The first step in any difficult endeavor is usually the hardest. In jiu-jitsu, that step is literally the step you take when you walk through the door to try what to you is a new martial art. The decision to challenge yourself mentally and physically and commit to a long and often arduous journey is never an easy one.

Among the next few steps that will come early in your jiu-jitsu journey are the ones you’ll need to take to tie your belt. These should be much easier than many of the other steps you’ll take in the grappling art. The following are five steps that will make your belt-tying experience as easy as possible.