When I retired from pro rugby at the of 26 I wanted to get into something new. I tried Jiu Jitsu and I quit after 3 months because my ego got crushed, I wasn't picking up on the techniques, and I was immature. At age 30 I saw a Jiu Jitsu School just down the street from my apartment at the time. Told myself I should get back into it since its just a 2 minute drive away. Started off as a fresh white belt again who was more mature and patient. Fast forward 9 years and I'm now a Brown Belt at age 39 loving every second of learning and teaching. Jiu Jitsu will always be there and you can pick it back up when you're ready. For me it was growing up more and getting into the mindset.
Similar for me. When I was in my late 20s I tried JJ. Back then, there weren’t many brown fewer brown and black belts in the US and the culture of most gyms was “go big, or go home.” I wasn’t picking up on the techniques because I was always trying to tried no gi last year and found a good place and group. It’s actually making more sense to me and it’s fun.
Yea. And tapping before you’re crushed also helps. I am a 220 lb meathead and I tap all the time. No ego. I also sometimes roll with smaller, younger guys who refuse to tap to me. Our head coach called a guy out last night. He said - “that’s a big man about to snap your leg in half. You should tap.” The kid tapped and then said “I thought I had some possible moves left 😂
@@michaelm9710 people fight leg locks and heel hooks way too hard in practice. I’ve had training partners get pissed during live rounds because I have tapped before they “had it”. Young guys are constantly popping ankles and knees because they won’t tap to leg locks.
@ yup. I rolled with a 19 year old meathead who was frustrated I kept tapping before passing out or losing limb. It’s all good except I want to be healthy and train.
Jiu jitsu crippled me. I did it for almost ten years. My knees, elbows, and shoulders are all messed up. I left it about 11 years ago and I still hurt! But I loved it and still miss it everyday.
@@joewilson3857 Fair assumption, but I try my best not to assume as it often hinders the pursuit of true knowledge :) I have a genetic condition that leads to joint vulnerability - the double edged sword of training regularly has made me fitter and stronger than I was before, but I'm aware I'm only 29 still.
@@mikebasketball11 Getting twisted and torqued all over. And I fought through a lot of injuries I probably should not have. I was young and invincible when I started, then one day I just broke down.
@@ronnier5349 Ahh I see. Do you mind sharing at which age you 'broke down', and why you think you did? I trained through a fractured rib and regret it, have torn my MCL, and many other injuries (lesser ones). Your insight is appreciated dude as I'm slowly feeling the pain from it, but BJJ has saved my life and improves it in so many ways too.
I’ve been training all last year and right before a competition I torn my meniscus. Got surgery, couldn’t do the competition and couldn’t make belt promotions. The only person who visited me was the guy who tore my meniscus. We both started the journey at the same time he got promoted. So watching this video while recovering helps me out a lot. Thank you
local quitter here. He's right this stuff destroys the body. I still have headaches and neck problems from people doing neck cranks and my ego not letting me tap. TAP OUT WHEN YOU FEEL IT it's not worth the risk. I haven't finished the video yet but just be ready for some douchebag trying to hurt you no not make you tap but literally just hurt you. We had a 250lb dude that used to wrist lock me and my right wrist still has pain years later. Just be smart don't act fast and if you are uncomfortable with who you are rolling with just move on tell the coach not to pair you anymore.
@@brianhowell67nice. I feel like going in older can help because I see a lot of the younger guys getting hurt. Older guys do too, but not as often. I like to roll hard, but I’m good with tapping before I get messed up. Knowing how my body works is also a huge help
Very true. I was too stubborn to tap to cranks for far too long. I do tap early now and I hope I started that soon enough. In general, I try to tap early these days no matter what, it's "only" sparring after all.
