Jocko Willink was a Navy SEAL Platoon Commander and Seal Task Unit Commander leading hundreds of operations from September of 1990 to 2010. He’s also Black Belt under Dean Lister, one of the most decorated BJJ fighters who trained a lot of BJJ and MMA champions.
Jocko started training Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in 1995 under Fabio Santos and now he owns MMA Victory MMA training center together with Dean lister.
Statement from podcast viewer: “Jocko I don’t agree with your statement that I shouldn’t pursue the belts”
“I know I said don’t worry about belts, belts will come. I understand trying to earn a rank and that’s cool, but, at some point Jiu-Jitsu becomes much more than just a belt.
Jiu-Jitsu itself bypasses what the belts are. You can tell me that’s because you’re already a black belt, but the fact is this happened to me at the purple belt. In the mid-time of my purple belt, I didn’t care about belts anymore. I cared literally zero. I just wanted to get better. I just wanted to keep training and wasn’t thinking about it. Even at the black belt, I don’t know what degree someone is.
I got my black belt in 2005, and I have no idea how many degrees that is. I just don’t care.
If you’re trying to master the craft, hopefully, and eventually the craft itself becomes more important than the rank that comes with being skilled at the craft. That’s what I would hope for. That makes it a lot easier to keep pursuing. Wanting to learn more will propel you to more stripes. You shouldn’t think like I want my belt, you should think I want to learn more. Advancing in any craft will get you being better in that craft…”
Check the rest of Jocko’s answer in the video below.
Jocko Willink Navy Seal Challenged by a Reporter to a Grappling Match
Jocko Willink: Jiu-Jitsu is Only the Second Most Effective Form of Self Defense
