BJJ Quotes: Inspirational Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Quotes

Jiu Jitsu can help one learn a lot about life and hardships. Therefore, tons of great Jiu Jitsu Quotes and Jiu Jitsu sayings have been documented over the years. Unfortunately, it is unclear who said these lines first most of the time. Nevertheless, we have put together the best BJJ Quotes of every category for you:

Motivational Jiu Jitsu Quotes

“If you want to be a lion, you must train with lions.” – Carlos Gracie, Sr.
“If you ask me what belt I am today I’ll tell you that I’m a white belt that never gave up.” – Jean Jacques Machado
“If it wasn’t for me, today the Gracie family would be selling bananas on the pavement” – Carlson Gracie
“I wasn’t always a champion. In fact, I did not win any tournament until I was a Black Belt” – Felipe Costa
“I wanted to prove that an ant can beat a cockroach.” – Fernando Tererê
“I’ve drilled them so many times, my body just reacts now. I can go out and let my instincts take over.” – Keenan Cornelius

Inspirational Jiu Jitsu Quotes

“There is no losing in Jiu Jitsu. You either win or you learn.” – Carlos Gracie, Sr.
“Jiu jitsu and martial arts do not build character, they reveal it.” – Ricardo Almeida
“There are no shortcuts, it’s going to be a long journey if this is what you’re interested in.” – Garry Tonon
“Jiu jitsu teaches you to find comfort in very uncomfortable situations.” – Gui Valente
“The more I train the luckier I get.” – Renzo Gracie
“The discipline of Jiu Jitsu should serve your life. If it stops serving you, then make an adjustment in your relationship to it. Don’t just do more.” – Roy Dean
“Little guys are the best to learn technique from, because they can’t rely on strength.” – Joe Rogan
“When you make friends in Jiu Jitsu it’s forever.” – Fabio Santos
“It’s my belief that the highest level of Jiu Jitsu is encountered off the mat. Life is just one big Jiu Jitsu match.” – Nic Gregoriades
“Whatever you do in your life you’re going to be comparing with Jiu Jitsu.” – Roberto Cyborg Abreu
“When we say Jiu Jitsu is a gentle art, we mean that. Jiu Jitsu gives you the choice to choose to hurt someone or not.” – Jean Jacques Machado
“Jiu Jitsu is a philosophy that’s expressed physically.” – Ryan Hall
Jiu Jitsu doesn’t end. It goes on forever. You can always get better.” – Joe Rogan
“Every great memory I have, there was Jiu Jitsu involved.” – Renzo Gracie
“Jiu Jitsu I believe is the most efficient way of fighting in any situation, in a streetfight, in a ring, inside an elevator, anywhere.” – Renzo Gracie
“The biggest lesson I learned from Jiu Jitsu was how to truly know myself.” – Carlos Gracie
“Anger brought me to Jiu Jitsu, but love made me stay.” – Abmar Barbosa
“When I step on the mat, I know there is no other place I’d rather be.” – Marcelo Garcia
“The more you attack, the more your opponent will make mistakes.” – Marcelo Garcia
“A black belt only covers two inches of your as*, you have to cover the rest.” – Royce Gracie
“I am a shark, the ground is my ocean, and most people don’t know how to swim.” – Jean Jacques Machado
“Jiu-Jitsu is my therapy, my passion, my life.” – Matt Serra
“The most significant victories are the ones we accomplish within ourselves.” – Rorion Gracie

Humble Jiu Jitsu Quotes

Never let your ego get in your way. Be humble in defeat and victory. The following quotes show that respect and humility are essential to martial arts and sports in general:

“My opponent is my teacher, my ego is my enemy.” – Renzo Gracie
“Everybody has ego. I have it too. But you have to be the black belt and the ego has to be the blue belt – you have to be controlling it.” – Eddie Bravo
“For me the white belt is the most precious asset we have. This is the people we have to take care, we have to look over them, we have to make sure they learn right. They get better.” – Renzo Gracie
“Watching your students win is one of the most rewarding moments you can have as a Jiu Jitsu instructor. ” – Roy Dean
“Don’t try to look good! It is important that others are watching while you are failing. It only matters that you try.” – Saulo Ribeiro
“I keep the white belt mentality. That I can learn from anyone, anywhere, anytime.” – George St. Pierre

Funny Jiu Jitsu Quotes

“Brazilian Jiu Jitsu has brought me to a point in my life where most of my best friends have choked me.” – Unknown
“A good friend doesn’t break up a fight. A good friend comes in with a flying kick.” – Renzo Gracie
“One day someone is going to try and take something from you, and you are going to have to choke that motherf*****. It’s that simple.” – Ralph Gracie

Helio Gracie Quotes

The following BJJ Quotes are all traced back to Helio Gracie, who is arguably the most influential figure in all of Jiu Jitsu. He and his brothers were the direct students of Mitsuyo Maeda and formed the root of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. He wore the highest belt in Jiu Jitsu, the 10th degree red belt.

“Always assume that your opponent is going to be bigger, stronger and faster than you; so that you learn to rely on technique, timing and leverage rather than brute strength.”
“As I have said many times, I did not invent Jiu Jitsu, I just made it better. It is as if I had an oversized kimono and tailored it to fit me perfectly.”
“Being strong and knowing Jiu Jitsu is a double advantage.”
The technique sometimes substitutes strength. It’s difficult for someone to beat me, until today.
“Jiu Jitsu is personal efficiency to protect the weaker, which anyone can do. It is the force of leverage against brute force.”

Rickson Gracie Quotes

The following Jiu Jitsu Quotes all originate from Rickson Gracie, a legendary Jiu Jitsu competitor of the legendary Gracie family. He currently wears a coral belt, because he was promoted to red belt ahead of time. He was a pioneer of Jiu Jitsu and continues to be one today.

“Jiu Jitsu is perfect. It’s humans who make errors.”
“It’s more than sport for me because I never get in a fight intending to tap. If I get caught, I will die, I will break – I’m not going to tap. “
“Jiu Jitsu is a live demonstration of what you’re about.”
“You cannot fight the force, you have to use the force.”
“Fighting is not a physical thing, it is a spiritual thing”

John Danaher Quotes

The following Jiu Jitsu Quotes all originate from John Danaher, one of the most accomplished and respected martial arts coaches today.

“Jiu Jitsu is the science and art of control that leads to submission.”
“Anger just makes people inefficient. Their breathing gets shallow, they’re too muscularly tense; they gas faster.”
“Learning how to learn is absolutely one of the keys to success in life in general, and as a Jiu Jitsu practitioner.”

Mitsuyo Maeda quotes

The following BJJ Quote is traced back to Mitsuyo Maeda, the Japanese Judo Master who brought Judo to Brazil and allowed Jiu Jitsu to emerge. This is why there are so many commonalities between Jiu Jitsu and Judo. Check our article on Jiu Jitsu vs Judo to learn more on how they compare. Unfortunately, there are barely any of his teachings documented literally.