I know one serious fighter with typical Saturday - boxing ant Muithai 2 hours in the morning and 1.5 hours of Shinkiokushin fighters classes in the afternoon. He told me of not doing BJJ until neck recovery and some weeks later told me of never tapped in he's life 😂
My first lesson. With Gi. The black belt decided to test if I'd get mad and lose it. I have a black belt in karate and a yellow in judo, so expected a warm welcome. I left with a crushed chest and throat, couldn't speak for a month, and still, 5 years later, get pains from that lunchtime birthday present. Never again. But others experiences do vary.
That is brutal. I puked, but that was because I was out of shape in a bad way. LOL But since then, even with higer and lower belts, everyone is pretty chill
I appreciate the hard truths you've shared about Jiu-Jitsu. Your insights resonate deeply with me, especially as someone who has taken a long break from the sport. After moving, dealing with COVID, and the challenges of finding a new gym, I found myself hesitant to return. At 55, I worry about being an older brown belt and the potential for being targeted in training. However, your video has sparked a renewed interest in me. I realize that while I have my objections and fears, I also have a strong desire to improve my skills. My primary goal is simple yet profound: I want to get better at escaping from bottom side control, mount, and back positions. This isn't just about Jiu-Jitsu for me; it's about committing to my passions and engaging in deliberate practice. I understand that my reasons might seem insufficient compared to the challenges ahead, but I believe that if I can give myself a sustainable "why," then I'm ready to embrace this journey again. It's about creating a better version of myself, and I think you'll agree that pursuing improvement, no matter the obstacles, is a worthy endeavor. Thank you for sharing your wisdom and encouraging others to face the realities of this sport. I'm excited to consider rejoining a gym and diving back into the practice!
I trained traditional jujutsu among many other things and the only 2 things that caused injuries were: 1. The throws in Judo (loading heavy guys on your back for some techniques is not good for the spine apparently). 2. The wrists make a funny noise after 2 years of Aikido (I like the sword parts). If Brazilian Jujutsu is too problematic for you, traditional Jujutsu is basically the same, but you bow down before the matches and there is a better atmosphere. The belts are "real" too, meaning, they follow the usual color system from Karate, Judo, Kobudo, etc. instead of making them up as they go. Brazilian Jujutsu it's as if someone said: "let's take this Japanese art, take away the respectful traditional atmosphere, the senpai-kohai dynamic, and have people brawl and injure themselves nonstop. It happened the same with Kyokushinkai... Some Korean guy thought foreigners would like a simplified and more brutal way of training and there you go. Respect and humility are more emphasized in traditional martial arts, so less injuries due to ego there.
Just got promoted to blue belt a few weeks ago after a tough two year journey. I have received some minor injuries such as sprains, cracked a rib, various finger pain, and such but it has helped immensely just slowing down and working technique. I feel pretty fortunate to be at a gym where there isn't any ego and people respect their training partners. One of my favorite things we'll do is enter all submissions very slow and controlled rather than rushing them. I think this level of control hones your technique and if you can do it slow and controlled you can do it fast. We will often take someone to the point of submission and hold for about 5-10 seconds and let them see if they can escape or not and if they don't, we complete the submission, if they do, we keep the roll going. Getting a submission is a win, but so is every little thing done right. Every escape from a submission or a pin or getting your guard back is a win, even just holding a pin or skillfully passing guard is a win. All those little wins add up. Even if I'm rolling with a higher belt that I have nowhere close to the skill to beat, I win when I survive a little longer each time. I'm 45 years old and suffered a horrible back injury and was in pain for 15 years. I probably shouldn't be doing this but I've learned over the years how to protect my back and where my limitations are. Sure, it's a risk, but life is risky and I don't regret starting this journey. We have a really tough 70 year old white belt at our gym and he's a beast. I'm in it for the long game and the mental challenge. I hope to do it for as long as I can. Be safe out there, folks.
Thanks for the honesty in this video. I started Judo again at 39 after an 8 year hiatus. The same rules apply, especially with accepting throws and break falling. I love it, but I know my time and ability is limited, even gaining a black belt, so I'm trying to come in with little-to-no ego and enjoying something I can still physically take part in.
