Three things I wish I knew as a White Belt

by Wayne Tomsett, author of Cheat Codes: The Secret Guide to Winning on the Mats

www.cheatcodesbjj.co.uk

When you start Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, it feels like being dropped into a foreign country where everyone speaks fluent violence and you don’t even know how to say “hello.” I remember those early months extremely vividly. The constant sense of drowning, sometimes literally in sweat. Looking back, there are a few things I wish I’d known at the start. They would’ve saved me a ton of frustration, helped put my training in to context, and accelerated my development if I took them seriously.

1. Progress Isn’t Linear

One of the hardest truths to swallow about Jiu-Jitsu is that progress doesn’t move in straight lines. You’ll have nights where you’re on FIRE, everything clicks and you’re crushing people. And others where you feel like you’ve forgotten how to tie your belt. And that’s normal. It isn’t like weightlifting, there is no linear progression in gains.

As a white belt, I used to think a bad night meant I was regressing. I’d beat myself up thinking that I wasn’t any good at the sport, I’d question why I was even bothering. What I didn’t know, was that progress in Jiu-Jitsu resembles a long term view of the stock market. There will be volatility in the day to day, week to week value, but when you zoom out, you’ll see the upward trajectory over time.

Those days where you feel like you’re not improving, you are, it’s just subtley. You’ll level up in timing, awareness, grit, and composure. These things are crucial to your development, they matter way more than your submission count, but they can’t be easily taught. They only get better through consistently showing up, even on the days you’re getting smashed, and accepting that progress isn’t linear.

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