Jiu Jitsu is bad for your body.

If I can't roll pretty close to 100% health I normally won't train until I can.
 
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.


Purple belt takes a long time to get at my gym. I'm pretty sure you have to go more than twice a week for 3 years at least.
 
Had meniscus surgery today. Tore it a few days before Pans. Was really depressing to miss out on Pans but that 1800 copay was more depressing.
 
Wise words Bill.

Our jiu jitsu needs to change as we age. It's just natural for things to be that way.
This is the truth. Heck I'm only 39 but my style has changed a lot in the last few months. I don't really strain anymore (no "lifting weights" while rolling - outputting a lot of muscular effort for prolonged periods); this keeps me from getting so tired too, which is a really big benefit for me, and makes me enjoy training more - I'm going to BJJ after a long day of work or while recuperating on the weekend and don't always feel like training until I can barely breath. Interestingly I found this greatly increased how the rolls go against inexperienced young/athletic dudes (who I can't really sustain maximum effort with - so not playing that game actually seems advantageous) - having them wildly buck around doesn't matter if I'm not trying to match it with my own strength but am just chilling and looking for the next move from top side control or mount.

Not straining does seem to make rolls with higher belts and smaller people harder...probably because I don't overpower them like I used to when I output a ton of energy and was "stiff" and explosive with my rolls. Doesn't matter though - it's better this way. It also seemed to make me more active - since I don't really strain, I don't really need to rest either, so I can keep going at a pretty high pace. It's really weird not being the most tired guy in the gym now.

I also don't use a lot of Gi grips that mess my fingers up (I still use some grips though, particularly when on top - certain situations don't seem to bother my fingers). I haven't competed for a long time but in terms of enjoying training this seems to be good.
 
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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
You can spar "Dutch" style. Going only to the body and avoiding the head. Good for older age.
 
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
Well yea you could possibly have over-trained. I think I can agree bjj can cause problems, but you just have to train smart. Focus on your flexibility and nutrition to heal up. It's relative to the beholder, if a fat guy starts taking bjj classes over-all he's going to be much healthier
 
This is the truth. Heck I'm only 39 but my style has changed a lot in the last few months. I don't really strain anymore (no "lifting weights" while rolling - outputting a lot of muscular effort for prolonged periods); this keeps me from getting so tired too, which is a really big benefit for me, and makes me enjoy training more - I'm going to BJJ after a long day of work or while recuperating on the weekend and don't always feel like training until I can barely breath. Interestingly I found this greatly increased how the rolls go against inexperienced young/athletic dudes (who I can't really sustain maximum effort with - so not playing that game actually seems advantageous) - having them wildly buck around doesn't matter if I'm not trying to match it with my own strength but am just chilling and looking for the next move from top side control or mount.

Not straining does seem to make rolls with higher belts and smaller people harder...probably because I don't overpower them like I used to when I output a ton of energy and was "stiff" and explosive with my rolls. Doesn't matter though - it's better this way. It also seemed to make me more active - since I don't really strain, I don't really need to rest either, so I can keep going at a pretty high pace. It's really weird not being the most tired guy in the gym now.

I also don't use a lot of Gi grips that mess my fingers up (I still use some grips though, particularly when on top - certain situations don't seem to bother my fingers). I haven't competed for a long time but in terms of enjoying training this seems to be good.
Yea I took a break from judo and my hands and joints healed up nicely. Damn gi does damage
 
Calling it quits after a recent ACL and meniscus surgery. Just too many injuries over the years for a hobby.
 
Either ripped rib cartilage or broken rib, which to this day did not heal properly. Had really bad staph infection on my neck that discouraged me from training BJJ. Never had that shit before.
I think it's more of what your priorities are. I can't compare myself to full time fighters because that's their career, not mine. Also, I'm done with contracts. Will only pay as I go.
 
I think that the OP is more applicable to me than the linked article. Mostly because some of the Cash Bill points resonate with me:
I think that I might be a little bit older (and have two fewer years training) but I know that I sorely misused my body and (limited) athleticism in a number of ways before I ever heard of jiu jitsu. I think that we need to understand that while jiu jitsu is a physically abusive activity-many people pamper their bodies, avoid repetitive stress injuries and still suffer the depredations of time. Determining the relative value of the sport to my life helps me to manage my output and level of training.
BTW, how long does it take to heal your groin injuries? Like a pulled groin. Seems like it used to be a few weeks, now it is months...
 
You can spar "Dutch" style. Going only to the body and avoiding the head. Good for older age.
That’s actually the exact opposite of what Dutch spring is. They are famous for beating the shit out each other during sparring
 
I think that the OP is more applicable to me than the linked article. Mostly because some of the Cash Bill points resonate with me:
I think that I might be a little bit older (and have two fewer years training) but I know that I sorely misused my body and (limited) athleticism in a number of ways before I ever heard of jiu jitsu. I think that we need to understand that while jiu jitsu is a physically abusive activity-many people pamper their bodies, avoid repetitive stress injuries and still suffer the depredations of time. Determining the relative value of the sport to my life helps me to manage my output and level of training.
BTW, how long does it take to heal your groin injuries? Like a pulled groin. Seems like it used to be a few weeks, now it is months...

Do groin injuries ever go away? My multiple groin injuries over the years turned into a femoral nerve issue. Feeling like you got kicked in the nuts all day isn’t fun. I’m training twice a week now for a while. competition training is possibly the culprit. 5-6 times per week going hard against all the killers will take its toll. I’m feeling good now, but I am not sure how many major tournaments I want to do anymore.
Luckily, I won my division at Pan this year. I wanted to get that one for sure.
 
