Is jiu jitsu basically bad for you?

[Cash Bill 52]

No, but...

I am rehabbing from a small tear in my meniscus (no surgery). I've been weight training stretching, and swimming. After this type of training my body feels good. I feel light, balanced, strong, and flexible. After jiu jitsu my body feels a little beat up and misaligned.

My conclusion is that I will have to continue to take time off from jiu jitsu and rebalance my body by doing "corrective exercises". My jiu jitsu game is asymmetrical. I favor one side and do not use my weak side in the same way i use my strong side. Also, at the higher level, I tend to sit on my ass more. My ass muscles have become weak. Squatting is a great exercise to make my entire body including my glutes stronger.

I will be 49 and I still compete a couple times per year. My training camps will have to be a little less intense in the future. Fifteen years on the mat and twenty years on the ice are finally starting to take its toll. I am not done yet. I just need to rethink my strategy as I approach 50.

50 seems to be the magic age when things start to go wrong. Rickson and others are rumored to have back and joint injuries that keep them from being the bad asses they once were.

I will need to stay humble during this next stage. My goals of health are more important than any title at this point.

Jiu jitsu has been such an important part of my life and I want to keep training. I will, but it will now be balanced with a health focus.

Jiu jitsu can be bad for you if you don't play it correctly.

 

[the heed]

at your age, the fact that you are still rolling is incredibly impressive
and I hope I can be as bad ass as you when I'm your age (not being sarcastic at all)

 

[Dogstarman]

No, but...

I am rehabbing from a small tear in my meniscus (no surgery). I've been weight training stretching, and swimming. After this type of training my body feels good. I feel light, balanced, strong, and flexible. After jiu jitsu my body feels a little beat up and misaligned.

My conclusion is that I will have to continue to take time off from jiu jitsu and rebalance my body by doing "corrective exercises". My jiu jitsu game is asymmetrical. I favor one side and do not use my weak side in the same way i use my strong side. Also, at the higher level, I tend to sit on my ass more. My ass muscles have become weak. Squatting is a great exercise to make my entire body including my glutes stronger.

I will be 49 and I still compete a couple times per year. My training camps will have to be a little less intense in the future. Fifteen years on the mat and twenty years on the ice are finally starting to take its toll. I am not done yet. I just need to rethink my strategy as I approach 50.

50 seems to be the magic age when things start to go wrong. Rickson and others are rumored to have back and joint injuries that keep them from being the bad asses they once were.

I will need to stay humble during this next stage. My goals of health are more important than any title at this point.

Jiu jitsu has been such an important part of my life and I want to keep training. I will, but it will now be balanced with a health focus.

Jiu jitsu can be bad for you if you don't play it correctly.

Yeah,It can be hard on the body. My joints hurt and hands are sore. I stopped weight training this summer. I'm 41 andI need to get back on it, but my ttime is so limited these days. I got taken down by a wrestling monster last week. It felt like a slam but it was just a solid takedown. I told him to take it easy as I can't take that type of punishment. I was fine but a few more of those powerful takedowns and I would be done.

You do what you need to, to stay in the game. I am tempted to try yoga but the last time I went there are to many distractions, if you know what I mean.

 

[irc]

I think actually yes it is bad for you overall. If you come into it fat and out of shape, like so many guys do, you see positive results, like you would with any sport. But if you are already a fit athlete, you'll end up being in worse shape. In fact you can straight up get out of shape (relatively) at a high level in BJJ.

Plus, the injuries are ridiculous. Most old school black belts have several serious joint injuries that are never really healed. Bad backs. Several knee injuries. Necks. Or are just generally fragile from getting brutally ground on for so many years.

BJJ breaks you down in the long run. If you are in it for the long haul, you have got to do other stuff to stay conditioned and in shape. The earlier that begins the better. I never see this get talked about seriously with students in schools.

Yoga is one of the best possible things guys can do to help with injury prevention and also obviously recovery. Guys shy away from it because its yoga. And it takes the same sort of discipline BJJ does to really get the benefits. But its so worth it.

 

[Knock Out Ned]

and I hope I can be as bad ass as you when I'm your age (not being sarcastic at all)

Yeah, me too Bill

 

[Cash Bill 52]

Thanks for the replies guys. I really like the results from my other training regimens. IRC has some wise words. I'm below my high school weight now and I feel strong. I'll make another jiu jitsu push soon. For now, it's just maintenance.
Yes, yoga. I've done it over the years. I can see the benefits.

 

[Stephan Kesting]

I think that most sports, done over time, are bad for you orthopedically. Very few runners can continue to run at a high level for more than 15 years, for example. They may still run, but their joints are too worn out to be competitive.

In that sense BJJ is the same way. The guys winning the black belt championships aren't guys who took 12 years to get their black belts. This might be because they're phenoms, but it also might be because you're in a race to get good before you get too busted up to be really good.

