A while ago, some of the upper belts at my school told me that Pedro Sauer wasn't able to submit anyone until he was a brown belt. Allegedly, the best he could ever do was spar his partners to a stalemate, and Rickson even told him that he was the worst student he had ever had. Until one day, Pedro was rolling with one of Rickson's black belts when something just clicked, and he started tapping out black belts from that day forward. Shortly thereafter, he was awarded his black belt.

I enjoy the story because it's very encouraging, especially when I feel like my own Jiu Jitsu skills are stagnating. However, I was wondering if anyone else had heard that story and could verify it.

True or not, it sounds like it could be a plausible story. Progress in martial arts skills is something very personal. No two students are alike, nor do they learn at the same rate. What makes the difference is personality, effort and perseverance in training.

While it appears that it took some time for Pedro Sauer to have his Aha moment, he did have it for sure!!