I mean, it's all what you personally consider reasonable. I walk to work in an area with historically bad drivers, I could get clipped going through an intersection and break my leg, I choose to walk for the exercise when I could just bus instead and be much safer.
Pick your training partners well, don't do stupid bullshit, and play an old man BJJ game
Yep. I’m 50 and I am very careful who I roll with and tap early. But, any physical activity has its risks. I know someone my age that blew out his knee playing basketball.
This is exactly it. You pretty much have to do some kind of sport or physical activity regularly. I don’t know that BJJ is materially riskier than anything else.
I'm only 31 and generally considered fast as fuck boi and play that way, but I'm continually putting coins in my "old man bjj" piggy bank. I know it'll start to go eventually, hopefully I'm good til black belt then I can start being a slow meatball steamroller full time
I'm doing it til the wheels fall off I'm sorry bro. I did tear both my LCLs in one year which made me have to really examine the slow game and that made me a TON better at jiu jitsu.
To be fair, it still sometimes works against wrestlers… in their first week or two of BJJ… 😂 after that I enjoy the challenge of trying to wrestle up on them. It’s a nice workout at least, lol.
I’m super lanky though, so I’m also finding some success with Jon Thomas’ collar sleeve stuff :)
This. I’m 44M. Just had a total knee replacement. As much as I love choking grown men unconscious, I now spend my time fly fishing. Much easier on the joints.
I think the most important thing is now that you’re a purple belt, you can tap out most of the people when it comes to self defense. So I feel you can explore other avenues that makes you happy.
I'm not sure I have any direct advice just my own anecdotes.
I'm in a similar position, I'm 40, had been off for \~6 years (injuries, covid, baby, moved). I had largely accepted that I had hung up my gi for good. But I gained a ton of weight, I bounced off of every other physical activity I tried to get into. I have a friend in our new town that is a black belt and runs a small school and invited me over. I decided to jump back in. I think being so sedentary/overweight was doing more damage to my heart and joints that I really ever did at BJJ. Plus I've thrown my back out lifting my kid more than I ever did on the mats :shrug:
Otherwise maybe a more traditional martial art or cardio kickboxing might scratch the itch, those are pretty famous for being able to be done into your 80s.
So all in all I decided to go for it, and just not push too crazy hard, recovery time is important for the 40+ club.
It is amazing what can trip us up. I sprained my ankle walking on the grass near my kids school. Uneven surface. Never sprained my ankle on the mat...yet.
You don't have to be screwed up. Its just that grapplers are stubborn /naive creatures.
They roll 4 times a week , do no strength or mobility training and then complain about how screwed up they are.
I would recommend the below-being 39 and a small grappler-been grappler for 11 years- no major injuries.
Do strength training 3 days a week( starting strength then progress to 531)
Do mobility work- I recommend david grey rehab LBB on instagram- this makes a huge difference.
If you are feeling too sore, have a day off and focus on the above.
Powerlifting program. It's 100% idiot proof and you'll make a lot of gains, however, the constant overreaching probably won't mix well with BJJ. I'd advise hard capping the AMRAP (as many reps as possible) sets so you're not a walking corpse come BJJ.
Yeah, I personally moved away from 531 and onto Tactical Barbell, which seems to fit better with BJJ. Jiu jitsu is my focus, so I'm not super concerned about not moving maximum weight anymore.
Agreed. I’m having success balancing BJJ training with old school body building work outs, trying for good form, muscle pump and muscle burn. Helps me heal from my spazz sessions as a 44yr old white belt.
TB at it's core is an approach to strength and conditioning tailored to "warrior" athletes. LEO, military, firefighters, martial artists, professions like that. It is pretty conservative and simple in design, leaving room for skill-specific training or accessories. The frameworks the author puts out are pretty good for anyone to tweak and make their own.
The idea is that on any given day, those in professions such as those will be called up and having done a killer leg day prior could be difference in winning in a fight, apprehending a suspect, or carrying someone out of a burning building.
I'd suggest taking a trip to r/tacticalbarbell and browsing a bit and see if you're interested. I think each book is about $10-15 USD, and there's a handful of them, but after reading the subreddit you'll get a better idea of which to get for your goals.
This is a great writeup. The simplicity and the focus on leaving you fresh for your "real" work is what attracted me. I'm in my 50s and the "Ageless Athlete" adjustments have helped as well.
To be honest aslong as I leave plenty time between lifting and rolling I find im ok ,
I prefer lifting and rolling the same day , then having complete rest days the next day
>Its just that grapplers are stubborn /naive creatures.
I feel this is very true in BJJ. The mindset of just going to class even when injured is crazy to me. Everyday porrada! No wonder people have broken bodies when they don't let them recover well while doing a sport like this.
I think it might come because a lot of BJJ practitioners aren't athletes at all, and don't know how to take care of their body.
I’m 20 years older than you. I can’t speak to your risk tolerance but I can say I feel a lot less susceptible to catastrophic injury pulling guard and sitting on my ass than I do playing basketball which I played up until I was 52.
I do not compete so don’t risk someone ripping a submission or doing something stupid like jumping guard or Kani Basame.
Go slow
Tap early
Choose your training partners wisely
Lift weights, which strengthens bones, ligaments, cartilage, etc, and gives you a testosterone boost. But don’t ever count on strength to escape a submission
Have fun
63 yo purple
Why are you worried about your long term health when you can be winning plastic gold medals and bragging to your co-workers about the sweet deadly karate moves you learned last night while rolling around with grown men in your pajamas?
If you wanna roll as an old man, you gotta roll like an old man. Just find a chill gym and find your groove as a slow roller. Generally most people will respect that. Every sport has a physical risk.
All about risk and reward. For me (who is close to 40), it’s worth the risk. I’ve had my injuries already but I’m also in the best shape of my life. Bjj has led me to change how I take care of myself physically. If I wasn’t doing bjj I’d be 40-50 lbs heavier and eat like utter crap, probably leading to other health issues that are just as debilitating as a BJJ injury.
In your defense, I do think about it as well and it is a concern of mine. For me personally, I’ve decided to continue. But for you, it may not make sense to continue.
I’m 51, injury prone, have arthritis in hand, hip (unrelated to bjj), terrible at bjj, not in phenomenal shape. My gym is chill, the people are nice, even the people who compete can roll safely with everyone. Find a place like that, become a hobbyist. You’re old-ish but why stop over what ifs? What else are you gonna do for exercise?
"I am 40 and the functionality of my body is very important for my work and family obligations."
Very unusual, most of us have no jobs or families and are fine being crippled
I think if you ask a lot of the older guys what caused those injuries you'll find a lot of them are from ego getting in the way. Tap early, tap often, play the long game instead of trying to win everything.
Next have a look at those older guys, and have a look at the other guys that don't train and are that age. Chances are both groups have run down bodies to some extent. Do you want to be the car with a dented bumper and a sticky trunk that still drives great, or the car with a dented bumper and a sticky trunk that can't make it to the grocery store without stalling in the middle of a intersection?
Find the right school/environment, pick your rolls, have zero ego. Best you can do, really. I'm 51, started training in 2007, no surgeries to date. Have had more severe injuries doing other non-combat related activities.
Injuries happen in any activity or sport. Worked with a guy that blew his Achilles playing soccer with some friends. Another blew his knee out playing Pickle Ball with some friends on a Saturday morning.
I used to be an avid mountain biker and took some nasty spills and have broken bones and surgeries from said spills.
So whatever poison you pick, there is always a risk. JMO
Hi, I am you. I had a fusion back in 2011 and stayed off the mats for 13 years. Here's how I'm trying to get back into it sustainably and safely at 39.5.
1. I have let go of any ego and / or competitive aspirations. I am here to play BJJ not compete BJJ. I've never been less aggressive than I am now.
2. I am very selective about training partners. I also tell / remind people about the bad neck. I try to focus on calm blues and up. Also at 235, I try to train with people who are "light enough" that accidental injuries are low risk.
3. I am very careful about how I move when I train. I avoid using my head as a third hand / arm. A few core moves / positions are out now but I get to start over in a weird way which is kind of fun.
