Veteran black belt and coach Tom DeBlass is urging young competitors to rethink one of the most common beliefs in Jiu-Jitsu – that more training always leads to more success.
In a candid message, DeBlass reflected on his own career and the physical price he paid trying to outwork everyone around him.
For years, he believed constant intensity was the only path to the top:
For over 15 years I trained six days a week, sometimes seven. Two to three sessions a day.
I thought more was always better. I was wrong.
According to DeBlass, the mindset didn’t just push his limits:
I destroyed my body. Every injury you can imagine.
Surgeries. Broken bones. Dislocations. Tears. And my body reminds me every single day of the choices I made.
He explained that he once equated daily suffering with discipline and greatness, but experience taught him otherwise:
I believed suffering daily was the only path to greatness. It is not.
Instead, DeBlass now advocates structured training rather than constant intensity:
You absolutely need days where you go 100 miles per hour.
But that cannot be every day.
In my opinion, three to four days a week should be truly hard training.
The other days should be technical. Positional. Intentional. Smart.
His message is ultimately about career longevity:
Longevity matters. Your body is your career. Train smarter, not just harder.
And if you are injured, listen to it.
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