I just turned 40 and thanks to years of working behind a desk and inactivity I've developed some mobility issues and arthritis. A couple of years ago I got back into some stand-up martial arts, but I know that if I were in a fight that went to the ground I wouldn't know what to do besides try to get back up. Grappling isn't something I've given much thought to until recently and given that my strength is stand-up martial arts, I feel like I should at least learn enough to understand takedown defense and escapes. However, my flexibility and arthritis really give me second thoughts about signing up at a gym where I live, especially since everyone I've asked has indicated that they all roll really hard. I've also heard that Judo or even Japanese Ju-Jitsu tend to be a little easier on the practitioner than BJJ.
tldr: Got any grappling advice for older individuals with bad hips and arthritis? Also, are there plans for videos directed at older practitioners? We're all gonna get old eventually.
16 Comments
I don't know anything about Japanese Jiu-Jitsu, but I'd say Judo is probably tougher on the body than BJJ.
You aren't going to know if you can do it unless you give it a try. I decided to give it a try 6 years ago at the age of 51. I took a slow cautious approach. I took two trial classes, then signed up for a month, the took the plunge and signed up for a 6 month membership. The trial classes aggravated an old back injury, so I thought I might not be able to continue. But I worked through it, and BJJ eventually cured that injury that had plagued me for 10 years. It hasn't been all good, I've got some new problems. But it's pretty cool that the one thing I was really focused on ended up being a non-issue, in fact BJJ ended up being the cure.
Another thing I'd say is that as an older guy you really need to "leave the ego at the door". I need a lot more recovery time than younger guys, so I can't train as much as them. So the youth coupled with the extra training time means that they get better a lot faster than I do. Guys have come in to our gym complete novices, and then blow past me in a year or two. That can be pretty frustrating, so you've got to really focus on your own development and not worry too much about the other guys in the gym.
As a guy in his 40's who has trained both BJJ and Judo for about 5 years each, the idea that Judo is easier on your body than BJJ is ridiculous. Judo's unofficial nickname is "The Great Crippler". My BJJ coach gets a sore back if he trains too hard. My Judo coach is a walking collection of orthopedic injuries.
From my experience the average judo dojo will be harder on the body than the average BJJ gym but there are vast differences between gyms as well. There are hobbyist judo gyms that I’ve trained at that I’ve seen less injuries than competition BJJ gyms I’ve trained at. Its not just the style but also the flooring, intensity, training partners, etc. I would suggest checking out different options to find a gym that is catered towards recreational practice with controlled technical training.
I am 63 and I have a total hip replacement. Training depends on the gym and instructor. Might be that some judo dojos take an easier approach. The ones that mix judo and aikido or zen judo, but normal judo is hard to your body. ( young person in 40 should be aple to take it - just learn to break fall( ukemi).
I would not think of fighting when selecting a martial art. (Sorry Have not had a street fight in 45 years.) More important would be to see if the instruction and team is for you. Best selfdefence is better physical condition and it comes with regular training. Regular training happens if you like what you are doing!
yes I ”play” grappling and boxing, beach wrestling and tomorrow I’ll test a kick boxing class:)
When I started Jiu Jitsu at 42, I had gone through a number of devastating health issues. From a severe back injury to a thyroid disorder which had caused me to gain over 100 pounds. In the beginning, despite having been an athlete my entire life, I could barely make it through the warm ups. I was sore all the time and not sure that I could stay with it.
Sixteen years later, I would not trade Jiu Jitsu for anything. There have been injuries, but I became a competitor. so it goes with the territory. In short, yes, an older person can do fine in Jiu Jitsu, even with previous injuries or mobility issues (many of which I still deal with).
That said, when looking at a gym, if your goal is not to compete, you might consider not going to a gym that focuses on competition. There is more fitness training and the rolls are much harder. This is great if you are gearing up for competition, but can lead to a much higher rate of injury. Consider finding a school that pushes you, but goes at a pace with which you are more comfortable.
Smatek1001, post: 61665, member: 4529
As a guy in his 40's who has trained both BJJ and Judo for about 5 years each, the idea that Judo is easier on your body than BJJ is ridiculous. Judo's unofficial nickname is "The Great Crippler". My BJJ coach gets a sore back if he trains too hard. My Judo coach is a walking collection of orthopedic injuries.
There is absolutely no comparison wrt your body. In bjj, the mat provides support-especially if your on the bottom. In judo the mat is a weapon that you throw at your opponent (many times the mats are on concrete). The first few throws aren't so bad. But imagine being 185 lbs 6'0 judoka. This means on average your being thrown (really smashed) from about 5' to the ground by your equal sized partner. If your a competitor, that probably 300 full throws a class, 3 class a week, 50 weeks a year. That's 45000 times your body is slammed into the floor in a year....This cannot be that good for the body....
At any age working through the limitation is the way to achieving your desired outcome. I am 59 and have been traing bjj for three yrs. If it hurts slow down, do not stop. When it feels better speed up. Cardio will suck at first, keep goin and your physicality will respond. IF, learning some ground game is what you want. It’s a bitch when a 22 yr old college wrestler starts and is guna catch you in there first submission(so they think). Thats when you work your ground defense game.
Improvise, adapt, overcome.
If I was you...
