Are there any famous grapplers that started at the age of 18?

[DaDiazBros**]

Besides BJ Penn I think? It's amazing how truly gifted Penn is at jiu jitsu, seeing how many of the great JJ grapplers of the day started at like age 2 or 5?

 

[TsukinoKage]

Funny you ask, since fellow Cesar Gracie protege David Terrell started around 18 IIRC.

 

[Kimuralex]

joey scarola and matt serra both started around that age

 

[DaDiazBros**]

I thought Serra started when he was 16?

 

[Cash Bill 52]

Dave Terrell did start at 18. Most guys in their late 20's or early 30's who are fighters started at around 18.

Dave was a wrestler first. His dad was a grappler as well. He probably wrestled at an early age.

 

[blanko]

frabicio werdum

 

[sambam]

while starting at an early age may give an advantage dont ever underestimate the power of hard work...its all about the time u put in and how much u want it

 

[Drew Foster]

Eddie Bravo startedin his 20's

 

[ItsOk2Tap]

I'm not sure how good of a wrestler eddie bravo was in high school, but I think the point of the author of this thread was that BJ Penn started basically from scratch.

 

[Hinch**]

Jacare started at 17, but had a year's Judo behind him. Shinya started at...Fuck, college age? He had collegiate judo behind him though too.

 

[trunksan]

Most likely that Aoki did Judo in school, most schools in Japan have Judo in their sports curriculum.

 

[BJJ in Chicago]

i was going to say i wish we had judo too, but instead we have wrestling. but japan has wrestling as well.

+1 for more combat sports in middle / high school

 

[sunthunder]

Contrary to what a lot believe, Nog only started BJJ at 18 I think. He was boxing a few years before he started BJJ.

 

[J Storm**]

that's what i love about bjj. you don't necessarily have to have had started training since you were a kid to become good at it. you just have to be smart, a fast learner, and willing to work hard.

 

[Hinch**]

Most likely that Aoki did Judo in school, most schools in Japan have Judo in their sports curriculum.

Yup, he was a top five collegiate Judoka.

Contrary to what a lot believe, Nog only started BJJ at 18 I think. He was boxing a few years before he started BJJ.

I believe he started out in Judo. Like a lot of people thinking about it. He did also box though.

 

[DaRuckus337]

BJ Penn wrestled in high school, didn't he?

 

[Sean-Roberts]

didnt Damian Maia start in his 20's

 

[Saith]

BMA_MAT started at around that age and was a legend after three months!

 

[BenWS]

john danaher started in his 20's

 

[Mikey Triangles]

there's plenty of them.

Cobrinha started fairly late IIRC