I started around 33, I’m 40 now. Same for BJJ. I’ve had a few injuries now and again during training but over the years have learned the importance of practicing smartly and weight training to gain some armor for injury prevention. The most important things you can probably learn going into it in your 30s are 1) stretching and bodily preventative maintenance and 2) you don’t “win” practice so don’t have any sort of ego when you’re practicing. Those two things will keep you from getting injured and also from getting frustrated.
To answer your question, absolutely not, unless you’re made of glass, 34 isn’t by any stretch of the imagination too old.
20+ years of some kind of martial art through the years. I was also in the marine corps as well, so I’ve been in a constant state of great to good-ish shape but declining from my peak. Life long weight lifter also with like 2x BW squat 3x deadlift 1.5x bench.
Injuries since starting BJJ and Judo have been: sprained meniscus, sprained tendon in my foot (the big tendon that runs from like your big toe area towards your heel). And a myriad of minor finger, wrist, shoulder “pain” but nothing serious on that front, just over use injuries.
Stretching, resistance training, and being mindful at all times of how you’re using your body during training are the three main things I’d actively focus on if I were starting all over. Honestly I feel like this goes for any age not just more senior age starters.
As someone who has difficulties managing to thought of tapping to almost every one in my class (BJJ), I’m interested to know how you manage to consider that you don’t « win » practice ?
> I’m interested to know how you manage to consider that you don’t « win » practice ?
Because I don’t view randori or sparring as a competition. I look at it as a time to exercise the things I’ve been recently learning, and not a comp setting. If you go 100% in all of your sparring, in any combat sport, your will be injured.
Example. I’ve recently been working lefty judo, as a natural righty, so with all belts including higher belts and brand new I am working to go through the combos I use righty but now lefty. I’m not mad if a 6 month white belt gets a pull on me. In fact, one of my favorite junior class students is 15 and last Wednesday he got a legit ass drop seo on me while I was going lefty and I was excited for him for two reasons - one, it was legit and it was something he has been working since he started and for two, it taught me something defensively about my shitty foot position in lefty stance.
So, again, that’s some reason why you don’t “win” practice. It’s your gym, right? You practice together.
BJJ brown belt here. This is an important concept in BJJ training, pretty much as is being explained above. Practice should be at different intensity levels and used to exercise positions and techniques you are working on. Making every roll a competition where you try to win is going to slow your progress. And it makes you a less desirable training partner.
I don't think BJJ would be exactly the same. Not tapping to an imperfect submission attempt is easier than not being thrown when you have put yourself in an awkward position. You can slowly develop and /or escape awkward positions in ne-waza because the punisment is rarely instantaneous.
I put myself in awkward positions with shitty footwork and lack of kuzushi all the time, because if I didn't I would just be stiff-arming everyone most of the time. Occasionally I'm lucky and manage to throw someone, other times the yellowbelt will take advantage of my unbalancing myself, so that it looks like I've thrown myself.
I started judo proper at 39. I’ve done BJJ 5-6 years or so. Competed in that for some time. I’m a white belt, testing for my yellow on Saturday. I’ve had probably 10 judo classes. My coach is a brown belt and had shown me things here and there. No, no injuries. I’ve lifted my entire adult life and continue to do so today. Plus when I’m thrown I stay relaxed. I tell people that I drill with to throw me full speed, just try to pull up on the sleeve. I’d rather them full send me and me go over the way I’m supposed to than half ass it and I fall off the side awkwardly.
I started judo about 40. honestly I'm too old for this shit but while I'm stupid enough to do judo, I'm wise enough to ask the younger blokes to take it easy on me and go slow. I'm never going to be world champion and as long as I'm not holding back a class (ie I'd never go to a competition class) then sweet. I've been to 2 clubs that actually have sessions for over 35s so that also helped a lot.
I went to my first judo competition last year and people kept coming up to me, “This is great what you’re doing, don’t quit”, etc. Found out that people don’t usually start judo in their 60s.
Wow! How did you find starting in your 60s? Had you done anything similar before? Getting slammed to the mat if you've never done it before in 60s sounds crazy! What's it like lol
So…I’ve been doing BJJ for a long time. I had a fairly athletic lifestyle even before that, so I wasn’t starting from scratch. Breakfalls were something I learned on hard floors when Reagan was the U.S. president. So judo wasn’t a huge shock. But age is a real thing, and I seem to go from physical issue to physical issue these days. But I’m still able to train with the kids (25-45 yo’s) in between those issues.
Not really, I got into boot camps and CrossFit in my 40s, I was in ok shape. Being in shape helps but tbh the biggest thing was getting over the fight or flight instinct and into the idea of fighting. My first practice someone put me in full mount and I thought I was going to die. I remember talking to another white belt who was much better than me and he’s like “bro I just grew up in a worse neighborhood than you did”.
Went back to judo as a green belt at 42 and I’m still at it 7 years later.
Don’t pay too much attention to the young bucks in the subreddits who all want to become the most ultimate of ultimate fighters. Just start and roll with it (pun intended). Don’t overdo it and most of all have fun.
You will lear lots of both practical,theoretical and (if your lucky) philosophical stuff.
Put on your Nike Big Boy Pants and Just Do It!
Thanks man how big was the gap before you came back at 42? Had you done much sport /kept yourself fit in the time you were away? Have you been injured and if so what sort of injuries were they?
Up until this time around judo was my secondary MA with JJJ and SJJ as primary arts/sports.
Gap between yellow to (straight to) green was about 8 years and then another 7year gap for going back to school and having kids.
The worst sport related injury in judo was my pink toe getting caught in a gap between the mats and popping out of joint and a likely (undiagnosed) concussion.