@@noelminor3599Agreed on "acts surprised" part. No freaking way they didn't know what's on the stakes. And the injuries that scissor kick could cause are permanent. Zero respect takedown for your partner
Kane sute. Illegal on judo but still taught in a lot of schools. We always practiced from a static position and tried to get leg wrap at belt level. Always a tough fall to take as uke.
Thank you for the honesty. I’m grateful for not encountering gym drama that often. I’ve experienced multiple injuries and they hurt my heart more than my body. Time off training is tough… God willing, I will never quit. I hope that only old age makes me stop rolling.
Tyler, you spoke the truth. I'm a former professional sambo and judo practitioner (have been doing both since 6) and I quit competition at the age of 23 after my last win in a regional tournament. And at the age of 24 I said myself this is enough. The truth is, I quit because of the lack of progression (stuck in the same level), a lot of accumulated injuries (broken bones, torn ligaments, meniscus etc.) I had been thinking that I won't compete ever again. But at the age of 27 I decided to join my BJJ team because my keen interest was just to roll with people. And now I'm competing again. I don't care about my performance anymore. I don't have an ego of winning every single match as I used to have. I'm focused on new techniques and that's it.
I think if you had a competitve career before BJJ it puts everything in context. Getting in competition shape always takes so much live quality and yeah I got performance anxiety over the years. But yeah people in their late 20s that never had a competitve sports career in anything really put too much ego in it.
39yo blue belt. Agree with everything you said. I’m trying to ride this thing until the wheels fall off. Vary between hard and flow. Loving every minute
I just made it a few weeks ago for the last year and a half to get blue belt I have been averaging 7 hours/sessions a week. I saw my friends before and after me technically leave once getting blue belt, in fact I was worried about it like something would just happen the second I friend blue belt and my perspective would change 180 degrees. But that hasn’t happened yet 🤞🏼 what did do was want more since blue belt (I have been wanting to do more) but instead I joined Muay Thai too, in addition to. At 39 with 2 kids and a job I sometimes wish I could just give all that up and train both all the time. Oh well.
It's a young man's game like most combat sports or contact sports after 25 your injury rate will go up the longer you keep training same goes with Boxing ,Muay Thai, Wrestling Football ect.
A small but important detail that most of the people miss out: Upper body joints get damaged AFTER the pain signal forcing to tap reaches the brain. So, tapping may protect from that damage to occur. Lower body joints get damaged BEFORE the same signal. Here, by the time of tapping, a percentage of damage has already occurred.
Quitter here and found myself nodding like a bobblehead during the video. My (short) story is that I started at 35, went in without ego so that wasn't a problem, I knew I'd get humbled and i enjoyed that - was even learning from 15 year olds in there. I kept mostly to myself because I know that drama is inevitable and yet this happened: 1. Got injured twice by blue belts, ligament in ribs and thumb - had to take a lot of time off right at the start. I tapped but "oh sorry bro, i went too hard". 2. Gym politics, sadly one of the coaches is a sleazy guy on a power-trip (hits on the girls there, humiliates some guys and etc) making an overall shitty atmosphere at least for me. 3. I don't know if this applies to other gyms, but I found the lack of actual lesson structure off-putting. You learn 1 thing, practice it for 10-20 mins in drill, then never hear about it again until the next lesson, when they try to teach you another. It just seems haphazard. There's no focus on anything, like "a month spent on defense" or "a month spent on take downs" it's just random and mostly you're on your own. For me those were the two that nailed it and sadly only have one gym in my area, so BJJ is pretty much over for me. I wish I could just keep my head down and ignore the coach but he's the coach. I wish I could just do rolling or light-sparring, but there aren't enough people in the gym , so eventually I still rotate to one of the jackasses that go too hard. My big regret is that I legitimatly loved it - I even got a stripe on my white belt, so if there was another gym I'd be there in a heartbeat.
