Are you too old to start Jiu Jitsu? 

I started at 58 and 9 months in I'm a two stripe white belt. I absolutely love it and my only regret is not finding BJJ 30 years ago, but at least I've started the journey now. I get crushed every class but I find I'm starting to survive longer during rolls. Encouraging. Stay humble!

I started Jiu-Jitsu at 66 yrs old; it's too late but I love it

"Jiu-Jitsu is nothing more than a movement art." Started 5 years ago at 58 primarily for functional mobility. Current: Purple Belt Age 63 Master 7 Competitor

At 72 I have 5 classes under my ultra white belt. I'm in pretty good shape, but my main issue is the cardio. Working on flexibility and cardio is my main focus right now.

39 here and started grappling 7 years ago and just got my purple belt last night! Don’t give up!

I'm 54 and I just took my first BJJ class today. It was great. Thanks for sharing this information

Started at 52, now 61 and have been a purple belt for three years...brown very soon, I hope! Find a good club, be careful who you roll with, get enough sleep, don't go crazy. Learn good defensive jiu jitsu, learn to control the pace with younger partners. You'll be able to train for as long as you want to.

I don't practice jiu jitsu. I came across this video while I was killing time by surfing through random things. I am so glad that I clicked on this one and watched it. The points made in the video apply to so many things. I am in my early 50s and just starting to come to terms with effects of aging. There is some great advice for maintaining and improving quality of life in an aging body.

I started at 45 and today I’m 50 and a purple belt. A friend tried to get me on the mat for about a year before my first class. I put it off because I wanted to lose some weight first. I think that worked out well for me personally but it isn’t required. If you train reliably the weight will come off. What the professor says is all true. No matter what you try to do to increase your cardio, you’ll never get it up to the the level of someone 20 years younger. As the older guy you’ll have to be better technically than the youngsters - and sometimes you may have to cheat. 🤗

I turned 65 this month. Started three years ago just shy of 62 and still at class four or five times a week. I am 86% disabled according to the VA here....BJJ has been critical for me to maintain a large weight loss. The movement aspect alone contributes to my improving mobility. Don't really care where all this goes just happy I can do it, hopefully into my 70s.

I'm a 41 yr old Yoga teacher who's ridiculously excited to start their BJJ journey tonight! 😁🥋 Starting my first ever class. 🙏🏻 This video is extremely helpful and reassuring as I consider myself to have very good flexibility and excellent Mobility. I also feel extremely grateful to live In a pain/injury free body. (Apart from the occasional mild episode of tennis elbow) I'm excited at the prospect of living a long and happy life in BJJ. You've definitely gained a subscriber and I appreciate you sharing your own journey and wisdom. 🙏🏻

Started at 64. 15 month in and really enjoying it! Great points about ego, recovery and fitness Rick. Oss!

Thanks Rick. Started at 55, 2 stripe white belt working at my own pace. Love the “old man Jiu jitsu” content keep it coming!

Just started at 46 and my son just started at 13! Super excited for this journey! Thanks for this! 💪🏽

14months in and just turned 50. Love it and regret not having started sooner. My fear was risk of injury due to previous combatives training as a LEO with aggressive training partners. My fear was misplaced. I love this. And it will be a lifelong journey.

I started a year ago at 59, and I love it. I have been out for the last month, with a super painful hip flexor ( psoas ). But, I will be going back. I have a great group of guys at the school that are patient and helpful. I do feel like I have been hit by a bus….a LOT. But, I can’t imagine stopping. I tap early and often. My cardio is…a slow work in progress.

I really needed to hear this today. Your video was so encouraging. I’m 45 years old and started bjj about 10 months ago. It’s been a roller coaster. I’ve been an athlete for most of my life and still have the competitiveness that I had in the teens and 20’s but my body is just not moving that way I want. It’s been a humbling journey for sure. Some days I just gas out which makes me feel gutted but I keep showing up and I do love bjj. It’s teaching me so much about myself. Thank you

I started BJJ last year at 62. For the first 3 months I was lost. I learned key positions, but didn't know how to build the instincts on when to use them and how to bridge to the next move. Then as time progressed I started being able to string moves together. I have 3 stripes now and it's been 12 months. That's ok. I'm patient and learning so much at this point. It's strategic. It's physical. It's a wonderful sport as you age to maintain strength, flexibility, a strong mind, a competitive spirit, and a sense of camaraderie. I love it.