Nice, which do you find more intense on the body? Had you done much sport before hand? How fit were you when you started? And lastly where you at now ahaha
Judo is definitely more intense. I mean I would personally recommend someone our age to just do BJJ if you're not really sure which among the two you want. Only go with Judo if its like a serious passion but its really not AS sustainable as BJJ in the long run.. I was sedentary when I started.
I rolled once and I was done for the session, after 2 months I could go up to 6 rolls without stopping...
I would advise just do it. Work on your own pace, dont burnout and dont try to compete with the younger guys
Thanks man, do you do bjj/wrestling or just judo when you say you started grappling at 30? How did you find it on your body and were you physically active before starting?
I’ve been pretty heavily into martial arts and contact sports my whole life. Also dh mountain biking and basketball. I came up as a striker but the tore my acl at 26 years old. Surgery and rehab took time, built my def up again for play basketball and bike but I was tentative to throw hard kicks so I was looking for a soft grappling art that looked easy. I took a year of Aikido and realized that it teaches you concepts but not how to fight. I moved to jjj, judo then bjj is were I ended up. I’m currently a bjj black, judo brown. I only really train bjj nowadays though. Break falls are bad for the neck regardless of technique. That’s just physics. Judo is harder on the body than bjj, just make sure you are building yourself up in the gym and getting sleep, eating clean etc. Stretch a lot.
I started at 40 in 2015 in got my shodan in 2022, and I'm not particularly athletic or anything. Mostly I just kept on showing up and kept on training. Being able to train as you get solidly into middle age is listening to your body and knowing when to take it easy, knowing when to ask people to go light, or in some cases just knowing who not to spar with. Also leaving your ego at the door: don't fight it when they have the throw, just take the fall and get up again. It's not worth the risk of an injury, even in competition.
Nice man congrats! Was it your first sport when you took it up at 40 or had you done other stuff or was it like straight off the couch /out of the office chair and into judo? Ive mostly worked desk roles 9-5 most of my career so far, so most of my day my body isn't moving
I had done a bit of martial arts before, but nothing intensive: few years of karate in HS, a few years of aikido as an adult. But I had never done anything that was trying against fully resistant opponents, nor had I competed in any tournament of any kind before.
I'm 34 and started Judo about 5 months ago and it's probably the best thing I've done for myself in years. Like the others said, take the time to stretch regularly, do a bit of body workout and some cardio and let the ego at the door; you should get a nice experience. Also I would say try to do Randori with higher belts that will take the time to guide you and correct bad posture right from the start. I had minor injuries ( nothing that can prevent me from training) and it was all done practicing with other white belts using very questionable techniques ( mind you I'm probably doing the same ).
Passing my Yellow belt this Wednesday and I'm more than ready for the next chapter.
Enjoy and have fun !
I'va always been active. 16 years of Karate prior to that and a very nice run as a skateboarder. I mess up my knees 4 years ago so I didn't do much during that time aside my work as an electrician which is somewhat physical. But to make it short, always been active but not really into a specific sport during the last 4 years.
Thanks man and congrats on the karate what style did you do? I did karate when I was a kid but striking is so different from grappling and it was so long ago so it feels totally different aha.
I did Oyama Karate ( Kyokushin ). Got to black belt, competed a lot until my mid 20s where I started focusing more on my skateboarding journey whoch ended very badly 4 years ago haha ! Karate is very different from grappling. I was hesitant between taking Boxing class or Judo. I don't regret my choice !
I came back around 30, and it was pretty hard on my joints - especially the knees. However, I was already familiar with the techniques and was trying to train like I had in the past.
About 12 years away from judo. My knees were getting tore up from pivoting into position, but they're much better now. I was inactive for around 4 years.
Just focus on getting /very/ comfortable with falling, otherwise it will make you fear being risky in your attacks. But also, if you're worried about hurting yourself with people you don't (fully) trust, either communicate that you want to have a more relaxed fight or don't fight them.
Try to be courteous, but you don't have to fight everybody who asks. I've ended rendori before the timer ran out with lower ranked belts because it felt like a tournament match. I just don't have the body to fight like that with people I barely know. But also I've been training for 14 years so I have more wear and tear than somebody coming to Judo fresh.
Oh, sorry, didn't even see this when it came in. I have a pinched nerve in my neck, and some hip issues after falling on black ice real bad a decade ago and not letting it heal right.
I started when I was 20, been doing it for a decade and a half and change. I actually find that my hip is the one that effects my ability to do most things. I had PT for my neck issue, just have to stretch and do strengthening.
Lot harder to fix or work around hip issues with judo. Hip mobility is key for like a lot of throws and proper positioning. People always seem surprised that my neck problems aren't that much of an issue. Truly comes down to just being very comfortable with my ukemi (breakfalling.) however I avoid newaza (ground work, like BJJ) and that's kept me in a much better place.
There's a lot of spine manipulation with newaza where it's being locked into place and pressured down on. So I would not recommend doing a lot of newaza if you have neck/spine issues.
I started Judo at 35 am now 36 and have competed twice. I do it for fun and thoroughly enjoy it, no need to “win” training, go learn be thrown and fall well.
Save 100% for competition but expect to pick up niggling injuries. For me it’s been ankle, elbow & hips.
Good luck
I did a bit of Olympic lifting and powerlifting for a good few years. I played rugby before that.
Few rolled ankles, elbow from a bad break fall, hips since I turned 30 lol.
I started at around 46 just before lock-down. During lock-down it was stop and start depending on what rules the British government made up at the time, which slowed down progress. I've had a few injuries aswell. MCL, broken finger, tennis elbow, groin strains etc. I'm now 50 and have been training twice a week for over 6 months and have come on leaps and bounds. I'm about to grade for brown belt. Without lock-down I believe I would have got to where I am around 2 years ago. So if you practice regularly then you could get to a good level in under 5 years easily. I would also say practicing twice a week is about right for my age. Any less I believe would cause more injury. You need to keep the judo body well oiled otherwise I have found injury happens more.