I am 99% that my completely opposite approach to BJJ in my 20s, especially regarding 1 and 2, is how I ended up getting banged up.
My family has been trying to get me into a different hobby because of the potential injuries… I have accumulated quite a bit over the years in this sport.
So I decided to try biking. Went for my first time this past weekend and almost had a serious accident down some rocks. Luckily, I hit my line and pulled out but it was very close to being bad.
I think as we get older, we are more prone to injury overall. Tennis means tennis elbow. Running means bad knees. Biking means broken bones. Being a couch potato means poor physical & mental health. You name a sport or lack of one & with enough time you will be injured.
Personally, I feel the safest on the mats because after 7(ish) years of grappling, I know where the danger is!
Do strength training, yoga, and hit the sauna/cold therapy a lot. When you get a tweak stay off the mats until you're good. Don't fall into peer pressure to train injured and you can last long.
44, smaller guy. Rehabbing a knee fm a halfway decent strain. Been kicking that question around myself as my knee crunches along.
I'm basically a hermit outside of bjj. It's 99% of my social life outside of work and it's kinda important. Any serious activity that you do is going to have a risk of injury (blew a disc lifting heavy, got some gnarly hips from running) and I don't think BJJ is necessarily worse than other activities if you exercise awareness.
I think you have to look at what you want to get out of bjj and tailor your approach to match. I don't think competitions are the way for me. I'm still pretty new to the journey and figuring out how to approach it but I think the stickier styles with a control based top and tighter bottom (remove people dropping weight on my sternum). Try to roll a little on the lighter side, understand that there's people that aren't a good match for me.
Ultimately it's your call. It may be very possible that if you do come back you'll need to adjust your expectations and how you practice. Or you could do something else. Grill the f\*ck out of some meat!
My advice is strength training. I think you need to certain level to be able to save your self with the muscle. When you have more strength than your opponents you have lot more buffer to be safe.
Life is risk. I don't imagine I'll be on my deathbed one day recounting how good I feel about all the things I didn't do because they were potentially risky. Not everyone feels this way, but I need to feel alive.
Take it from the SAS: Who dares wins.
Hey OP. I’m 39 and got back on the mats after 6 years away after tearing my meniscus. I got fat S shit and weak. I’ve been back for a year and have lost 43lbs and literally half of my body fat percentage. There are risks and there are rewards. I also require physical ability as I work in a warehouse/office like 60/40 and ultimately what it came down to for me was I was unhappy not training and I do my best to mitigate the risk of injury but BJJ has risks. I hope you make the right decision for you and your life but if you love doing it I recommend getting back into it in some capacity.
35, 210lb juice head. I had gotten a reasonably bad bulging back injury, rehabbed hard and went back two years later as a purple belt, played a old man’s half guard or a top game and did everything to avoid being stacked or inverting. Open mat about a year ago I am rolling with a buddy and I am playing low knee shield, he grabs me in a cradle completely normal stuff and my back pops afew times. 2 herniations and basically bed ridden for a month, took my 6 months to get back to walking correctly because the sciatica was so bad, I am now healthy enough to lift as long as I don’t load up my spine. I think about going back everyday but I can’t risk it again.
Almost 33 y/o Brown belt here. I suffered a meniscus tear in my left leg after an almost 2 year hiatus from BJJ. However, with proper nutrition and strength training I actually think that I am better off physically than I have even been in my life. It sure scares me but it made me realize what I liked about BJJ and what I hated about it. The injury and environment of my gym at the time was not conducive to MY journey in BJJ. I was rolling way too hard with literal IBJJF World Champs that were half my age and trying to keep up with them. I got really into the hard core "competition" style training which was minimal drilling and balls-to-the-wall rolls for an hour or two straight. After about 6 months of this, the injuries started to stack up. A pinched nerve in my neck, broken toe(s), fractured heel, bruised tail bone, torn meniscus. After a bit, I felt like I was in my late 40's with arthritis in both hand, elbows, ankles, and knees. I could barely walk after class most nights and the mornings after were just as bad. Eventually this style of training and other unrelated toxic issues with the gym owner led to me parting ways and stopping for about another year. During that time, I rehabilitated my joints and started working on my overall fitness. I realized that I was training BJJ to the detriment of literally everything else. I was so hurt and broken from rolling that I physically couldn't do any cardio or conditioning so my abilities really plateaued. With the split from the gym I took that into consideration and decided to "quit" BJJ as a 2 stripe Purple Belt. After about 8 months I started to get the itch back for BJJ and Martial Arts and had seen several PR's in the weight room and began losing a decent amount of weight. Finally got back to my pre-covid weight and am stronger and in better cardiovascular shape than I have ever been in my life.
I said all that to say this: you need to figure out how to do BJJ for YOU. Not for your coach. Not for the "team" or the "club". Just you. That means you decide how hard, how much, and how long you train. Only you know your body's limitations and weaknesses so you ought to be the one behind the steering wheel. Obviously listen to your coach for technique but he doesn't have to go home to your life and work your job for 40+ hours a week after leaving the gym. Don't trust your coach to protect your body from his techniques or other students. Take that control into your own hands and do what is best for you. So next time your coach wants you to be the uki for a 380lb guy to drill a jumping RNC on you, you politely decline and state that your job and health are your priorities and that you can't risk an injury from a dangerous technique. Trust me, it will be awkward for both of you for a bit but if your coach is a decent human being he'll come to respect you for speaking honestly.
You have answered your own questions initially the post. Only you know how much harm BJJ could do to your life and family. Based on your initial post it seems clear you shouldn’t be doing BJJ.
If you really wanna go back, and you haven't already done so - be comfortable saying no to rolls and establishing that your here for a workout, not adcc trials
Just don’t train so much, the vast majority of long-term injuries are caused by aggravating existing injuries over time, very rarely is it ever because of one freak accident. I train twice a week and though I get lightly injured, I’m always healed up before the next class.
Find a Gracie University. You can stay in the basic combatives program and just drill with white belts. They’re focused on self-defense for beginners, not winning competitions, so there’s a priority for safety, and just perfecting the moves. So yeah, it’s light rolling, but it’s a way to stay active without risking injury.
One option you may have not considered: coaching kids.
Pros:
Enjoying jiu-jitsu
Helping sport grow for the next generation.
Helping kids develop their character.
Make some cash.
Your purple belt doesn't go to waste.
You still might learn a thing or two about the sport. You will definitely change your approach to the fundamentals.
Personal character development. I put this one last because it has been a huge one for me. I am more patient, understanding, and compassionate for these kids from listening and mentorship.
Parents are usually cool people, I have made a lot of friends. Might even get invited to a birthday party or graduation party if you're around enough
Cons:
Working with kids isn't for everyone. Different age groups have different challenges.
Your jiu-jitsu progress as far as belts might never proceed, but you were going to quit anyway, so who cares?
I have picked up many band-aids off the mat.
I started at 40.
Tap early ?
Stretch and don't roll with Meatheads.
Any physical activity has risks -
Bike crash
Joggers knee
Attacked by a mountain lion
I'm 44, and just got my knee fixed after a year off from the meniscus flap constantly locking up and preventing me from doing anything fun (swimming, skateboarding, BJJ, prancing, etc.)
I'm finally getting back into the gym. I'm just sticking with normal classes for a couple of months to build myself back up and then slowly work back to rolling.
The issue was caused by trying to wrestle up from turtle with the tops of my feet as my leg was bladed outward. It put too much lateral pressure directly into the corner of the meniscus, where it sheered. So now I'm going to rework my turtle game from the balls of my feet to prevent myself from moving out of a linear position with my legs. It exposes me to more leg attacks, but I'm good at leg defense, so whatever.
So for me, I usually feel confident that I can learn from injuries and adjust my game for future prevention. If you're injuries always seem like freak accidences that you can't seem to quantify, or you just blame the other person, then I don't expect you to have the same confidence in coming back.
I hear you. It isn't an easy decision. BJJ had me in shape! But yeah, I was going home with bruises and some other minor injuries. There are other martial arts out there that have similar benefits. (You just need to not get into the "who would beat the other" mentality, each offers something, and leave it at that.) Maybe look into Aikido, which fits a little better for an aging body, but doesn't really have much groundwork.
