Tips For Starting BJJ At 40 Years of Age
Brazilian jiu-jitsu is very popular among all ages and genders. But as a person entering the 5th decade of your life and interested in jiu-jitsu, you may be wondering how to approach the sport.
For sure, starting any sport, especially combat sports at this stage comes with certain limitations and, of course, risks. You can’t beat the aging and your body simply can’t absorb the same punishment as it could in the 20s or 30s.
But on the other side, BJJ is arguably the best martial art you can enter in your 40s. And in this article, you are about to learn why. We will provide you with some valuable tips on how to stay free from injuries, progress faster, and overall train for longevity.
Is it too late to start BJJ at 40 years of age?
Brazilian jiu-jitsu is known to be a very popular option among 40-year-olds looking to enroll in martial arts for various benefits. The main reason is the safety of training as jiu-jitsu does not carry a high injury rate. This is mainly due to the lack of full-contact striking, which is how people get hurt most of the time in martial arts.
Overall, rolling on the mats does not fall into the group of low-impact activities. However, it is not as hard on your body as other martial arts. So as a result, each BJJ academy includes people in their 40s, 50s, and even 60s, training together and having fun.
On one side, it going to be uphill if your goal is to become a world champion. But on the other, it’s never too late to start BJJ and change every single aspect of your life for the better.
Let’s now focus on how you should approach BJJ as a 40-year-old, and what you can do to maximize your performance on the mats.
Start easy and embrace the struggles
BJJ is not beginner friendly and you will struggle both physically and mentally during the opening months of your journey. It’s just how the learning curriculum is designed and you can’t do much about it.
As a concept, jiu-jitsu heavily relies on the practical application of each technique. Or in other words, you will find yourself rolling and sparring right from day one, and of course, you will look desperate and eat many humble pies.
But remember to keep your ego low. As a 40-year-old just starting out, you are not training to become an ADCC or IBJJF champion. In the eyes of other students and instructors, you are just a regular newcomer and even an inspiration for starting the classes at this stage of life.
You will probably get submitted hundreds of times by much younger guys so you must accept this and keep your ego low. The head instructor is probably going to be much younger too and you will have to obey their commands and accept criticism despite the age difference.
Remember, it’s all a part of the learning process. Yes, no one likes to lose all the time and be submitted hundreds of times. However, being patient and humble in jiu-jitsu builds strong mental resistance in the long run.
Improve strength
As said earlier, BJJ is among the safest martial arts when it comes to the overall injury rate. But it is physical and hard on your body. Executing throws and takedowns and rolling on the ground with a person equal to your size on top of you requires a lot of strength and endurance.
To prevent injuries and progress faster, all students, especially the older ones, must emphasize strength training at the beginning of their journey. As a 40-year-old, this does not mean you should be powerlifting like a maniac. Instead, start out slowly and focus on improving core strength with bodyweight workouts.
If you are in bad physical shape or haven’t been exercising for many years, be sure to start easy. You don’t want to put too much stress on the body, but rather smoothly strengthen the muscles. Focus on exercises such as pull-ups, which apart from muscles also improve grip strength (crucial for BJJ). Next, add push-ups, sit-ups, and squats, and progressively increase the number of sets and reps.
After a few months, you can start lifting weights, but again, do not push your body anywhere near the limits. Over time, you will notice the benefits both on and off the mats. Being stronger improves performance, prevents injuries, and speeds up recovery.
Focus on technique rather than power
Combat sports, in general, is a young man’s game, and you have to accept it. The last thing you need is to get carried by emotions and rely on sheer strength to maybe explode out of bad positions, get a takedown, or out of submissions. These are the situations where most people get hurt, notably the older ones.
The best thing about BJJ is — you don’t need to rely on power. In fact, BJJ is known as a “gentle” martial art because the technique is far more important than physical size and strength. Thus, put all of your focus on mastering the correct motion of each technique. Learn all the tips and tricks that come with it, and how to apply them against the fully resisting opponent in sparring. Try and fail hundred times if needed, but do not try to muscle your way during the offensive or defensive maneuvers.
This will pay dividends in the later stages of your journey. You will find yourself submitting much younger and physically stronger training partners just by overwhelming them with technique. Youth and strength might be on their side, but wisdom and maturity are even more important in BJJ.
Rest a lot and adopt healthy eating habits
BJJ training is fun and playful, and very addictive. Once you start figuring things out and feel comfortable in classes, you won’t get enough of it. And from the perspective of a person entering the 5th decade of their lives, this is actually quite dangerous. People in their early 20s are the ones who can handle training BJJ 7-days a week, not you.
Most coaches would advise you to hit the gym around two or three times a week during the early beginnings. There is an unwritten rule that you should always give your body 2 days of rest for each intense workout. At this stage of life, the body can’t heal itself as fast and as efficiently as it could when we were younger. This is just a harsh reality that comes with aging.
Above all, it takes time for the body to adapt to these intense workouts, and you must do it slowly and methodically.
However, you should stay active during the rest days and do light strength workouts, maybe jog around the neighborhood, hike, or do any other low-impact activity. The key here is to maintain the blood flow through the muscles to keep them warm, which speeds up the recovery. Also, be sure to drink a lot of water, eat healthy food and give the body all the nutrients, especially healthy fats, and protein.
Stretch whenever you can
Flexibility plays a key role in BJJ and you can’t expect to perform techniques the right way without it. During the opening months, you will do a lot of static and dynamic stretching workouts before and after each class to increase the range of motion. Apart from improving your performance, stretching also prevents injuries, boosts stability, and balance, and calms the mind down.
In the best-case scenario, you will also adopt a stretching routine at home too. Just 15 minutes of stretching every morning will do wonders for you in the long. Attending Yoga besides BJJ classes is also very beneficial, and many students are mixing these two together.
Roll with people your size (and age preferably)
People should always choose the right training partners in every combat sport that includes full-contact sparring. This is notably important for older students who prefer to roll at their own pace, usually slower, to focus on technique and avoid injuries. The last thing you need is an egomaniac who approaches each sparring session as if it is a real match and goes hard all the time. Every gym has at least one such person so be sure to avoid them.
You should also avoid sparring with physically bigger and heavier people. Battling for a takedown and rolling on the ground is exhausting and puts a lot of stress on your entire body. Thus, doing it against the bigger partner only increases the pressure on the joints and the risk of injuries.
Also, let’s hope there will also be more 40 and 50-year-olds you can roll spar in the gym. People your age think a similar way when it comes to many aspects such as safety and longevity. They understand your need to roll at a lighter pace and also emphasize safety over other aspects.