The academy you choose is very important if you're older. I'm 50, and in the academy I practiced for about a year, the owner and main coach was a relatively young guy who didn't understand that i couldn't keep the pace of 20 year olds and even suggested I should train more often to avoid injury ( I got several injuries in my yer there). In reality I had to rest a couple of days after a session of rolling, but ended feeling guilty for not training more often and in the end I felt that gym was more oriented to people in their 20, 30's and quit BJJ.

It is true that as a 48 year old 3-stripe brown belt I am effective mostly through technical application (foremost through efficiency and timing) but there is a limit. Its more accurate to my mind to think about the potential for effectiveness more like a power bar score in a video game. There is a 20 year old 200 pound guy in my gym who is relatively fit with no training has a base power bar of let's say 50. I have a base power bar of 37 (Minus 1 power for each birthday after age 35). I also have about 10 years of BJJ that is worth let's say is worth 25 points a belt (5 points a stripe). I easily control that 200 pound guy with a score of 50 because my total score is 152 (Base Score of 37 for my age +100 points of belt +15 Points of Stripes on my current belt). However, there is also a 280 pound 26 year old Judo Brown belt/BJJ Blue belt/MMA fighter in my gym with amazing cardio for a 280 pound guy (cuts to 260 for fights). I can survive him, catch him occasionally in a sub, and hit a few cool things in a roll, but in general he dominates. I have seen him defeat Black Belt heavy weights in open absolute brackets as well by basically out-working them and through his sheer physicality. My guess is he has a natural power bar of like 75 and then 75 or so more points worth of Judo, 25 for his BJJ Blue Belt, and 25 for his MMA. Thus his 200-ish power bar makes it relatively easy to take out my 152. The same thing happens when I spend time with one of our two former D1 Wrestlers who have purple belts. The combination of their over all physicality/athleticism and skill is more than my overall physicality/athleticism and skill. Does that mean I stop? Hell no! It just means I know there is always someone out there that is badder than I am and that is OK. My ego is fine with knowing that I can manhandle 95% of young men in the world and that there is still 5% out there that can own me. Without the BJJ it would be probably 75%+ of the young guys who could take me out by now and only that low a percentage because I am a 200+ pound former military guy. The BJJ let's me choke well above the normal limit for my age.

I saw a video on RU-vid about a 71 year young man who started BJJ at 68 and it was really inspirational. My kickboxing gym holds MMA classes and I’ve always put doing BJJ off until today, and I’m 54.

Thanks professor… 49 , sometimes i end my roll and my eyes are leaking!! I don’t cry, i leak!!! I know my body hates jiu-jitsu… well… not me!!! Oss n respect. 🙏

All ages at my gym. New and old starters. JUST DO IT, become part of the brotherhood and community, it will improve you as a person not just physically but in all aspects of your life.

Your videos are incredible and have helped me truly gain perspective and confidence as I deeply lean into my Jiu Jitsu journey. You use language that contextualizes the journey better than anyone I’ve ever heard. You explain it through the lens of expression which personally resonates. Thank you for putting out such quality videos. I know the RU-vid game is tricky but this space needs more mindful voices and good content like yours vs the click-baity type of things people commonly see.

Great video! I recently was training and I thoroughly enjoyed it, I’m now 52 soon 53 and I want to go back. It truly is a beautiful art. 😊🙏🏼

I dominated the new 17 year old kid when he first joined, and now he's owning me after several months of training. He's on the up slope and I'm physically on the down slope (44). I've accepted this and just try to learn no matter who I roll with. It's a marathon, not a race is what I constantly tell myself.

I'm a 49 years old. I trained for several years when I was in my 20s, reaching purple belt. I quit Jiu-Jitsu in 1999, after I lost my leg above the knee while working as a police officer. In February 2023, 24 years after losing my leg, I started training again. 4 months in to my training, I'm doing physical therapy for injured shoulders, traps, scapula, and now I'm dealing with a bruised rib. I was training 3 days a week, for 2 hours each time. We train techniques for an hour and then we roll for an hour. My body can't handle it anymore. Most of my injuries are mostly from a powerlifter who has 5" and 50 lbs on my, and is about 20 years younger. I'm going to keep training, but my injuries are holding me back.

