Dedication and mat time often determine success, fyet ew statements are as provocative as Chris Wojcik‘s tongue-in-cheek advice:
“The way that you get better at jiu-jitsu faster is quit your job and just do jiu-jitsu.”
While delivered with humor during a recent BJJ Fanatics podcast appearance, this comment reflects a deeper truth about the discipline’s demanding nature and the sacrifices required for elite-level progression.
Wojcik, a B Team black belt (now simple man martial arts) and CJI 2 champion, understands the reality of jiu-jitsu development better than most. His journey from a Chicago-based wrestler to a world-class grappler illustrates exactly what he means by prioritizing mat time above all else.
“The reality is you just need a lot of mat time,”
he explains, drawing parallels to his wrestling background where he competed in 100 matches during his senior year of high school alone.
The B Team competitor’s own career trajectory validates his bold statement. When he felt his progress stagnating in Chicago despite having a stable teaching position and decent income, Wojcik made the ultimate sacrifice. He went $10,000 into debt to move to Austin, Texas, leaving behind family, friends and financial security to pursue his jiu-jitsu ambitions full-time.
“I kind of hit that point where I was like, I won’t hit the next level if I stay here,”
Wojcik recalls about his decision to relocate.
“It was like leaving the place I grew up and going to somewhere that I don’t really know to pursue a dream that I don’t know if I can achieve.”
While he acknowledges that not everyone can literally quit their job, his underlying message resonates with serious practitioners: jiu-jitsu progress requires substantial time investment that often conflicts with traditional career paths.
During his peak training periods, Wojcik was logging two to three sessions per day six to seven days a week. This volume of training, he argues, accelerates learning regardless of natural athletic ability.
“Even if you’re not like a world-class athlete, you just learn the sport so well,”
he notes.
However, Wojcik‘s advice comes with important caveats learned through experience. His year of financial struggle while building his competition resume taught him that aspiring professional grapplers must consider life beyond the mat.
“Focus on who you are off of the mat because that is the only thing that’s going to kind of sustain you,”
he advises those considering similar sacrifices.
The success of Wojcik‘s intense approach is undeniable. His move to the B Team ultimately paid off, leading to ADCC qualification, CJI championship and financial stability through competition, instructionals and seminars. Yet he emphasizes that the romantic notion of training all day must be balanced with practical considerations like maintaining relationships, developing coaching skills and ensuring sustainable income streams.
For most practitioners, Wojcik‘s advice serves as inspiration rather than literal instruction. The core message remains valuable: significant jiu-jitsu improvement requires serious time commitment that may necessitate difficult choices about priorities and lifestyle.
While quitting your job to train full-time isn’t realistic for everyone, Wojcik‘s journey demonstrates that extraordinary progress sometimes demands extraordinary sacrifice.
