How Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Teaches You the Difference Between Quitting and Failing

Quitting and failing are not the same things.

We often learn it’s okay to fail, providing we learn from our mistakes — that failures are necessary stepping stones on the way to success. But we’re taught never to quit, or sell ourselves short, and that nobody likes a quitter. However, it’s often difficult to tell the difference between the two.

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) is a great tool for learning this important distinction.

If you haven’t heard from Joe Rogan by now, BJJ is a grappling-based martial art focusing on taking an opponent to the ground and choking them unconscious or breaking their limbs. BJJ’s appeal to so many is you can spar safely at nearly full intensity, thanks to the tap — tapping out signals to your sparring partner that you submit, immediately ending the round. Some beginners tap because they’re tired or scared, others refuse to tap at all costs, risking unconsciousness or worse as a result.

Spar enough times, and eventually, you learn both are wrong. The first is quitting, the second is mistaking failure for quitting.

You learn to recognize the moment the game is up, the exact moment you’ve failed to best your sparring partner. Only then you tap — too early and you’re quitting when you still have a chance, too late and you suffer the consequences of not recognizing failure. This is a lesson that can be taken into life.

We often persist with jobs, relationships, and businesses that are going badly because we don’t want to quit. But, the ability to recognize when it’s just a bumpy patch to persevere through, or time to admit failure and call it a day — that’s a powerful life skill.