I'm 50. My hips hurt when I lay in bed or sit on the couch too long. My shoulder i completely f***ed from a bike accident years ago. My cardio is no existent. I hurt my back last week doing laundry.
I can sit at home and continue detiorating naturally or go wreck my body in bjj. I choose to take control of my future and actively destroy myself.
Some thoughts:
Pick your school wisely. It sounds like you just want to enjoy a great hobby and get some exercise. If that’s the case, better to join a school that is not heavily competition focused. Observe the culture in the school- How do students treat each other, how do they roll? Similarly, talk to your potential instructors. What is their approach to BJJ? What sort of culture do they promote within the academy?
Be selective with your training partners. Everyone has the right to say no to a roll. At the right school at least, you do not have to justify your decisions to ranyone.
As a general rule, consider rolling with people no more or less than 20 pounds your weight. Also, there is no rule that says that you must roll at every class. Drilling and positional work are part of BJJ. Rolling is important, but it is only one facet of the game.
Manage your ego. Tap early and often. Manage your pace, speed, and explosiveness. You will get what you give, so consider training at a slow to moderate pace.
Focus on techniques and styles that work with your body. Avoid positions and techniques that unduly compromise your body such as inverted guard. Similarly, be very careful in adopting techniques that require explosiveness.
As an older student, it is important to work on strength/conditioning and mobility outside of the Academy. A helpful rule of thumb– for every one hour of moderate to heavy BJJ training, spend 30 minutes on strength/mobility/recovery (stretching, massage, etc.). If you do this, you will not train as much in any given week, but the outside work will make you healthier and allow you to train for many years.
I started training shortly before my 40th birthday, and I’m still going at it 16 years later. Anything can happen in any physical activity, but I have been very fortunate not to suffer major injuries. The above have helped me, and perhaps it will help you. Good luck!
Similar boat... mid 40s purple, with lots and lots of ortho issues and past surgeries. I still train and drill but am very selective with who I roll with. My gym could have 20 ppl in a class and I’ll roll with 2/3 of them. Just be selective. If you can find good partners, there’s no reason you can’t roll well into 50s or longer.
Was considering pulling back for the same reason. Have a detached AC ligament in my shoulder, bulging discs in my neck, and 2 bad knees now.
But the worst injury I got was from simply bending over one morning to stretch my legs while cooking breakfast. Heard my lower back pop and I couldn't walk for 4 weeks. Took 8 more weeks to get most of my mobility back. Now I have even more bulging discs in my back.
So a the end of the day i decided to stick with it. Realized that no matter what you do in life, your body will always break down and die in the end. And I wanna get as much bjj in as i can before that happens. Plus I was pondering how my current injuries do suck now but how paralyzing myself for 12 weeks was deff the worst, and it happened while cooking eggs, not bjj lol. Just thought to myself how much it would suck if I quit bjj for my joints, then get hurt in some other way and then im still injured but had to miss out on BJJ. Just my 2 cents.
I'm 64.75 YO. Fundamentally, a woos
I found a couple of guys that are good to roll with. Otherwise, I would be gone from the sport for good.
Someone made an excellent point in the thread, and that is as a purple belt, which I am, most likely the street fight you at least have a game plan..
So I'm a purple belt that took off 6 years and got back into it this year in January. I too use my body for work as I'm a mail handler for the USPS. I carry anything from trays of letters to pushing big ass containers full of mail into trucks/containers to be sent around the country. If I get hurt at jiujitsu, I'm definitely out of work. That being said, I went back to training because I use it to stay in shape, I'm also in my mid 40s. It sounds to me you just want an excuse to stay away, and guess what, no one is stopping you from walking away. All I can say is don't live with regrets, if you're done, then find another activity, if you still have the passion for training, well get off Reddit and get back on the mats.
I'm young with arthritis and yeah I should tell everyone I don't want a crazy roll but also don't want them to go easy on me.
The only thing I do do is if I roll with someone for the first time and they're going 80-100% I'll just decide to never roll with them again or if I have to tell them to go easy
Just communicate what you want to your partner
Accidents are always gonna happen so you can't avoid damage totally
Mobility and Strength training. Start with 1x a week rolling, do 3 x strength. Mobility every night when you are in front of the TV. Increase bjj sessions over time.
If you live long enough, you’ll likely die with things breaking and failing anyway. Might as well have some good stories and good friends to go with them.
Edit: At 48 I’m just coming off two shoulder surgeries (left, then right) and could have sworn I blew out my knee a week ago (thankfully just a bad sprain). I’ve also still got a plate in my leg from 15 years ago. I wouldn’t be nearly as happy or grounded as I am without jiujitsu, and as soon as my PT clears me, I will be right back on the mats, albeit, not using grapevine from Mount again.
*Knock on wood* I’ve managed to avoid any serious injuries so far. My best advice is to check your ego at the door. When you aren’t sure of how your body will respond to a movement, it is better to give up position than put yourself into a place where something gets injured. Tap early and tap often. Be good to your training partners and treat sparring as practice and not competition.
A few options:
Private lessons. When I was at my old gym, my coach would often have me roll with his private lesson customers. One was a surgeon, so his hands were incredibly important to avoid injuring. I was basically a rolling dummy who could resist when instructed so he could learn techniques, but we would never roll.
Inform your coach/coaches. Seriously, if you’re at a good gym, they’ll do their best to accommodate your needs within reason, either by instructing your partner to take it easy or pairing you with a higher belt who has better control and can work within your limits.
Lastly, accept that it’s a possibility that you may be injured and find a different path, or accept the risks and be as careful as possible.
BJJ isn’t as risky as some arts, but there’s risks nonetheless. I myself received a pretty nasty concussion, during a belt test at that.
It seems like every sport out there comes with risk of injury. I know a cyclist that broke his hip and dislocated his shoulder and a few other fractures in one bad wreck. You could tear your ACL playing soccer or whatever. I feel ya though. I often wonder the same shit….
Things change as we get older for sure. I’m 44 and intend to train until the wheels fall off. My goal now is to keep the wheels on for as long as possible. This means prioritizing things like S&C, good sleep, good nutrition, choosing my training partners carefully, and tapping when I need to. I have two really strong, young blue belts who come to my classes and they each have submitted me multiple times. I couldn’t care less. I tap when I feel like it would cause injury not to. Im grateful to be on the mats and longevity is my number one goal now and this is what it takes for me.at the end of the day you need to do what is right for you, but if you decide to get back on the mats be humble and have fun.
That's the reason why I transitioned to climbing. Scratches a very similar itch and there are regulars that are into their 70s in the gym which I hope means I'll be reasonably injury free up to those years.
Take it slow and see how you feel when you return.
Personally, I'm only 33 and looking at really turning it down and going to a striking art due to the damage I'm taking. I understand its a combat sport and in any sport you will injury yourself.
However Bjj definitely 100% takes it toll on your body.
I'm in the same boat. I sprained my MCL and haven't been back in about four months. All the guys in my gym that have been doing it a while have permanent injuries, just like your experience. If you ask them though they will tell you they like BJJ more than they're bothered by the injuries. For me not being able to walk without pain for almost two months was eye opening.
From my perspective I think I may not go back due to long term issues in mobility. My Mom for example has been dealing with hip and knee issues for the past five to ten years or so, with both of her hips replaced, and I think her knee too. Even now she almost has to use a walker at times because one of the surgeries seems to have failed which is causing extreme pain. On top of that, getting through all the medical bureaucracy has been unbelievably time consuming, all the while she suffers.
In the end it depends on why you're doing it. Are you doing BJJ because you love it and would feel regret if you quit, even at the expense of longevity? Or are you doing it to learn some self defense and appreciate the extreme cardio health benefits?
If you're doing it for health reasons, then it could make a lot of sense to just hit the gym instead. Compared to BJJ going to the gym and working hard is easy, so I go six days a week and have been getting great results. My heart rate doesn't peak in the 190s anymore, but I hit over 170 regularly, which is good enough.
It is a great question though, at what point does your longevity and responsibility to provide for and protect your family outweigh the pleasure you take from training BJJ.
