You're Never Too Old to Master BJJ

Unlike many sports or activities, the thoughts of someone in their 30's or 40's picking up an entirely new sport and eventually becoming a skilled practitioner and competitor is relatively unlikely.  This is one of the beautiful things about Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.  Regardless of ones age at the time one begins, with mat time and dedication, everyone who starts has the potential of achieving their black belt and developing a high level of mastery. 

The art has the power to help develop and maintain muscle strength, flexibility, overall fitness and keep the mind active learning techniques and positions.  Even though as an older grappler, you may not feel that your athleticism, stamina and strength can match the younger students, there are some advantages that you bring to the table.

For more on whether or not BJJ might actually be the real fountain of youth, you will want to check out this article from BJJ Fanatics where we explored this topic.  It is available here.

Old man (or lady) strength

There is more and more science that shows that "old man strength" is not just an mat myth and could actually exist and be explained.  Studies have shown that as the male body, in particular, ages, there can be a surge of reproductive hormones like testosterone which can cause an increase in strength.  There are also signs that muscle memory seems to improve with age and that allows for more efficient use of complex groups of muscles that can actually make one stronger.

Wisdom and Patience

The mature grappler, no matter how experienced they are on the mats, brings with them an innate bodily awareness that allows them to often train smarter than their younger counterparts.  The older grappler is also more likely to be patient with their techniques and positions.  As a younger BJJ athlete, we commonly rush from position to position, utilizing too much strength.  

In the video below, the inimitable Chael Sonnen narrates a roll with his BJJ instructor, the legendary Fabiano Scherner.  Fabiano Scherner, as an over 40 grappler, demonstrates the possibilities available with BJJ training for the masters level athlete.

 

There is no time like the present to start BJJ.  While there are plenty of excuses that people uses to not begin their journey to black belt, each with their own lack of validity, the "I'm too old to start" BJJ excuse is one of the most easily refuted when you see all of the benefits that jiu jitsu can offer the older grappler.

Fabiano Scherner is an absolute legend in the world of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and MMA.  He is the coach of multiple mixed martial arts stars like the UFC's Paige Van Zant and the inimitable Chael Sonnen.  In his newest BJJ instructional, he brings his decades of knowledge to all of the older grapplers out there.  Whether you're over 30, 40 or even 50, you can still make massive gains in your BJJ game, once you learn to train smart and Fabiano Scherner is here to make that possible with "Mastering Brazilian Jiu Jitsu After 40" the newest 4 volume set available from BJJ Fanatics!