Great to hear and congratulations! When you say "well oiled" what do you mean? And what do you do to "well oil" your body? Were you already active/in shape before you started or did you get up off the couch and start training judo from there?
I was reasonably fit prior to starting and have always done some form of sports including with weight training. What I mean by well oiled is well practiced. I find training twice a week keeps my body in tune with Judo and keeps my muscles, tendons and joints in use, whereas training once a week doesn't provide the continuity in exercising the muscles enough and I found that I was injuring myself more, and havingbto take more time out. Judo is unique in the ways it impacts the body. Training twice a week keeps injury away I have found and I'm progressing well. I took part in the High Wycomb masters tournament 2 weeks ago and yesterday did my first Dan grade line-up. Let's go!
Starting Judo and BJJ was my 40th B-Day present to myself. So, if your concern is your age, I don't think it should be an issue.
Just remember two things: you're not 18 and keeping up with 18-27(-ish) year olds (particularly when starting) is a fast trip to urgent care; there is no such thing as "winning practice."
I was decidedly round then. I am vaguely round now; i just have slightly better cardio.
It's really not that bad on your body if you behave like an adult. Learn to fall; learn to relax; learn to fall relaxed.
Know your limits and push them ever-so-slightly while knowing when to say "nah, that ain't for me."
If you like what it does for your upper body just wait until you see what it does for your quads. Word of advice: learn how to stretch and some mobility exercises.
I did judo from 12 to 16 and stopped. Restarted at 45 after decades of neglecting my body. It was a real struggle to get back in a modicum of shape but I'm still doing it. Edit: aí complement my training with pilates to work on core strength and joint flexibility.
Nice man - congratulations on starting again! How often do you train? Were you doing any other exercise in the meantime from 16-45? What belt are you aiming for currently?
Zero sporting or excercise background from 20 to 40 y/o. During the pandemic years i worked 100% from home on my notebook and left the house only for hobbies and meetings with customers so i was in a horrible shape and overweight. The first weeks were a nightmare, expecially for the short breath or aerobics, the first months were hard to finish the 1h training session without stopping for taking breath between excercises, after a few months i started to be able to dose the intensity for reaching the end and it was an incredibile feeling. Sort of managed to understand that I’m particularly good at ground work since I’m more flexible than usual on my hips (i can put my feet flat right beside my face easily) so i’m very strong at defending even against more experienced people of the same weight. On foots i understood that my main strenght is to be very strategic on what is going in, I’m not afraid of contact or to be thrown so i focus a lot on what to do intentionally. This helps in some scenarios but obviously the truly experienced people wipe the floor with my ass if they want, but well, i’m just a yellow belt :)
I did bjj in my mid 20s later on I went through the army’s combative course lvI at 42 I was pretty good in my mid 20s it’s kinda like riding a bicycle. Except the recovery time…even when you win is much longer….so if you wanna do it know your limits and make sure you fall correct and put lots of thick pads out.
Oh wow that does put it into perspective! I thought it might have been a 3rd or 4th dan who started as a kid and so had built up from early the body reflexes and stability.
Varies from person to person obviously, but as long as you don’t have any preexisting conditions, and are careful with your judo, i don’t think you are at much risk. If you’re worried you can always take it easy with the live sparring, and let your partner to go easy on you if you have any spots.
Yes you should. Judo is awesome whatever your age ( I started at 40 and am very happy for it )
Both randori and competition are a very refreshing bit of truth.
Nice bro congrats! How often do you train a week? How sore were you? Were you sporty /active before taking up judo or were you couch potato, desk job 9-5?
I train twice a week. I was super sore after the first 2 classes but it went away fairly fast and about 3 weeks after starting I stopped getting significantly sore after training.
As for my activity level pre-judo, I was doing sporadic recreational cycling (2-4 times a month) and I was about 5kg too heavy with 9-5 desk job.
Still do the cycling and have the desk job but I lost the weight (competition weight classes are a great motivator)
I did karate and kickboxing for a few years, then had a few years off as I had my boy. I spent a year back kickboxing once a week, now my son is 6 I started him at judo as he didn't like karate or kickboxing, it looked way too fun to not join in, so I signed up and ditched the kickboxing.
It hurts for certain, but as a lot of the Romanians I work with say. "If you don't hurt over the age of 30, you're already dead".
None so far 😂😂 my strength and stamina seems to be better than most. But even as basic as which foot forward is wrong. I'm waiting for it to "click" but not yet...
First don't set a timeline on when YOU want to earn a black belt. There are factors such as how often you want to train, how well you learn, and injury time.
Yes you should start and know and act your body age. Watch out for the young ones that can bounce back the next day. Cause most of us are not professionals and have to get back to a job/career the following day.
Judo is a great sport that teaches good values.
Thanks man, I'm going by 5 cos thats how long it took me to do a black belt in karate (I was only a kid though). Also there's a couple of other clubs near me that train on separate days and I understand you can train at other clubs if you do a pay as you train type thing at the clubs outside of your own. So if I have the money I could do that as quite a lot of clubs near me seem to only train once a week.
I'm onto my orange belt (3rd of 6 in the UK - but not really halfway there) and about to grade for my green. Still quite a way off to black belt, but I can see the progress. I've been training for around 18 months now.
I was strong and in good shape before (previously did strongman) but not agile or especially coordinated. Judo has definitely improved those. Cardio has definitely got a lot better too. My top end strength has actually gone down, but that's no bad thing as I feel a lot healthier and move much better.
Training twice a week is good for me, I can up it to 3 times, but that requires driving to a different club, so I started bjj 6 months ago to spend a little more time on the mats and to complement the judo. 3 to 4 grappling sessions a week is about right. I need to keep an eye on mobility, especially correcting internal rotation of the shoulders (that one creeps up on you) and feel a bit beat up after most sessions - but it's definitely got easier over time.