Words of wisdom again Rick, thanks! I remember doing Japanese Jiu-Jitsu back when I was 17 for a couple years, then stopped. Started back up doing mma/bjj in my late 20's, for about 3 years. Now started up again at 43 (I'll be 45 soon), and it's so important to ditch the ego and be hyper-patient with yourself in terms of progress and recovery. My policy for people who are super intense when rolling is to just weather the storm. If they tap me, oh well. I'd rather not risk injury just to make a friendly roll more difficult for them, that's what the young kids are for!

im starting bjj at age 44. I dont look that age, but my knees are hurting due to arthritis and my lower back sciatica keeps bothering me. But when I complete my class, I feel great about the workout and I feel I accomplished something.

Good stuff, started at 41, black belt at 48, best decision I ever made. Competed from day 1, great sport and great people for the most part.

Just started at 45, love it

I especially liked your talk on how much timing and sensitivity can be used to counter faster, stronger partners. This has been the key in my experience and is applicable at any age.

Started at 45; fat and miserable. 2 years later still going (blue belt). My classmates are 16-60 and we're all there for slightly different reasons but at the core it's about bettering ourselves. I wish I started earlier of course - even 40 seems so young. Sometimes I wish I could mix it up a little better with the young guns but I'm not a doormat either and I have my moments. It's like a gym but it's also very social too.

I started BJJ at 40, now i'm 41 and never practiced any martial art of combat before. I did over 10 years of pilates and I believe that is what helped me to have a good mobility and overall health condition that has allowed me to practice and love jiu jitsu. I hope my body allow me to continue practicing every week. My goal is to get to purple belt, once I get there if I can i will see where it takes me.

I used Jiu Jitsu to travel through and get a positive outcome to colorectal cancer. I am 66 years old and started at 53

52 here just started and into my 4th week of training. I love it, I was nervous at first but I really enjoy it.

I’m 36 and just past my first month of training. I started once a week and on the second week it became 3 times a week. Now I think about it whenever I do routine stuff. I just discover your channel, very inspiring and I actually listen to some while meditating. Thanks

45yr old blue belt and it's tough on the body. Ive had several injuries and I agree my lack of mobility and weak core is a big problem.

67 here, took classes at 58 and then a bad motorcycle accident. I loved it and your video has given me hope. Thank you!

Hey, Coach. I am a 60 year old blue belt and when I start from standing, I am completely lost. That is because all of the takedowns I've been taught include dropping to my knees. I can't do that. I also prefer to play top than guard, so I don't want to just pull guard every time. Can you please do a video on takedowns for older people who can't drop to their knees?

There's an old vet guy at my gym he must be on his 60 he started last year! He's a great guy, I got nothing but respect to him.

I am 10 months in and love it, white belt 49 female. Oh yes the recovery is fun 🤕. But very happy my gym helps modify move for my short arms and legs. Its 100% about me conquering me and learning something new.

I started at 55 and just passed 2 years. I have severe arthritis in my knees and hips so I can’t do many things. But BJJ has helped me with my mobility and it’s great exercise. I’m not interested in competing, I just love the sport and the camaraderie of the place.

Keep it up Trisha. There will be skills they teach that are low probability for our age group, but sometimes we just learn them more slowly.

I started at 62 some 21 months ago...I get it, my strength, mobility and endurance is not what it once was. But I do what I can with the body I have ..I also play ice hockey at least seven times a week and ride my motorcycle on the track.

The answer is probably yes, but start BJJ anyway. I am 50 and have been taking lessons for a couple months now. I am currently only going twice a week, and am working up to 3 times per week. I normally sweat my rear end off, am typically exhausted before the end of a class, sore in different places on my body depending on what techniques we work on, i get smashed in side control and have to tap out because I can't breathe, get submitted a lot, but I am making some progress, I am losing weight. I also quit smoking and am eating healthier because I want to get better, stronger, faster. I am not the only old guy in class either.

As a 48yr old purple belt (hobbyist), I really appreciate these videos. Very helpful and supportive. Thank you! Oss!!! Jiu-Jitsu 4 life

Will be 43 in a month and I am 3 weeks into training BJJ. While I am loving it I have been trying to understand how to manage my expectations and this information really helped put some of the emotions in check. Thank you for the motivation. OSS

Glad I saw this. I'm 46, just did my first belt grading. I love it, but it hurts, and I can't give it as much as the younger guys. But with age comes patience, and time to work on defence. As a few have said, I just wish I started this about 15 years ago, along with yoga!

