I understand bels are given due to skills proficiency. That being said, the average time can be estimated. Here on this site the average in years to a black belt is 12 year(s), 4 month(s), 6 day(s). 12 years training how much? As that is the average, I guess there are people who got their in less time in years, but how often are they training? What does that translate to hours in the mat? 1500h = 3x 1h per week for 10 years. Or 5x1h per week for 6.5 years (assuming a consistency of 48 weeks per year). More than that? What is your estimate based on your experience? What would be the average in mat hours for each belt? Thanks in advance for any opinions and comments. I am a blue belt, so I know already this a long process, I am just curious.

It seems like quite a bit has changed with Jiu Jitsu training over the last ten years. When I started it was common for a gym (in my area) to only offer 2-3 classes per week. So people would often train 2-3 hours per week and that was probably on the high end. I was always told 12 years is basically what it takes for the average person to achieve a BB. Currently most gyms I’ve been with offer classes 7 days a week, I’m currently training 10-15 classes per week and it’s seems like many students at my gym are training 4-5 classes per week. Everyone learns at a different pace and every has a different starting point. So it’s really difficult to put a number on progress when we look at JJ as a whole. I’ve been big on putting the onus back on me. I feel it’s my job to teach you Jiu Jitsu at a targeted pace. For my students I tell them it’s my job to earn them one stripe every 6 months as long as they are attending my two fundamentals classes at a minimum per week. This puts them at 2.5 years per belt and 10 years to black belt. Obviously this can’t be a hard rule, but I try my best to give each student the information they need to meet those targets. Some of my students will learn quicker, or their starting base will be stronger so those students will rank up faster. Some students will learn slower, have a weaker starting base or just not attend as many classes as their peers so they will earn rank slower. But I really believe 80% of the population can learn at the pace of one stripe every 6 months given the current amount of training options and the improved information delivery of our current coaches. So if you break that down into hours it would be something like 75-100 hours of training per stripe. Or 350-500 hours per belt. Obviously tons of room for variables but this has worked for me, and it gives my students some information on what is expected of me and them. I do t think this (or any system) is perfect, but it helps me to keep people on pace.

I agree with 1500 hours. When I started reading the post I also started doing the math in my head and that's the number I arrived at as well. Until the last 3 months I've probably averaged 3 times per week for the last 10 years. There were times I went 4 times per week and times I needed a week or two off for a booboo, but I suspect it all equals out in the end.

My question is, how common is it for someone to train only 2 hours per week and stay the course to receive their black belt in a 10 year window? Have things changed that much, or am I just misguided in my experiences?

I doubt anyone would ever get to the black belt level training only twice per week at our school. I won't rule it out completely, just trying to think of anyone that's gotten very far only training twice a week. I think another thing that has a big impact on training time is how well established the school is. If you've got a purple belt teaching 2 or 3 blue belts and 8 or 10 white belts the progress will likely be slower than a black belt teaching in a room of 4-6 brown belts, 10-12 purple belts, 15-20 blue belts and 30 white belts. The added experience available during drilling and rolling at the second school should help everyone progress more quickly.

One of my good friends has only ever trained jiujitsu 3 times a week and got his black belt faster than me (in about 10 years). However, he had an MMA & striking background before transitioning to BJJ, so earlier grappling/fighting experience, and he uses his training time smartly, in addition to training other sports. I’m sure that any gym he visits wouldn't question his rank. I think he is an anomaly though. I used to train 5-7 times a week during my active blue/purple years, mostly 90 min sessions, so about 10 hours a week, and joining every seminar and open mat in town. It appears to me that most practicioners who are somewhat serious (yet still with jobs and relationships) try to train about that much. And still it took me nearly 12 years to reach brown belt. Only belt that I felt came easy was the black belt haha.... For others I thought I was ready at least a year before I earned them. Then a few years as a seriously injured, unfit (compared to my comp years) brown belt mostly focusing on teaching... and boom, now you're a black belt. Due to family and other commitments, I can now train only 3 times a week (typically teaching on two of them) and I consider this pretty much the minimum to stay the course. I believe it's mostly the busy parents training only 2-3x a week, not the "average" practitioner. Reaching black in 12 years with training so seldom seems unlikely to me, unless the person is athletically gifted and uses the mat time purposefully, or if the gym/head coach doesn't have very high standards.

Hmm. IMO, 2 to 3 times a week is plenty. I don't think that's just busy parents, I think that's most people outside of the super intense competitor types. At least, that's the typical student I've seen over my 22 years of grappling. It's pretty rare that I've seen anybody training more than 3 times a week at my own gym, since I opened in 2014. Though we are a very chill gym. :D

Hmm. IMO, 2 to 3 times a week is plenty. I don't think that's just busy parents, I think that's most people outside of the super intense competitor types. At least, that's the typical student I've seen over my 22 years of grappling. It's pretty rare that I've seen anybody training more than 3 times a week at my own gym, since I opened in 2014. Though we are a very chill gym. :D

A question for those of you who run your own gym. If you have purple & brown belts teaching do you factor these sessions into time on the mat calculations? Where I train I'm in 3 times a week with classes ran by one of our black belts. But I also run my own daytime classes alongside another purple belt and a black belt in a rota. These sessions are not being logged in the members attendance schedule.

Counts for sure. I’d say it’s a soft requirement to receive higher belts (brown and up) for the average Joe. Not saying everybody is fit to be a teacher at all times, but as a higher belt, you will become an indirect leader, and people will seek guidance, teacher or not. As someone said above, your own journey will improve far more if you can teach a technique.