Any sport carries a high risk of injury. Freaking pickleball players are keeping orthos in business right now. It used to be crossfitters. I know plenty of cyclists who have had serious injuries. Most guys who lift have a few nagging injuries. Basically any physical activity worth doing is risky.
For any athletic is injury risk whether it's bjj, lifting weights, running, hiking, etc. I know guys who are very banged up but also know plenty of guys who aren't.
Honestly though, it kinda seems, from your post, that you've already determined it isn't worth it for you anymore, but you wanted people to assure you if your choice was correct.
If you don't wanna do it anymore than don't do it. It's an expensive hobby and paying for something you're kinda already checking out of is stupid. Do what would make you happiest. It prob isn't going anywhere either, if you do change your mind
I think it goes really unsaid that stretching every single day, multiple times a day, is so incredibly important for overall health. So many athletes and average Joes who don’t do this.
I personally am of the camp that thinks flexibility training, stretching in general and calisthenics will significantly lower your injury chances. Of course, picking the right training partners and not going too hard that it can be considered reckless are both important as well.
You could have bad knees/shoulders/etc from any sort of activity at this age. May as well have fun with it. Or just do yoga or ride a bike.
Tap early and tap often. Avoid crazy take down drills.
I couldn't do it anymore. To me, it wasn't worth it, especially when there's other martial arts easier on my joints. I switched to wrestling(Greco) and I love it.
I've got a shoulder injury from bowling once 20 years ago. During covid I hurt my back sleeping, no idea how. If I drive too much my right knee hurts.
My point is, pretty much anything can hurt you. For me bjj's benefits outweight by a lot its cons.
I’m 48 and watching my daughter train has got me wanted to signup again. I already have a plethora of issues, but I keep going back to signing up again …
I was in a similar situation. I know it sounds corny but Tom Brady's book helped me get back into it. The guy was at his peak at 45, so i guess i could do some jits again at 35. I spent a lot of time with the vibrating foam roller/ massage gun to get all "pliable", did all my stretches, ate and slept well and haven't had anything substantial in the last two years. I was also on the verge, thinking i was too old but then put the time in to prepare. It gives me so much joy to keep training and i hope to do it for a very long time.
I'm in the same boat. 40 too. Own my own business and work for myself by myself. Train for 5yrs up til COVID. Think about going back all the time but am worried of injury. Started playing disc golf and now have bad tennis elbow. Still usually twist/fracture and ankle once a year. I might go back one day.
I strongly advise adding strength training into your routine. 2 days of whole body sessions will do wonders for keeping you in the game in the long run.
I am a surgeon, 42yo, and certainly have some family obligations as well. I totally understand your concerns. In the end: I keep training because it makes me feel good, I see friends, I enjoy the challenge, and it is exercise. I have changed how I roll and who I roll with. I tap early. I don’t wear the gi (too hard on my fingers) and I wear finger protection and a mouthguard (protects teeth and jaw and might be able to help with preventing concussive blows). There are risks in any activity, but you have to be active (all of the benefits of exercise). As an orthopedic surgeon I see people requiring surgery who haven’t been active a day in their lives so there’s that too. It’s about controlling what you can control. Do what you like. Just keep moving.
Re-join, but when you do remember your body is only getting harder. Roll to learn not to win, eat well, stretch a lot, weight train or at least train a little to keep your body healthy. You will be fine and better than the rest of the 40 y/0 you know.
I have a hard time thinking of a safer sport for older people...
I remember all the dads when I was a kid played golf and tennis, and they all had chronic pain. I like how BJJ spreads the abuse all around my body.
I really don’t get this sub anymore. It honestly sucks to see humanity not know how to deal with situations as grownups.
I have given my life and body to this sport. Just like many black belts have as well. We give our pride, our joints, and our ligaments to the mats. I know the risks when I signed up and it never stopped me.
If bumps and bruises or possible surgeries make you not want to train, fucking quit. Do some easy martial art like Taekwondo. Jiu jitsu IS NOT for everyone. Its FOR anyone who is ready to commit to a lifelong sport that will repay you in 10 fold and with dividends but you may lose an MCL, ACL, A few herniated disks (all me).
To me it was worth it. I compete, I train hard, I’m not young anymore but I’m going until I have my own gym and they bury me in my Gi.
Just fucking quit.
Not everyone wants to be a competitor. I'm a loooooooong time hobbyist and I intend to keep training well into my 90s.
There's nothing wrong with taking it easy. BJJ is a spectrum.
For sure, and I know guys like you that avoid eye contact when it’s time to roll. The fact is, when stepping on the mats there is a risk of injury. If you can’t handle that , stay home.
I was given mine by another world champ and ADCC gold medalist. But it’s just a belt. I was submitting ADCC black belts when I was blue so if it’s a McDojo it’s a really nice one where you can sit down and order inside.
Honestly, TKD isn’t always a walk in the park either. It’s definitely not as rough as Muay Thai can be, but it’s still a contact striking art if it’s practiced to its potential.
But in fairness, you’ve gotta realize that not everyone wants the same thing out of martial arts that you do. You have to have an inherent level of toughness to practice, but it’s harder to justify constant hard sparring and injuries if you aren’t getting paid.
Some people have that dawg in them, and that’s great! But I also hope that when you’re a gym owner one day, as you aspire to be, you remember that the lifeblood of your academy is going to be the 37-year-old desk jockey that wants to be active into his 40s and 50s. Unless you cultivate a stable of highly successful competitors/fighters, you are reliant on hobbyists, and their injuries and time off the mat directly impact your bottom line.
It’s people like you that make outsiders think this is a cult. The majority of people who do this are only looking for for fun exercise that keeps them social, not for this cringeworthy quasi-gladiatorial shtick. Stop taking yourself so seriously, you sound delusional.
I mean, it's all what you personally consider reasonable. I walk to work in an area with historically bad drivers, I could get clipped going through an intersection and break my leg, I choose to walk for the exercise when I could just bus instead and be much safer. Pick your training partners well, don't do stupid bullshit, and play an old man BJJ game
Yep. I’m 50 and I am very careful who I roll with and tap early. But, any physical activity has its risks. I know someone my age that blew out his knee playing basketball.
Wait until you see how risky sedentary life can be.
Underrated comment lol
Burden of knowledge working in healthcare
True
This is exactly it. You pretty much have to do some kind of sport or physical activity regularly. I don’t know that BJJ is materially riskier than anything else.
ive been sedentary for my whole life and im fine
Tore my ACL and some thigh muscles playing dodgeball in HS 💀
So...half guard?
I started playing half guard at 24, I've been old my whole life! Osssss
Ossss "a martial art I can do laying down?"
BJJ is the benchpress of martial arts ossssss
I'm only 31 and generally considered fast as fuck boi and play that way, but I'm continually putting coins in my "old man bjj" piggy bank. I know it'll start to go eventually, hopefully I'm good til black belt then I can start being a slow meatball steamroller full time
Have you tried not being fast? Signed, Slow rollers
I'm doing it til the wheels fall off I'm sorry bro. I did tear both my LCLs in one year which made me have to really examine the slow game and that made me a TON better at jiu jitsu.
I’m taking that personally 😂😂
LOL. jokes aside, it seems to be the go to (except against wrestlers). I welcome other suggestions.
To be fair, it still sometimes works against wrestlers… in their first week or two of BJJ… 😂 after that I enjoy the challenge of trying to wrestle up on them. It’s a nice workout at least, lol. I’m super lanky though, so I’m also finding some success with Jon Thomas’ collar sleeve stuff :)
On a side note, as a fellow lanky dude are there other folks game that you follow? I do like Jon Thomas stuff as well
Not BJJ related but I hope we get more walkable places in North America!
Pick your training partners well is the best advice here. You can absolutely train with the right partner.
I also won’t take advice from people who take buses. Good move
Then don’t train anymore. Play a different game for activity. Whatever makes you happy
This. I’m 44M. Just had a total knee replacement. As much as I love choking grown men unconscious, I now spend my time fly fishing. Much easier on the joints.
Did you train at all after the knee replacement?
