Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is more than just a martial art – it’s a path to becoming a better person through hard work and skill development. And both BJJ and the Japanese version of Jiu-Jitsu have a lot of wisdom to offer us, so here is my custom curated list of 127 BJJ quotes.
Unlike fighting styles that rely on brute strength, BJJ teaches you to overcome stronger opponents through technique and leverage.
The most interesting aspect of jiu-jitsu is how it transforms both body and mind. Whether you’re a small man or a young woman, a good student of BJJ learns life lessons that extend far beyond the mats.
From the art of control to developing a keen sense of touch, these motivational quotes capture the wisdom of those who’ve mastered Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. They remind us that the biggest lesson isn’t just about physical attributes or winning a big tournament.
Let these powerful words from BJJ masters guide you in the right direction, whether you’re just starting your journey or preparing for your next move on the mats.
125 Best BJJ Quotes
- “My ego is my enemy, and my opponent is my teacher.” – Renzo Gracie
- “Jiu-jitsu is not about being better than someone else; it’s about being better than you used to be.” – Unknown
- “You can’t lose in jiu-jitsu. You either win or you learn.” – Carlos Gracie, Sr.
- “The more I train, the luckier I get.” – Renzo Gracie
- “If you want to be a lion, you must train with lions.” – Carlson Gracie, Sr.
- A black belt only covers two inches of your ass. You have to cover the rest.” – Royce Gracie
- “Jiu-jitsu is the art of expressing yourself honestly.” – Saulo Ribeiro
- Always assume that your opponent is bigger, stronger, and faster than you. Rely on technique, timing, and leverage.” – Helio Gracie
- “The more you attack, the more your opponent will make mistakes.” – Marcelo Garcia
- “Discipline and consistency are the keys to success in BJJ.” – Master Carlos Gracie Jr.
- “Jiu-jitsu is for the protection of the individual, whether strong or weak, young or old.” – Helio Gracie
- “Anger brought me to jiu-jitsu, but love made me stay.” – Abmar Barbosa
- “Jiu-jitsu is not the art of hitting; it’s the art of not getting hit.” – Royce Gracie
- “In the fight, only one person can be comfortable. Your job is to make sure it’s you.” – Rickson Gracie
- “The rule is to train, train, and train some more. Train until the lamb becomes the lion.” – Paulo Miyao
- “Jiu-jitsu is a philosophy, a way of life that extends beyond the mats.” – Rickson Gracie
- “It’s not who’s good; it’s who’s left.” – Chris Haueter
- “The art of Jiu-Jitsu is worth more in every way than all of our athletics combined.” – Theodore Roosevelt
- “Jiu-jitsu puts you completely in the moment, where you must find a solution to a problem.” – Rickson Gracie
- “The ground is my ocean; I am the shark, and most people don’t even know how to swim.” – Jean Jacques Machado
- “Jiu-jitsu is the gentle art. It teaches you how to control an opponent without hurting them.” – José Mario Sperry
- “If you think, you’re late. If you’re late, you use strength. If you use strength, you tire. If you tire, you die.” – Saulo Ribeiro
- “When I step on the mat, I know there’s no other place I’d rather be.” – Marcelo Garcia
- “Jiu-jitsu teaches us to be comfortable in uncomfortable situations.” – Unknown
- “Jiu-jitsu is the science of control that leads to submission.” – John Danaher
- “Train with purpose, fight with intent, and always respect your opponent.” – Unknown
- “Jiu-jitsu is not about brute force; it’s about technique and strategy.” – Helio Gracie
- “The best way to defend yourself is to keep calm and let your training take over.” – Unknown
- “Time on the mat will eventually surpass talent and ability.” – Gracie Mag
- “As you get deeper and deeper into training, you get less and less [of a] normal life, which I’ve enjoyed the focus of it.” – Keanu Reeves
- “The fight starts the moment you decide to keep going despite the odds.” – Saulo Ribeiro
- “It’s not about winning or losing; it’s about learning and growing.” – Unknown
