You advance in steps at the top of each step is a 'plateau'.
Maybe you transition from being the best kid to being the bottom of the teenager's class. You work and fight and eventually become the best teenager. You only get to enjoy that status for a short time before you grow and become the person at the bottom of the adult class. Again you work and fight and maybe you become the top adult. But the rub is that even if you won an Olympic Gold medal (or two) you still only get to be the best for a short time. Soon enough age will slow you down and the younger players will take over. Then you need to accept that being a competitive player has gone and that you must pursue other things.
At each 'plateau' you have to accept that you aren't the best. That you need to just listen and learn to move up. You have to be humble and steel yourself for the work that is ahead of you. Most people can't and they drop out.
These two have just done a tough judo session and being the lowest grades they get to mop the mat The two young guys mopping the floor in the photo are learning great lessons about humility and hard work. But we loved that they are smiling and getting on with the job.
And that's actually what Big Judo is about. We are building strong resilient people willing to take the 'rough with the smooth', accept that there is path to be followed and work hard with good humour to achieve their goals.