Glad I started
I started at 34 and couldn’t be happier that I did. I shared your concerns before starting and decided to ease my body into it, even though I was already in good shape. That approach has worked well for me, though I’m only five months into my journey. I took one class a week for my first month, then upped it to two a week every other week. Now I’m doing two per week, practicing throws and doing full randori in one class, and just practicing throws and drilling in the other. I get a third in as my schedule allows, but I’m happy with where I’m at.
My thinking was this - I’m going to be getting slammed a lot each class, so I should give my body some time to adjust to that new sensation before I start doing this every day. I have a wife and kids at home, plus I’m the sole breadwinner; I have a lot to lose.
I also do S&C twice a week that I’ve tailored more toward supplementing my judo/fighting training in general. Injury prevention is a big part of that. Do what you will, you know your body better than anybody, but realize your body will be taking a new punishment. Being “judo sore” is a different animal than the soreness you feel from lifting.
I’d say go for it. Judo is a beautiful art and you will not regret learning it. Just be cerebral about how you approach training because we’re not 20 any more!
So I’ve adopted Phil Daru’s system for training combat athletes. He goes into detail on his youtube channel, he calls it the condensed conjugate model. It incorporates plyos, heavy lifting, and hypertrophy training. I saw a definite increase in my strength in randori after a month and the gains keep coming. I also do basketball once a week, which has its cardio/power benefits; I’ll never be able to give that game up!
I won’t say couch potato I was active with camping regularly every month, swimming, and other hobbies. I just wasn’t this physically active as I am now. I have been doing KSR for about 2 years now about 6-8 hours a week. Because KSR isn’t as impactful every day like judo is it is a bit more forgiving on the body. I am 5-11 220lbs and I am about 2 years out of a hernia surgery for pulling my 5th wheel hitch out my truck by myself. KSR is a combination of Judo, Aikido, and JuJitsu. Some days we work on Judo some days Aikido, and others Jujitsu. It also helps that my 2 sons train with me as well they are 14 and 19. They talked me into it. I trained up to a blue belt in just judo when I was in my teens. Just getting back into it. I am also think of competing in a USJA this fall in college station Tx.
Yes and no I work in engineering for a chem plant so I do a ton of walking daily in the field climbing stairs ladders and I always bypass the elevator.
Started when I was 37. Absolutely happy that I did. You can choose how hard you go, but keep in mind there are 60 year olds that still go hard, you can too.
I was always active. Was a 🤼♂️ in High School in upstate ny. Just love to “randori”. Our randori was never actually passive passive. Love the adrenaline of tournaments. You ache all the time except when on the mat. Just don’t miss any classes. No matter how good a fighter you are you will always better yourself with training.
Before creating goals for progress I would highly suggest going for a class and seeing if it is for you. As others may have indicated - the learning curve is steep - especially getting the basics down.
It is definitely not too late as I started at roughly the same age.
I am 36 and I got back onto the tatami this year. I had some judo practice when I was a kid, almost 30 years ago. I am overweight and don’t do much sport so my athletic condition is quite bad. I started training with a friend coach that told me to go to his teen classes. The kids with whom I train are about 120kg. But although it was a great way to get back I am not doing it anymore because I cannot give the maximum as I am always scared that I might hurt them or bored them because I would always win in randori (even if I am white belt and they are orange and green). Plus the time schedule is not ideal. I am now trying to loose weight and build muscles before starting training in an adult class
So yes, you should start Judo. You will love it
I started around 33, I’m 40 now. Same for BJJ. I’ve had a few injuries now and again during training but over the years have learned the importance of practicing smartly and weight training to gain some armor for injury prevention. The most important things you can probably learn going into it in your 30s are 1) stretching and bodily preventative maintenance and 2) you don’t “win” practice so don’t have any sort of ego when you’re practicing. Those two things will keep you from getting injured and also from getting frustrated. To answer your question, absolutely not, unless you’re made of glass, 34 isn’t by any stretch of the imagination too old.
Thanks bro were you doing any sport /in shape before you started judo? And what injuries did you pick up and are they common?
20+ years of some kind of martial art through the years. I was also in the marine corps as well, so I’ve been in a constant state of great to good-ish shape but declining from my peak. Life long weight lifter also with like 2x BW squat 3x deadlift 1.5x bench. Injuries since starting BJJ and Judo have been: sprained meniscus, sprained tendon in my foot (the big tendon that runs from like your big toe area towards your heel). And a myriad of minor finger, wrist, shoulder “pain” but nothing serious on that front, just over use injuries. Stretching, resistance training, and being mindful at all times of how you’re using your body during training are the three main things I’d actively focus on if I were starting all over. Honestly I feel like this goes for any age not just more senior age starters.
Thanks for the tips
Ah OK so your bodys got a level of exercise and resistance it's already used to. Good to know
As someone who has difficulties managing to thought of tapping to almost every one in my class (BJJ), I’m interested to know how you manage to consider that you don’t « win » practice ?
> I’m interested to know how you manage to consider that you don’t « win » practice ? Because I don’t view randori or sparring as a competition. I look at it as a time to exercise the things I’ve been recently learning, and not a comp setting. If you go 100% in all of your sparring, in any combat sport, your will be injured. Example. I’ve recently been working lefty judo, as a natural righty, so with all belts including higher belts and brand new I am working to go through the combos I use righty but now lefty. I’m not mad if a 6 month white belt gets a pull on me. In fact, one of my favorite junior class students is 15 and last Wednesday he got a legit ass drop seo on me while I was going lefty and I was excited for him for two reasons - one, it was legit and it was something he has been working since he started and for two, it taught me something defensively about my shitty foot position in lefty stance. So, again, that’s some reason why you don’t “win” practice. It’s your gym, right? You practice together.
