Am I Too Old To Start Jiu-Jitsu?
Jiu-jitsu is both an incredibly tough and an incredibly fulfilling activity. It has continued to gain popularity over the past 10+ years and the number of black belts and gyms continues to boom. With that growth comes new members of all ages starting to look to see if jiu-jitsu is worth the hype. And since you are the one reading this article, you may be wondering if you or your friend/significant other are too old to start a jiu-jitsu journey.
I think it’s a reasonable question. Jiu-jitsu is a martial art and should be understood before jumping into. There are certainly benefits but there are certainly risks as well.
I hope to cover every consideration when it comes to age and starting a jiu-jitsu journey in this article. With that being said, let’s jump into it!
Table of Contents
Things to Consider Before Starting Jiu-Jitsu
I wrote another article on 3 Things To Expect When Starting Jiu-Jitsu which will apply to this section also. That being said, I think it will be worth running through some other aspects here.
Jiu-jitsu is a martial art in which you grapple, take down, and ultimately work to submit your opponents. With that said, you should expect the following before starting Jiu-Jitsu
- You will find yourself in odd positions
- You will need to bear a certain amount of weight on your arms, legs, and otherwise
- You will fall
Allow me to expand on these a bit more.
You Will Find Yourself in Odd Positions
Jiu-Jitsu works all kinds of trips, control, and submissions, and will therefore put your body in positions that will be new for you. The positions themselves are not particularly scary, but it is worth noting if you have any prior injuries or if anything hurts when twisting your arms, legs, spine, and otherwise.
It’s worth noting that flexibility is incredibly useful here, especially in preventing injury. If you don’t have any nagging injuries or don’t find yourself in pain from twisting and other movements, then you should be good to go!
You Will Need to Bear Weight on Your Arms, Legs, and Otherwise
This also includes being able to push yourself up with your arms and elbows. Ultimately though, if you are able to do basic exercise machines (bench press, leg extensions, lunges, etc), then you will have nothing to worry about.
And in case you were wondering, strength definitely helps in Jiu-Jitsu. That being said, you don’t have to be strong or get to a certain strength level before starting. Your muscles will acclimate to what is needed as you begin!
You Will Fall
Depending on your age, you may be concerned about this one. There are a few things to consider though.
- While practicing moves, the fall will be controlled
- The mat is very soft and bouncy
- You can always opt out
There is no shame in not doing a particular move or taking a fall. On top of that, sparring (also known as “rolling) can start from a seated position rather than a standing one. So falls may happen as part of training, but they aren’t a requirement by any means.
Other Considerations Before Starting Jiu-Jitsu
If you are okay with the above things happening, then I would highly suggest going out to a gym and giving it a try! Meeting the coaches and other students will help you figure out if it’s something you want to take on better than any article I can write.
If you’re still not sure but have the interest, I would actually suggest doing the same thing as the above. You’ll find that jiu-jitsu coaches and students tend to be incredibly welcoming and will ultimately help you decide if it is for you or not.
Does age factor into your practice? Yes. You can’t expect to be the strongest or fastest if you are any older than 40’s. That said, the practice is meant to be fun, challenging, and engaging. And ultimately your age won’t hinder you from doing any of those. Check out jiu-jitsu grandma if you don’t believe me.
Conclusion
Jiu-jitsu is both an incredibly enjoyable and an incredibly tough undertaking. It requires strength, dexterity, stamina, and mental capacity to perform effectively and can be seen as a “younger” persons game because of that.
That being said, Jiu-Jitsu is ultimately for everyone. You will find people young, old, skinny, muscular, and everything around and in between. Barring injuries or inability to perform basic movements, you are never too old to try out Jiu-Jitsu!
Just find a gym that you click with and you will find good training partners and coaches to help you through your Journey!
