is 49 too old to start learning judo?

[MongoTired]

I started bjj about 2 months ago, at 50, and absolutely love it. Most of the guys in the gym are half my age, but they're a friendly, helpful crowd. They're trying to get me to come to the Wed evening judo class, and I want a little exposure to judo (to increase the chances that I start on top when the roll goes to the mats), but I just think judo would be too hard on my old joints and too likely to result in injury, so I don't plan on becoming a regular at that class. If your son's gym seems too hardcore for your taste, check out other gyms. I get the impression that there is a WIDE range of styles. The warm-ups and drills at my gym are not hardcore at all. The intensity of the rolls just depends on your training partner, and it doesn't take long to figure out what to expect from the different training partners in the class. If you want to get in some striking, maybe throw in a kickboxing or muay thai class. I added a kickboxing class once a week just to learn the techniques and get in some cardio.

 

[seatea]

The injury potential in judo has been hugely overstated in this thread. I have no idea what some of you are doing if you're getting injured every judo class.

Yes, judo can be hard on the body, but then so is every martial art/combat sport worth the name.

Give it a try. If the coach has more than two brain cells to rub together he/she won't expect you to go toe to toe with a serious competitor half your age. Don't be afraid to say 'I don't think I'm up for that yet' if you feel you're being asked to do something you believe might be too much for you.

Tell the coach your concerns and ask to be partnered with a good uke, someone who knows how to randori rather than fight.

Also, don't dismiss BJJ. Yes, your sons class might be a bit intense but again, any decent coach shouldn't expect you to go at the pace of the young bucks.

 

[wordspeaker]

only problem i dont think i could affored that type of instruction,my wife just read all of the great replys to my question and says stay away from judo,i will not make it 3 months or will get hurt and then who is going to pay the bills.I am going to checkout the great judo club near me anyway,i can tell from watching if i can do it or not.I will let everyone know how it turns out.

In that case, jsut ask him if you can meet him at a quiet time and have a chat.
Let him know what you are doing and that you intend tos tart training at his club.
Ask him if he can show you some stuff tow ork on before you come in.
A couple of breakfalling excercises and stuff, especially.
If he wont do that for an old timer who wants to pay tot rain in his class, find a teacher who is more supportive and understanding.
He should work with you to make it possible to become one of his students.

 

[tstriker]

Where do you live?

 

[sha]

Yes, judo can be hard on the body, but then so is every martial art/combat sport worth the name.

Judo is definitely much harder on the body than BJJ or even amateur MMA classes. Even with a good instructor, you can always have somebody do a throw wrong and injure you in the process.

 

[KarateFist]

try Judo and BJJ and see what you prefer

 

[richardb]

I'm nearly 37 and have been doing Judo 2 years and 10 months, and BJJ for 10 months. I've been injured more at Judo, with knee, elbow and shoulder strains in the last 6 months alone. That said, they've all come from club or competition Randori (sparring) where we tend to go pretty hard. General club training is not that bad, I just feel a bit sore the next day from throwing/being thrown. BJJ is more gentle on the body, but just as much fun, if not more fun. I'd say try both and see how it feels. I hope to continue with both, but maybe cut back on the Randori at Judo.

 

[CodeGeek]

The best thing you can do is spend A LOT of time getting good at taking falls. IMO, the single biggest determiner of injury is how well you know how to take a fall, and how relaxed you are about it. When you're young and you begin Judo, taking falls is no big deal. When you're pushing 50, if you've never done it, it can be pretty scary and cause you to tense up, increasing the risk of injury.

It takes a long time to get totally comfortable with the idea of being thrown, and being able to make the split second adjustments to your body positioning while in the air to land safely. The best way to do that is to scale up slowly. Do not rush into full-on randori.

 

[jwmtele]

I have the answer i been searching for.Fuck no 49 is not too old to start judo.Went to the judo class last night ,after about 10 min there i knew i had found a home.The school is very laid back and friendly,was about 10 students the white belt to black,mostly black belts,I was very impressed ,all the students very great,even the one white belt lady learning breakfalls,the teacher spent most of his time with her.She was about 50 years old.The flooring in the school very thing thick and soft to land on,when the upper ranks were doing throws they brought out a big crash pad,The judo school is traditional Judo
at the end of class they did randori,no one was trying to kill or hurt the other,the teacher was very picky about who got teamed up with each other.Everything very safe but also very real.So 49 is not too old to start judo.I will start workingout there at the first of the month.They train alot on the ground,looks like the same stuff my son learns at hid BJJ class.I think they train 50/50 standup and ground.Many thanks for eveyone that offered help and advice.

 

[bigraydaddy1]

This thread reminded me of this.


Do you realize that the only time in our lives when we like to get old is when we're kids? If you're less than 10 years old, you're so excited about aging that you think in fractions.
"How old are you?" "I'm four and a half!" You're never thirty-six and a half. You're four and a half, going on five! That's the key. You get into your teens, now they can't hold you back. You jump to the next number, or even a few ahead. "How old are you?" "I'm gonna be 16!" You could be 13, but hey,you're gonna be 16! And then the greatest day of your life . . you become 21. Even the words sound like a ceremony . . YOU BECOME 21.YESSSS!!!
But then you turn 30. Oooohh, what happened there? Makes you sound like bad milk! He TURNED; we had to throw him out.
There's no fun now, you're Just a sour-dumpling. What's wrong? What's changed?
You BECOME 21, you TURN 30, then you're PUSHING 40. Whoa! Put on the brakes, it's all slipping away. Before you know it, you REACH 50 and your dreams are gone.
But wait!!!
You MAKE it to 60. You didn't think you would!

