Is BJJ a lifelong martial art?

[JaredExtreme]

Alright guys, I think this is something all of us who do BJJ need to think about.

Here's my point: I'm a 20 year old male who is in pretty good shape. Every night after BJJ I come home with aching ribs, sore back, and blisters on my toes. Don't get me wrong, I love the pain. BUT, do you think we're going to be able to be doing this stuff 30 years down the line? You look at a typical BJJ class, the students are pretty much 18-30, rarely do you see someone over 40 cutting it in class.

I think we should realize there's a price to BJJ. Because we are learning one of the most aggressive and physical MA's in the world, I think our bodies might be worse off in the long run.

[soho]

I have been way more hurt playing in football leagues than I have ever been doing bjj. Anything athletic carries the risk of injury but I think the rewards outweigh the risks.

[Smokey_D]

I'm almost 30 and have been doing grappling for 9 years on and off. Whenever I'm "on" it takes a couple of months for my body to adjust to working out. I come home sore and bruised and my wife thinks I've been through a prison riot. After a couple of months, my body toughens up and I usually don't get that many bruises unless I go against a monster grappler.

Things I've noticed about my body:

1) As I get older, it takes longer for my body to toughen up if I take any time off (3 weeks or more).
2) I need to warm up longer and stretch more thoroughly (before and after).
3) As I get better, I tend to use less strength and actually get less of a physical workout and more of a mental workout, especially with upper belts.

I will probably keep working out for many years. I don't think that you see many older people doing this for a couple of reasons. One, grappling is just becoming mainstream since it really broke onto the scene with the UFC.

Two, as one gets older, you tend to do other less physical things in life. I think it is sports across the board, not just grappling. There will always be older people doing any number of sports but it is certainly a smaller percentage of the age group participating as the age increases.

-smokey

[joseph]

I started training at age 42. You can train every day as long as you don't roll hard. The Brazilians train in whats called half speed. You never tap anyone out but you get to combine moves and escapes with your training partner.

good luck remember you get out of it what you put in

[GregG]

I am getting ready to start training and wouldn't be surprised at all to be the oldest one there (at 38). A similar thing would be true if I were to go to most sporting activities, but I agree that this is more a "youg man's sport" than most. It does not mean that the challenge is insurmountable, just that fewer will climb that hill.

[Szczepankiewicz]

You're never too old to try something new. All us old farts realize that we just need to take a little longer to get there sometimes.

[crazyjoe380]

There is a man 48 years old in Bjj.....


he's real good....


My advice for those who are old....


go into Traditional Jujitsu if you want to remain in the arts..but there is more older people in that art... its almost the same thing but they have stand up chokes, weapons, self defence against knife and gun attacks, not as much grappling as bjj

look for

this....

example ....SEE THE DESCRIPTION OF THIS SCHOOL AND SEE HOW AND WHAT THEY TEACH..PEEP THIS QUESTION AND ANSWER ....
____________________________________________________

QUESTION: Am I able to do it?

ANSWER: Yes you can. At the VALLEY JUJITSU SCHOOL we have trained students from five year old children through adult. Some of these people when they came to us were shy, lacked self-confidence, were out of shape or over weight, while others thought they were too old. There are still others who thought they couldn't do it. But they're out there practicing jujitsu and loving it! The fact is that it is NEVER too late to begin your training.



QUESTION: How quickly can I learn?

ANSWER: You will be taught effective, practical techniques that work on your very first lesson. Your progress is individual and is determined by the rate of speed you choose to set for yourself. Each of our Professors are high ranking black belt instructors with over 30 years of experience EACH. This fact alone guarantees progress faster than most martial art schools. In addition, we have several other black belt instructors on staff as well.



QUESTION: Do I have to be in good shape?

ANSWER: No. One of the major benefits of our specially structured program is that it is developed around a participants individual condition.



QUESTION: Do you teach only ground grappling?

ANSWER: No. We do teach ground fighting, but the emphasis is on learning a “complete” martial art. By practicing “only” ground fighting techniques, you are betting your life that there is only one attacker. That’s not a good bet!



QUESTION: What is the cost for promotional examinations?

ANSWER: We don’t charge for promotional examinations like most martial arts schools do. We are more concerned with the “quality” of the students coming out of our school.



QUESTION: Is Jujitsu training two days a week enough?

ANSWER: Yes. Training twice a week offers a great workout allows most people the opportunity to spend time with their families and friends. Where most martial arts classes run an hour in length, our classes are one and a half hours long allowing our students to train for a substantial amount of time per week without having to eat up so much personal time. Because of the way we work out, training twice a week allows a student to progress at a solid rate. In addition, we also offer two Monday night classes per month for our adult students. They are on different Monday nights. Please consult our Monday Night Calendar for a current listing of times and dates.



QUESTION: What is the average size of a Jujitsu class?

ANSWER: Class size varies. On the average, class size is usually around 15 people.



QUESTION: How much does it cost to train and do you offer multi-family member discounts?

ANSWER: Class fees are paid on a monthly basis and due at the beginning of each month.
The cost to train at the Valley Jujitsu School twice a week (plus two Monday nights per month) is only $70 per month for adults (ages 14 and older) and $55 per month for youths (5-13 years of age). There is a one time only $25 registration fee for your first month. We do offer multi-family member discounts. Please ask the instructor for details.



