All sports are difficult to excel in. If you want to be a champion in any sport, you have to go through a lot of training. There's no way around it. But it is true that some sports are harder to master than others.

Judo is one of the most complex sports around. First of all, there are a lot of rules governing the sport and many of those rules are quite complex. It's really quite hard for a beginner to grasp all the rules.

But beyond the rules, the activity itself is difficult to master. Think about it. You're expected to throw someone who is resisting you with all their might and trying to counter you and throw you in return. To be able to do that is actually nothing short of miraculous.

And for groundwork, you're trying to pin someone for 20 seconds, or strangle them or armlock them into submission. Your opponent will know what you're trying to do and will be resisting you, again with all their might and trying to counter you as you attack them. To be able to overcome them under such circumstances is really quite a feat.

Sometimes, when you're sparring with someone new, you might be able to catch them with a surprise technique. But if you're sparring with a teammate, they would know what your techniques are. To be able to throw them or get a submission on the ground, despite them knowing what you like to do, that's really remarkable.

This is why it takes a really long time for beginners to get to the point where they are able to defeat higher-ranking players. Usually this doesn't happen in six months or even a year. Players can train literally for years before they are able to throw someone higher ranking than they are.

It's really not just about being fit and strong and agile. All these things are important but technique and strategy are both really important too, and those are the complex things that judokas have to deal with.

Even getting past the gripping tactics and strategies of your opponent is a difficult thing. Sometimes, you just get outgripped and are not able to do anything. Learning how to grip-fight is also a complex thing.

So, judo is a very, very hard sport to master and excel in. It takes a lot of patience, hard work and resilience if you want to do well in judo. It really does not come easy.