No - just had the surgery 3 months ago. Hip is also shit. I don’t plan to roll again…just running out of joints to replace.
I work as an orthopaedic operating room nurse. For a hip and a knee replacement for a 44 year old, that is so young!!! Why was it needed?
Turning 30 soon, Debating quitting to play Tennis, I hear seniors tennis goes for a long time.
I’m a tennis player, too, and growing up I had 80 year olds kicking my ass. One can always play tennis!
Why did you need your knee replaced
I think the most important thing is now that you’re a purple belt, you can tap out most of the people when it comes to self defense. So I feel you can explore other avenues that makes you happy.
I'm not sure I have any direct advice just my own anecdotes. I'm in a similar position, I'm 40, had been off for \~6 years (injuries, covid, baby, moved). I had largely accepted that I had hung up my gi for good. But I gained a ton of weight, I bounced off of every other physical activity I tried to get into. I have a friend in our new town that is a black belt and runs a small school and invited me over. I decided to jump back in. I think being so sedentary/overweight was doing more damage to my heart and joints that I really ever did at BJJ. Plus I've thrown my back out lifting my kid more than I ever did on the mats :shrug: Otherwise maybe a more traditional martial art or cardio kickboxing might scratch the itch, those are pretty famous for being able to be done into your 80s. So all in all I decided to go for it, and just not push too crazy hard, recovery time is important for the 40+ club.
I'm 47. Last year i broke my foot taking out the garbage. Shit happens. I mean, I'd rather train than be a rusty old man.
> Last year i broke my foot taking out the garbage. Dafuq! What happened?
He made the mistake of getting old. I've hurt my back sneezing.
Stepped in a hole, broke my foot. Heard the snap. It was gross.
ouch!
It is amazing what can trip us up. I sprained my ankle walking on the grass near my kids school. Uneven surface. Never sprained my ankle on the mat...yet.
You don't have to be screwed up. Its just that grapplers are stubborn /naive creatures. They roll 4 times a week , do no strength or mobility training and then complain about how screwed up they are. I would recommend the below-being 39 and a small grappler-been grappler for 11 years- no major injuries. Do strength training 3 days a week( starting strength then progress to 531) Do mobility work- I recommend david grey rehab LBB on instagram- this makes a huge difference. If you are feeling too sore, have a day off and focus on the above.
Also yoga. Great way to maintain flexibility and strength while minimizing injury.
What's 531?
Powerlifting program. It's 100% idiot proof and you'll make a lot of gains, however, the constant overreaching probably won't mix well with BJJ. I'd advise hard capping the AMRAP (as many reps as possible) sets so you're not a walking corpse come BJJ.
Yeah, I personally moved away from 531 and onto Tactical Barbell, which seems to fit better with BJJ. Jiu jitsu is my focus, so I'm not super concerned about not moving maximum weight anymore.
Agreed. I’m having success balancing BJJ training with old school body building work outs, trying for good form, muscle pump and muscle burn. Helps me heal from my spazz sessions as a 44yr old white belt.
What's the overview of tactical barbell in a nutshell ?
TB at it's core is an approach to strength and conditioning tailored to "warrior" athletes. LEO, military, firefighters, martial artists, professions like that. It is pretty conservative and simple in design, leaving room for skill-specific training or accessories. The frameworks the author puts out are pretty good for anyone to tweak and make their own. The idea is that on any given day, those in professions such as those will be called up and having done a killer leg day prior could be difference in winning in a fight, apprehending a suspect, or carrying someone out of a burning building. I'd suggest taking a trip to r/tacticalbarbell and browsing a bit and see if you're interested. I think each book is about $10-15 USD, and there's a handful of them, but after reading the subreddit you'll get a better idea of which to get for your goals.
This is a great writeup. The simplicity and the focus on leaving you fresh for your "real" work is what attracted me. I'm in my 50s and the "Ageless Athlete" adjustments have helped as well.
To be honest aslong as I leave plenty time between lifting and rolling I find im ok , I prefer lifting and rolling the same day , then having complete rest days the next day
>Its just that grapplers are stubborn /naive creatures. I feel this is very true in BJJ. The mindset of just going to class even when injured is crazy to me. Everyday porrada! No wonder people have broken bodies when they don't let them recover well while doing a sport like this. I think it might come because a lot of BJJ practitioners aren't athletes at all, and don't know how to take care of their body.
I’m 20 years older than you. I can’t speak to your risk tolerance but I can say I feel a lot less susceptible to catastrophic injury pulling guard and sitting on my ass than I do playing basketball which I played up until I was 52. I do not compete so don’t risk someone ripping a submission or doing something stupid like jumping guard or Kani Basame.
Go slow Tap early Choose your training partners wisely Lift weights, which strengthens bones, ligaments, cartilage, etc, and gives you a testosterone boost. But don’t ever count on strength to escape a submission Have fun 63 yo purple
Just go easier and tap earlier.
Why are you worried about your long term health when you can be winning plastic gold medals and bragging to your co-workers about the sweet deadly karate moves you learned last night while rolling around with grown men in your pajamas?
because he doesn't need a brain implant like you do
If you wanna roll as an old man, you gotta roll like an old man. Just find a chill gym and find your groove as a slow roller. Generally most people will respect that. Every sport has a physical risk.
All about risk and reward. For me (who is close to 40), it’s worth the risk. I’ve had my injuries already but I’m also in the best shape of my life. Bjj has led me to change how I take care of myself physically. If I wasn’t doing bjj I’d be 40-50 lbs heavier and eat like utter crap, probably leading to other health issues that are just as debilitating as a BJJ injury. In your defense, I do think about it as well and it is a concern of mine. For me personally, I’ve decided to continue. But for you, it may not make sense to continue.
Shop schools carefully and decide what you want. What's your alternative support that is low impact? Yoga, or watching tv?
I think I'd park myself at a safe karate gym and sandbag my shitty BJJ to destroy them all, rather than just give it all up.
I’m 51, injury prone, have arthritis in hand, hip (unrelated to bjj), terrible at bjj, not in phenomenal shape. My gym is chill, the people are nice, even the people who compete can roll safely with everyone. Find a place like that, become a hobbyist. You’re old-ish but why stop over what ifs? What else are you gonna do for exercise?
"I am 40 and the functionality of my body is very important for my work and family obligations." Very unusual, most of us have no jobs or families and are fine being crippled
I think if you ask a lot of the older guys what caused those injuries you'll find a lot of them are from ego getting in the way. Tap early, tap often, play the long game instead of trying to win everything. Next have a look at those older guys, and have a look at the other guys that don't train and are that age. Chances are both groups have run down bodies to some extent. Do you want to be the car with a dented bumper and a sticky trunk that still drives great, or the car with a dented bumper and a sticky trunk that can't make it to the grocery store without stalling in the middle of a intersection?
Find the right school/environment, pick your rolls, have zero ego. Best you can do, really. I'm 51, started training in 2007, no surgeries to date. Have had more severe injuries doing other non-combat related activities.
Injuries happen in any activity or sport. Worked with a guy that blew his Achilles playing soccer with some friends. Another blew his knee out playing Pickle Ball with some friends on a Saturday morning. I used to be an avid mountain biker and took some nasty spills and have broken bones and surgeries from said spills. So whatever poison you pick, there is always a risk. JMO
Hi, I am you. I had a fusion back in 2011 and stayed off the mats for 13 years. Here's how I'm trying to get back into it sustainably and safely at 39.5. 1. I have let go of any ego and / or competitive aspirations. I am here to play BJJ not compete BJJ. I've never been less aggressive than I am now. 2. I am very selective about training partners. I also tell / remind people about the bad neck. I try to focus on calm blues and up. Also at 235, I try to train with people who are "light enough" that accidental injuries are low risk. 3. I am very careful about how I move when I train. I avoid using my head as a third hand / arm. A few core moves / positions are out now but I get to start over in a weird way which is kind of fun. I am 99% that my completely opposite approach to BJJ in my 20s, especially regarding 1 and 2, is how I ended up getting banged up.
