I’m not sure where to begin this post. I’ve got a lot of thoughts and they aren’t the least bit organized in my mind. What I do know off the top of my head is that I trained two evenings ago and I’m still feeling the pain today. “Well,” you say. “That’s not so bad. I usually feel it for a few days after I train too.” No, I don’t think you understand. I’m a black belt and I trained with a bunch of white and blue belts. My only excuse is that I’m getting up there in age when compared to most people who practice this sport. There’s most likely more to it though and that’s what I think I’d like to discuss in this post. There’s so much more to it.
Something dreadful happened when I turned 45 years old (I’m 48 today). Well, a few dreadful things began happening. I started losing my 20/20 vision, which prompted me to purchase a bunch of pairs of reading glasses, I began losing my hair ever so slightly, which will likely persist until my end of days, and I began losing my edge on the mats. I felt that last one markedly and that lost edge has yet to return. As a matter of fact, I think my edge is completely gone by this point.
Don’t get me wrong. I still have the potential to win most of my matches and I usually do. The thing is, I really have to try. For years, this wasn’t the case. I’ve always been decently athletic and I’ve always had a good mat sense, so when it came time to do my thing, I’d submit, submit, and then submit some more. There were only a few select folks who gave me a real challenge. These days it’s different. Either the white and blue belts are getting a lot better or I’m getting worse. I’m not sure which is happening.
If you’re over 40 years old and if you train Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, please help me out here and let me know if anything similar is going on in your life. The greatest change I’ve felt lately is that I’ve lost my scramble. Half of Jiu-Jitsu is movement – quick movement. Without that, we’re left with tons of defense. I’m okay with that, but I’d much rather spend my time practicing my technique. The trouble is, these young guns are so talented these days, they’re not allowing the technique to happen without a fight. That’s where the scramble comes in. My matches today call for a lot more scrambling and since that seems to have left the building, I’m back to defense.
I guess the issue I’m facing is two-fold; my body is changing and students are far better these days than they’ve ever been. I suppose I could work out some and do some strength training, but honestly, I don’t want to. My exercise has always been the Jiu-Jitsu itself and that’s been fine. I got by. I’m also attending fewer classes, which is sort of pulling me out of shape. After 45 years old though, the motivation for getting and staying in shape disappears as well.
So what’s a guy to do? I’ve come to the conclusion that I need tougher matches to keep me on my toes. I’m going to try to roll with mostly higher belts, just to keep that competitive edge I’ve had through the years. It’s easy to fall into the trap of getting lazy on the mats and only roll with lower belts and that doesn’t help a guy like me very much. In order to stay alive, I need to fight.
Again, if you’re over 40, please let me know your thoughts on this. Have you felt anything similar and if so, what did you do about it. I’d like to get some perspective.
Just for fun, I thought I’d share a few photos of my purple and brown belt days below. I tried to keep my opponents’ faces out of the pictures, just in case they don’t feel like being in a blog post. Also, when I get some more black belt pictures, I’ll add them here.
BJJ Purple Belt Photos (2013)
These photos were taken when I was training down at Fighting Chance BJJ in St. Augustine, Florida. Excellent students and instructors. I enjoyed my time there and let me tell you, the folks there were tough!
BJJ Brown Belt Photos (2019)
These photos were taken during one of my instructors’ black belt tests back in 2019. The person I’m rolling with had just taken on everyone at the club, so he was extremely exhausted. Part of the strategy for surviving a test like this is to preserve energy, so having him beat me was of no benefit to him. He could easily beat me then and still can today.
Jay: What you’re experiencing is very common. One of my brown belt instructors and I were discussing this very topic last week. In my dojo, we’re seeing some very skilled white and blue belts walk through the doors. Many of them are ex-wrestlers. I’m 51 and I am nowhere near what I used to be in my 20s and 30s. It’s part of the game. We can’t use what we once had. We need to outsmart these guys and rely on technique. Good luck!
Thanks man. I knew it couldn’t be in my imagination. I used to roll at least three times a week and I think my lack of discipline may be playing a role in all this. But I appreciate the fact that others who are getting older are feeling the crunch. Take care.