I did yoga for about 7 months before starting JJ, and it helped a lot. I did some recreational power lifting before that and it gave me iron grips and those help too. I like a firm collar and sleeve grip (Bully Grips) I figure if the young bloods want to move fast they will have to carry me along with them. ;)

I started at 43 and it's the best thing I did and it's true losing the weight helps and build confidence. I love your channel

I kept seeing Jujitsu everywhere I looked and one day I came across your content. You quoted “the best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago, the second best time is today”. I called and went to my first class that day, which was 3 months ago. I’m 52…

41-year-old one stripe purple belt here and I started at 35 years old. And you are absolutely right, before I started training jiu-jitsu I trained capoeira for 8 years. Coming into jiu-jitsu my mobility and flexibility were amazing. The older I got and the more I trained jiujitsu and trained less capoeira until I no longer trained capoeira. My mobility and flexibility diminished I recently started back doing yoga and mobility exercises. And I noticed the difference in my movements. I remember an old jiujitsu guy telling me that once you get up in age "injuries become permanent disabilities. I see the young guys go balls to the wall all the time and eventually they will get injured or re-injury an old injury. I get tapped by an younger guy every now and then but, I always remind myself there is no race here. I've seen talent come and go in my academy. I also choose my training partners wisely every now and then I will go with the new guy because my profess wants me to help them. But, I always go with the more seasoned purple , brown, and black belts. Jiujitsu is a journey and if you are all broken up it will be very difficult going through it. I've seen plenty of gifted students come in and leave because of injury. I'm also beginning to gravitate towards the Gi but, I still train no gi but, not as frequent as the GI. The video really hits home.

I just started Jiu Jitsu again after a 4 year layoff. I’m 41 and had my third class and first roll today. My partner was younger, bigger,stronger and had about 50+ lbs on me. I was absolutely crushed in the beginning. His weight on me when he had me in side control was so overwhelming it took my breath away and had to tap. But then I composed myself and focused on one thing, stay off my back, and I was able to survive the rest of the roll and even was able to apply an Americana on him. I have so much to learn and re-learn.

44, started 9 months ago. It changed my life. Totally. I quit smoking. My body is flexible now like I am 20 years old. Well, not quite, but almost... Doing a lot of stretching, everyday, stretching, stretching, stretching... Well, pain... Since I started there is almost no day when I have no pain somewhere in my body. But I am a warrior, so it is ok :)

I just discovered BJJ and as a disabled veteran, my inspiration is the athletes that train as part of the we defy foundation.. if there are veterans missing arms and legs out on the mat then I don’t really have an excuse

You are very right. I'm 45 years old and live in Europe where Judo is a martial art that's more common to find than BJJ. Judo and BJJ are very related and both find their origin from Jiu Jitsu. I as a kid have done it and now my kids are doing Judo. So after some years looking at them from the sideline I decided to get back on the mat. After Judo as a kid I've done strenght training for about 25 years, bodybuilding, powerlifting and strongman and these activities have broken my body. At the age of 35 I had so much pain in my body and my mobility was a disaster. I still continued till 38 and then my body gave up, I felt like I was 80 years old. I had to restore my body functions/mobility and found intu-flow from Scot Sonnen who also did Sambo. 6/7 years I only trained my mobilty and added kettlebells, indian clubs and maces/gada to my training. Now at 45 years my body feels great, even better than when I was 20 years old. It was hard work and a long journey but now I felt that my body was ready to start doing this beautiful martial art. I may not be as fast as the young ones but even as a white belt I can endure training and won sparring matches against some green and brown belts and that feels great. I even dare to claim that my mobility at the moment is better than a lot of yough people and that helps a great deal. Just got to maintain my mobility and enjoy the journey.

We have someone with cerebral palsy, in his 40s, under 5 feet tall, cant walk on his own, cant raise his hands above his head, plus all the pain that comes along with the condition Even he earned a stripe on his white belt We also have a 75 year old that recently earned a purple belt Being old isnt a valid excuse, if you want to be there then you will be 👌

I am 59 and did Ju-Jitsu, but would like to learn the basics. I think technique more important than anything.