So you BECOME 21, TURN 30, PUSH 40, REACH 50 and
MAKE it to 60.

 

[nomoremondays]

^^ nice

 

[shunyata]

I have the answer i been searching for.Fuck no 49 is not too old to start judo.Went to the judo class last night ,after about 10 min there i knew i had found a home.The school is very laid back and friendly,was about 10 students the white belt to black,mostly black belts,I was very impressed ,all the students very great,even the one white belt lady learning breakfalls,the teacher spent most of his time with her.She was about 50 years old.The flooring in the school very thing thick and soft to land on,when the upper ranks were doing throws they brought out a big crash pad,The judo school is traditional Judo
at the end of class they did randori,no one was trying to kill or hurt the other,the teacher was very picky about who got teamed up with each other.Everything very safe but also very real.So 49 is not too old to start judo.I will start workingout there at the first of the month.They train alot on the ground,looks like the same stuff my son learns at hid BJJ class.I think they train 50/50 standup and ground.Many thanks for eveyone that offered help and advice.

Good on you for not letting the BJJ pansies scare you out of it.

 

[bigraydaddy1]

@ 49 years old.................................maybe shuffleboard? :icon_chee

 

[Serana]

I have the answer i been searching for.Fuck no 49 is not too old to start judo.Went to the judo class last night ,after about 10 min there i knew i had found a home.The school is very laid back and friendly,was about 10 students the white belt to black,mostly black belts,I was very impressed ,all the students very great,even the one white belt lady learning breakfalls,the teacher spent most of his time with her.She was about 50 years old.The flooring in the school very thing thick and soft to land on,when the upper ranks were doing throws they brought out a big crash pad,The judo school is traditional Judo
at the end of class they did randori,no one was trying to kill or hurt the other,the teacher was very picky about who got teamed up with each other.Everything very safe but also very real.So 49 is not too old to start judo.I will start workingout there at the first of the month.They train alot on the ground,looks like the same stuff my son learns at hid BJJ class.I think they train 50/50 standup and ground.Many thanks for eveyone that offered help and advice.

Sounds a lot like my Judo club.

Hope you have fun and good luck.

 

[seatea]

I have the answer i been searching for.Fuck no 49 is not too old to start judo.Went to the judo class last night ,after about 10 min there i knew i had found a home.The school is very laid back and friendly,was about 10 students the white belt to black,mostly black belts,I was very impressed ,all the students very great,even the one white belt lady learning breakfalls,the teacher spent most of his time with her.She was about 50 years old.The flooring in the school very thing thick and soft to land on,when the upper ranks were doing throws they brought out a big crash pad,The judo school is traditional Judo
at the end of class they did randori,no one was trying to kill or hurt the other,the teacher was very picky about who got teamed up with each other.Everything very safe but also very real.So 49 is not too old to start judo.I will start workingout there at the first of the month.They train alot on the ground,looks like the same stuff my son learns at hid BJJ class.I think they train 50/50 standup and ground.Many thanks for eveyone that offered help and advice.

That's great news.

 

[wordspeaker]

Good on you man. Sounds like a great school for you.

 

[Jonas g33k]

Of course it's not too late, but you have to train smart. Don't spazz, accept the throw instead of resisting and practice your breakfalls A LOT.

Peoples who say it's too late are probably BJJ guys who are afraid of takedowns because they can't breakfall.

 

[Airguy]

I started judo age 53. I train twice a week with a great bunch of guys. That was three years ago, I have now reached 2nd Kyu and if my body can take it I hope to make black belt before I'm sixty or die trying (which is entirely possible)

 

[Misfit1]

I literally grew up in a Judo dojo (it was attached to my house) I have pictures of me practicing since I was about 2 years old. I'm 43 now and have to laugh when i think about judo meaning gentle way.

 

[Kframe]

aikijujutsu is not the same as Aikido. They are related but one is untested, the other has documentable proof it was used on battle fields.

For combat sports neither is good, as there training methodologies are not conducive to it. BJJ rage, I don't know how many TMA you have encountered, but none of the Koryu or other tma arts I have trained with and am friends with say disparaging words about mma. Hell most of them give nothing but respect to it..

Im sure there are some douche tma, as Im sure there are douche mma/bjj.
I just wish both sides of the coin would stop with the insults and just respect each other. You gotta remember some of those arts, like the Koryu arts specifically are about teaching fighting for fightings sake. They only exist right now to make sure the art does not die out. Which is why, when you go to Japan, the koryu schools usually only have 1 dojo and only a few students. They are picky and wont let anyone else in.

In koryu you have to basically make it your life, to swear to pass it on. Its Really old tradition and they only give 2 shits about making sure the art survives.. Which I think they should for historical purposes.