When I listen to this I'm glad I took it up at 46 and have learnt to just train to enjoy it, be a better version of me and not to win - sure I get injured but that's because I'm made of fat and dust
So true. I am 51 and was training BJJ but had to stop due to my neck locking up when I shoulder checked in my vehicle. Neck, back, cartilage, knees and tendons have all been injured. I miss BJJ so much but had to walk away. I wish they had belts in pickleball!
@@morganmackenzie250bjj will leave you with a cane by 60 and wheelchair by 70. many people will live to 100 now due to medical tech advancements with AI and supercomputing. lmaoo at destroying your body for a hobby
Thank you for being honest and not glamorizing BJJ. The current culture has some issues. I'm a 36 year old blue belt who's a few years in and often takes extended breaks because of life stuff and to just heal and do other things with my life. I think this has helped me avoid major injuries for now. Quitting frequently does not bother me and I'm not gaslighted by the memes. Jiu-jitsu can be a weird cult sometimes, partially because it's all some guys have and there's this macho energy at a time when men are looking for anything to feel strong. I know enough to keep myself somewhat safe in case of an altercation and tbh that's enough for me for now. Anything else is lagniappe. I'm also over the general toxic attitude and posturing I find. It's one reason I'm no longer going to add gym mates on social media or even really socialize with them outside the gym. I've gotten into too many political debates and weird squabbles with them. I'm now just at training and comps for the mat experience. I still love jits but at the end of the day it's a hobby and fun recreational exercise and learning exercise. It's not my life or entire personality.
Good timing on this video. Yesterday at training I stopped rolling with a spastic white belt after he basically front flipped out of a position. Told him he needs to relax some. I'm a 3 stripe white belt and feel like I shouldn't be telling training partners to relax. Would like some input on the situation.
I feel like saying no mid roll is 1000% okay. I’ve done it before. Telling someone to chill in a way is being a good partner. Letting newer people know what is and isn’t okay is important. Normally upper belts are “responsible” for that but you’re MORE than welcome to do so if you feel it is necessary. Also, a short convo with the head coach to let newbies know what is okay and not is also a good idea.
It’s hard to say without seeing. Generally its best to tell him you don’t wanna risk injury so when your rolling can you avoid hectic flying guard passes when you roll WITH ME. Explain the dangers ie the falling body weight or catching a heel, knee,elbow etc or stop rolling with him don’t tell him to chill in all rolls n assessing the techniques n speaking for others. Leave that to a coach or the higher belts. as competition classes with young bucks often get those rolls. People will attempt those stupid things in competition ( id get one cartwheel or diving gilly attempt like every few tournaments all the way into purple belt) unless your 100% sure what he’s doing is seriously dangerous
I stopped at 35, was mainly MMA, but a lot of BJJ classes up until that point... Realising we have this one body (and brain), the likelihood of getting in physical altercations drops with age, so why continue? Since I am lifting weights and haven't felt better since. Good honest video!
Ironically when I went to the ER for busted ribs from a botched takedown, someone else was there with a torn bicep from playing pickleball. The main takeaway i had from that visit is that I'd rather my body break from too much use than too little. The amount of overweight ill people was pretty staggering.
Jim Plunkett won two super bowls with the Oakland/LA Raiders back in the 80s. He said recently that he is in so much pain in his old age now, that he wished he never played football at all. At least he made money playing football, most jui jitsu guys make very little money if anything at all...
I've been on and off for years. Why have I quit? Last gym, I never saw them clean the mats. Other times, you're in a gym with a bad crowd. Guys who think every roll is fighting to the death, and they'll fly into an arm bar, or ankle lock, and can seriously hurt you. When you say the sport is a magnet for these guys, you couldn't be more right. Other times, I life got in the way, and I was tired.
After the many years Ive been training, I've learned the taboo is in the wrong place. Its not leg locks, its chokes. More specifically, getting your neck grabbed and yanked on by collars, guillotines, head and arm chokes, etc. That will mess you up far worse than a knee injury.