QUESTION: How much does the Jujitsu uniform cost?

ANSWER: Depending upon the size, Jujitsu uniforms usually run around $48 and can be purchased from your instructor.



QUESTION: How long does it take to get a black belt in at the Valley Jujitsu School?

ANSWER: We want to be honest with you. You will not be able to get a black belt in a year or two at the Valley Jujitsu School. On the average, it would take a person between 4-5 years to get a black belt. Most students reach the intermediate level after approximately one year. Our standards are very high.



QUESTION: What is the emphasis on training at the Valley Jujitsu School?

ANSWER: We specialize is street Jujitsu self-defense training or combative jujitsu. We
train for the streets and base our training on the principles and concept approach.



QUESTION: What is the “principle and concepts approach” to learning Jujitsu?

ANSWER: Reality dictates that it is the principles and concepts of anatomical physics that make any technique work. If any technique is not based on sound scientific principles of physics, the technique won’t work. It’s that simple. We take the time to teach each student exactly “how” and “why” each technique works. In this way, a person can apply a a series of principles and concepts to any particular situation, rather than trying to remember thousands of techniques.



QUESTION: What is the background of the Chief Instructor of Jujitsu at the Valley Jujitsu School?

ANSWER: Professor David A. Bellman is the Director and Chief Instructor of Jujitsu at the Valley Jujitsu School and holds the rank of 8th degree black belt in Jujitsu. He has been training since 1962 and actively teaching Jujitsu since 1968. Professor Bellman is recognized as a “Professor” of Jujitsu, as well as a Professor of Advanced Kenpo Concepts by the Ed Parker Institute of Los Angeles.



QUESTION: How Do I Get Started?

ANSWER: The first step is to call us to get any further information you may feel you need or questions answered. We can be reached at (818) 882-7022. The second step is to come in and visit our 1400 square foot facility located at 8240 Louise Avenue (at Roscoe) in Northridge, California. You can meet the instructors, see the facility and equipment, watch the students training and even try a free class if you wish. The third step is to make a committment to yourself that this is the time to finally do something you have always wanted to do, to get into better shape, to learn self-defense and personal safety and enjoy the many benefits of martial arts training.




LOCATION:

VALLEY JUJITSU SCHOOL
8240 Louise Avenue (at Roscoe)
Northridge, CA 91325
Telephone: (818) 882-7022
Pager: (818) 680-7004

[bjjboulder]

ATTN gregG

Mo smith is 39! Randy Coture is 38! and these guys are professionally fighting...not just training leisurely. There are forty-five year olds that kick my ass at the academy. Hell Rickson is around 45. Relson is like 50! Does Rickson look worn out to anyone...Heres one for you. Chuck Norris is a blackbelt ...started training around 52 and is now 62. Dan Inosanto is an absolute badass and is 63.

You don't have to just roll half speed and never tap anyone out..you can kick ass all day long.

The number one enemy that makes us get old is loss of muscle tissue which decreases at about .5% per year after age 25. The number one solution is weight training...
EVERYONE SHOULD BE WEIGHT TRAINING!!

Im not talking body building..I mean resistance training with wieghts , body weight calistenics...bungee cords ..whatever.(free dumbbells and barbells are best) but you'll gain, or at very least maintain muscle mass...you'll get cardio from hours on the mat and you'll be rolling till you croke.

This is one of the biggest perks of learning good technical BJJ..You'll have brain over brawn almost all of the time and you'll be tapping into the attributes that never wane with age...sensitivity and timing..Im not gonna say that strength doesn't matter...It does! and all moves require some strenght...but if strength and power and speed is all you have...your longevity will be harder to maintain that someone who really relies on technique but still maintains his strength

[GregG]

Absolutely. Maintaining a good core of muscle will help keep you young. Resistance training will also help maintain your bone density and prevent other problems as you get older.

It is easier to maintain that level than to regain it, however. I travel a lot for work so I have given up on establishing a routine training location. I am going to try to train withthose schools that are in what ever city I am in that week. Conditioning I will work on my own. Flying with weights is counterproductive and hotels don't often provide good resistance training facilities.

Thanks for the suggestions. Maybe I will see you on the road somewhere.

[Szczepankiewicz]

SCRAPPER has a killer workout that doesn't use any weights. Maybe you should give it a try?

[Szczepankiewicz]

http://webfects.com/hea/routine.htm#

[GregG]

Thanks. I will definitely look some more at these.

[Szczepankiewicz]

Good for you, good for me. We like it, we love it, we wanna go home and drink beer....

[GregG]

In my beer.
Make me happy
Glad I'm here

And bunches of other cadence songs.

[Americana]

This is a question I've asked myself many, many times. I hit the big 40 and still train. But I do ask myself how long can I do this.

It's true that you do harden up in that the work outs don't kill you anymore. When I first started I hurt for a whole week. Now it usually doen't last for more than a night.

But you do feel the bumps and the bruises.

But one of the great feelings is tapping out the youngsters. I don't look very imposing and I get alot of kids who think they're going to kick my ass. A very strong guy the other day tried to use alot of muscle against me in my guard. I triangle choked him. The guy went over to a corner and just sat by himself for 20 minutes.