Glad you posted this video , I started at 47 stopped when the pandemic hit but back training no stopping for a year and a half about to get my blue belt rest , recovery and some weights helps alot .

I concur. I am 65 and have 35 years in another martial art. Started jujitsu last August. My advice if you’re ricks age. Barbells . Over head press ,squat dead lift. Older athletes need to maintain if not increase lean muscle mass. I

You are never too old to try anything as long as your body can function! I started BJJ older and so glad I was in shape to do it.

Invaluable advise and wisdom. I wish there were more older adult classes, I also wish there were more classes for women.

thank you for advice I'm 65 will still consider I need to try no ego involved just a better person

Appreciate this. 61 and planning to enjoy the training at a good local BJJ dojo. Thank you.

Started last year; September 1, 2021. Age 37. 10 months in and loving the journey

I'm a 46 yr old blue belt. Started when I was 44. One of the best decisions I made for myself. Minus serious health issues anyone can do this. Take it one day at a time into the many. You can!

Thank you so much for this message. It’s a great reminder for me. I hope our paths cross at some point so I can thank you personally

I started at 54 and quickly learned the "Cardio Tap". Lost 15 lbs. in just a few months, no longer Pre-diabetic.... and no longer 'cardio tap".

Incredibly helpful. Thx.

Rick, you are my BJJ version of Wayne Dyer. 🙏🙏🙏

Thank you for this. For me finding the right gym was an important factor. As a White belt hungry for techniques to carry me through these tough younger guys not all gyms are created equal.

Loving it just started at 50 I’m out of shape but if I can move I’m going too class.

I love your videos! Especially videos like this one geared towards older athletes.

I'm 50 and two classes in. I enjoyed doing another martial arts in my late teen, but never tried any competition based grappling style. So I basically joined because this club is very conveniently located for me, and the odds are I will find it to be a fun activity to do while getting back in shape. Yeah, I will most likely progress at half speed or even less, but progressing is not what I'm there for; it's just a bonus. I've stayed out of the rolling part so far, and only participated in the technique training of the classes, which I feel is a good place to start. So far, I feel tired throughout the body, without having any significant training soreness for a few days after, so my impression after these two classes is that I have found exactly the kind of activity I was looking for.

Good stuff, professor. I started at 47. I am 53 now and have been a purple belt for two years. I agree with the assessment of staying mobile and being lean. It definitely helps when training and competing.

Thanks. This makes perfect sense. Get lean, be mobile, and manage expectations.

I'm 53 and my BJJ journey started 2 years ago. I also regularly train calisthenics for strength which helps me avoid most injuries. BJJ is fabulous for all round health and I'm as slim as I was when I was 25. I would highly recommend it to anyone.

We've seen alotta McGiver like fighting in action movies over the years, yet I haven't heard of a specific discipline for it. Come to think of it, there was one for old people in Oakland comically called Cane Phoo. Yep, using their canes. Crutches; what ever to slow down or discourage an attacker. There's Improvizational Acting & Comedy classes, why not the same for self defense classes using Hacks ? Tradesmen often have to make do with what they have when they don't have the specific tool or material; farmers have been doing it for ever. In fact the ability to simplify complex problems is part of the criteria for what your IQ is. These days we're more reliant on technology than ever before, so much so that we don't pay much attention to our surroundings. Folks made fun of Miagi's house hold Karate training program for Danielson, but it really does help you notice your surroundings & how it can assist you. .

I started at 38 with 0 grappling experience. This was a year ago and I could only handle 1-2 classes a week at first and would gas out after one roll. Now I do 3-4 classes a week and can do 4-5 rolls per class . I found the key Is also doing weight training . Makes a massive difference for older ppl starting Bjj

I agree with this. I'm a 66 year old white belt. According to “Boyd Belts” I would need to be a black belt to compete with a younger beginner of similar weight. My ace in the hole is mobility in that I'm luckily lean, flexible and injury-free

Great 👍🏼 video - I’ve been thinking about the intersection of declining with age while developing greater skill and technique. I’ve been in the martial arts since 1987, but didn’t restart Jiu Jitsu until 49 years old - now I’m 56, 7 1/2 years in, a 3 stripe purple belt…I was one of those younger athletes and I recently decided to change my game up quite a bit. Maybe improvement of skill/technique can outweigh the declining effects of aging.

