The Bjj White Belt Handbook
Things I learned in writing this..
I wrote The Bjj White Belt Handbook back in 2014 when I was a Blue Belt. A decade later it currently has a 4.1 star rating with 83 reviews. Here are some of my thoughts a decade and several belts after writing and releasing the eBook.
Why I Wrote It.
I was a White Belt when the idea came to me. I remember searching through Amazon for books that would help me navigate through Jiu-Jitsu culture. What I found was a ton of instructionals in book form. While that’s completely fine and obviously needed, what I felt the culture missed was preparing students to enter their first year of training.
So I started writing.
The book is filled with the experiences that I had that first year or two. I highlighted things that I did well, mistakes I made, and examples of what I wish I had known sooner.
How Has It Aged?
A decade later, I think that it still holds up well. About a year ago, I reread it, made some corrections on mistakes that I missed, but I still felt really good about the project. It’s not perfect, but it did exactly what I wanted it to do. It’s helped students starting out and hopefully allowing students the ability to stick it out through that difficult first year.
My hope is that I can put together another eBook but from the Black Belt perspective reflecting on the various stages and belts that I experienced.
What Did I Learn?
I learned a few things really.
I would say that it was scary and rewarding to put myself out there, attempting something that was out of my comfort zone. With projects like these, everything is on your shoulders. You don’t have an editor, so you rely on friends or family members to help out. Again while not perfect, I learned that sometimes being good is better than perfect.
If I had strived for perfect, I may never have finished or even released the project. I will often tell students, the most difficult sweep to defend is the perfectly set up sweep. It’s actually the one that’s done effectively well with 100% commitment. I was completely committed to this project and love what it has done for my own growth.
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