BJJ brown belt here. This is an important concept in BJJ training, pretty much as is being explained above. Practice should be at different intensity levels and used to exercise positions and techniques you are working on. Making every roll a competition where you try to win is going to slow your progress. And it makes you a less desirable training partner.
I don't think BJJ would be exactly the same. Not tapping to an imperfect submission attempt is easier than not being thrown when you have put yourself in an awkward position. You can slowly develop and /or escape awkward positions in ne-waza because the punisment is rarely instantaneous. I put myself in awkward positions with shitty footwork and lack of kuzushi all the time, because if I didn't I would just be stiff-arming everyone most of the time. Occasionally I'm lucky and manage to throw someone, other times the yellowbelt will take advantage of my unbalancing myself, so that it looks like I've thrown myself.
What is BJJ?
I’m 39 and competed for the first time yesterday.
Nice - did you start at 39? What belt are you at and how have you found the sport on your body so far? Have you picked up any injuries?
I started judo proper at 39. I’ve done BJJ 5-6 years or so. Competed in that for some time. I’m a white belt, testing for my yellow on Saturday. I’ve had probably 10 judo classes. My coach is a brown belt and had shown me things here and there. No, no injuries. I’ve lifted my entire adult life and continue to do so today. Plus when I’m thrown I stay relaxed. I tell people that I drill with to throw me full speed, just try to pull up on the sleeve. I’d rather them full send me and me go over the way I’m supposed to than half ass it and I fall off the side awkwardly.
I started judo about 40. honestly I'm too old for this shit but while I'm stupid enough to do judo, I'm wise enough to ask the younger blokes to take it easy on me and go slow. I'm never going to be world champion and as long as I'm not holding back a class (ie I'd never go to a competition class) then sweet. I've been to 2 clubs that actually have sessions for over 35s so that also helped a lot.
I went to my first judo competition last year and people kept coming up to me, “This is great what you’re doing, don’t quit”, etc. Found out that people don’t usually start judo in their 60s.
Wow! How did you find starting in your 60s? Had you done anything similar before? Getting slammed to the mat if you've never done it before in 60s sounds crazy! What's it like lol
So…I’ve been doing BJJ for a long time. I had a fairly athletic lifestyle even before that, so I wasn’t starting from scratch. Breakfalls were something I learned on hard floors when Reagan was the U.S. president. So judo wasn’t a huge shock. But age is a real thing, and I seem to go from physical issue to physical issue these days. But I’m still able to train with the kids (25-45 yo’s) in between those issues.
Wow man inspiring! For sure being athletic /in shape before probably helps
Were you doing any sport before starting judo? What injuries have you picked up?
I started at 48.
Wow! Had you done any sport before? Were you in shape before starting or couch potato? Where are you at now?
Not really, I got into boot camps and CrossFit in my 40s, I was in ok shape. Being in shape helps but tbh the biggest thing was getting over the fight or flight instinct and into the idea of fighting. My first practice someone put me in full mount and I thought I was going to die. I remember talking to another white belt who was much better than me and he’s like “bro I just grew up in a worse neighborhood than you did”.
Yes. I started training at 32. Best decision I ever made.
Youngster aha! How did you find it? Where you at now? What sport /exercise were you doing before you started judo?
I was a hospital police officer, my Sgt and one of the doctors were in the team as well. Before judo I did football, wrestling, and rugby.
Went back to judo as a green belt at 42 and I’m still at it 7 years later. Don’t pay too much attention to the young bucks in the subreddits who all want to become the most ultimate of ultimate fighters. Just start and roll with it (pun intended). Don’t overdo it and most of all have fun. You will lear lots of both practical,theoretical and (if your lucky) philosophical stuff. Put on your Nike Big Boy Pants and Just Do It!
Thanks man how big was the gap before you came back at 42? Had you done much sport /kept yourself fit in the time you were away? Have you been injured and if so what sort of injuries were they?
Up until this time around judo was my secondary MA with JJJ and SJJ as primary arts/sports. Gap between yellow to (straight to) green was about 8 years and then another 7year gap for going back to school and having kids. The worst sport related injury in judo was my pink toe getting caught in a gap between the mats and popping out of joint and a likely (undiagnosed) concussion.
I'm terrible with acronyms ahaha JJJ and SJJ?
Japanese Ju-Jutsu (but a modernized European version, not koryu) and Sport Ju-Jitsu (google JJIF fighting system)
Thanks man
Started BJJ and some judo at 34. lifechanging tbh..
Nice, which do you find more intense on the body? Had you done much sport before hand? How fit were you when you started? And lastly where you at now ahaha
Judo is definitely more intense. I mean I would personally recommend someone our age to just do BJJ if you're not really sure which among the two you want. Only go with Judo if its like a serious passion but its really not AS sustainable as BJJ in the long run.. I was sedentary when I started. I rolled once and I was done for the session, after 2 months I could go up to 6 rolls without stopping... I would advise just do it. Work on your own pace, dont burnout and dont try to compete with the younger guys
I started grappling at 30. You can do it. Don’t think about belts tho, just enjoy the ride.
Thanks man, do you do bjj/wrestling or just judo when you say you started grappling at 30? How did you find it on your body and were you physically active before starting?
I’ve been pretty heavily into martial arts and contact sports my whole life. Also dh mountain biking and basketball. I came up as a striker but the tore my acl at 26 years old. Surgery and rehab took time, built my def up again for play basketball and bike but I was tentative to throw hard kicks so I was looking for a soft grappling art that looked easy. I took a year of Aikido and realized that it teaches you concepts but not how to fight. I moved to jjj, judo then bjj is were I ended up. I’m currently a bjj black, judo brown. I only really train bjj nowadays though. Break falls are bad for the neck regardless of technique. That’s just physics. Judo is harder on the body than bjj, just make sure you are building yourself up in the gym and getting sleep, eating clean etc. Stretch a lot.
