Do you ever feel like no matter how hard you train, you’re never quite “enough?” There’s a fine line between pushing to be your best and letting the pressure to be “excellent” suck the joy right out of Jiu-Jitsu. This week, we’re grappling with what excellence actually means, why perfection is a trap, and how you can make progress) no matter how much time you’ve got on the mat.
If you find yourself replaying mistakes on your drive home or wondering whether you’re improving fast enough, this episode is for you. We share stories about our own struggles with expectations, how to spot real progress, and what happens when you let go of perfection and focus on getting a little better every day.
By the end of this episode, you’ll have new ways to measure success (even when class feels tough), tips for enjoying the journey, and a fresh perspective on what really matters—both on and off the mat. This is about finding what lights you up and building a practice that makes you proud.
Highlights
(00:00) How would you define excellence in Jiu-Jitsu?
(01:25) How your attitude, expectations, and coachability shape every class
(03:11) The battle: Perfection vs. Progress in your Jiu Jitsu journey
(05:47) Tiny wins count: Tracking progress no matter what
(09:02) How to keep moving forward—even when you can only train a little
(11:02) Wrestling with slow Jiu-Jitsu progress and plateaus
(12:49) Why journaling and video can totally change your perspective on your Jiu-Jitsu
(16:29) Creating a culture of growth (not perfection) in your gym
(18:34) Making progress on and off the mat
(20:05) Our Jiu-Jitsu community challenge
If you love the podcast, share it with a friend!
You can also leave us a 5-star rating in Spotify or Apple Podcasts.
🎧 Listen on Your Favorite App
🎯 New to the Podcast? Start Here
🥋 Learn More About Roll Model Grappling Camp
📱 Connect with Jen & AJ on Social Media
Instagram – @beautyandthegipodcast
Jen: @brassybroadjen on Instagram | @brassybroadjen on TikTok
Popular Podcasts
Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang
Ding dong! Join your culture consultants, Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang, on an unforgettable journey into the beating heart of CULTURE. Alongside sizzling special guests, they GET INTO the hottest pop-culture moments of the day and the formative cultural experiences that turned them into Culturistas. Produced by the Big Money Players Network and iHeartRadio.
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.