Considering learning BJJ for fitness and learning something new

[JimmyMarrow]

Hey guys. I'm a 45 year old guy who's never trained any form of BJJ or MMA. I'm not in the best shape but I'm definitely not overweight. I've been a life long MMA and BJJ fan and have watched it since the beginning.

I walk about 38k steps a day for my job and feel great but just feel like I needed to find a way to workout but don't want to do generic lifting or running. I started looking at BJJ schools near me to maybe try a couple classes and see how I felt about it and discovered that Spencer "The King" Fisher has a small school near me and has been teaching MMA and BJJ there for years.

For anyone here who's started learning BJJ what would you say the biggest challenge was and how soon after you consistently trained did you see physical progress and your fitness level begin rising? I think I'd probably be able to swing 2 classes a week since I work a ton and it may be sporadic as far as how much I'm able to train.

Any help would be appreciated and I'm excited to hear some perspectives from people from any age but also specifically people from around my age as I'm starting this journey way later in life.

Thanks a ton you guys!

 

[Cole train]

Do it, its great for weight loss and general exercise and all that stuff

Fitness wise no clue, bjj made me better at bjj, it did not make me run faster or stronger or look better in mirror but thats just my experience lol

Watch out for injuries though

 

[maximus__]

Hey guys. I'm a 45 year old guy who's never trained any form of BJJ or MMA. I'm not in the best shape but I'm definitely not overweight. I've been a life long MMA and BJJ fan and have watched it since the beginning.

I walk about 38k steps a day for my job and feel great but just feel like I needed to find a way to workout but don't want to do generic lifting or running. I started looking at BJJ schools near me to maybe try a couple classes and see how I felt about it and discovered that Spencer "The King" Fisher has a small school near me and has been teaching MMA and BJJ there for years.

For anyone here who's started learning BJJ what would you say the biggest challenge was and how soon after you consistently trained did you see physical progress and your fitness level begin rising? I think I'd probably be able to swing 2 classes a week since I work a ton and it may be sporadic as far as how much I'm able to train.

Any help would be appreciated and I'm excited to hear some perspectives from people from any age but also specifically people from around my age as I'm starting this journey way later in life.

Thanks a ton you guys!

Go in there willing to learn and not just try and win. Once you learn to relax and use technique as opposed to just muscling things, you will start winning.

If you want to do it, just go and start. Give it 6 months no matter what you think. At 6 months you will realise how much you have learnt when you cruise your way through a round with a new person and it's effoertless.

 

[JimmyMarrow]

Go in there willing to learn and not just try and win. Once you learn to relax and use technique as opposed to just muscling things, you will start winning.

If you want to do it, just go and start. Give it 6 months no matter what you think. At 6 months you will realise how much you have learnt when you cruise your way through a round with a new person and it's effoertless.

Thanks for the input! I emailed Spencers wife yesterday and am awaiting correspondence. Also, I'm gauging my daughters interest in joining me as well. She turns 14 in August and might be interested in Karate or BJJ. Hope she decides to join me!

I'll update this thread with my experience and progress as time goes on.

 

[ChickenBrother]

Spencer Fisher had one of my favorite KOs ever with this finish over Matt Wiman:

TS I say go for it. It sounds like you're healthy and relatively fit, so being 45 should be a non-issue. First off, walking 38K steps/day is a helluva lot of walking - that's pretty much being on your feet walking around all day, which makes you MUCH fitter than the average person.

I'm 50 and came back to BJJ at 43 after about 10 years away from the mats. The first few weeks were tough and painful mostly because I was ego rolling and thinking I could still force positions like I had in my 20's. If you just relax and treat it like learning a new game, you should be fine. A buddy of mine whose only other exercise is running just started BJJ last year at 48, and he loves it.

ESPECIALLY if you're a BJJ/MMA fan, you need to do this. Training BJJ will make you understand and appreciate MMA more. It's also a great activity to do with your daughter. It certainly is for me and my son and my buddy and his son.

As far as conditioning, BJJ will strengthen your core and neck for sure and is great cardio training. IMHO it is best complemented with some strength training on the side, but plenty of people train just BJJ and do OK.

 

[Baby Hanma]

Hey guys. I'm a 45 year old guy who's never trained any form of BJJ or MMA. I'm not in the best shape but I'm definitely not overweight. I've been a life long MMA and BJJ fan and have watched it since the beginning.

I walk about 38k steps a day for my job and feel great but just feel like I needed to find a way to workout but don't want to do generic lifting or running. I started looking at BJJ schools near me to maybe try a couple classes and see how I felt about it and discovered that Spencer "The King" Fisher has a small school near me and has been teaching MMA and BJJ there for years.

For anyone here who's started learning BJJ what would you say the biggest challenge was and how soon after you consistently trained did you see physical progress and your fitness level begin rising? I think I'd probably be able to swing 2 classes a week since I work a ton and it may be sporadic as far as how much I'm able to train.

Any help would be appreciated and I'm excited to hear some perspectives from people from any age but also specifically people from around my age as I'm starting this journey way later in life.

Thanks a ton you guys!

It depends on your priorities. If your main goal is to be fit, there are better ways to do that. If your main goal is to get fitter while learning one of the best martial arts in the modern world, you should sign up.

Fitness is an inevitable side effect of years of training in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. But it's definitely not the best way to get fitter.

 

[Baby Hanma]

Thanks for the input! I emailed Spencers wife yesterday and am awaiting correspondence. Also, I'm gauging my daughters interest in joining me as well. She turns 14 in August and might be interested in Karate or BJJ. Hope she decides to join me!

I'll update this thread with my experience and progress as time goes on.

Great athletes become great because they start young. If your child has interest and has the work ethic to train a lot, she'll come off stronger for it in her twenties and thirties. She'd probably effortlessly kick my ass and I am a 260-pound powerlifter.

 

[drblackula]

Honestly the best thing I can say is make sure you start stretching and doing yoga now. Flexibility will take time and you won't be used to being bent like a pretzel so it'll be great for recovery.

Anything Kelly Starlet will get you started.

 

[ROcknrollracing]

If you want to do it go for it man. Fair warning it can be injurious.

 

[NoSmilez]

Honestly dude. If you are injury free so far. Don't do BJJ.

 

[deadshot138]

Honestly dude. If you are injury free so far. Don't do BJJ.

As much as I love the gentle art, it's anything but gentle once you start getting good and roll competitively with higher belts. It's not even submissions or chokes getting cranked. You'll post on a straight arm that will hyperextend, or get a knee reaped during a half guard sweep. Most devastating injury I saw was a dude getting a broken ankle going for a takedown during a scramble. I also tore my coaches pec muscle during a scramble. Freak shit happens all the time.

 

[NoSmilez]

As much as I love the gentle art, it's anything but gentle once you start getting good and roll competitively with higher belts. It's not even submissions or chokes getting cranked. You'll post on a straight arm that will hyperextend, or get a knee reaped during a half guard sweep. Most devastating injury I saw was a dude getting a broken ankle going for a takedown during a scramble. I also tore my coaches pec muscle during a scramble. Freak shit happens all the time.

I think it's fine if you had previous training experience or some background in martial arts. You don't want to be the guy who lived up to 45 without any major injuries then gets disc or knee injuries because you decide to take up BJJ as a way to get in "shape". I will admit certain schools are more senior friendly than others. I visited this school before and the older students were like fkkk we have to pretend to run and do pushups because we have a visitor. All those guys had issues. You can see them try to stretch and it's a comedy show.