I trained wrestling for years, then I decided to start jiu jitsu. The issue with it was I had to train 2 hours for 3 days a week. The coach trained us as if this is our main profession. I have to wake up at 7 am every day and go to work to earn bread money for my family. If I get injured just because I was trying to follow the warm-ups or heavy rollings, then it was out of my work. Jiujitsu is for people who have light daily work or unemployment. Most coaches in gyms don't understand that some of us are full-time employed and we have to work to buy bread.
My dad quit when he was in his late sixties. I am forty something. I'll drink beers and eat whatever. You just need to do stretching and strengthening exercises besides it and realize around your thirties that KFC is more attainable than the UFC...just don't do stupid things, tap just before shit really is going to hurt and accept that younger lower belts sometimes could let you tap. There is also no shame in missing a few lessons and just nerd out on technique...
I was 24, in legendary physical condition. I was a blue belt at the time and we had a seminar on how to hold a perfect side control. I was told to take bottom position and attempt to escape side control. I tried multiple techniques as hard as I could and turned every angle to get out but it was no use. That night my lower back was killing me. Turns out I had a bulging disc and it basically changed my life forever. I went from feeling fit and young to feeling like a 99 year old man. It scared me and psychologically depressed me. I am lucky that I recovered because I was young and dedicated to therapy. I went back to jiu jitsu and suffered a broken wrist almost within a few months of my return. My instructor accidentally wrist locked me way too hard and I never had a chance to tap out. I was in a cast for 8 weeks. Doctors said the scaphoid was cracked and may never heal again. I got lucky again. Now I stay out of those jiu jitsu gyms and my life is almost pain free. I still have extreme tightness in my back and stretch deep about twice a day to remedy.
Damn, that sucks but at least your positive about it. Maybe you can get mats and just rep moves & light roll without wrist/heel hooks etc? If you have space & someone you deem trustworthy? 🤷♂️ Good luck with whatever you decide to do 🤙🥋
This is a great video about the reality of martial arts. I have neck issues, back issues, knee issues (heel hook anyone), and don't forget about MRSA from the mats! It's hard and it's a long road and not all gyms, instructors, and cultures are the same. It's better to try jiu-jitsu and at least complete your blue-belt training than to just quit after 3 months. When I trained BJJ exclusively it was just starting to get going (1999) and there were few gyms and great teachers. It's so much about the coach and the culture they create. Some top-tier guys are still great friends and there were some legit criminals at our gym. Our coach didn't tolerate the latter but everybody gets hurt. I'm pretty outgoing and I never had any drama except an occasional fist fight when we got too competitive! Lol. Partner preservation is important.
Two stripe white belt here, two years rolling, 5-0 comp record, 38 years old with 3 boys. What people do not understand when they enter BJJ at my age is that everything needs to be dialed in your routine. Nutrition, Bjj 2-3 sessions a week, lifting 3-5 days a week, sleep, no alcohol, and 10 minutes of stretching before bed. This helps me stay injury free and lets me enjoy the process. I don’t care about promotions but more about learning, staying healthy and being an example for my kids who also do Bjj. It makes a big difference when you can roll them. Maybe this helps. Stay healthy and always be humble as a white belt.
I've trained in Judo since 1982 (81?). I started wrestling and boxing in B&G Club the following year. I've been in combat sports my entire life. Fifteen years in BJJ. People quit BJJ because it's simply boring. Incredibly boring! And it's declined in effectiveness beyond Blue/Purple. The rigors of getting a Black Belt just aren't worth it to the 95% who are just hobbyists. It's just dull. Like fencing or tennis. It's great for recreation, but throwing your life into it just seems sort of...odd.
I’ve had a little experience in wrestling, boxing and Judo. I got into BJJ and felt like after 6 months or so it got boring. It shouldn’t be a “sport” but rather “apart of a sport”. I went in wanting to learn more for self defence purposes
As a forme fencer, BJJ isnt that boring. But I get your point. Especially NoGi is super simple and Gi yeeah you can do a lot of unrealistic stuff with the Gi with no carry over for effectivnesss. After Blue you only get better in fighting blue belts and above.
