You are interested in training BJJ or recently started, great! Now you want to know how to get good and get your blue in BJJ fast. Don’t worry I have come up with some easy to implement steps which will put you on a fast track to getting your blue belt.
How to get a blue belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ) fast? To get your blue belt in BJJ quickly you need to train a lot. Typically it takes someone training 3 times a week for 1.5 – 2 years to get their blue belt. If the average class is 90mins this equates to between 350-450 hours of training time required. You could reach this training time in 6 months if you commit to training 13 hours a week.
To improve your BJJ quickly I recommend you take private lessons with your coach, their individual attention can ensure they fix your mistakes which may stall your progress if they are left unaddressed. Competing as much as possible will also improve your BJJ as you will learn to use your techniques in an intense environment against an unknown opponent. Finally I recommend watching instructionals, BJJ instructions can be a great way to learn techniques and correct mistakes. If you follow these steps you will be able to get your BJJ blue belt within 6 months.
How good is a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ) Blue Belt?
A blue belt is an intermediate student. A blue belt should be able to control and submit an untrained person with relative ease unless there is a very large strength and weight difference. A BJJ blue belt is expected to have strong fundamentals and be able to perform the basic techniques proficiently with and without resistance. A BJJ blue belt should be a tough opponent for most untrained people and should be a betting favourite in an unarmed fight against someone of similar size.
Is It Hard to Get a Brazillian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ) Blue Belt?
You may be wondering how hard is it to get a BJJ blue? Approximately 20% of people who try BJJ get their blue belts. However don’t worry this number is low only because like most hobbies the majority of people who try them don’t like them enough to practice them for long. If you enjoy BJJ your chances of receiving a blue belt are very high because a couple hours of commitment a week for a year or two is not a huge investment in something you enjoy.
How Do You Get a Brazillian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ) Blue Belt?
To get a BJJ blue belt a higher belt has to deem that you possess the skill which is representative of a blue belt. Typically only black belts are able to give blue belts but in cases where there are no black belts practitioners who are one level above blue belt are able to promote students. Some schools have formalised requirements that you must meet to receive a blue belt. These can include demonstrating techniques and competition results.
However most schools have an informal process where the student receives their blue belt when the instructor feels they are ready. Now you know what a blue belt represents and how to get one, let’s look at ways you can get your BJJ blue belt fast.
How Long Does it Take to Get a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ) Blue Belt?
To get a BJJ blue belt it typically takes 1.5-2 years of training on average 3 times a week. Sometimes it takes shorter or longer depending on how much you train, your consistency and your athletic ability. If you come from a judo or wrestling background then within a couple of months you should get your blue belt. Typically a judo black belt is already at the skill level of at least a blue belt and after learning the rules should receive their blue belt within a few weeks or months. The length of time you train is not actually important.
What matters is the amount of hours you have actually spent training BJJ. 1.5 years of training 3 times a week with an average session being 90mins equals 351 hours of mat time. To get your blue belt in a year or even 6 months you should aim to hit at least 351 hours of training time. Even if you aren’t very athletic or don’t have any relevant experience if you hit the training hours in a short period of time you will get your BJJ blue belt fast.
As a beginner I wouldn’t worry about trying to optimise your training to increase your improvement. I would just focus on going to training as much as possible and trying your best to learn and implement the techniques. Keep it simple stupid. If you train 13 hours a week within 6 months you will be a blue belt.
Private Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ) Lessons
Private BJJ lessons are a great way to improve your BJJ and take you to a blue belt level. Private lessons are effective because a coach can quickly identify what you need to learn to improve. They can quickly diagnose your issues and implement solutions which in a group class may go left unaddressed for months.
Private lessons also result in your coach giving you extra attention in group classes as coaches will typically give a bit of VIP treatment to their higher paying customers. This extra attention can lead to you improving quickly as you add new techniques to your arsenal. I recommend you tell your coach to get your blue belt and ask them specifically what you should work on to accomplish your goal to ensure you get the most out of your private lessons .
Private lessons typically cost between $50-$200 hour depending on the experience of your coach. If money is a bit tight I would recommend asking a purple belt at your gym if they would be willing to teach you some privates. Purple belts typically charge a lot less and they will be more familiar with learning the basics compared to a black belt who may have learned the basics a decade ago when they were a kid.
Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ) Instructionals
Your body can not always handle more training but your mind can. This is where BJJ instructionals are a great learning tool. BJJ instructionals usually consist of videos where coaches film themselves performing and explaining techniques just like how they would in class. You can improve your BJJ through watching instructionals. They are great to watch before training to give you some techniques to try out and after training to figure the mistakes you made during your session.
BJJ instructionals are not nearly as effective as actual training time however they are a great tool which you can use to improve your BJJ by learning new techniques and identifying and rectifying your mistakes. As a beginner I recommend you take advantage of the hours of free instructionals on YouTube. Be careful that you only watch high quality instructionals as some poor quality advice may do more harm than good. You can’t go wrong by checking out Keenan Cornelius or BJJFanatics, they both have lots of free content on YouTube and once you become more advanced you can then consider paying for their premium content.
If you train a lot (350 hours minimum), take some private lessons and watch BJJ instructionals you will get your BJJ blue belt fast. 6-12 months is possible.
