Becoming the Black Belt

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The black belt isn't the end of a journey. It's the beginning of a new one.

When Becoming the Black Belt was first published in 2016, it captured Professor Roy Dean's raw, unfiltered story of what it truly takes to reach the rank so many aspire to in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. But the path of a martial artist never stops-and neither does the learning.

In this expanded second edition, Professor Dean revisits the lessons of that first climb with the perspective of an older, more seasoned practitioner. With updated photos in full color, Professor Dean shares the insights that come with injury, doubt, success, and-above all-time. From his earliest days training judo in Japan, to being smashed and tested at the Harris Academy, to finding his own teaching voice and evolving his art, Professor Dean lays it bare: the victories, the losses, the mentors, and the quiet transformations that happen off the mat.

This is not a technical guide. It is a story of persistence and growth-written by someone still walking the path.

Whether you are chasing your first stripe or reflecting on decades in the art, Becoming the Black Belt offers a window into the heart of a martial artist and the universal lessons that live in the struggle.