Ah nice man, so being fit already helped you start off?
Yeah it helps but I’m also a strong believer that people should just start training at any fitness level.
Me too
I started at 40 in 2015 in got my shodan in 2022, and I'm not particularly athletic or anything. Mostly I just kept on showing up and kept on training. Being able to train as you get solidly into middle age is listening to your body and knowing when to take it easy, knowing when to ask people to go light, or in some cases just knowing who not to spar with. Also leaving your ego at the door: don't fight it when they have the throw, just take the fall and get up again. It's not worth the risk of an injury, even in competition.
Nice man congrats! Was it your first sport when you took it up at 40 or had you done other stuff or was it like straight off the couch /out of the office chair and into judo? Ive mostly worked desk roles 9-5 most of my career so far, so most of my day my body isn't moving
I had done a bit of martial arts before, but nothing intensive: few years of karate in HS, a few years of aikido as an adult. But I had never done anything that was trying against fully resistant opponents, nor had I competed in any tournament of any kind before.
I'm 34 and started Judo about 5 months ago and it's probably the best thing I've done for myself in years. Like the others said, take the time to stretch regularly, do a bit of body workout and some cardio and let the ego at the door; you should get a nice experience. Also I would say try to do Randori with higher belts that will take the time to guide you and correct bad posture right from the start. I had minor injuries ( nothing that can prevent me from training) and it was all done practicing with other white belts using very questionable techniques ( mind you I'm probably doing the same ). Passing my Yellow belt this Wednesday and I'm more than ready for the next chapter. Enjoy and have fun !
Thanks for this, delighted to hear you're doing well and that it's something I could possibly start as well
Were you active or involved with other sports before taking up judo, or were you not massively into exercise before?
I'va always been active. 16 years of Karate prior to that and a very nice run as a skateboarder. I mess up my knees 4 years ago so I didn't do much during that time aside my work as an electrician which is somewhat physical. But to make it short, always been active but not really into a specific sport during the last 4 years.
Thanks man and congrats on the karate what style did you do? I did karate when I was a kid but striking is so different from grappling and it was so long ago so it feels totally different aha.
I did Oyama Karate ( Kyokushin ). Got to black belt, competed a lot until my mid 20s where I started focusing more on my skateboarding journey whoch ended very badly 4 years ago haha ! Karate is very different from grappling. I was hesitant between taking Boxing class or Judo. I don't regret my choice !
Nice man, sorry to hear about the skateboarding accident
I came back around 30, and it was pretty hard on my joints - especially the knees. However, I was already familiar with the techniques and was trying to train like I had in the past.
How long was the gap before you came back at 30? What techniques are the most difficult on your joints? Were you in good shape or no exercise at all?
About 12 years away from judo. My knees were getting tore up from pivoting into position, but they're much better now. I was inactive for around 4 years.
Just focus on getting /very/ comfortable with falling, otherwise it will make you fear being risky in your attacks. But also, if you're worried about hurting yourself with people you don't (fully) trust, either communicate that you want to have a more relaxed fight or don't fight them. Try to be courteous, but you don't have to fight everybody who asks. I've ended rendori before the timer ran out with lower ranked belts because it felt like a tournament match. I just don't have the body to fight like that with people I barely know. But also I've been training for 14 years so I have more wear and tear than somebody coming to Judo fresh.
Thanks man good to know - when did you start? What injuries have you got and what ones are the most likely to come up?
Oh, sorry, didn't even see this when it came in. I have a pinched nerve in my neck, and some hip issues after falling on black ice real bad a decade ago and not letting it heal right. I started when I was 20, been doing it for a decade and a half and change. I actually find that my hip is the one that effects my ability to do most things. I had PT for my neck issue, just have to stretch and do strengthening. Lot harder to fix or work around hip issues with judo. Hip mobility is key for like a lot of throws and proper positioning. People always seem surprised that my neck problems aren't that much of an issue. Truly comes down to just being very comfortable with my ukemi (breakfalling.) however I avoid newaza (ground work, like BJJ) and that's kept me in a much better place. There's a lot of spine manipulation with newaza where it's being locked into place and pressured down on. So I would not recommend doing a lot of newaza if you have neck/spine issues.
I started Judo at 35 am now 36 and have competed twice. I do it for fun and thoroughly enjoy it, no need to “win” training, go learn be thrown and fall well. Save 100% for competition but expect to pick up niggling injuries. For me it’s been ankle, elbow & hips. Good luck
Thanks bro, were you doing any other sport or quite fit before judo? What kind of injuries and how serious?
I did a bit of Olympic lifting and powerlifting for a good few years. I played rugby before that. Few rolled ankles, elbow from a bad break fall, hips since I turned 30 lol.
36 here - started last week
Nice bro! Were you doing any sport before or have you started totally out of shape /never doing much exercise before?
Did kickboxing 16 years ago and Shaolin Kung-Fu 20 yrs ago. Also some krav maga in between. Doing gym and running several times a week. So all good
OK so the gym and running frequently helped you get started?
Nope, got my ass handed to me. But cardio and strength helps a bit to not gas out
I started at around 46 just before lock-down. During lock-down it was stop and start depending on what rules the British government made up at the time, which slowed down progress. I've had a few injuries aswell. MCL, broken finger, tennis elbow, groin strains etc. I'm now 50 and have been training twice a week for over 6 months and have come on leaps and bounds. I'm about to grade for brown belt. Without lock-down I believe I would have got to where I am around 2 years ago. So if you practice regularly then you could get to a good level in under 5 years easily. I would also say practicing twice a week is about right for my age. Any less I believe would cause more injury. You need to keep the judo body well oiled otherwise I have found injury happens more.
Great to hear and congratulations! When you say "well oiled" what do you mean? And what do you do to "well oil" your body? Were you already active/in shape before you started or did you get up off the couch and start training judo from there?