- “Ego is the biggest hindrance to reaching a high level in jiu-jitsu.” – Saulo Ribeiro
- “Jiu-jitsu forges friendships like no other art.” – Chris Matakas
- “You don’t have to be the best; you just have to keep showing up.” – Unknown
- “The mat is a mirror; it reflects your strengths and weaknesses.” – Unknown
- “The only way to get better is to put in the reps.” – Keenan Cornelius
- “Jiu-jitsu is not about beating others; it’s about mastering yourself.” – Unknown
- “A true martial artist is measured not by their skill but by their humility.” – Unknown
- “Jiu-jitsu reveals your true self. It doesn’t build character; it reveals it.” – Ricardo Almeida
- “Jiu-jitsu teaches you how to survive.” – Helio Gracie
- “Champions train when no one else is watching.” – Unknown
- “Flow with the go.” – Rickson Gracie
- “The hardest part of jiu-jitsu is walking through the doors for the first time.” – Unknown
- “Never stop being a student; there’s always more to learn.” – Unknown
- “The best victories are those where you defeat yourself.” – Unknown
- “Technique conquers all.” – Helio Gracie
- “In jiu-jitsu, there’s no room for excuses, only growth.” – Unknown
- “You can’t fake jiu-jitsu; the mat doesn’t lie.” – Unknown
- “Jiu-jitsu is simple. You just have to do it.” – Unknown
- “Jiu-jitsu teaches you patience, discipline, and respect.” – Unknown
- “In the heat of battle, you discover who you truly are.” – Unknown
- “Jiu-jitsu is not for the weak-hearted, but it will strengthen your heart.” – Unknown
- Every black belt was once a white belt who refused to quit.” – Unknown
- “You can’t always control your opponent, but you can always control your reaction.” – Unknown
- “Strength is important, but skill and technique will always prevail.” – Helio Gracie
- “Jiu-jitsu is an art of constant improvement, both on and off the mat.” – Unknown
- “The journey to a black belt is measured not in years but in dedication and sweat.” – Unknown
- “Jiu-jitsu teaches us to embrace failure and use it to fuel success.” – Unknown
- “A black belt is just a white belt who never gave up.” – Jean Jacques Machado
- “It’s not the size of the fighter in the fight, but the size of the fight in the fighter.” – Unknown
- “Jiu-jitsu is about finding peace in chaos.” – Unknown
- “The more you sweat on the mats, the less you bleed in battle.” – Unknown
- “Your biggest opponent in jiu-jitsu is yourself.” – Unknown
- “Jiu-jitsu is not about strength; it’s about solving problems.” – Rickson Gracie
- “You can’t be a champion without learning how to lose.” – Saulo Ribeiro
- “The mat doesn’t care about your ego; it humbles everyone equally.” – Unknown
- “The lessons learned on the mat carry over to life.” – Chris Matakas
- “Jiu-jitsu gives you the ability to turn fear into courage.” – Unknown
- “Jiu-jitsu is a gentle art for those with a strong heart.” – Unknown
- “The beauty of jiu-jitsu lies in its simplicity.” – Unknown
- “What you put into jiu-jitsu is what you get out of it.” – Unknown
- “Respect the journey, not just the destination.” – Unknown
- “Every roll on the mat is a lesson waiting to be learned.” – Unknown
- “Jiu-jitsu will humble you, but it will also empower you.” – Rickson Gracie
- “The mat doesn’t lie; it reveals your weaknesses and your strengths.” – Unknown
- “Jiu-jitsu isn’t just about fighting; it’s about self-discovery.” – Chris Haueter
- “A true martial artist finds joy in the process, not just the victory.” – Unknown
- “Jiu-jitsu teaches you to embrace the struggle and overcome it.” – Unknown
- “Control yourself before trying to control your opponent.” – Unknown
- “Jiu-jitsu is not about quitting when it gets tough; it’s about finding a way through.” – Unknown
- “True strength lies in perseverance and adaptability.” – Unknown
- “The more you train, the more you realize how much you still have to learn.” – Unknown
- “Jiu-jitsu teaches you how to breathe, focus, and survive under pressure.” – Unknown
- “Progress in jiu-jitsu is measured by your ability to embrace discomfort.” – Unknown
- “You don’t have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great.” – Unknown
