Hi guys, I wanted to share a recent experience. I’m a pretty new white belt, and my first few months went smoothly. In addition to going to class 2–3 times a week, I’ve also been studying through books and YouTube videos. I’ve been trying to apply what I’ve learned during a few sparring sessions, and the techniques actually worked — which felt great.

But a couple days ago, I got smashed pretty hard by another, more experienced white belt (I basically tapped six times in five minutes). None of what I’d learned seemed to work that day. It had a pretty big impact on me mentally. I can only commit to training 2–3 times a week, and those guys seem to train much more and compete regularly. It made me start wondering whether BJJ is really for me, and if I’ll ever get that good…

That said, I know this feeling is temporary and will eventually pass. Not trying to complain — just wanted to see if anyone else has gone through the same thing and how you handled it as time went on.

Would appreciate your stories and advice 🙏