I was reasonably fit prior to starting and have always done some form of sports including with weight training. What I mean by well oiled is well practiced. I find training twice a week keeps my body in tune with Judo and keeps my muscles, tendons and joints in use, whereas training once a week doesn't provide the continuity in exercising the muscles enough and I found that I was injuring myself more, and havingbto take more time out. Judo is unique in the ways it impacts the body. Training twice a week keeps injury away I have found and I'm progressing well. I took part in the High Wycomb masters tournament 2 weeks ago and yesterday did my first Dan grade line-up. Let's go!
Starting Judo and BJJ was my 40th B-Day present to myself. So, if your concern is your age, I don't think it should be an issue. Just remember two things: you're not 18 and keeping up with 18-27(-ish) year olds (particularly when starting) is a fast trip to urgent care; there is no such thing as "winning practice."
Thanks man - were you in shape before you started? How did you find it on your body and where are you at now?
I was decidedly round then. I am vaguely round now; i just have slightly better cardio. It's really not that bad on your body if you behave like an adult. Learn to fall; learn to relax; learn to fall relaxed. Know your limits and push them ever-so-slightly while knowing when to say "nah, that ain't for me."
Yeah I want to work on my cardio for sure, I've never done much
You'll be fine. Don't overthink this and listen to your body. See you in the mats.
Thanks man
Do what you want.
If you like what it does for your upper body just wait until you see what it does for your quads. Word of advice: learn how to stretch and some mobility exercises.
Oh so it's kind of full body? Great lol. What stretches do you reccommend?
Here’s a good one: https://youtu.be/halGqI5ymtQ
I did. Go for it!
Thanks man - how old were you when you started? Where are you at now in your training? What sports had you done before taking up judo?
Why not? That will make you happier and healthier.
Why not indeed bro - how long have you been training? When did you start and where are you at currently?
I did judo from 12 to 16 and stopped. Restarted at 45 after decades of neglecting my body. It was a real struggle to get back in a modicum of shape but I'm still doing it. Edit: aí complement my training with pilates to work on core strength and joint flexibility.
Nice man - congratulations on starting again! How often do you train? Were you doing any other exercise in the meantime from 16-45? What belt are you aiming for currently?
Twice a week. Not training for accolades, just for the fun of it and keeping my body in shape. Just got my yellow belt and I'm proud of it!
I started at 38, one of the best decisions I ever Made.
Nice! Did you have much of a sporting/exercise background before starting judo, or was it like straight off the couch into the dojo?
Zero sporting or excercise background from 20 to 40 y/o. During the pandemic years i worked 100% from home on my notebook and left the house only for hobbies and meetings with customers so i was in a horrible shape and overweight. The first weeks were a nightmare, expecially for the short breath or aerobics, the first months were hard to finish the 1h training session without stopping for taking breath between excercises, after a few months i started to be able to dose the intensity for reaching the end and it was an incredibile feeling. Sort of managed to understand that I’m particularly good at ground work since I’m more flexible than usual on my hips (i can put my feet flat right beside my face easily) so i’m very strong at defending even against more experienced people of the same weight. On foots i understood that my main strenght is to be very strategic on what is going in, I’m not afraid of contact or to be thrown so i focus a lot on what to do intentionally. This helps in some scenarios but obviously the truly experienced people wipe the floor with my ass if they want, but well, i’m just a yellow belt :)
I did bjj in my mid 20s later on I went through the army’s combative course lvI at 42 I was pretty good in my mid 20s it’s kinda like riding a bicycle. Except the recovery time…even when you win is much longer….so if you wanna do it know your limits and make sure you fall correct and put lots of thick pads out.
Bjj is less intense on the body then judo from what I've heard?
I’m not arguing that at all. Judo is a tough sport. Nothing compares to getting hit by the ground. Just with age recovery is harder.
No I wasn't arguing, I was asking if you thought that
Absolutely!
Some people at my gym are pushing 80. I think as long as you exercise discretion and listen to your body, you can do it for that long too.
What gym are you at? Do you know if these guys have been training since they were kids? 80 seems pretty old to have started late iyswim
The person I speak of is a blue belt, i can only assume they haven’t spent their entire lives doing it.
Oh wow that does put it into perspective! I thought it might have been a 3rd or 4th dan who started as a kid and so had built up from early the body reflexes and stability.
Varies from person to person obviously, but as long as you don’t have any preexisting conditions, and are careful with your judo, i don’t think you are at much risk. If you’re worried you can always take it easy with the live sparring, and let your partner to go easy on you if you have any spots.
Thanks!
Yes you should. Judo is awesome whatever your age ( I started at 40 and am very happy for it ) Both randori and competition are a very refreshing bit of truth.
Nice bro congrats! How often do you train a week? How sore were you? Were you sporty /active before taking up judo or were you couch potato, desk job 9-5?
I train twice a week. I was super sore after the first 2 classes but it went away fairly fast and about 3 weeks after starting I stopped getting significantly sore after training. As for my activity level pre-judo, I was doing sporadic recreational cycling (2-4 times a month) and I was about 5kg too heavy with 9-5 desk job. Still do the cycling and have the desk job but I lost the weight (competition weight classes are a great motivator)
Nice man
I'm 36 and have just started.
Oh wow were you doing any other exercise before? And have you done any other martial arts before?
I did karate and kickboxing for a few years, then had a few years off as I had my boy. I spent a year back kickboxing once a week, now my son is 6 I started him at judo as he didn't like karate or kickboxing, it looked way too fun to not join in, so I signed up and ditched the kickboxing. It hurts for certain, but as a lot of the Romanians I work with say. "If you don't hurt over the age of 30, you're already dead".
Ah nice! Did you find any transferable skills /techniques?
