Humility is a core principle in martial arts, but does BJJ and MMA truly instill it, or can they fuel arrogance? While the saying “Jiu-Jitsu is the ultimate douchebag filter” suggests that constant struggle humbles practitioners, some let success inflate their egos—belittling partners, refusing to tap, or prioritizing dominance over learning.

However, the sport itself provides a natural ego check. No matter how skilled someone becomes, they’ll always face tougher opponents. Whether BJJ fosters humility or arrogance depends on the individual, their mindset, and the culture of their gym. The lessons are there—it’s up to the practitioner to embrace them.

For Joe Rogan, Jiu-Jitsu is actually a positive force which makes him more humble.

BJJ black belt and Navy Seal legend Jocko Willink share s his thoughts on being humble in Jiu-Jitsu and life in general:

There is always someone better than you, that has done more than you.

What does over confidence get you?

You start cutting corners, you star slacking off.

He went on to say:

I don’t get upset if someone taps me out. It actually makes me train more and get better.

Matt Thornton is a highly respected BJJ instructor and founder of Straight Blast Gym International, an association of over 35 gyms worldwide engaged in training athletes in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, boxing and mixed martial arts. He was among the first American-born practitioners to receive a black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.

In this episode of Ask Matt, coach Matt Thornton talks about the subject of humility in BJJ and shares an interesting story about his personal experience with Randy Couture,

The Role of Training in Humility

Thornton acknowledges that while there are always exceptions, training in BJJ and MMA generally fosters humility. “If you’re going into the gym and you’re training with professional fighters who are actually very skilled on the ground or standing up… the idea of beating up someone in a bar just has zero appeal,” he explains. The constant challenge of training, where even skilled athletes are routinely tested by their partners, keeps egos in check.

Randy Couture’s Lesson in Composure

Thornton recalls a moment when he was with Randy Couture at a bar, and someone tried to provoke the former UFC champion. Rather than engaging, Couture simply smiled and said, “You know, I’m not much of a street fighter.” The way he delivered the line was enough to defuse the situation. “The guy just wandered away,” Thornton recalls. “Randy had no interest in fighting—there was no level of insecurity there.”

The Reality of Skill vs. Strength

Another humbling aspect of BJJ is that technical skill can trump raw strength. “One of the things I love about Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is that women can beat men if they’re more skilled,” Thornton points out. He describes how an experienced female black belt can consistently submit larger, untrained men, demonstrating that mastery of technique outweighs physical power in many scenarios.

The Only Way to Get in Shape for Fighting

Thornton also debunks the notion that people need to “get in shape” before starting BJJ or MMA. “You can have people that will come in that are triathletes, and they will be rolling around on the ground doing jiu-jitsu and they’ll completely gas out in three or four minutes,” he says. Learning to conserve energy and pace oneself is something that only comes through direct experience.

While fame or external factors can influence someone’s character, Thornton believes that consistent training in BJJ and MMA tends to make people more humble. The daily challenges in the gym, the exposure to skilled opponents, and the reality of combat all contribute to a mindset that values composure over aggression.

Would you agree with Thornton’s perspective? Have you found martial arts training to be a humbling experience?