I would start by hiring a personal trainer to help me work on my mobility issues. ( I would use the personal trainer for about a month and take notes so that after a month I could continue my workouts with out needing a personal trainer) I would explore and revamp my nutrition plan to help with my conditions. I would explore gyms to find the right one for me. In the beginning I would just attend fundamental classes until I felt my body was and is ready. I started Jiu Jitsu about a year ago and I have competed in two tournaments. In the beginning I weigh about 230 pounds at 5'4 and worked at a desk job, I was 43 years old and hated my life. I quit my job and now I am going back to school for Nutrition and I go to practice every day. I love it but in the beginning I was hurting. I competed at 154.
Know yourself and seek self improvement.
Slow is smooth and smooth is fast.
Start out small and be consistent
Love yourself and know that it is a process. It took you time to get where you are now and you have to understand it will take time to get back to where you want, but you can do it.
I am 50 years old and just returned after a four year hiatus duing which I had a hip replacement and a partial knee replacement. And I can honestly say my biggest concern right now is that my shoulders have become so tight that I have address it if I am to continue on.
My hip is only a problem if I try something extreme like rubber guard. It really isn't an issue because my surgeon did a really good job. My knee is an unknown.
That all being said this is all a measured risk. Right now it's worth it to me and that is the question only you can answer for yourself.
I started training BJJ When I was just turning 47, I'm now 54, I found that working on mobility and stretching using apps like Yoga for BJJ for a few years was really helpful, I am now using a mix of stuff from different sources. Have a look at the yoga stuff on this site as well. When you are training you can be selective in your rolls depending on who it is and how you are feeling e.g. last night I rolled for approx 45 mins with longer and shorter rounds but today I simply did the drilling and unusually did not roll at all, partly because of work, partly because I had worked hard last night, and I was a bit sore! I aim to train 3 x a week. All the best.
Judo is going to be harder on your body than BJJ generally. I'd recommend trying it and give it a month or so. Don't go crazy and don't test your limits. The good thing about BJJ is you don't have to go hard to get better or even have fun. BJJ is a very broad martial art that can fit almost any body type, so even if you aren't flexible you can be good at BJJ(within reason of course). Since I don't know you so I can't say for sure, but there are lots of older people doing BJJ. Its not only for young people.
40 y/o here Communicate with your training partners that you only want low-key rolls. I like to make a joke about it, request grandma-speed rolls or something like that. Some of the upper belts have said to me that they like rolling with me because I'm not a "spaz".
If someone in your gym ignores your request, you can decline to train with them. If partners wrecking you any way is a common problem in the gym, perhaps it's a gym culture issue.
sanenurse, post: 61870, member: 31196
40 y/o here Communicate with your training partners that you only want low-key rolls. I like to make a joke about it, request grandma-speed rolls or something like that. Some of the upper belts have said to me that they like rolling with me because I'm not a "spaz".If someone in your gym ignores your request, you can decline to train with them. If partners wrecking you any way is a common problem in the gym, perhaps it's a gym culture issue.
Everyone here has given really excellent advice, but I just wanted to amplify this comment here. I regularly decline rolls, request light rolls, request just drills, or request just positional sparring.
I used to think that declining a regular-paced roll was a terrible thing to do. When I was starting BJJ, everyone in my gym was expected to go reasonably hard; going too light on someone just because they were smaller or less experienced was seen as breeding weakness (this sounds ridiculous when I type this out, but it's true -- I think a lot of people who started maybe 10-20 years ago know what I'm talking about). Also, when I became an instructor, I thought it was shameful to not roll with everyone.
But now, protecting my body is more important than giving everyone a good hard roll. There are younger, bigger, and stronger people in the gym that can help train everyone's physicality (speed, power, competition mindset, etc). That is no longer my job.
At some gyms, it may be rude to decline rolls. I suggest talking to your instructor in advance to let him/her know that you want to be selective with your partners.
I started BJJ at the age of 58 and did it for about 3+ years. I sustained several injuries, my shoulders (twice) my groin, all together took me about 6-8 months to heal (plus chiro fees) . I did striking arts for most of my life, and I felt at my age ,after training BJJ for a few years that I had to choose. I like the competitiveness of BJJ but to improve I had to train at least 4 times a week. This plus the injuries, healing time it all went at the expense of my regular training. So I stopped training, still have good memories, met some great people. Cannot spread myself too thin, you cannot have it all...
octopus, post: 61872, member: 7064
I started BJJ at the age of 58 and did it for about 3+ years. I sustained several injuries, my shoulders (twice) my groin, all together took me about 6-8 months to heal (plus chiro fees) . I did striking arts for most of my life, and I felt at my age ,after training BJJ for a few years that I had to choose. I like the competitiveness of BJJ but to improve I had to train at least 4 times a week. This plus the injuries, healing time it all went at the expense of my regular training. So I stopped training, still have good memories, met some great people. Cannot spread myself too thin, you cannot have it all...
I can relate to spreading myself too thin, I've been accused a few times of putting too much on my plate at once.
Since I posted originally, one of the places I train at did an intro to ground fighting session. Really basic stuff like introducing the mount and guard positions, as well as getting into and out of each of them. In the last exchange, while trying to get into the mount position against a lightly resisting partner, I still wound up aggravating my hip issue. It may be a while before I can attend a real class, until then I'll take the advice provided here and work to incorporate the yoga for BJJ flows into my regular routine and probably seek out some additional physical therapy.