Jiu Jitsu is bad for your body.

There must be a scientific method to create the perfect amount of intensity for your current state of health.
At, 51, I still feel very healthy. I plan to keep going hard at the right time. My hypothesis is that decreasing intensity of training will lengthen the jiu Jitsu lifespan.

it has to do a loooot on how you carry on your outside bjj life.

If you dont drink, smoke, do S&C outside class, keep yourself flexible by doing yoga or whatever helps with flexibility, your going to have a lot more miles....sadly, it isnt my case, though im probably will be starting yoga in a near future.
 
You're right, if you discard heel hooks, the leg game isn't that bad for your knees, if you're not stupid and tap at the right time, knee bars and ankle locks aren't dangerous at all, you have time to see it coming and if they don't crank it stupidly it's pretty safe.

I've had a lot more injuries and discomfort from cranked guillotines, kimuras, bow and arrows...

Knee bars not bad at all. Estima locks, toe holds bad. Pure ankle locks in between.

Pass and submit has its dangers too, but for most they have to pass. The rib injuries, cranked necks, leg drag positions, they happen less as you get better you get passed less and only by people experienced enough to know I'm old and frail.


You mention kimuras (from top I assume) and bow and arrows. Those are definitely bad, but I'm tapping way way before its final even if it's not on perfectly. They've already dominated me positionally and it's not worth it.


If you tap anytime anybody falls back for an imperfect footlock, I dunno.


Again I'm not a great leg guy, am not versed in the truly modern leglock game ,but even 50/50 (which I have practiced) feels more dangerous to me.
 
My coach will only promote, for purple belt and up, people that show constant progress and dedication. That means that you need to go to class, open mats... at least 4 times a week. With our schedule this means that you're gonna get at least one gi class.

It's not a written rule but we all see the pattern, guys that just go to 2-3 times a week or just to the no gi classes will get their blue belt after 2 years but will stall there as perennial blue belts.

My coach is a strong believer that no gi will help you in your gi game, but you need to do some gi classes also.

4 times a week seems like an unreasonable criteria for most casual practitioners. Requiring gi classes is pretty standard. I'm sure he has his reasons for his criteria.
 
My coach will only promote, for purple belt and up, people that show constant progress and dedication. That means that you need to go to class, open mats... at least 4 times a week. With our schedule this means that you're gonna get at least one gi class.

It's not a written rule but we all see the pattern, guys that just go to 2-3 times a week or just to the no gi classes will get their blue belt after 2 years but will stall there as perennial blue belts.

My coach is a strong believer that no gi will help you in your gi game, but you need to do some gi classes also.

Has anyone actually talked to the coach or is this just assumed? Seems crazy to expect a dude with a job a couple of kids to hit 4 times a week every week. For example, soccer season hits.......

I tell my coach: "I will be out on Saturdays for the next 8 weeks. I may make a class or two but Jack has Spring soccer season and games are sat morning"

Coach responds: "hope Jack (my youngest son) has a good season. Family is important. Go to his games we will be here on saturdays when the season ends. Will you be here weekdays?"

Me: "Yep same as always. See you monday and wednesday"

Coaches are people. Most reasonable people expect life to happen. Explaining that you are not just eating pasta and watching Netflix makes a difference.
 
Again I'm not a great leg guy, am not versed in the truly modern leglock game ,but even 50/50 (which I have practiced) feels more dangerous to me.

I think the 50/50 is way more dangerous than the modern leg game. Not only for heel hooks (because in the 50 you don't have the same ability to staple your partner's hips to prevent them from rolling and potentially hurting themselves) but also I have seen many general 50/50 see-saw sweeping exchanges put strong torque on people's knees. Buchecha blew his knee from that same type of outward sweeping pressure (although I don't think from 50/50).

Theel hooks are more dangerous in comp for the reasons Lachlan Giles states in the video below. But in training the outside heel hook pressure hits the foot and then the ankle well before the knee and you have plenty of time to tap. The inverted heel hook is more dangerous. The pressure goes to the knee faster but the pinning pressure of the 4-11/saddle is strong enough that they can't spin and hurt themselves and they can feel the pressure and tap right away.

The most dangerous thing in grappling I think is falling body weight.

 
I don't invert anymore, I avoid being stucked on my back like the plague so by consequence no armbars from guard, no berimbolos, no spiderguard unless I'm really flow rolling with somebody I trust or something like that.. and I tap often whenever I'm at risk of something.. last week a blue belt "kid" of around 18 (200 lbs lean young monster) falled back for a fast achilles lock on me (165ish lbs 33 years old purple belt).. I tapped quickly.. in years of jiu jitsu you realize that ego is a small thing in front of not only not being able to train, but being injured and having to go around limping.. or without being able to lift your arm for months because you were sure that you could get out from that kimura.. fuck that, I'll tap and I'll figure out a better way to not being put in the situation at all.

