Combat Arts After the Age of 40

[Jaywalker]

I'm way, way over 40 and started BJJ about two years ago. I'd really let myself go after retirement and "exercise programs" held no interest for me. Since starting BJJ I've lost close to 30 pounds and feel much better. I started back then after I called a couple of gyms and asked, "What do you have that's low impact that isn't Tai Chi?" (I tried Tai Chi but it wasn't for me - more like "martial arts dancing." Some people like it, though. I just couldn't remember all the steps.") The guy said "You want Brazilian Jiu Jitsu." I tried it and was hooked. I did have a few injuries at first - call them "over-enthusiasm:" rolling onto my badly placed hand, pulling a leg muscle during drills and so forth. Nothing kept me off the mat for long. I've seen no serious injuries at our gym and certainly no broken bones since I've been there. After I learned to warm up properly and keep my hands in I've had no more of those injuries and as you advance you kind of learn what's dangerous and you automatically avoid it.

FWIW, during classes I get most of the new guys now and I try to show them how to avoid actually hurting somebody with the bone-breaker holds. OTOH, after I learned to work smoothly rather than with muscle and gallons of sweat my weight loss slowed down so I had to attend more classes to make up for it.

[FPS]

Ive got a ruptured disc in L4-L5 I’ve lived with the last 14 years but gives me trouble - problem with BJJ or able to work around?

[Mitch]

Ive got a ruptured disc in L4-L5 I’ve lived with the last 14 years but gives me trouble - problem with BJJ or able to work around?

You can work around almost anything in BJJ. Just be upfront with the instructor and training partners and don’t do anything stupid like go inverted to not give up a guard pass.


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[The Apprentice]

There's my messed up back I was back to training technique about 2 weeks after I threw it out from sneezing and about another 2 weeks till I started sparing again. Talk to your training partners let them know if you have injuries. If I'm sparring with someone new I tell them my shoulders are really tight if you get an Americana locked up make sure you go real slow. Chances are I will have tapped once they got secure grips Im not taking the chance. Roll with the other old guys I the class most are in the same boat we have day jobs and families to take care of. Also tap early and often.

[RJ]

There is a “Gracie Barra” place around the corner from me in Clearwater. That’s a pretty good name in BJJ, right?

I’m 58, and have been interested in being more physically fit and getting active again in MA. Long ago, when Dinosaurs walked the earth, and $2 of gas was all you needed to fill up for the whole weekend, I took a few Karate sessions and separately, a Judo class or three.

Anyway, I may just try their ‘free’ class offer one of these days. Ideally, I’d like to 1) limit post-BJJ Ibuprofen consumption to 4 a day, 2) Not have to pay my chiropractic surgeon any more money than I have and 3) kind of avoid any trips to the ER.

If I ever make some time to try it I’ll definitely come back to you guys for an AAR.

[Jaywalker]

There is a “Gracie Barra” place around the corner from me in Clearwater. That’s a pretty good name in BJJ, right?

I’m 58, and have been interested in being more physically fit and getting active again in MA. Long ago, when Dinosaurs walked the earth, and $2 of gas was all you needed to fill up for the whole weekend, I took a few Karate sessions and separately, a Judo class or three.

Anyway, I may just try their ‘free’ class offer one of these days. Ideally, I’d like to 1) limit post-BJJ Ibuprofen consumption to 4 a day, 2) Not have to pay my chiropractic surgeon any more money than I have and 3) kind of avoid any trips to the ER.

If I ever make some time to try it I’ll definitely come back to you guys for an AAR.

Try more than one if you can. Names or not, some programs are more comfortable than others.

[RJ]

I may stop in and chat with these guys this week. If y’all see any red flags here, lemme know.

https://www.safetyharborbjj.com/programs/

[Cheap Shot]

FWIW

Article in WSJ about a 62 still doing hockey, BJJ, and Boxing WO's

https://www.wsj.com/articles/his-one...tsu-1517054400

[Shellback]

Culture has a lot to do with it. Who's gym is it and how do they treat their students?

I'm a non-practicing BJJ lover over 40 and miss it everyday. There are no options locally for me after moving...

[Paul Sharp]

Ive got a ruptured disc in L4-L5 IÂ’ve lived with the last 14 years but gives me trouble - problem with BJJ or able to work around?

A competent coach and coaching staff can work around just about anything. Speaking as a guy that has ruptured S1, L3-5, and T1-4, it's worse if I stay off the mat. Any time away allows the arthritis that's present to really ramp up the pain train. The more active I am, the better I feel. In my gym we jokingly refer to jiujitsu as non-consensual yoga... it's true you know.

From my experience as a guy that narrowly missed back surgery 3 times, as well as my experience coaching folks with back issues ranging from simple discectomy to cages/rods/fusions I can offer a few suggestions. Not a comprehensive list by any means but some general info. Take it slow, (this may seem like Latin at the moment since you're not training yet so the terminology might be foreign but); learn 1/2 guard as quickly as possible as that will be your life(back)saver when playing bottom.

As a beginner much of your game will be based on working from the bottom aka worst case scenario so defense and escape focused. Bridging movements may be problematic but shrimping probably won't be so a lot of your game will be built around shrimping, getting to 1/2 guard bottom, and reversals from there.

If shrimping irritates the area pendulum the legs is a viable option to allow you to create space, get a knee and elbow in then work your way to what Cecil Burch calls the Safety Position. Tap early, tap often.

Pick your rolls, probably the most important. Getting stacked is extremely dangerous when you have a spinal injury, particularly lower back. Which is also why I recommend you make friends with 1/2 bottom ASAP. You can't be stacked when in 1/2 bottom. However, should you find yourself in full guard and your training partner stacks you? Tap immediately. Tell them thanks but you're not the one they should roll with, and find someone that can roll without stacking their way out of guard. On that note, to avoid getting stacked simply open your ankles if someone starts to stand, avoiding that stacking injury potential is a two-way street. Popping open the ankles makes it easier, potentially, for your beginner level guard game to get passed but... you won't get hurt and will live to tap and roll another day. You'll also get to work your escapes so there's that.

Communicate with your training partner if it's a new guy you haven't work with before. Let them know you can't be stacked, you're game for anything but that, and take it from there. 99% of the folks in BJJ will totally get it as everyone in this art has, or will, experience back pain.

That's about it for now. If I think of anything else, I'll add it later.