How Often Should You Train Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu?
Brazilian Jiu-jitsu (BJJ) is a physical activity that can get very complex. For this reason, reaching a high level of proficiency takes a good amount of time. In this article, I will explain what I’ve learned about how often you should train BJJ based on a range of different factors.
On average, you should train Brazilian Jiu-jitsu once a day for 2 hours or less. Very experienced black belts in BJJ have stated that any more than that and you reach a point of diminishing returns. But, less than once a week and you will begin to forget what you learned.
If you’re new to BJJ and haven’t trained it regularly you won’t yet know how often people train. Below, I will cover how often most people train BJJ, and more details about the pros and cons of training BJJ more or less.
How Often Does the Average Person Train Jiu-Jitsu
Training jiu-jitsu is done at a gym and requires a person to go there to train, which is a time commitment. Therefore, not everyone trains jiu-jitsu all day every day, and various other things in life come up. So, here’s how often an average person trains jiu-jitsu.
On average, most people train jiu-jitsu 1 to 3 times a week according to experience BJJ black belts. A typical person has a lot of commitments outside of jiu-jitsu, and it’s only reasonable for an average person to train this much.
A very experienced black belt in BJJ Dave Kama, of Kama Jiu-jitsu, has stated that the ideal amount of time to train is about 2 hours every day, 6 days a week. Here’s an interview where he explains.
There is a thing known as overtraining. When training for a sport your body can handle training A LOT. But, it does cause negative effects when done for long periods of time such as over a few years or more. It can be difficult to put on muscle because you’re always in a calorie deficit.
In general, the more you train the faster you will get good at jiu-jitsu. If we take these metrics, they can be applied to the time it takes to get each belt. That way you can see how, how often you train affects the length of time it takes to progress from one belt to the next. Here’s a table that shows how, how often you train affects how long it takes to get each belt:
For example, if you’re a white belt, you will need to train as a white belt for 1 to 2 years before you will get awarded a blue belt.
Belt color | Total time to get awarded the next belt (training 1 to 3 times a week) |
White | 1 to 2 years |
Blue | 3 to 6 years |
Purple | 6 to 11 years |
Brown | 8 to 14 years |
Black (1 to 6 stripes) | 20 to 26 years |
Now, I took these average time frames and adjusted them for if you train everyday. Such as, monday to saturday.
Belt color | Total time to get awarded the next belt (training everyday) |
White | 6 months to 1 year |
Blue | 1.5 to 3 years |
Purple | 3 to 5.5 years |
Brown | 4 to 7 years |
Black | – |
The time it takes to get awarded a new belt is about half. A typical person will have things that come up. For example:
- They will go on vacation
- They will get very busy with something else such as work
- They will have an injury
- They will get sick with the flu or similar
Each of these will mean a person will stop training for a week to a month. Therefore, the numbers are a bit loose. Also, ultimately when you get awarded a belt depends on your instructor. It’s up to them when they decide you are ready.
Some instructors are very strict and require a person to know A LOT of techniques to a very high level. Whereas, others don’t have as high a standard. Therefore, even if you do train for this amount of time there is no guarantee that you will be awarded your next belt.
Is It Good To Train BJJ Every day
BJJ is a very fun sport, and many people who begin training find they love to do it a lot. It’s also very competitive so people have a desire to get better so they can win against their training partners. But, is it good to train BJJ, or is less more?
In general, it’s perfectly fine to train BJJ every day. But, ideally training about 6 days a week is preferred. This will give you one day off for recovery. Experienced black belts in BJJ say about 6 days a week 2 hours a day is ideal if your goal is to get good as fast as possible.
However, this comes at a cost. Such as:
- The time and expense to travel to the gym
- The amount of gis you will need (about 6)
For most people, this is impractical, especially balancing family life, and work. But, it’s definitely doable.
Is BJJ Two Times a Week Enough
Due to the large time commitment needed to train BJJ, an average person typically can’t train every day. And training 1 to 3 times a week is about the max most people can do. So, here’s a summary of whether training this amount is enough to get good at BJJ.
As a general rule, BJJ two times a week is enough. If you train less than once a week, you will begin to forget what you learned. Ideally, to get as fast as possible you would train 6 days a week for about 2 hours a day. However, this is not practical for most people.
Training 2 times a week is will mean you progress from one belt to the next within a reasonable amount of time. And you won’t be disappointed that you’ve been a lower belt for such a long amount of time.