This is our second 8-week cohort that we are launching at Elevate. Our first 8-week cohort was completed this past fall, and we greatly succeeded in developing four individuals towards their Blue Belts. You can learn more about their journeys here.

With this success, we are excited to offer our next 8-week cohort in January 2025. We have already received interest from several students at Elevate, and we can accommodate a larger cohort this time. We are taking applications now for those of you looking to begin in January.

If you are looking for more information about the 8-week program, the following will help to describe the process:

People say that the most challenging belt to achieve is your white belt. Beginning the journey is the hardest part. But, in contrast, the most asked question is, “How long does it take to get your blue belt in jiujitsu?” Reddit, Google, YouTube, and Podcasts all point to 1-3 years. The average time is 1.5 years until the average person doing jiujitsu can obtain a blue belt.

What is a blue belt? Let’s consider jiujitsu to be similar to a complicated board game. One of the hurdles of playing a complex board game for the first time is that you and the other players have no idea how to play the game. That’s why a rule book is included in the game. Some even have step-by-step instructions on how to play the game from the beginning and what to do during certain stages of the game. The list goes on: cards, dice, moving pieces, what is allowed and what is not allowed. The first few game run-throughs rely on checking and rechecking the rules and the how-to-play booklet. And often, if not all, the first few games are riddled with mistakes and confusion. This process continues until there is finally an understanding of how to play the game. Then, the game itself finally becomes playable and truly enjoyable.

A popular game that we could compare jiujitsu to is chess. For one, most beginners in jiujitsu have some notion of what chess is, and many of them know what the pieces do on the board, how to move the pieces, and how to play them. In other games like Dungeons and Dragons, while a robust and complicated game, fewer new jiujitsu players have played. So, that and other games are harder to compare as fewer people know how to play and the complexity of the game as it continues. Most people know how to play chess, and most people who have played chess understand that there are chess masters. And that chess masters can crush a novice chess player. But a novice chess player can, at the very least, know how to play the game of chess with the chess master. Who, in turn, may help or coach the novice chess player to improve their chess skills.

So, “What is a blue belt?” A blue belt, in essence, means the individual has obtained the knowledge necessary to play the game. A blue belt signifies that you are now an asset to the team. You have been awarded the rank of blue belt based on the knowledge you have earned. A blue belt can play the jiujitsu game and be a valuable teammate to all the other belt levels. It is the beginning stage of actually “doing” jiujitsu.

Here is the hard part. Most people quit before they reach the rank of blue belt. Jiujitsu is a challenging game. And the process of reaching a blue belt is often shrouded in mystery. Each gym has its ideas of what constitutes a blue belt. There is a common belief that earning a blue belt will take 1-3 years to have the knowledge and ability to play the jiujitsu game. During this period, many quit because the game feels too confusing. White belt adults feel like they are not making the progress they believe they should be making. And, frankly, often, their process is not enjoyable.

It doesn’t have to be that way. This belief doesn’t necessarily mean it is the truth. What is true is that getting to the blue belt does take work. And it does take concentration, dedication, and an ability to be coached. But, with the proper coaching methods and the commitment to the time necessary to learn the techniques, concepts, and rulebook, it is possible to earn your blue belt in two months. Ten hours per week for eight weeks. That’s 80 focused hours. In 80 hours, you can earn your blue belt. It’s simple. Not easy. 

That’s our offer. You can play the jiujitsu game as a blue belt in two months. At Elevate, our blue belts can understand the significant concepts of jiujitsu, learn complex techniques, and quickly teach others what they currently know. With a dedicated cohort, there are great benefits and advantages of seeing things simultaneously, not spread out over 1-3 years. Many of our blue belts assist in teaching our kids classes. Several compete often. All visitors (we do get a lot of them during the year) always approach me after the class they visit and tell me, “Wow. Your blue belts are all excellent. They have a solid foundation.” We work on the fundamentals from the very beginning. And then we improve upon them. Over and over. With a strong understanding of the fundamentals, all further learning and discernment of techniques becomes more accessible and faster. That is what we will be doing for two months: developing the fundamentals of jiujitsu and the concepts and techniques. Because the fundamentals don’t go away, they only become more critical the closer you get to a black belt in jiujitsu.

The price of two years of regular classes at Elevate is $6,000. Signing up for the 8-week cohort course is about one year and ten months faster to get your blue belt than taking regular classes at Elevate.

We are looking for individuals who are interested in progressing quickly, are dedicated to learning, and have the availability to train approximately ten hours per week. Students with prior jiujitsu experience are welcome in addition to students without experience. We are happy to discuss potential options if you train at another school. Elevate has a positive relationship with many martial arts schools in the area. Students will spend approximately four to five hours of class on Saturdays for in-depth understanding. Students will attend an additional five to six hours of class during the week, typically in the evenings, for two to three-hour sessions at a time. These hours may seem like a lot of time to commit to, but I assure you the time will fly by. There will be a combination of learning modalities, from in-person hands-on learning to video study, note-taking, and small assignments throughout the week. We have a dedicated area for both classroom study and hands-on learning.

There is no need to arrive “in shape” to take advantage of this course. Most individuals never do these movements regularly, so everyone will be unconditioned for the activity and learning. You will get into jiujitsu-shape in two months. If you are interested in this course but have a preexisting injury or concern, please reach out, and we can discuss whether this course will be the right fit for you. 

If you are interested in this program, please complete the following application. Describe who you are and why you are interested in joining the next cohort. Also, please provide me with your name, age, weight, and height. We can only accept 10-12 people simultaneously for each cohort.