52 .. Started 1 1/2 months ago. Im pissed. Pissed off that I didn't start this decades ago. I've just learned that I have to pace myself. Did a lot of hockey when I was younger and a lot of full contact sports that left me with a few injuries. Some older guys like myself have come to class and stopped because of the worry of injury. Talked about it with my Professor ( Many times a World Champion ) ... After a flare up of castrochondritis from an old hockey injury. I am just there because I want to learn how to roll and how to improve. Belts will happen with time or they won't. I just plan on being there everyday. I actually enjoy not knowing what I'm doing. I dominate and my chosen field after 30 years in it? It's a little refreshing to be completely lost and have to learn and have to challenge my brain to learn. I enjoy that immensely I just have to pace myself is all. I'm not going to be able to roll hard everyday or even roll every day. What is important is that I am there everyday even if it is only to drill

42 years old here and doing BJJ for 4 months now, thanks for the video.

You started at 41! I have started at 41. I did Muay Thai for 15 years but that is not so practical anymore, I have always been into yoga. My mobility is ok. I am always getting tapped by younger people, so get used to that!!

I am 49 and this really help thanks

Brilliant stuff. It's good to hear this message from someone who has been there and done it. 👍

I am a 55 year old two stripe white belt. I train a consistent three days a week. Nothing comes easy and it takes work, but you get out of it what you put into it. It has been a learning experience on many levels. Not for everyone, but if you want to try and think you are too old, read the posts here. Dudes older than me are doing it for the first time. It will hurt just from the warm ups, but you get used to it.

Great advice. Looking to start BJJ and first class this evening

Im 62 and holding my chin up at my new Jiu Jitsu local gym week 4.......No surrender, No going back,All or nothing .....! if ya dont give it a go yall never never know.....👍👍👍

Great segment.

58 and just getting started…. Thanks for the great video!

I’m 6’1” 225 lbs and meathead. At 48 I still have good mobility because of yoga even though I’ve maintained a lot of muscle through lifting weights

This is a realy good approach to this dilemma and realy helped me so thank you for this it realy helped.

What about efficiency? Can you use jiu jitsu to defend your self at 50?

Did BJJ/Jujitsu about 4 years back in my 30's (other arts for 6yrs) and enjoyed it a lot, then got married, got busy, and stopped training for about 8 years. I lost of lot of capacity in those 8 years, and regret now having stopped it so I started back. I went full bore back into it, 5 classes a week for about 3 months and some open mats - I could do that in my 30's without a second thought but I am almost 45 now (youngster based on the comments) and apparently have a knee injury. Advice if your older is YES work BJJ but also use some caution, you don't have to roll with everyone all the time, you don't even have to do some moves that you feel you are not capable of in class. Also stay up on things, I heard a click in my knee and it did not hurt, but I kept going and a month later I am now out till I get cleared. If I had gotten it checked at the start, I might have had a 2-3wk downtime, its probably going to be more like 10wk now. It is not easy to stay engaged or learning if your not actually working BJJ, and as you get older the fitness you lose is much harder to regain, so it pays to never get fully injured.

At 51 the most important thing I have learned is to be me more efficient and reserved with energy output as my cardio is not what it use to be. I had to start wrestling less and be smarter about getting into better positions without using a lot of strength. I am a former bodybuilder and still retain a lot of muscle. Those beach muscles use a lot of energy when rolling lol.

I’m 54. I’m almost impossible to tap, even by 20yo and over 50lb over. I’m usually tapping them out. 🤣 A few things helped me. 1) I’m crazy about core training. I spend at least 3 hours a week training my core to the highest intensity. 2) cardio by riding bike at high intensity a few times a week. 45min each session X 3. 3) grip strength training

Great well spoken topic, on point , thank you

I was just telling my wife about how I still would love to do BJJ but I thought I was too old. Then I randomly stumbled upon a bjj reddit thread while looking up a movie that was asking if 62 was too old. Now, im starting to think it may be possible. I'm 38, 5'8" and 160lbs with roughly 15% BF. My work schedule and finances are way more suited to start up now. I think I'm going to sign up for a class! Thanks for the inspiration!