I go to a physioterapist once a month, I eat healthy and I don't drink/smoke, I always save 10-15 minutes after practice to stretch properly. Most of all I found some will to go lifting and I feel my body is getting much tighter than before.

As I wrote in the objectives post of some time ago, I want to train smartly hard (at least as hard as my body permits me) until I'll get a black belt, then if things will go as I hope they will, I'll probably tone my training down, focusing on concepts and stuff, or just leave all togheter. Honestly I don't see myself rolling hard to my fifties or something like that, at least on a consistent basis, but who knows. I can't say what will happen in the next two years, mind you the next twenty.

Then, that said, given the nature of jiu jitsu and grappling/combat sports in general, you can be as cautious as you like and still fuck up hard.. it's something to always take in account. Years ago, especially after an almost life threatening condition that questioned my ability to keep on going training at all, I felt like I couldn't live a single day of my life without jiu jitsu or at the very least the thought of training in a week/month/even an year.. but it isn't a realistic mentality to keep. I'd say, especially for other persons that train since a long time like me, be proud of your journey as a whole regardless of how it ends, and always be ready to call it a day.
 
Knee bars not bad at all. Estima locks, toe holds bad. Pure ankle locks in between.

Pass and submit has its dangers too, but for most they have to pass. The rib injuries, cranked necks, leg drag positions, they happen less as you get better you get passed less and only by people experienced enough to know I'm old and frail.


You mention kimuras (from top I assume) and bow and arrows. Those are definitely bad, but I'm tapping way way before its final even if it's not on perfectly. They've already dominated me positionally and it's not worth it.


If you tap anytime anybody falls back for an imperfect footlock, I dunno.


Again I'm not a great leg guy, am not versed in the truly modern leglock game ,but even 50/50 (which I have practiced) feels more dangerous to me.

Ankle locks are super safe, estima locks and toe holds, yeah pretty bad, but those are legal too brown up... whst belt are you? If your a Lower belt, then there is no need to roll either gi or not gi with brown up rules. In training The gi doesn’t dictate the roll rules, practicioners do...
 
https://www.patreon.com/posts/bjj-is-really-to-18386254 Article by Emily Kwok

From me...
Some people ask me why I take extended periods of limited to no training. Here are some reasons...

1. I like being able to get in my car without using my hands to pull my left leg inside. Multiple groin injuries over the years start adding up.

2. I like being able to put coffee cups on the top shelf. Limited shoulder mobility is a thing.

3. I like hiking without the fear of my knee collapsing. Knee surgery on top of multiple chronic knee issues isn’t my fave.

4. I like being able to hold things in my hands. Let’s face it. Our hands and fingers are wrecked.

5. The whole left side of my body is out of alignment from the asymmetry of my training. I need to rotate the tires regularly.

I plan to train for many years to come. 22 years of training and I’m still going strong most of the time. My coaches know I’ve competed with a torn meniscus, groin pulls, bursitis on my elbow the size of a tennis ball, limited movement in multiple joints. It goes on and on...

Time off lets my body recalibrate. It lets my mind believe that jiu Jitsu isn’t a job and that I have to be there every day all day and accept all challenges from every beast and monster.

Time off clears the way to let me become passionate with other things. I crave learning and reinvention. I don’t want jiu Jitsu to become stale. I am bored with my competition game. I am tired of always bringing my a game.

I take time off because I love the jiu Jitsu lifestyle. I love my teammates and the jiu Jitsu community at large. I don’t want to “be done.”


https://www.patreon.com/posts/bjj-is-really-to-18386254


I had a concussion from BJJ and I'm out for a few months. Been at it for about 5 years. It sucks, but brain injuries are not to be taken lightly. I might try kickboxing or something and avoid sparring in the mean time.

Anyone else concussed while training? I had a knee to the head, thought I was fine, but a few days later the headaches started.
 
Ankle locks are super safe, estima locks and toe holds, yeah pretty bad, but those are legal too brown up... whst belt are you? If your a Lower belt, then there is no need to roll either gi or not gi with brown up rules. In training The gi doesn’t dictate the roll rules, practicioners do...

Purple belt. In our gym you play by upper belts rules meaninf if I train with a brown we go by brown belt rules. Also not my current gym, but other gyms I've been at have been all submissions in no gi, but ibjjf gi. I'll pick the minor gi injuries all day over the bad knee ones.

If I were a lower belt I think I'd feel differently because id worry more about the injuries that come from being passed then smashed. As a purple belt, I don't get passed as much as I used to.
 
