Starting jiu-jitsu after 40
Is it too late to start Brazilian jiu-jitsu at 40, 50 or 60? What your first month looks like, how to train without getting hurt, which classes to pick, and how to start at Renzo Gracie Lone Star Team.
It isn't too late. People start jiu-jitsu in their 40s, 50s and 60s, and many of them say they wish they'd started sooner. Jiu-jitsu rewards technique, patience and problem-solving over speed and strength, which is exactly what adults bring. Here's what to expect, and how to make it last.
Why jiu-jitsu suits adults
- Leverage beats strength. Techniques are built so a smaller, older or less athletic person can control a stronger one. You're not expected to out-muscle anyone.
- Your pace, your intensity. Most of a class is learning and drilling with a cooperative partner. How hard you go in live rounds is up to you.
- A puzzle every class. There's always a new detail to figure out, which is a big part of why people stick with it for years.
- Real friends. Training partners become people you see several times a week, and that community is a lot of what keeps adults coming back.
You don't need to be in shape
You train to get in shape, not the other way round. Every class starts from the basics, and the coaches scale the work to your level. Expect sore forearms, neck and ribs in the first few weeks: it's normal, it peaks a day or two after class, and it passes as your body adapts.
Your first month
- Week 1: the basics. You'll learn the core positions (guard, mount, side control, back), how to fall safely, and how to tap. You won't spar in your free class.
- Weeks 2–3: the first escapes. Getting out from under someone is the most useful thing you'll learn early, and it's usually the first thing that clicks.
- Week 4 and on: your first rounds, when you're ready. Many people start with light positional rounds, from one position with a clear goal, before a full roll. There's no deadline.
Which classes to pick
- Fundamentals classes are the best start: they focus on the core positions and escapes. Round Rock and Pflugerville both run them.
- Morning classes fit around work and family: Pflugerville has 6:00 AM classes every weekday, and Austin has 6:30 AM classes every weekday. See train before work.
- Gi or no-gi. Gi classes use the uniform, which gives you grips and a slower pace many adults like at first; no-gi is a rash guard and shorts. Try both. We have loaner gis.
- Any gym. Members can train at Round Rock, Austin and Pflugerville, so you can fit classes around your week.
How to train smart
- Start slower. Two classes a week is plenty at first. Recovery is part of training, and it matters more after 40.
- Warm up properly. Arrive a few minutes early and move before class starts.
- Tap early. Tapping (saying "stop") isn't losing; it's how everyone gets to train tomorrow.
- Choose your partners. It's always fine to turn down a round, or to ask someone to go lighter. Roll with people who control the pace, and don't try to match a 25-year-old's intensity.
- Tell the coach about old injuries and your health history before class. They'll show you how to train around them.
- Sleep, drink water, take rest days.
- Sharp pain means stop. Soreness is normal; pain isn't. If you're unsure whether something is safe for you, ask your doctor.
Common aches, and how to avoid them
- Fingers from gripping the gi too hard: grip lighter, and let go when a grip is lost.
- Neck from being stacked or held in a headlock: keep your posture, and tap early.
- Knees and shoulders from forcing a position: technique, not force. If something feels wrong, stop and ask.
Most of these come from going too hard, too soon. Patience is the best injury prevention there is.
Do I have to spar?
Not in your free class, and after that it's always your choice. Many people drill for weeks before they roll, and plenty of rolls are light and technical. Going 100% is never the point.
Belts at your own pace
Belts go white, blue, purple, brown and black, with stripes in between. A stripe or belt comes from your coach when your jiu-jitsu is ready, never from counting classes, and there are no promotion fees or belt tests. Blue belt often takes a year and a half to two years at two or three classes a week, and nobody is timing you.
Your first class
Your first class is free. Wear athletic clothes with no zippers or buttons; we have loaner gis. Arrive about 15 minutes early so we can say hello and show you around, and tell the coach it's your first class. Pick a class at your nearest gym, or read more about your first class.
Questions
Am I too old at 55 or 60?
No. Start slower, tap early and choose your partners; plenty of people train into their 60s and beyond.
Will I get hurt?
Training is controlled and supervised. Most injuries come from going too hard too soon, and the advice above avoids most of them.
Do I need to lose weight first?
No. You train to get in shape.
I have an old back or knee injury. Can I train?
Often, yes, around it. Talk to your doctor, then tell the coach before your first class.
Book a free class in Pflugerville