*pictured Dr Chris Moriarty, Brazilian jiu jitsu black belt under Jacare
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Tom DeBlass has offered a refreshingly honest counterpoint to the ongoing debate about how earning a black belt compares to obtaining a doctorate degree.
“For him personally, getting a doctorate would be probably about a thousand times harder than earning his black belt.”
DeBlass’s video response came amid ongoing discussions within the BJJ community about the relative difficulty of martial arts achievements versus academic credentials. While figures like Croatian MMA legend Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipović have claimed that earning a legitimate BJJ black belt is harder than finishing medical school, DeBlass took a more nuanced approach.
“For me, it wasn’t hard to get a black belt. You just stay resilient,” DeBlass explained candidly.
He acknowledged that his natural inclinations—aggression, comfort with physicality and competitive drive—made the journey more manageable for him personally. This admission cuts against the grain of martial arts culture, where practitioners sometimes elevate their accomplishments by claiming universal difficulty. DeBlass recognized that what came naturally to him might be extraordinarily challenging for others.
The core of DeBlass’s message centered on recognizing that difficulty is deeply personal and subjective. He drew a clear distinction between his own aptitudes and those required for academic achievement.
“To get a doctorate, oh my God, probably about a thousand times harder it would be for me to get a doctorate than a black belt,” he stated emphatically.
He imagined doctoral students spending five, six, seven or eight hours daily studying night after night.
“That’s not hard for you. For me, that’s torture,” he observed.
DeBlass described his own path to black belt as not “always easy” but noted that quitting never crossed his mind. After setbacks on the mat, he didn’t become discouraged or complain about training intensity. However, he was quick to acknowledge that not everyone shares his temperament.
“Perhaps for people who are not aggressive naturally, people who aren’t used to physical things, for sure, for them, it may be harder to get a black belt,” he said.
Rather than engaging in competitive comparisons about which achievement is “harder,” DeBlass advocated for a more compassionate approach that recognizes diverse paths to excellence.
“And that’s what I think a big issue is. We don’t need to compare. We need to respect,” he stated.
This perspective stands in contrast to statements like Filipović’s claim about medical school being easier than earning a BJJ black belt. While Filipović emphasized the legitimacy and danger associated with a BJJ black belt—noting that
“it’s actually the only sport where when a legitimate owner of a black belt arrives, you know you won’t mess with this person in any way”
—his comparison suggested a hierarchy of difficulty. DeBlass rejected this framework entirely, arguing that such comparisons miss the point.
What makes DeBlass’s message particularly valuable is his self-awareness about his own strengths and limitations. He didn’t diminish the difficulty of earning a black belt for those who struggle with physicality, aggression or athletic pursuits. Nor did he claim that academic achievement is universally easier simply because it doesn’t suit his personal strengths.
“I respect all those who got their doctorates. I respect all those in school. I respect all those who choose their path,” he said, before adding with a note of exasperation: “Can’t we all just get along? Don’t compare.”
For BJJ practitioners who might feel tempted to elevate their martial arts achievements above other pursuits, DeBlass’s perspective offers an important reality check. The journey to black belt is undeniably challenging and requires years of dedication—typically seven or more years of consistent training, as Filipović noted.
However, recognizing the difficulty of this path doesn’t require diminishing other achievements. A doctorate requires years of intensive study, original research and intellectual rigor. Medical school demands memorization of vast amounts of information, clinical skill development and the ability to make life-or-death decisions under pressure.
The practitioners who excel at BJJ might struggle immensely with these academic demands, just as brilliant academics might find the physical and psychological challenges of martial arts training overwhelming.