I had a concussion from BJJ and I'm out for a few months. Been at it for about 5 years. It sucks, but brain injuries are not to be taken lightly. I might try kickboxing or something and avoid sparring in the mean time.

Anyone else concussed while training? I had a knee to the head, thought I was fine, but a few days later the headaches started.

I'm not sure how kickboxing would be safer for your brain. Concussing your opponent in striking sports is much more likely than in grappling where it's an accident instead of the goal.
 
I think all sports in general have long term benefical and detrimental effects.
Some more than others.
Tennis players have deformed elbows, bambi knees... football (not hand egg) players can hardly walk in their 40's, and so on.
Biggest difference is that most tennis and football players retire in their early 30's and will maybe play now and then recreationally, and do not spar hard and train competition style against people half their age in a sport where the intent is to physically throw, pin or submit your opponent.
So we need a bit more study and methodology development to know what to do with the veterans and elder combat-sportsmen.
 
This is such an interesting topic to me. It encompasses so many things both on and off the mat. For example, how often you train, intensity, S&C, nutrition, sleep, gym culture, etc.

I know the Soviets/Russians have done extensive research on how to maximize athletic performance in the Olympic sports. I would be curious to see if anyone knows of any layman's resources regarding how they prepared their wrestlers/judoka; a resource that isn't too academic.

I've been looking lately at Dr. Michael Yessis' work, who sort of introduced Soviet style athletic development to the USA. It may be overkill or perhaps even irrelevant for the needs of non-professional/sub-elite athletes, but I'll continue to read some of his works to see if he has any insight into the problem of "bjj fucks my body up".
 
Purple belt. In our gym you play by upper belts rules meaninf if I train with a brown we go by brown belt rules. Also not my current gym, but other gyms I've been at have been all submissions in no gi, but ibjjf gi. I'll pick the minor gi injuries all day over the bad knee ones.

If I were a lower belt I think I'd feel differently because id worry more about the injuries that come from being passed then smashed. As a purple belt, I don't get passed as much as I used to.

Then the problem is your gym not no gi... oh and your a purple about time you learn to deal with footattacks
 
I'm a 46 year old hobbyist purple and I've thought about "how much longer" recently. Are there other disciplines that do gym sparring the way jiu-jitsu does where you see people in their 40's and 50's? I'm not talking about TMAs where you can do kata or forms but boxing, wrestling, Muay Thai, etc. I'm not very familiar with judo but are there regularly 45 + judoka in the gym every day?

George Foreman won the world heavyweight title at 45 beating the previously invested 35-0 (30 knockouts) 28 year old champion Michael Moorer.

So I’d say it’s safe to say it’s possible.
 
I just want to reiterate. Extended time off helps my body repair chronic injuries. A lot of issues come from repetitive motion.
I still want to compete and go hard. I just can't do it year round.

i have a history of health problems, six heart surgeries, multiple other surgeries, lung issues, etc etc...

so i have always had to manage my time training or sparring because the effect on my body wasnt great if i didnt...

i kinda go through periods where i don't train and periods where i do; won't kickbox for six months then get back into it (esp sparring) for four...

same for grappling...just go in cycles; i am not trying to get a rank or anything, just like to hit the mats..learn some stuff and get some rolls in...

i stay active outside of it, lots of jogging, hiking, walking and training my kids/doing drills with my kids for basketball; im always doing something...but the contact...stress..grind of combative sports isnt one of them..

im already less durable than most doing it, i could never afford to be reckless or overdo it..though i have before
 
also you can strike into your 50's, even sparring; just have to find a group or a place where your not gonna be compromised. a couple places i go where they have hobbyist or former competitors who still gear up and get rounds in
 
This is why I do a 3x\week and 2x\week schedule. Plenty of rest in there with weight lifting 2x\week. By the second week on Wednesday I can feel it in class I'm tired as hell.
 
also you can strike into your 50's, even sparring; just have to find a group or a place where your not gonna be compromised. a couple places i go where they have hobbyist or former competitors who still gear up and get rounds in

This is something I've been thinking about recently. While older guys are better able to "hang" with younger guys in grappling, it definitely seems like bag work, jogging, jump roping, speed bag, etc. is something you can continue indefinitely, while I don't really know how long into your 60's/70s you can continue sparring (the only exercising part of grappling, in my experience).
 
Last edited:
I'm not sure how kickboxing would be safer for your brain. Concussing your opponent in striking sports is much more likely than in grappling where it's an accident instead of the goal.

Good point. My reason for trying kickboxing or some striking sport is to just do pad work to get a workout and learn something new , absolutely no contact sparring. I realize I could just drill in BJJ, but I can only take so much drilling.
 
Back
Top