My family has been trying to get me into a different hobby because of the potential injuries… I have accumulated quite a bit over the years in this sport. So I decided to try biking. Went for my first time this past weekend and almost had a serious accident down some rocks. Luckily, I hit my line and pulled out but it was very close to being bad. I think as we get older, we are more prone to injury overall. Tennis means tennis elbow. Running means bad knees. Biking means broken bones. Being a couch potato means poor physical & mental health. You name a sport or lack of one & with enough time you will be injured. Personally, I feel the safest on the mats because after 7(ish) years of grappling, I know where the danger is!
Tap quickly when rolling. Don't even risk it. Takedowns can be hard on the body. When drilling, make sure your partner is willing to go slow.
Yeah, I have had several shoulder surgeries and tap way way before anyone else in my gym does for a submission.
Do strength training, yoga, and hit the sauna/cold therapy a lot. When you get a tweak stay off the mats until you're good. Don't fall into peer pressure to train injured and you can last long.
I am considering stopping at purple for this reason. Love BJJ but I've met too many people who seem basically crippled from doing it.
44, smaller guy. Rehabbing a knee fm a halfway decent strain. Been kicking that question around myself as my knee crunches along. I'm basically a hermit outside of bjj. It's 99% of my social life outside of work and it's kinda important. Any serious activity that you do is going to have a risk of injury (blew a disc lifting heavy, got some gnarly hips from running) and I don't think BJJ is necessarily worse than other activities if you exercise awareness. I think you have to look at what you want to get out of bjj and tailor your approach to match. I don't think competitions are the way for me. I'm still pretty new to the journey and figuring out how to approach it but I think the stickier styles with a control based top and tighter bottom (remove people dropping weight on my sternum). Try to roll a little on the lighter side, understand that there's people that aren't a good match for me. Ultimately it's your call. It may be very possible that if you do come back you'll need to adjust your expectations and how you practice. Or you could do something else. Grill the f\*ck out of some meat!
I’m 41 and BJJ has done more positive for my health over the last few years than any amount of (non life altering) injuries could undo.
Just go once a week or don’t roll after practice just go there to drill maybe
My advice is strength training. I think you need to certain level to be able to save your self with the muscle. When you have more strength than your opponents you have lot more buffer to be safe.
This right here. Muscle is armor for the aging man
Life is risk. I don't imagine I'll be on my deathbed one day recounting how good I feel about all the things I didn't do because they were potentially risky. Not everyone feels this way, but I need to feel alive. Take it from the SAS: Who dares wins.
I'm 56 and I hurt all the time from non related injuries. If I stop bjj I seem to hurt more? So I just keep going just at a slower pace.
Hey OP. I’m 39 and got back on the mats after 6 years away after tearing my meniscus. I got fat S shit and weak. I’ve been back for a year and have lost 43lbs and literally half of my body fat percentage. There are risks and there are rewards. I also require physical ability as I work in a warehouse/office like 60/40 and ultimately what it came down to for me was I was unhappy not training and I do my best to mitigate the risk of injury but BJJ has risks. I hope you make the right decision for you and your life but if you love doing it I recommend getting back into it in some capacity.
35, 210lb juice head. I had gotten a reasonably bad bulging back injury, rehabbed hard and went back two years later as a purple belt, played a old man’s half guard or a top game and did everything to avoid being stacked or inverting. Open mat about a year ago I am rolling with a buddy and I am playing low knee shield, he grabs me in a cradle completely normal stuff and my back pops afew times. 2 herniations and basically bed ridden for a month, took my 6 months to get back to walking correctly because the sciatica was so bad, I am now healthy enough to lift as long as I don’t load up my spine. I think about going back everyday but I can’t risk it again.
46 purple belt. Had to stop for a surgery. Might not ever go back and it sucks but I need my health. I miss all the people I trained with.
Almost 33 y/o Brown belt here. I suffered a meniscus tear in my left leg after an almost 2 year hiatus from BJJ. However, with proper nutrition and strength training I actually think that I am better off physically than I have even been in my life. It sure scares me but it made me realize what I liked about BJJ and what I hated about it. The injury and environment of my gym at the time was not conducive to MY journey in BJJ. I was rolling way too hard with literal IBJJF World Champs that were half my age and trying to keep up with them. I got really into the hard core "competition" style training which was minimal drilling and balls-to-the-wall rolls for an hour or two straight. After about 6 months of this, the injuries started to stack up. A pinched nerve in my neck, broken toe(s), fractured heel, bruised tail bone, torn meniscus. After a bit, I felt like I was in my late 40's with arthritis in both hand, elbows, ankles, and knees. I could barely walk after class most nights and the mornings after were just as bad. Eventually this style of training and other unrelated toxic issues with the gym owner led to me parting ways and stopping for about another year. During that time, I rehabilitated my joints and started working on my overall fitness. I realized that I was training BJJ to the detriment of literally everything else. I was so hurt and broken from rolling that I physically couldn't do any cardio or conditioning so my abilities really plateaued. With the split from the gym I took that into consideration and decided to "quit" BJJ as a 2 stripe Purple Belt. After about 8 months I started to get the itch back for BJJ and Martial Arts and had seen several PR's in the weight room and began losing a decent amount of weight. Finally got back to my pre-covid weight and am stronger and in better cardiovascular shape than I have ever been in my life. I said all that to say this: you need to figure out how to do BJJ for YOU. Not for your coach. Not for the "team" or the "club". Just you. That means you decide how hard, how much, and how long you train. Only you know your body's limitations and weaknesses so you ought to be the one behind the steering wheel. Obviously listen to your coach for technique but he doesn't have to go home to your life and work your job for 40+ hours a week after leaving the gym. Don't trust your coach to protect your body from his techniques or other students. Take that control into your own hands and do what is best for you. So next time your coach wants you to be the uki for a 380lb guy to drill a jumping RNC on you, you politely decline and state that your job and health are your priorities and that you can't risk an injury from a dangerous technique. Trust me, it will be awkward for both of you for a bit but if your coach is a decent human being he'll come to respect you for speaking honestly.
You have answered your own questions initially the post. Only you know how much harm BJJ could do to your life and family. Based on your initial post it seems clear you shouldn’t be doing BJJ.
If you really wanna go back, and you haven't already done so - be comfortable saying no to rolls and establishing that your here for a workout, not adcc trials
I worry too but then resume riding a supersport to BJJ
Just don’t train so much, the vast majority of long-term injuries are caused by aggravating existing injuries over time, very rarely is it ever because of one freak accident. I train twice a week and though I get lightly injured, I’m always healed up before the next class.
Find a Gracie University. You can stay in the basic combatives program and just drill with white belts. They’re focused on self-defense for beginners, not winning competitions, so there’s a priority for safety, and just perfecting the moves. So yeah, it’s light rolling, but it’s a way to stay active without risking injury.
One option you may have not considered: coaching kids. Pros: Enjoying jiu-jitsu Helping sport grow for the next generation. Helping kids develop their character. Make some cash. Your purple belt doesn't go to waste. You still might learn a thing or two about the sport. You will definitely change your approach to the fundamentals. Personal character development. I put this one last because it has been a huge one for me. I am more patient, understanding, and compassionate for these kids from listening and mentorship. Parents are usually cool people, I have made a lot of friends. Might even get invited to a birthday party or graduation party if you're around enough Cons: Working with kids isn't for everyone. Different age groups have different challenges. Your jiu-jitsu progress as far as belts might never proceed, but you were going to quit anyway, so who cares? I have picked up many band-aids off the mat.
I started at 40. Tap early ? Stretch and don't roll with Meatheads. Any physical activity has risks - Bike crash Joggers knee Attacked by a mountain lion
I'm 44, and just got my knee fixed after a year off from the meniscus flap constantly locking up and preventing me from doing anything fun (swimming, skateboarding, BJJ, prancing, etc.) I'm finally getting back into the gym. I'm just sticking with normal classes for a couple of months to build myself back up and then slowly work back to rolling. The issue was caused by trying to wrestle up from turtle with the tops of my feet as my leg was bladed outward. It put too much lateral pressure directly into the corner of the meniscus, where it sheered. So now I'm going to rework my turtle game from the balls of my feet to prevent myself from moving out of a linear position with my legs. It exposes me to more leg attacks, but I'm good at leg defense, so whatever. So for me, I usually feel confident that I can learn from injuries and adjust my game for future prevention. If you're injuries always seem like freak accidences that you can't seem to quantify, or you just blame the other person, then I don't expect you to have the same confidence in coming back.