Injuries --> look what happened to Rokas from Martial Arts Journey! Leg break and months of rehab. He is lucky to be walking, much less BJJ or other martial arts!
The thing my friend is that all these "hard" truths that people would find tough to swallow, are actually what make the journey worth within the sport and I will explain myself in a second. Through my life I have been an avid researcher of philosophy, theology, psychology, and occultism in the context of finding ways that have been there for perhaps millennia in regards to becoming a better person. As cheese as it might sound, there are , if understood properly specific ways to apply theory to achieve these things, like practicing tolerance, stoicism, deconstruction of negative patterns within ones self and a long list of others that i wont analyse at the moment. The only practical situation/activity that personally have seen to assimilate and incorporate all these aspects that the aforementioned High Arts encompass is this sport which *ultimately* if gone through the whole curve, *will* with mathematical precision lead you to becoming a better person (man or woman for that matter). Why? Lets find out. 1. Quitting: yes indeed many people with very few exceptions have had in mind at some point to quit due to the *feeling* of non-progression, hitting plateaus, gym politics, being steamrolled constantly etc. Though the adjustment to ones attitude whilst in these situations allows you to work through the frustrations, and coming to terms that there are many uncomfortable times that will be forced upon you (much like a 200lbs pressure passer of purple belt pining your ribcage to the ground when you are white at 150lbs) and sometimes you cannot do anything about it than accept. This allows you to build up character in situations that are out of your control and you cannot do anything about it. Might be a redundancy at work, might it be a sudden loss of someone close to you, may it be a failure at a team project that others didnt carry their weight or anything else. You come to terms with that and you can bounce back in a better fashion ,or at least regulate your inner feelings. Lack of progression. Here there are two things that can happen. A. you are not as good as you think you are even at your own level. I.e. you are a white belt that trains for a couple of years, you see others getting promoted you are not you feel that there is no progression so you go away to try something else. In this case the sport teaches self-reflection and introspection *if* you are willing to face the Hard Truths. Why are you not progressing? what is the fault? Is it because you lack understanding of the nature of the sport? of the techniques? could it be you are approaching all rolls and training as an ADCC final ? is it because you are trying to spar with the 1-2 week or much weaker people in order to dominate shying away from challenge? It could be different from person to person, but it will be the case that if you do this meditative self-reflection and change mindset you wont quit. This will teach you introspection overall and enhance the way you philosophise on other matters of life, unjust behaviour you had towards others, bad attitude, taking things for granted you name it. B. the coach either doesnt like you or doesnt want to promote you for a reason. This case calls for stoicism, patience and iron will. There is a saying in Greece that states "drop by drop the water pierces marble, and whatever someone hates, he changes and loves it". there are many reasons why you are not liked by someone or why you are not given the dues you think you deserve. I personally think the biggest "proved you wrong" to these people is if you stoically and without whinning, bitching or creating drama, take it and wait the time to come. I gurantee you that if you arent a real asshole of a person and if the disliking is not justified, eventually you WILL be acknowledged and respected threefold more than others that gained approval on the bat. Is it unfair ? yes. could it be uncalled for? yes. who cares though. thats life, and this lesson prepares you to be armed with stoicism in real life. i.e in work for a promotion you felt you deserved but didnt get. Efforts you did for a person that werent immediately acknowledged. Patience. The biggest piercer of any marble. 