Do you weight train? I think that's an essential activity for anyone over 40 who wants to stay physically active. It strengthens the muscles, joints, bones and connective tissues, balances out imbalances, and allows you to continue doing the sports you love. Above 40 weight training is more about injury prevention than it is about directly boosting athletic performance (although it does that too)

 

[Marfa]

I roll with a couple +50 gentlemen. They tap early and always warn me if they have something effed up before rolling.

Their health takes preference over training BJJ. They love BJJ but they won't start training BJJ until they are completely healthy from injuries.

Their keys to BJJ:
- Be healthy. It minimizes the chance for further injuries.
- Stay active. One runs and does some bodyweight exercises and stretches everyday, the other is a former competitive Olympic lifter and powerlifter so still hits the iron but with a different approach. Matter of fact, they still have abs and are strong as an ox.
- Tap early and avoid the danger people (the guys at the gym that don't give a fuck and go nuts when rolling).

One of them always tells me to be healthy and don't overdo it as a young person, so I don't pay the price when I get old. I think it applies to every age.

 

[These Two Hands]

For those mentioning yoga, what other alternatives to yoga would suffice? Is Ginastica Natural a suitable alternative?

I have reasons for not doing yoga.

 

[Codger]

Yes, it's bad for your body and I'd say worse than most other exercise. You're more likely to get bad joints and injuries than if you swim or play badminton or whatever.

I'm in my late 40s and I'm starting to wonder if it's worth it having had 2 surgeries, other chronic joint problems that will need surgery, pain in my fingers and so on. Like the OP I feel beaten up after a session, I move stiffly, stuff hurts and I feel drained at times. And that lasts well into the next day.

it's not like running where you can vary your pace, distance, surface etc. You're not in control in BJJ unless you're fighting a weak whitebelt. People do unexpected things and put stresses on your body you can't stop. But at least it's not as bad a judo!

 

[RTD1]

I think that most sports, done over time, are bad for you orthopedically. Very few runners can continue to run at a high level for more than 15 years, for example. They may still run, but their joints are too worn out to be competitive.

This.

Any sort of intense physical activity is bad for you. Doesn't matter if it's BJJ, powerlifting, running, etc.

But you know what's even worse for you? Doing nothing. Being sedentary.

Your body is going to fall apart one way or another. Personally, I'd rather it be from overuse rather than inactivity.

 

[Submission]

It might be bad for the joints, but is the best thing to the mind and soul.

Sorry for the "philosophical" approach, but that's how I see it.

 

[JMG1134]

People do unexpected things and put stresses on your body you can't stop.

Not calling you out specifically, but I disagree with this. You could tap. You don't have to be caught in a submission to tap. I understand that people train to compete and go hard and all that stuff all the time, but if you're getting older (I'm not far behind, trust me), you have to realize that you can't roll like the younger guys anymore. If something hurts, stop, reset, and go again. There's no shame in it, and it will help you continue the training we all love so much.

 

[winterbike]

I'm a physed teacher, and most of my older colleagues have had serious injuries over the years. Busted elbows/shoulders/knees are very common. One chick broke her wrist because she tripped while snowshoeing. One dude had his whole knee replaced because of golfing and squash. I didn't even know it was possible before I heard about him. It's just stuff that accumulates when you're active every day.

Most sports done with performance in mind will be hard your body in the long run. Swimmers have knee issues (especially breaststroke), hockey players have messed up... everything, soccer players have messed up ankles and knees, runners have shin splits and back pain, list goes on and on.

In the end though, you're always better off moving than not moving, and part of being able to do that is to have fun doing it.

BJJ specifically: from what I've seen, people who tend to be plagued with injuries are the ones who go training even when they're tired. Joints aren't as solid, CNS isn't as primed up, and more mistakes happen. I've started to go only if I feel fresh, and to incorporate movement routines* before classes, and I get hurt significantly less. Progress is still great.

* Think yoga meets gymnastic bodies

 

[2008]

Jiu Jitsu is taxing on the body. I started training when I was 28 with no prior athletic or fitness background, and finally, physically/mentally, my body is starting to catch up fit-wise, where I can deal better with bigger/more athletic guys.

After every training session, if I did a lot of rolling I get an 'all-over-body soreness' that I usually don't experience doing cardio or weights and takes like 2 days to clear up.

I'm 32 now, I can't imagine starting BJJ if I was in my 40s or even older. Barring any major health issues or injuries I want to train as long as I can, maybe until I'm mid-40s, retire and call it a day.

Marital arts/sports is truly beneficial when you're young. I wish I started BJJ when I was like 20 but the art wasn't really accessible in terms of places to train when I was in college.

Longer term, depending on how you train, and your general health condition I can see Jiu Jitsu being bad for your body. The reason why because your doing movements, being in positions, getting chocked out, attacking joints or vice versa that is unnatural to everyday body movements. Your basically adding unnecessary physical stress on the body.

But that being said, it is much more important to stay physically active for general health maintenance. But at some point, when that times come, I'll stay active by doing mild weight training and basic cardio...I figured I have enough martial arts training knowledge to defend myself in when 'SHTF' scenario.