This is the truth. Heck I'm only 39 but my style has changed a lot in the last few months. I don't really strain anymore (no "lifting weights" while rolling - outputting a lot of muscular effort for prolonged periods); this keeps me from getting so tired too, which is a really big benefit for me, and makes me enjoy training more - I'm going to BJJ after a long day of work or while recuperating on the weekend and don't always feel like training until I can barely breath. Interestingly I found this greatly increased how the rolls go against inexperienced young/athletic dudes (who I can't really sustain maximum effort with - so not playing that game actually seems advantageous) - having them wildly buck around doesn't matter if I'm not trying to match it with my own strength but am just chilling and looking for the next move from top side control or mount.

Not straining does seem to make rolls with higher belts and smaller people harder...probably because I don't overpower them like I used to when I output a ton of energy and was "stiff" and explosive with my rolls. Doesn't matter though - it's better this way. It also seemed to make me more active - since I don't really strain, I don't really need to rest either, so I can keep going at a pretty high pace. It's really weird not being the most tired guy in the gym now.

I also don't use a lot of Gi grips that mess my fingers up (I still use some grips though, particularly when on top - certain situations don't seem to bother my fingers). I haven't competed for a long time but in terms of enjoying training this seems to be good.

I actually wish I did more of the "weight lifting", which is to say I wish I had maintained more muscular tension instead of always loading people on myself and relaxing. Maybe I am misinterpreting you, but I feel like doing so would have taken the strain off my connective tissue, particulately my hips.

Bjj is like the most inefficient way to lift weights as people are trying to constantly misalign you or make you lift with a relatively weak part of your body. If I'm smart my frame supports their weight but that weight is bound to fall entirely on my tendons/ligaments if I am not diligent about supporting them with the surrounding muscle.

I wish I had been better about lifting weights from the beginning from a defensive perspective. I dont like feeling my insides when someone is crushing me.
 
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I actually wish I did more of the "weight lifting", which is to say I wish I had maintained more muscular tension instead of always loading people on myself and relaxing.

This is a mistake that cost me two meniscus surgeries. I came to BJJ from an Aikido background, where we were pursuing movement in a totally relaxed state. There's a time and a place for that, but you do not want your limbs to be noodle-ish when your partner explosively moves in a direction you aren't expecting. Even ten years later, I still have to regularly remind myself to keep all my major muscle groups slightly engaged, if only for self-preservation.

Bjj is like the most inefficient way to lift weights as people are trying to constantly misalign you or make you lift with a relatively weak part of your body. If I'm smart my frame supports their weight but that weight is bound to fall entirely on my tendons/ligaments if I am not diligent about supporting them with the surrounding muscle.

This is a really great point, and I'm sure explains a lot of chronic injury and the "I've been steamrolled" feeling we have after hard training.
 
41 years old here - brown belt. I've been at it for 10 years with time off for injuries here and there. I'm a lifetime martial artist, did a bunch of striking arts and other TMA stuff before BJJ. Our bodies break down, that's a fact of life. If you are young and reading this thinking, "this won't be me", it most defginately will be. All the aging BJJ and MMA greats have spinal issues. It's coming for you.

Here is my list:
-Acl reconstruction and meniscus repair
-broken floating rib
-bulging disc and spinal degeneration at the lumbar spine L3-L4-L5 (At the age of 35 my doc told me I had the lower back of a 50 year old man!)
-bulging disc in the cervical spine at C4-5-6-7, straightening of the cervical spine and stenosis of the both spinal column and the foramen. This is the big one. I get loss of strenght, control and grip strength on the right side. All sorts of arm pain but the hand pain is the worst. Burning fire and stabbing... worse at night too.
-dislocated pinkie finger and broken joint capsules on many of the metatarsals.
-tendonities in various joints
-arthritis of the knees

My current training regimen is low impact. I don't take falls anymore, years of judo killed my body before BJJ ever entered the picture. I can roll 3 rounds in a session - anymore and I pay for it for days. I roll 2 to 3 days a week. I teach 2 classes. Teaching is where my BJJ future is headed. I've come to terms with not training like a savage and rolling non stop against anyone and everyone. I'm picky about my trianing partners and always keep my spine safe. I'll tap to a weird position if it's putting bad pressure on my neck and my game has evolved with my limitations.

It's a must to train smarter and not harder if you want to keep this going.

All the best o the rest of you in the same situation!

OSS
 
Either ripped rib cartilage or broken rib, which to this day did not heal properly. Had really bad staph infection on my neck that discouraged me from training BJJ. Never had that shit before.
I think it's more of what your priorities are. I can't compare myself to full time fighters because that's their career, not mine. Also, I'm done with contracts. Will only pay as I go.
Contracts are the worst.

I only go for month-to-month deals. They can shove that 12-month shit up their ass.
 
I think that the OP is more applicable to me than the linked article. Mostly because some of the Cash Bill points resonate with me:
I think that I might be a little bit older (and have two fewer years training) but I know that I sorely misused my body and (limited) athleticism in a number of ways before I ever heard of jiu jitsu. I think that we need to understand that while jiu jitsu is a physically abusive activity-many people pamper their bodies, avoid repetitive stress injuries and still suffer the depredations of time. Determining the relative value of the sport to my life helps me to manage my output and level of training.
BTW, how long does it take to heal your groin injuries? Like a pulled groin. Seems like it used to be a few weeks, now it is months...
I suffered from that.

Went to a DO who specializes in OMT (osteopathic). He did something to it and fixed it.
 
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

BJJ may be bad for my body. But my BJJ is even worse for the other guy's body!!!
 
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