Have you stumbled upon BJJ after looking for a new physical challenge in your life? If you are apprehensive about trying out the Brazilian martial art because you are in your 40s or older don’t! There are thousands of middle aged BJJ athletes training right now who are tapping guys half their age with ease. Don’t wait any longer. It is time to sign up at your local BJJ gym today!
Can I Start Jiu Jitsu At 40?
You can Jiu Jitsu at 40 and still earn your black belt and become a BJJ master. You won’t be able to train as hard or as often as the 20 year olds but you can still learn the art and become a successful student, competitor and even coach. BJJ can be modified to suit practitioners of all ages.
Starting BJJ at 40 is a great decision. You will get the opportunity to learn a new skill, get in the best shape of your life, meet new people and learn how to effectively defend yourself.
BJJ Will Help You Grow And Learn A New Skill In Your 40s
When you hit your 40s it is easy to become comfortable with where you are at in life. You stop pushing the boundaries and stop learning. You may already feel like you are an expert at your job, a leader in your community and a master at some of your other hobbies.
BJJ presents a great opportunity to get you out of your comfort zone. You will be a beginner again and get to experience all the ego crushing moments of being at the bottom of the totem pole while also getting to enjoy the thrill of learning a new skill and progressing at a rapid pace.
Being a beginner is great for your overall personal development. Improvement can only occur when you put yourself into uncomfortable situations. And trust me starting BJJ is going to definitely be uncomfortable in the beginning. However, the benefits definitely outweigh the minor bouts of anxiety or embarrassment you may experience in your first few months.
BJJ Will Make You New Friends In Your 40s
As you get older it becomes harder and harder to make friends. It is easy to become insulated and live in your own little bubble where everyone is similar to yourself.
BJJ is a great place to make new friends and meet new people. BJJ has a very open and welcoming culture and because of the intimacy of grappling friendships are bound to form. Many people have made lifelong friends on the BJJ mats.
NJJ also attracts people from all walks of life. BJJ academies are filled with millionaires, students, blue collar workers, law enforcement to CEOs and high powered finance gurus. BJJ is a great way to meet people that you otherwise would never interact with. Everyone is equal on the BJJ mats.
BJJ Will Have You Fitter At 40 Than You Were At 20
Let’s face it the older you get the easier it is to let your fitness slide and your weight balloon. BJJ is a great way to keep you slim and strong. There are a number of 40 year olds at my BJJ gym who have ripped physiques with 6 packs. You don’t see too many 40 year olds who look like that at your local fitness gym.
BJJ is an all body workout which will help you build muscle particularly in your back, core, arms and legs while also being a killer cardio workout.
As you know when you are trying to get into shape half the battle is showing up to the gym consistently. This will not be a problem with BJJ. The great thing about Jiu Jitsu is that it is so much fun that you can easily find yourself training 3 to 4 times a week and wishing you could do more.
BJJ is not just a great workout or a potential social club it is also an incredibly effective martial art. Many of us go through life wondering if we have the ability to defend ourselves or loved ones in a self defence scenario. Well if you learn BJJ you will not have to wonder anymore.
BJJ Will Teach Any 40 Year Old How To Defend Themselves Or Their Family
Within just 12 months of attending a BJJ school you will learn enough to be able to handle the vast majority of attackers in a street fight. After 2 years you should be very confident in your ability to handle any threat.
It doesn’t matter if you start at 40 you will still be able to effectively learn the techniques to ensure you can keep yourself and your family safe if a violent altercation happens.
BJJ was not designed for the 20 year old, 200 pound athletic stud. It was designed for the ageing 40 year old whose body is banged up and they aren’t as strong or fast as they used to be.
Helio Gracie created the techniques of BJJ so anyone can use them effectively and easily control and submit stronger and more athletic opponents. BJJ techniques are based on leverage, momentum and ideal body mechanics.
I don’t know about you but if I was 40 and looking to learn some self defence I would choose the martial art that focused on technique and didn’t require speed and strength to be effective.
BJJ Training Can Be Altered To Suit The Needs Of 40 Year Olds
You absolutely will not be out of place at a BJJ academy. At all gyms I have trained at there has always been a number of 40 + practitioners and their age didn’t slow them down.
They were beasts on the mats and capable of hanging with any BJJ players despite age and weight differences. I’m telling you, you do not want to be caught in the grips of a 45 year BJJ player who has maxed out on old man strength.
When you start training BJJ in your 40s you have to resist the urge to train like the young guys. You may see those 20 years olds training 6 days a week and sparring for an hour straight in all out wars with other BJJ addicts.
You will see these youngsters progressing quickly and you may be tempted to train like them. This is not wise and will result in burnout and injury. You will only hurt your BJJ career by taking one step forward only to take 10 steps back when your injuries force you off the mats.
The best way to train BJJ when you are 40 is to take things slow. You should aim to train 3 days a week, always start training with a thorough warm up, spar lightly and do some extra strength and conditioning work off the mats.
You need to listen to your body and be willing to train very lightly when you are not feeling good. If you train smart you can absolutely have a long BJJ career where you eventually earn your black belt, win some tournaments and even go on to be a great coach with your own Jiu Jitsu. academy