2. Injuries: with experience as you train forward you will start to be able to identify who are good sparing partners and who are not. There are big indicators of a persons demeanor and appetite from the way they even discuss simple manners, but you will also from the feel of them on the first touch understand if they are trying to be proper or bat shit dangerous. Thus you cultivate the experience to not engage with dangerous people that could injure you from carelessness and not work with them. Also you will come to terms with there is no bigger loss than getting a serious injury that will affect your day to day life, and you wont risk that for fighting "to the death" with a random roided up freak that started couple of months ago and thinks that he will become pro within 6 months in the sport. I am not saying that sparring 100% is to be avoided, hell I spar 80-95% most of the rolls but still in a controlled mutually agreed frame with people that when on sub mode wont crank or go for the kill but rather gradually pull till the partner taps. When injuries occur which they will even as an accident you need to know how to take a step back recompose yourself and body to return stronger. The above teaches good judging of character, learning to let go, not antagonizing people that wear blinders and dont see the Truth, and of course again Patience. This will help in everyday life to be able to see which of the people around us, friends, co workers are loose cannons, reckless, don't really care about your well being as long as they reach their goal. In addition this will help you save time and stress by not trying to change people that think they ve figured out everything and let them meet their humbler (could be work, could be friends walking away , could be the 200lb european champion purple belt that will torture them with pressure every single roll for going 100% on him). 3. Jackasses & Egos: pretty much related to my statement above, but also here you could be the jackass and the egotist. You need to learn again to let go, to accept that there will be always a bigger fish than you and that you will always be worse than someone on a mat somewhere in your gym or in the neighbourhood, in the state, in the country or even in the world. You need to start training properly with others and not against others. this teaches again inner balance, introspection, getting de-tethered from fictional shadow-self created images on what you think you are - in order to become who you really are. Leaving your Ego away is the biggest challenge in every aspect of life, and is one of the biggest focal points we all would need to work on. Now, if others are jackasses and egotistic, again you develop a filter of character and you can easily avoid them overall. 4. Jiu Jitsu cannot fix you by itself, as divine providence is not enough if you dont do anything. Jiu Jitsu will teach you all the lessons i am analysing above and below but will require your understanding and actual "sight" of these lessons. If you just do it to blunt your head and you just go in 120% in most likely scenario is that you will do something dumb i.e. as a total amateur hit roids to get stronger, faster and better, that could potentially harm your health, spar 120% with experienced and seasoned athletes that could end up with you getting seriously injured, losing the track of purpose, and if by any chance you quit, or made to sit back like with an injury, your life will be actually empty and with no meaning. The Gentle Art requires you to be a gentleman (or lady), and to be a gentleman you need to have a specific level of intellectual understanding and by this, if you see the lessons you can identify negative patterns within yourself that can be changed. i.e. not being patient, having panic episodes whenever mounted or chocked, to prefer to risk towards very serious injury just not to tap and show "weakness", trying to bully the weak (kids, lighter and more inexperienced people than you). The Gentle Art is a mirror that you can see who you are. Most people wont like to see what the reality is on who they are so they chose to turn the other way and scroll on tik tok. But if you take a closer look, it can help you. Nothing is a fixer if you wont do the Work. This helps you in, self-judgement, self-improvement, increasing empathy, understanding where others come from.
5. You cant escape politics: this is the harsh reality of *any* environment that has people within. Society has politics, sports teams have politics, groups of friends have "poltics" work definitely has politics, household relationships have politics, and you need to learn how to be calm, diplomatic and understanding on what is happening and learn to weigh the situations. Imagine being a new guy at work with limited experience, and at the first weekly meeting of the commercial team you chime in start taking time talking about yourself and how you would do things differently and better and discussing on how you are the best basically (with other words even) - what, do you think this would be viewed as alright? and even if your pointers were actually true and even if you are this hidden genius would it be the right time and place to play your cards? Being accepted in a group is basically what gives you the right (not as a person overall but within the spectrum of the group) to have an opinion, to be able to make statements and being understood on what you want to say/mean together with the intentions. Also, if you always dive in politics and try to manipulate situations, people, being manhandling or whatnot, sooner or later the veil of truth comes off and you will be exposed as the person who is creating the drama. This teaches you, if you want to not be part