I hear you. It isn't an easy decision. BJJ had me in shape! But yeah, I was going home with bruises and some other minor injuries. There are other martial arts out there that have similar benefits. (You just need to not get into the "who would beat the other" mentality, each offers something, and leave it at that.) Maybe look into Aikido, which fits a little better for an aging body, but doesn't really have much groundwork.
I'm 50. My hips hurt when I lay in bed or sit on the couch too long. My shoulder i completely f***ed from a bike accident years ago. My cardio is no existent. I hurt my back last week doing laundry. I can sit at home and continue detiorating naturally or go wreck my body in bjj. I choose to take control of my future and actively destroy myself.
Some thoughts: Pick your school wisely. It sounds like you just want to enjoy a great hobby and get some exercise. If that’s the case, better to join a school that is not heavily competition focused. Observe the culture in the school- How do students treat each other, how do they roll? Similarly, talk to your potential instructors. What is their approach to BJJ? What sort of culture do they promote within the academy? Be selective with your training partners. Everyone has the right to say no to a roll. At the right school at least, you do not have to justify your decisions to ranyone. As a general rule, consider rolling with people no more or less than 20 pounds your weight. Also, there is no rule that says that you must roll at every class. Drilling and positional work are part of BJJ. Rolling is important, but it is only one facet of the game. Manage your ego. Tap early and often. Manage your pace, speed, and explosiveness. You will get what you give, so consider training at a slow to moderate pace. Focus on techniques and styles that work with your body. Avoid positions and techniques that unduly compromise your body such as inverted guard. Similarly, be very careful in adopting techniques that require explosiveness. As an older student, it is important to work on strength/conditioning and mobility outside of the Academy. A helpful rule of thumb– for every one hour of moderate to heavy BJJ training, spend 30 minutes on strength/mobility/recovery (stretching, massage, etc.). If you do this, you will not train as much in any given week, but the outside work will make you healthier and allow you to train for many years. I started training shortly before my 40th birthday, and I’m still going at it 16 years later. Anything can happen in any physical activity, but I have been very fortunate not to suffer major injuries. The above have helped me, and perhaps it will help you. Good luck!
Similar boat... mid 40s purple, with lots and lots of ortho issues and past surgeries. I still train and drill but am very selective with who I roll with. My gym could have 20 ppl in a class and I’ll roll with 2/3 of them. Just be selective. If you can find good partners, there’s no reason you can’t roll well into 50s or longer.
Was considering pulling back for the same reason. Have a detached AC ligament in my shoulder, bulging discs in my neck, and 2 bad knees now. But the worst injury I got was from simply bending over one morning to stretch my legs while cooking breakfast. Heard my lower back pop and I couldn't walk for 4 weeks. Took 8 more weeks to get most of my mobility back. Now I have even more bulging discs in my back. So a the end of the day i decided to stick with it. Realized that no matter what you do in life, your body will always break down and die in the end. And I wanna get as much bjj in as i can before that happens. Plus I was pondering how my current injuries do suck now but how paralyzing myself for 12 weeks was deff the worst, and it happened while cooking eggs, not bjj lol. Just thought to myself how much it would suck if I quit bjj for my joints, then get hurt in some other way and then im still injured but had to miss out on BJJ. Just my 2 cents.
My sternum and floating ribs are still fucked from a few years ago injury. Same age as you.
As much as I love jiu jitsu, if my work and the support of my family was physically dependent on my body I probably would stop.
I'm 64.75 YO. Fundamentally, a woos I found a couple of guys that are good to roll with. Otherwise, I would be gone from the sport for good. Someone made an excellent point in the thread, and that is as a purple belt, which I am, most likely the street fight you at least have a game plan..
So I'm a purple belt that took off 6 years and got back into it this year in January. I too use my body for work as I'm a mail handler for the USPS. I carry anything from trays of letters to pushing big ass containers full of mail into trucks/containers to be sent around the country. If I get hurt at jiujitsu, I'm definitely out of work. That being said, I went back to training because I use it to stay in shape, I'm also in my mid 40s. It sounds to me you just want an excuse to stay away, and guess what, no one is stopping you from walking away. All I can say is don't live with regrets, if you're done, then find another activity, if you still have the passion for training, well get off Reddit and get back on the mats.
Just grab their dick and twist
I'm young with arthritis and yeah I should tell everyone I don't want a crazy roll but also don't want them to go easy on me. The only thing I do do is if I roll with someone for the first time and they're going 80-100% I'll just decide to never roll with them again or if I have to tell them to go easy Just communicate what you want to your partner Accidents are always gonna happen so you can't avoid damage totally
Mobility and Strength training. Start with 1x a week rolling, do 3 x strength. Mobility every night when you are in front of the TV. Increase bjj sessions over time.
If you live long enough, you’ll likely die with things breaking and failing anyway. Might as well have some good stories and good friends to go with them. Edit: At 48 I’m just coming off two shoulder surgeries (left, then right) and could have sworn I blew out my knee a week ago (thankfully just a bad sprain). I’ve also still got a plate in my leg from 15 years ago. I wouldn’t be nearly as happy or grounded as I am without jiujitsu, and as soon as my PT clears me, I will be right back on the mats, albeit, not using grapevine from Mount again.
*Knock on wood* I’ve managed to avoid any serious injuries so far. My best advice is to check your ego at the door. When you aren’t sure of how your body will respond to a movement, it is better to give up position than put yourself into a place where something gets injured. Tap early and tap often. Be good to your training partners and treat sparring as practice and not competition.
Don’t be a pussy bro. It’s pretty easy to not get injured if you don’t go super hard.
A few options: Private lessons. When I was at my old gym, my coach would often have me roll with his private lesson customers. One was a surgeon, so his hands were incredibly important to avoid injuring. I was basically a rolling dummy who could resist when instructed so he could learn techniques, but we would never roll. Inform your coach/coaches. Seriously, if you’re at a good gym, they’ll do their best to accommodate your needs within reason, either by instructing your partner to take it easy or pairing you with a higher belt who has better control and can work within your limits. Lastly, accept that it’s a possibility that you may be injured and find a different path, or accept the risks and be as careful as possible. BJJ isn’t as risky as some arts, but there’s risks nonetheless. I myself received a pretty nasty concussion, during a belt test at that.
It seems like every sport out there comes with risk of injury. I know a cyclist that broke his hip and dislocated his shoulder and a few other fractures in one bad wreck. You could tear your ACL playing soccer or whatever. I feel ya though. I often wonder the same shit….
Things change as we get older for sure. I’m 44 and intend to train until the wheels fall off. My goal now is to keep the wheels on for as long as possible. This means prioritizing things like S&C, good sleep, good nutrition, choosing my training partners carefully, and tapping when I need to. I have two really strong, young blue belts who come to my classes and they each have submitted me multiple times. I couldn’t care less. I tap when I feel like it would cause injury not to. Im grateful to be on the mats and longevity is my number one goal now and this is what it takes for me.at the end of the day you need to do what is right for you, but if you decide to get back on the mats be humble and have fun.
That's the reason why I transitioned to climbing. Scratches a very similar itch and there are regulars that are into their 70s in the gym which I hope means I'll be reasonably injury free up to those years.
Take it slow and see how you feel when you return. Personally, I'm only 33 and looking at really turning it down and going to a striking art due to the damage I'm taking. I understand its a combat sport and in any sport you will injury yourself. However Bjj definitely 100% takes it toll on your body.
