pressure. Focusing on these tiny improvements makes the journey less frustrating.​
Research shows that martial arts training builds mental toughness in children and adults, helping you handle stress better in daily life.​
Tips to Make Learning BJJ Easier
1. Have realistic expectations
If you think you’ll be “winning” rounds in your first month, you’ll be disappointed. A better goal is: “For the first 3-6 months, I just want to survive, learn basic positions, and get comfortable being on the ground.”​
Checking out a beginner’s guide to starting jiu jitsu can show you what normal beginner progress looks like and help you set the right goals.​
2. Focus on positions, not fancy moves
Instead of trying to memorize every technique you see, focus on the main positions first: mount, back control, closed guard, side control, and half guard. For each position, ask: “How do I survive here? How do I escape? How do I attack?”​
Once you have a few reliable moves from these positions, rolling becomes less chaotic and more like solving a puzzle.​
3. Train 2-3 times per week (consistency wins)
Going to class 2-3 times every week beats going 5-6 times for two weeks and then quitting for a month. BJJ is all about mat time—your coordination, timing, and reflexes only develop through repetition.​
Even when you feel stuck, just showing up keeps your body and brain adapting to grappling. Slow, steady progress beats bursts of intense effort.​
4. Roll to learn, not to win
A big mistake beginners make is treating every practice round like a real fight. If you only care about “winning,” you’ll avoid trying new things and only use what feels safe.​
Instead, pick specific goals for some rounds: “This round, I’ll work on escaping side control” or “I’ll try that new sweep we learned today”. This turns rolling from scary chaos into focused practice.​
Many BJJ white belts benefit from having a clear game plan rather than just “trying to survive” every round.​
Why BJJ Feels Harder Than Other Martial Arts
1. It’s like physical chess
Striking arts (like karate or kickboxing) mostly happen standing up with punches and kicks. BJJ happens standing, in the clinch (grabbing range), and on the ground—all while staying in constant contact with your opponent. You have to think in three dimensions (top, bottom, side) while managing grips, balance, and weight.​
This makes BJJ more complicated than memorizing punch combinations on pads. That complexity is what makes it interesting, but it also explains why learning feels slower at first.​
2. You get instant, honest feedback
Because BJJ uses live sparring as a main part of training, you know right away if something works or doesn’t work. There’s no way to fake it—if a move doesn’t work against someone who’s resisting, you know immediately.​
This can feel brutal, but it’s also why BJJ makes you improve faster than arts where you only practice by yourself.​
The BJJ community on platforms like Reddit shares honest experiences about the challenges beginners face and how to overcome them .
Why It’s Worth the Challenge
1. Progress feels amazing because you earned it
The same things that make BJJ hard—complexity, resistance, slow progress—also make it super rewarding. When you finally escape a position that used to feel impossible, or when you submit someone who used to beat you easily, you know you didn’t get lucky—you actually got better.​
Belts in BJJ take years to earn, which makes each promotion meaningful.​
2. It makes you mentally tougher
Learning to stay calm when you’re being squished, to think clearly when you’re exhausted, and to keep trying after failing dozens of times shapes how you handle hard things in regular life. Many people who train BJJ say they become more patient, better at handling stress, and more confident outside the gym.​
According to Psychology Today, martial arts training improves focus, self-control, and emotional regulation in both kids and adults .
3. You make great friends
Most BJJ gyms have strong communities where higher belts help beginners, and everyone shares the struggle together. Progress becomes a team effort rather than something you do alone.​
If you’re wondering how to find a BJJ gym near you, look for schools with friendly, supportive instructors who focus on teaching beginners properly.​
Is It Hard to Learn Brazilian Jiu Jitsu? Final Answer
Yes, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is hard to learn compared to many other activities—but mostly at the beginning, and mostly in ways you can handle with the right mindset and good coaching. The difficulty is what makes it worth doing: every bit of progress is real, earned, and makes you stronger both physically and mentally.​
If you accept that the first few months will feel confusing, commit to showing up consistently (2-3 times per week), and treat each class as a chance to learn rather than a test to pass, BJJ changes from “this is too hard” to “this is hard, but I’m getting better”.​
The International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation (IBJJF) offers resources for beginners looking to understand belt requirements, competition opportunities, and training standards .