- “Jiu-jitsu teaches you to be patient and wait for the right opportunity.” – Rickson Gracie
- “Every belt represents a chapter in your journey.” – Unknown
- “It’s not about how fast you progress but how deeply you learn.” – Unknown
- “Jiu-jitsu is about the journey, not the destination.” – Unknown
- “A small shift in technique can make a big difference in outcomes.” – John Danaher
- “Jiu-jitsu doesn’t just change your body; it changes your mind and spirit.” – Unknown
- “The most important fight in jiu-jitsu is the one you have with yourself.” – Unknown
- “Mastery in jiu-jitsu is found in the fundamentals.” – Saulo Ribeiro
- “The mat is an equalizer; it doesn’t care about your background or status.” – Chris Matakas
- “Jiu-jitsu is not just a sport; it’s a way of life.” – Rickson Gracie
- “The best thing about jiu-jitsu is that it always keeps you humble.” – Eddie Bravo
- “Jiu-jitsu teaches you to overcome fear and find peace in the chaos.” – Unknown
- “Success in jiu-jitsu comes to those who show up and put in the work.” – Unknown
- “On the mats, we’re all equals, regardless of rank or experience.” – Unknown
- “Jiu-jitsu gives you the tools to face life with confidence and resilience.” – Unknown
- “The mat is your laboratory; experiment, fail, and grow.” – Unknown
- “Every mistake on the mat is a step toward improvement.” – Unknown
- “Jiu-jitsu is a marathon, not a sprint. Pace yourself.” – Unknown
- “When you roll, you discover what you’re truly capable of.” – Unknown
- “Jiu-jitsu is an art of problem-solving under pressure.” – John Danaher
- “The true value of jiu-jitsu lies in the lessons it teaches you about yourself.” – Unknown
- “Keep training, keep learning, and keep evolving.” – Unknown
- “Jiu-jitsu teaches you to fight not just with your body, but with your mind.” – Unknown
- “The mat is a place of transformation; step on it with purpose.” – Unknown
- “Jiu-jitsu is not just for the strong; it’s for the persistent.” – Unknown
- “Every roll is an opportunity to grow, learn, and connect.” – Unknown
- “Jiu-jitsu humbles the arrogant and empowers the meek.” – Unknown
- “The mat doesn’t care about your rank; it cares about your effort.” – Unknown
- “A true warrior never stops learning.” – Unknown
- “The essence of jiu-jitsu is adapting to any situation.” – Unknown
- “You don’t quit jiu-jitsu; jiu-jitsu quits you.” – Unknown
- “In life, as in jiu-jitsu, perseverance is the key to success.” – Unknown
- “A great grappler knows when to flow and when to fight.” – Unknown
- “Jiu-jitsu isn’t about perfection; it’s about progress.” – Unknown
- “Every submission starts with control.” – John Danaher
- “Jiu-jitsu teaches us how to find calm in the storm.” – Rickson Gracie
- “When in doubt, rely on technique over strength.” – Helio Gracie
- “Jiu-jitsu reveals your true self through struggle and growth.” – Chris Matakas
- “Never be afraid to tap; it’s a lesson, not a loss.” – Unknown
- “I wanted to prove that an ant can beat a cockroach” – Fernando Tererê (after reaching the final of the ultra-heavyweight division as a middleweight)
- “If you are the greatest, why would you go around talking about it?” – Joe Rogan
Final Thoughts
At the end of the day, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu teaches us that being a tough guy isn’t about dominating others. It’s about becoming a good person who can handle bad positions with grace and wisdom.
Whether you’re an older man discovering the main techniques or a complete beginner starting from zero point, these jiu-jitsu quotes remind us of the most valuable tools we gain on the mats. Each training session isn’t just about individual games – it’s about developing sensibility to your opponent and understanding the force of leverage.
Beyond social media posts and motivational quotes, BJJ offers an amazing thing: the chance to become a better version of yourself. Remember, there’s no bad time to start your journey, and even the toughest challenges can become neutral points for growth.
These words of wisdom from BJJ masters show us that true strength comes from continuous learning and complete focus on improvement.