When did you guys start

ImTechn9que

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I'm 17 and i've been boxing for about a year now on and off (b/c of injuries in football, etc), i like boxing and i'm naturally good at it so i picked it up fast, i have torn ligaments in my elbow right now though so i can't really do anything for a while, but once i get that fixed (probably 4-6 weeks unless it's going to require surgery) i really want to start doing jiu jitsu. i have no experience at all with it or any form of wrestling and i'm wondering what it will be like when i first go and if anyone else has started as late as i am going to
 
17 is not late at all. I started when I was 19
 
17? I started when I was 32. You would be the 2nd youngest person in my class. 90% of the guys are in their 20's.

You can expect to get positionally dominated for 4-6 months, even if you're large and athletic. Grapplers are rarely "naturals". Success comes from attendence and hard work. Most classes start with a little warmup or cardio. Then you'll do specific techniques, then you'll roll. (rolling is what the live sparring is called). If your elbow isn't 100% be sure to tell whoever you're rolling with so they leave it alone.
 
expect to be sore. Some will tell you to lift and some will tell you to jog .. just expect to get very tired and sore your first couple of months.

what I would do is follow very close instructions from your physical therapist on rehabing you elbow and do a shit load of Ab work.

All BJJ is about core strength.
 
You'll be fine. Just attend class as much as you can, and try to learn as much as possible. I think the hardest thing to pick up is not the movements themselves, but the reasoning behind all of the movements.

The little things, like grip, posture, creating space, hip movement, and proper positioning are the important things, and the most difficult to get down. Realizing when you need to do each of these, and why, and in what position is difficult. This comes in time (I assume).

Don
 
yup you'll know when your improving your ground skills
 
i started at 16...i wish i started martial arts as a younger kid like 7 or 8 that would be sick
 
I started jiu-jitsu when i was 12, i took like a year off after a while i just lost interest for some reason. I started training again back in March and im back for goood. Good luck on those BJJ classes, don't give up after a few classes just because you get dominated, believe me its worth it.
 
I started Judo(which I was trying to get into BJJ) when i was 15..now Im 18 im in BJJ now
 
I started Wrestling when I was 14, and Greco Roman Wrestling at 15, then some Kickboxing at 16 and Boxing at 18
 
vanguard_anon said:
17? I started when I was 32. You would be the 2nd youngest person in my class. 90% of the guys are in their 20's.

Got you beat young whipper snapper. Started Judo when I was *winch* 34!
 
I started American Freestyle Jiu-Jitsu when I was 14 and I am almost turning 16, however Ive only been in AFJJ for only 1 year and almost 2 months.
 
started TMA in junior highschool
MMA in college

glad I did it this way too.
 
im 20 years old, and im the youngest person in my bjj class
 
ImTechn9que said:
I'm 17 and i've been boxing for about a year now on and off (b/c of injuries in football, etc), i like boxing and i'm naturally good at it so i picked it up fast, i have torn ligaments in my elbow right now though so i can't really do anything for a while, but once i get that fixed (probably 4-6 weeks unless it's going to require surgery) i really want to start doing jiu jitsu. i have no experience at all with it or any form of wrestling and i'm wondering what it will be like when i first go and if anyone else has started as late as i am going to


I just started 2 months ago and im 19 so no ur not starting late.


you can expect to get ur ass kicked, a lot.

you're going to get tapped, tapped and then tapped some more. BUT dont let it discourage you cuz it has that effect on a lot of guys. Just remember that everybody before you had to go through it and consider it a right of passage. It breaks you're ego down pretty good but as you start to land moves in training itll start to build back up. Sucks at first but IMO a great learning experience.

plus make sure to stretch good cuz flexibility is key AND it helps prevent injuries. speaking of which - you're going to get hurt/sore a lot at first. Limbs/joints will be sore - it's just a part of adjusting to the training.

make sure to tap early and dont try tooo hard to power out of submissions that are most likely going to tap you anyways. - If the sub is locked in tight and you have no idea how to get out - just tap. It's not a competition and it's not worth injuring yourself cuz then you'll be out for weeks sorta like you are now.

tappling early is the smart thing to do when you're a beginner - better safe then sorry.
 
17? Still in HS or out?

Right about now wrestling season starts in HS. 1 good year of training (even if you dont make varsity) would be a GREAT base to start from. Read many posts here from BJJ guys just starting out saying "help holding down a wrestler" "help taking down a wrestler" "help sweeping a wrestler" there is a reason for that. The training. BJJ will be there after u graduate(assuming you are still in HS) and to have that base will help you in a part of grappling that BJJ and most sub grappling does not focus on...takedowns and transition from feet to ground.
 
started a little before my 21st birthday in 2002.
I just want to stress how easy it is to injure youyrself in grappling. Try and go easy to start off with. I know it's hard, but you're body will thank you for easing into it. This comes from my own stupidity of thinking I could jump into training 5 days a week, and train hard every time.
 
I started at the age of 16. Many people who are joining the classes are in their 20s and 30s. No way is 17 too late.
 
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