Philosophy
You don’t need to be strong to be a black belt - although it may help.
You don’t need to be fast to be a black belt - although it may help.
You don’t need to be flexible to be a black belt - although it may help.
You don’t need to be smart to be a black belt - although it may help.
What you need is persistence: the willingness to keep trying, to keep working at it, to learn from your mistakes, and to come to class as often as you can. If you have that, there is nothing in jujitsu that will be beyond your reach.
Jujitsu is all about learning to push your limits - don’t let your preconceptions stop you. Each person goes as far as he or she believes they can. If you always work on your weakest skill, always strive to perfect whatever you fear the most, you will find yourself wondering how you progressed so rapidly.
There is nothing magical or mystical about being a black belt - it is the result of hard work, effort, and dedication. Like mastery of any skill, it involves training the mind and the body. The key to success is believing in yourself.
At times it may feel like there is an overwhelming amount of material to learn. Just focus on what’s in front of you at the moment, and don’t expect instant perfection. As you study, you will discover that all of the techniques merely exemplify a few basic concepts. This realization comes to each student differently, and rarely all at once. As it does, you will find more and more difficult techniques becoming ever simpler. Be patient with yourself. Remember, no one was born knowing it all. Every great jujitsuka was once a beginner, and some of us were beginners for a very long time.
Ultimately, achieving difficult goals and exceeding your own expectations are the best paths to true self-esteem.