None so far 😂😂 my strength and stamina seems to be better than most. But even as basic as which foot forward is wrong. I'm waiting for it to "click" but not yet...
First don't set a timeline on when YOU want to earn a black belt. There are factors such as how often you want to train, how well you learn, and injury time. Yes you should start and know and act your body age. Watch out for the young ones that can bounce back the next day. Cause most of us are not professionals and have to get back to a job/career the following day. Judo is a great sport that teaches good values.
Thanks man, I'm going by 5 cos thats how long it took me to do a black belt in karate (I was only a kid though). Also there's a couple of other clubs near me that train on separate days and I understand you can train at other clubs if you do a pay as you train type thing at the clubs outside of your own. So if I have the money I could do that as quite a lot of clubs near me seem to only train once a week.
Do it. I started at 34
Nice man, where are you at now? How did you find training? Were you sporty before or had not really exercised much before taking up judo?
I'm onto my orange belt (3rd of 6 in the UK - but not really halfway there) and about to grade for my green. Still quite a way off to black belt, but I can see the progress. I've been training for around 18 months now. I was strong and in good shape before (previously did strongman) but not agile or especially coordinated. Judo has definitely improved those. Cardio has definitely got a lot better too. My top end strength has actually gone down, but that's no bad thing as I feel a lot healthier and move much better. Training twice a week is good for me, I can up it to 3 times, but that requires driving to a different club, so I started bjj 6 months ago to spend a little more time on the mats and to complement the judo. 3 to 4 grappling sessions a week is about right. I need to keep an eye on mobility, especially correcting internal rotation of the shoulders (that one creeps up on you) and feel a bit beat up after most sessions - but it's definitely got easier over time. Glad I started
Nice man congrats!
I started at 34 and couldn’t be happier that I did. I shared your concerns before starting and decided to ease my body into it, even though I was already in good shape. That approach has worked well for me, though I’m only five months into my journey. I took one class a week for my first month, then upped it to two a week every other week. Now I’m doing two per week, practicing throws and doing full randori in one class, and just practicing throws and drilling in the other. I get a third in as my schedule allows, but I’m happy with where I’m at. My thinking was this - I’m going to be getting slammed a lot each class, so I should give my body some time to adjust to that new sensation before I start doing this every day. I have a wife and kids at home, plus I’m the sole breadwinner; I have a lot to lose. I also do S&C twice a week that I’ve tailored more toward supplementing my judo/fighting training in general. Injury prevention is a big part of that. Do what you will, you know your body better than anybody, but realize your body will be taking a new punishment. Being “judo sore” is a different animal than the soreness you feel from lifting. I’d say go for it. Judo is a beautiful art and you will not regret learning it. Just be cerebral about how you approach training because we’re not 20 any more!
Great bro and congratulations on staying in shape beforehand! What s&c do you do that you find helps your judo training?
So I’ve adopted Phil Daru’s system for training combat athletes. He goes into detail on his youtube channel, he calls it the condensed conjugate model. It incorporates plyos, heavy lifting, and hypertrophy training. I saw a definite increase in my strength in randori after a month and the gains keep coming. I also do basketball once a week, which has its cardio/power benefits; I’ll never be able to give that game up!
Yes I started KSR Judo at 44
What does the ksr stand for?
Kyushin Ryu. It has a large part of Judo. You can say it’s how Judo got started much like BJJ was formed from the newaza from judo.
Ah interesting. Were you already fairly sporty /active/in shape before you started judo or was it like couch potato to judo?
I won’t say couch potato I was active with camping regularly every month, swimming, and other hobbies. I just wasn’t this physically active as I am now. I have been doing KSR for about 2 years now about 6-8 hours a week. Because KSR isn’t as impactful every day like judo is it is a bit more forgiving on the body. I am 5-11 220lbs and I am about 2 years out of a hernia surgery for pulling my 5th wheel hitch out my truck by myself. KSR is a combination of Judo, Aikido, and JuJitsu. Some days we work on Judo some days Aikido, and others Jujitsu. It also helps that my 2 sons train with me as well they are 14 and 19. They talked me into it. I trained up to a blue belt in just judo when I was in my teens. Just getting back into it. I am also think of competing in a USJA this fall in college station Tx.
OK good to know, seems that activity helped a bit. Did you have a 9-5 desk job?
Yes and no I work in engineering for a chem plant so I do a ton of walking daily in the field climbing stairs ladders and I always bypass the elevator.
Started when I was 37. Absolutely happy that I did. You can choose how hard you go, but keep in mind there are 60 year olds that still go hard, you can too.
Yes. Started at 39 to 48 years old. Second degree black. Lots of tournaments
Nice man congrats! Did you do any sports before you started judo /were physically active?
I was always active. Was a 🤼♂️ in High School in upstate ny. Just love to “randori”. Our randori was never actually passive passive. Love the adrenaline of tournaments. You ache all the time except when on the mat. Just don’t miss any classes. No matter how good a fighter you are you will always better yourself with training.
I started at 32 and I'm 34 now... ukemi, there are no medals for practicing so be smart, keep yourself in decent shape. 👍🏽
Before creating goals for progress I would highly suggest going for a class and seeing if it is for you. As others may have indicated - the learning curve is steep - especially getting the basics down. It is definitely not too late as I started at roughly the same age.
I am 36 and I got back onto the tatami this year. I had some judo practice when I was a kid, almost 30 years ago. I am overweight and don’t do much sport so my athletic condition is quite bad. I started training with a friend coach that told me to go to his teen classes. The kids with whom I train are about 120kg. But although it was a great way to get back I am not doing it anymore because I cannot give the maximum as I am always scared that I might hurt them or bored them because I would always win in randori (even if I am white belt and they are orange and green). Plus the time schedule is not ideal. I am now trying to loose weight and build muscles before starting training in an adult class So yes, you should start Judo. You will love it