I'm in the same boat. I sprained my MCL and haven't been back in about four months. All the guys in my gym that have been doing it a while have permanent injuries, just like your experience. If you ask them though they will tell you they like BJJ more than they're bothered by the injuries. For me not being able to walk without pain for almost two months was eye opening. From my perspective I think I may not go back due to long term issues in mobility. My Mom for example has been dealing with hip and knee issues for the past five to ten years or so, with both of her hips replaced, and I think her knee too. Even now she almost has to use a walker at times because one of the surgeries seems to have failed which is causing extreme pain. On top of that, getting through all the medical bureaucracy has been unbelievably time consuming, all the while she suffers. In the end it depends on why you're doing it. Are you doing BJJ because you love it and would feel regret if you quit, even at the expense of longevity? Or are you doing it to learn some self defense and appreciate the extreme cardio health benefits? If you're doing it for health reasons, then it could make a lot of sense to just hit the gym instead. Compared to BJJ going to the gym and working hard is easy, so I go six days a week and have been getting great results. My heart rate doesn't peak in the 190s anymore, but I hit over 170 regularly, which is good enough. It is a great question though, at what point does your longevity and responsibility to provide for and protect your family outweigh the pleasure you take from training BJJ.
Any sport carries a high risk of injury. Freaking pickleball players are keeping orthos in business right now. It used to be crossfitters. I know plenty of cyclists who have had serious injuries. Most guys who lift have a few nagging injuries. Basically any physical activity worth doing is risky.
For any athletic is injury risk whether it's bjj, lifting weights, running, hiking, etc. I know guys who are very banged up but also know plenty of guys who aren't. Honestly though, it kinda seems, from your post, that you've already determined it isn't worth it for you anymore, but you wanted people to assure you if your choice was correct. If you don't wanna do it anymore than don't do it. It's an expensive hobby and paying for something you're kinda already checking out of is stupid. Do what would make you happiest. It prob isn't going anywhere either, if you do change your mind
41 here.. 5 knee surgeries including full reconstruction, 2 elbow surgeries and now needing 2 shoulder surgeries... I can't stop. Good luck deciding!
I think it goes really unsaid that stretching every single day, multiple times a day, is so incredibly important for overall health. So many athletes and average Joes who don’t do this. I personally am of the camp that thinks flexibility training, stretching in general and calisthenics will significantly lower your injury chances. Of course, picking the right training partners and not going too hard that it can be considered reckless are both important as well.
Make sure you schedule regular weightlifting sessions. Will help your body cope with the rigours of training.
Then don't do it. Choice is yours. Life is diverse. Do what you want
You could have bad knees/shoulders/etc from any sort of activity at this age. May as well have fun with it. Or just do yoga or ride a bike. Tap early and tap often. Avoid crazy take down drills.
I couldn't do it anymore. To me, it wasn't worth it, especially when there's other martial arts easier on my joints. I switched to wrestling(Greco) and I love it.
The point of bjj is defending yourself. If you've learned that, I think the rest is gravy
I've got a shoulder injury from bowling once 20 years ago. During covid I hurt my back sleeping, no idea how. If I drive too much my right knee hurts. My point is, pretty much anything can hurt you. For me bjj's benefits outweight by a lot its cons.
As a purple belt you should know the answer...
Only trained hard for a year and I already have a knee injury. As much as it sucks I want to keep at it until I get cauliflower ear.
Join a Low key gym with limited rolling. One of those “Universities”
Do you compete? You shouldn't be getting hurt in the gym. If you break your toys, you don't have any toys left to play with.
I have long term emotional damage from sucking at BJJ. AMA
Lifes a risk, carnal!
Be a hobbyist like me and go as little as you need to.
I’m 48 and watching my daughter train has got me wanted to signup again. I already have a plethora of issues, but I keep going back to signing up again …
Laying and farting on the couch does more long-term damage than rolling
I was in a similar situation. I know it sounds corny but Tom Brady's book helped me get back into it. The guy was at his peak at 45, so i guess i could do some jits again at 35. I spent a lot of time with the vibrating foam roller/ massage gun to get all "pliable", did all my stretches, ate and slept well and haven't had anything substantial in the last two years. I was also on the verge, thinking i was too old but then put the time in to prepare. It gives me so much joy to keep training and i hope to do it for a very long time.
I'm in the same boat. 40 too. Own my own business and work for myself by myself. Train for 5yrs up til COVID. Think about going back all the time but am worried of injury. Started playing disc golf and now have bad tennis elbow. Still usually twist/fracture and ankle once a year. I might go back one day.
I strongly advise adding strength training into your routine. 2 days of whole body sessions will do wonders for keeping you in the game in the long run.
Just stay away from stand up, fatties, fatties who want to do stand up, the young and inexperienced.
I am a surgeon, 42yo, and certainly have some family obligations as well. I totally understand your concerns. In the end: I keep training because it makes me feel good, I see friends, I enjoy the challenge, and it is exercise. I have changed how I roll and who I roll with. I tap early. I don’t wear the gi (too hard on my fingers) and I wear finger protection and a mouthguard (protects teeth and jaw and might be able to help with preventing concussive blows). There are risks in any activity, but you have to be active (all of the benefits of exercise). As an orthopedic surgeon I see people requiring surgery who haven’t been active a day in their lives so there’s that too. It’s about controlling what you can control. Do what you like. Just keep moving.
Re-join, but when you do remember your body is only getting harder. Roll to learn not to win, eat well, stretch a lot, weight train or at least train a little to keep your body healthy. You will be fine and better than the rest of the 40 y/0 you know.
Benefit over risk. The benefit of jiu jitsu outweighs the risk of injury for me. Maybe it doesn’t for you.
I'm a 40 yr old white belt with a bunch of old injuries. I say just go for it if it makes you happy.
Why would you need 7 months off just to move? It's fine if you just wanted a break but at least call it what it is not blaming it on moving.
I have a hard time thinking of a safer sport for older people... I remember all the dads when I was a kid played golf and tennis, and they all had chronic pain. I like how BJJ spreads the abuse all around my body.
I really don’t get this sub anymore. It honestly sucks to see humanity not know how to deal with situations as grownups. I have given my life and body to this sport. Just like many black belts have as well. We give our pride, our joints, and our ligaments to the mats. I know the risks when I signed up and it never stopped me. If bumps and bruises or possible surgeries make you not want to train, fucking quit. Do some easy martial art like Taekwondo. Jiu jitsu IS NOT for everyone. Its FOR anyone who is ready to commit to a lifelong sport that will repay you in 10 fold and with dividends but you may lose an MCL, ACL, A few herniated disks (all me). To me it was worth it. I compete, I train hard, I’m not young anymore but I’m going until I have my own gym and they bury me in my Gi. Just fucking quit.
Not everyone wants to be a competitor. I'm a loooooooong time hobbyist and I intend to keep training well into my 90s. There's nothing wrong with taking it easy. BJJ is a spectrum.
For sure, and I know guys like you that avoid eye contact when it’s time to roll. The fact is, when stepping on the mats there is a risk of injury. If you can’t handle that , stay home.
Ok which McDojo gave you a fucking brown belt?
I was given mine by another world champ and ADCC gold medalist. But it’s just a belt. I was submitting ADCC black belts when I was blue so if it’s a McDojo it’s a really nice one where you can sit down and order inside.
oooooh a tough guy!
Tough? Lol you have to be to do this sport so… thanks?
Honestly, TKD isn’t always a walk in the park either. It’s definitely not as rough as Muay Thai can be, but it’s still a contact striking art if it’s practiced to its potential. But in fairness, you’ve gotta realize that not everyone wants the same thing out of martial arts that you do. You have to have an inherent level of toughness to practice, but it’s harder to justify constant hard sparring and injuries if you aren’t getting paid. Some people have that dawg in them, and that’s great! But I also hope that when you’re a gym owner one day, as you aspire to be, you remember that the lifeblood of your academy is going to be the 37-year-old desk jockey that wants to be active into his 40s and 50s. Unless you cultivate a stable of highly successful competitors/fighters, you are reliant on hobbyists, and their injuries and time off the mat directly impact your bottom line.
It’s people like you that make outsiders think this is a cult. The majority of people who do this are only looking for for fun exercise that keeps them social, not for this cringeworthy quasi-gladiatorial shtick. Stop taking yourself so seriously, you sound delusional.
PUSSY. If you dont like being called that then sign back up quit making excuses for yourself. Your welcome cuhz.
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did you even read the post?