Hey Everyone,

Wanted to get a discussion going here considering how many high level competitors and black belts there are at Atos who've not only competed at the highest levels, but also show up and improve on a daily basis.

I've been a black belt since September '22 and I do see this as a whole new journey. I've gained a lot of experience in my colored belt days, and while I didn't compete as much as I'd have hoped, I'm consistently training and doing my best to learn and improve. However, we all understand that there are levels to BJJ. There's a lot of variability between black belts who are hobbyists (and I don't mean that as a pejorative), and competitive black belts who are on the circuit numerous times per year, or even month. And when you roll with someone who is consistently on the competition circuit, you feel it right away: their technique is crisper, timing is better, pins are stronger, and movement is generally more efficient.

While I have some idea about improvement, I'd love to get a conversation going about how to become a great black belt. That might be ambitious, but how do you continue improving day to day, week to week, grinding it out? Was there an area of focus that helped you, or a certain mentality and mindset? Did you spend more time rolling, drilling, or exploring? Appreciate any insight anyone has on getting to that next level of growth and skill at black belt.

Thank you!