Experiences of BJJ juniors that have stuck with it for more than 5 years? 10 years? Attrition rate?

[Crosswind117]

Hi Everybody,

I'm a non-martial artist that currently has two of my children (age 6 and 9) enrolled in BJJ classes. So far, they've been at it for 4 months and things have been going well. They're engaged, motivated, and not showing any signs of boredom, whining or wanting to quit.

The gym that they attend was established in 2017 and it is the business owner who is the primary instructor and who does the bulk of the teaching (from the kids classes all the way up to the adult classes). This instructor is early forties and also has two children around the same ages of my kids. I do not know this instructor personally in any way. The gym seems to be doing well financially as there's quite a wait-list of people trying to sign up and they appear to be searching for additional staff to accommodate the increased demand. This instructor is also active in BJJ tournaments, but I only hear of about the kids teams that the gym fields; not sure about the teens or adults.

All-in-all, this gym and instructor seem to be a great place to establish a long-term relationship with BJJ. The instructor not going to retire anytime soon or move away for family or financial reasons, and the instructor has a vested interest in producing proficient students because it is the instructor's personal business and reputation.

My question is this: For kids that have continuously attended BJJ lessons for more than 5 years or more than 10 years, how many fellow students stayed with you in all those years?

For example, if a gym was established in 2017 and there was a kids class with 18 five-year-olds, assuming that all 18 kids didn't quit and stuck around, then in 2022 you'd have a full class of 18 ten-year-olds each with 5 years of BJJ experience. This, of course, it not likely in real life; but what would be the typical number of students that stuck with it for those 5 years?

I ask this question because I know full well that to have rivals and competitive teammates, with whom you work/compete with regularly, elevates your game much more compared to if you were on your own; this applies to all skills, not just sports. I know it's still early stages for my kids, but I can't help but feel for the students that worked so hard and put in so much time to get to certain belt levels and then find themselves without comparable sparring partners. They would probably spend most of their lessons reinforcing the basics, since most of the class would be less-experienced; but at what point would/should the experienced student make a change?

Appreciate any stories or experiences this forum is willing to share.

Thank you,

 

[Monkey Turned Wolf]

I can't say specifically for BJJ, but in kempo roughly about 10% would be my guess. Over half of those who stuck with it through middle school continued throughout high school.

Then there's a huge drop-off after that seems to be cross-discipline. Many of the ones stuck with it go away to college, and train on their own/start solo training to stay on top of everything, but due to life afterwards they're a lot less likely to return to the original dojo.

 

[Tony Dismukes]

My gym doesn't currently have a kids program, but I will say that the 5 and 10 year attrition rate for adults is pretty high in any BJJ gym I've been to.

I can't give any sort of exact numbers. I'd say that most students drop out within the first few months. If they make it past a year, then another good chunk will disappear somewhere around blue belt (2-3 years). If they make it past 5 years, then there's a decent chance they'll be training long term. If they make it to ten years, then there's a good chance they're a lifer who will be around until such time as they change gyms or move.