I train more for personal growth than the sport side of it.

 

[Uchi Mata]

Yes. Grappling is basically bad for you physically. I have a back that will never be close to healthy again and my hands are basically claws of connective tissue held together by hope and stubbornness. But mentally, I never feel better than after a good workout. And frankly if you don't go 100% (hard for many of us) BJJ is a great medium intensity movement oriented workout. I never feel better physically than after an hour of 50% positional sparring, because you're just moving a lot in a lot of different ways. As I get older, as much as I hate to admit it, I'm going to have to go to more medium intensity training and save the hard stuff for 1-2x a week at most. I also lift and do kettlebells and that stuff helps a lot in terms of preventing injury, but even so I can't go hard all the time without feeling terrible and my body breaking down. And I'm only 33 (though I've been grappling since I was 18).

 

[Matsukaze]

Long term..yes its bad for your body.. Black Belts I train with have had knee surgery and they don't even compete.. One has had neck surgery, constant elbowitis on and on.. Reminds me of a something Helio once said in an interview that basically BJJ was better for you than any stand up striking art... I think he was high during that interview.. haha

 

[JMG1134]

Long term..yes its bad for your body.. Black Belts I train with have had knee surgery and they don't even compete.. One has had neck surgery, constant elbowitis on and on.. Reminds me of a something Helio once said in an interview that basically BJJ was better for you than any stand up striking art... I think he was high during that interview.. haha

He did roll all the way until he died, though.

 

[GKY]

A few months ago I started a thread about how I wrecked my body doing jiu jitsu (I'm still in my late 20s). Since then I've been religiously weight lifting 3-4 times/week, doing physio 1-2 times/week, and doing yoga 1-2 times/week. My experience greatly aligns with yours, the difference is night and day. I'm much more flexible, stronger, I have better balance, and my posture is way better. I've also greatly improved on my muscular imbalances and tightness's. I still have nagging injuries that will be around forever, but it's a great improvement overall.

Although I'm not cleared to roll again for another few months a few weeks ago I dropped by and did a few light rolls with people I trust. Afterwards my back felt stiff, my posture was slouched, and overall I felt misaligned. That's when I realized how bad jiu jitsu is for you if you don't do supplemental exercises.

People are always trying to pull your body out of alignment, break your posture, etc. It's also especially bad on the knees because they're a hinge joint but lots of movements (particularly in guard) force your knee to act as a ball and socket joint. Although the hips are supposed to mitigate the pressure it's not always feasible when you're rolling with someone trying to resist you and push your legs around all over the place.

If you want to minimize injury risk you need to do some strengthening, balancing, and mobility work. I think yoga is really good for this, but probably not enough if you're not also lifting.

Also avoid any movements that can potentially force your knee to act as a ball and socket joint (triangles, rubber guard, omoplatas, calf slicers, gogoplatas, DLR, RDLR, leg rides, etc.) unless you have the perfect angle. If you lose the angle let it go and switch to something else, don't keep fighting to force it unless you're comfortable with the risk of injury. It sucks because a lot of these movements are obviously really effective, but you have to ask yourself if it's worth the risk.

 

[Dogstarman]

A few months ago I started a thread about how I wrecked my body doing jiu jitsu (I'm still in my late 20s). Since then I've been religiously weight lifting 3-4 times/week, doing physio 1-2 times/week, and doing yoga 1-2 times/week. My experience greatly aligns with yours, the difference is night and day. I'm much more flexible, stronger, I have better balance, and my posture is way better. I've also greatly improved on my muscular imbalances and tightness's. I still have nagging injuries that will be around forever, but it's a great improvement overall.

Although I'm not cleared to roll again for another few months a few weeks ago I dropped by and did a few light rolls with people I trust. Afterwards my back felt stiff, my posture was slouched, and overall I felt misaligned. That's when I realized how bad jiu jitsu is for you if you don't do supplemental exercises.

People are always trying to pull your body out of alignment, break your posture, etc. It's also especially bad on the knees because they're a hinge joint but lots of movements (particularly in guard) force your knee to act as a ball and socket joint. Although the hips are supposed to mitigate the pressure it's not always feasible when you're rolling with someone trying to resist you and push your legs around all over the place.

If you want to minimize injury risk you need to do some strengthening, balancing, and mobility work. I think yoga is really good for this, but probably not enough if you're not also lifting.

Also avoid any movements that can potentially force your knee to act as a ball and socket joint (triangles, rubber guard, omoplatas, calf slicers, gogoplatas, DLR, RDLR, leg rides, etc.) unless you have the perfect angle. If you lose the angle let it go and switch to something else, don't keep fighting to force it unless you're comfortable with the risk of injury. It sucks because a lot of these movements are obviously really effective, but you have to ask yourself if it's worth the risk.

I don't know man. With dlr or rdlr you need to keep your knee in line with your body. If you are pushing your knee out there is possibility of it tweaking. Every position you need to have correct body position. I don't know anything about rubber guard though, so Im not going to talk about that.