of this, to practice again stoicism, silence, calmness, and indifference to things that shouldnt be of your business. Hence why people think that Tyler was a psychopath, because in this rotten society it is viewed as normal to engage in shit talk behind peoples' back, trashtalking people, trying to form groups and cliques to ascend as a team within the team, rather than actually doing the honourable solo way with your value. In real life this can be easily seen everywhere and people with high work ethic, that are not engaging in menial politics, that come put in the work, and they mind their own business, are the ones that win the marathon race, which life is and also JJ. 6. An additional Truth that i have discovered is JJ deconstructs your own idea of self and creates a constant struggle and pain both metaphorical but also literal. when you are humbled and can be humbled at any time, and still chose to be exposed openly, when you fail and fail and fail again and keep trying, when you mentally build up reserves to cope with the constant struggle and pressure and pain, when you reach the deepest depths and have built a Self that is not even thinking to quit, when you are caught in a RNC and you smile you ended up in there, then there is only one way and this is up and as physics and chemistry have taught us, enough pressure, will create a Diamond. This can help you in life approaching situations with no fear as you have willingly put your "life" at risk every day multiple times, what can a public speech to 20 , 50 , 100 people make you afraid of then? You expand your comfort zone limits day after day, to a point that you start slowly becoming not a strong person that can kick peoples asses but who you really are. JJ is a sport yes, but due to its nature, you have meetings with your Self every single day if you are open to go inside and See. Will this work for everybody? of course not, but still for me is the most complete activity that I have ever tried. And for this, I will be a Practitioner for life. Not an athlete, not a champion necessarily, but a Practitioner. Too long ? yes. You didnt read it? Dont really care have a nice day.
@@finisaborigine1712 Good post dude. I also feel that jj is the most practical exercise in building strong character (in terms of ancient Greco-Roman philosophy), that I have ever encountered. This sport does take you into your own depths, but only if you're open to it. It can help to resolve internal issues and can take a lot of anxiety out of situations where it normally rises. Really like and agree with what you said about the journey itself. It's hard to do, but enjoying, or even just accepting, the process as it happens is the overall right path in my opinion. Trying to rush to the finish is the way to burn out, and to miss the lessons you could have learned about your self.
@@richgarganese3571 thanks for taking the time to read through. you are right, ancient Greek philosophy and/or ancient Egyptian philosophy held an extremely high value of the ability of one to be able to go deep Within reconstruct what is necessary and express a better Self Without. the Templaric/Freemasonic saying "V.I.T.R.I.O.L" or "visita interiora terrae rectificando invenies occultum lapidem" meaning "visiting the interior of the earth, and by rectifying, you shall find the hidden stone" is actually based on that and simply means "Γνώθι Σαυτόν" or "Know Thyself" and by knowing who you really are what and how you are good and bad and what you need to change WILL mathematically and definitely if approached with an open mind and heart make you a better person. p.s. when Neo goes to visit the Oracle in the Matrix (much like when people went to visit the Oracle in the Delphi Mantion Temple) it said (much like the actual Temple) on the top of the door "Temet Nosce" that translates to "Know Thyself". jmlkanewischer.wordpress.com/2022/02/11/know-thyself/ Also in Freemasonic Lore same element is seen with "ΕΙ, Γνώθι Σ Αύτον" which means "You Are. Know Thyself" Now what you are, God, demon, degenerate, or a good person it is *only* for you to find out. And if you can find the *Right* answer you will be able to change and Find the Hidden Stone on your way to become Neo. Or the One. And One is Everything and All, again, in Ancient Greek philosophy as per Heracletus ("Εν το Παν" / "One is All). Cheers.
Facts in regards to Breaking down your body. I owned BJJ/MMA/MT Schools for 18 years. Got my BB in 2008. Now I am 49 with a TBI, neck, back, hips, knees, shoulders, etc in constant pain. Struggle with executive function now from the TBI with 20 years worth of concussions, and sub Concussive blows preceding it. Be safe.
I've been thinking about starting for the last 3 years 😂 so this video is massively helpful. There are so many insightful things to consider. Well done! 😎
Glad I never started. The older I get the less I care about being a tough guy. I just want to take care of my body for longevity. AKA cardio, weight training with a little boxing / kickboxing on my BOBXL lol....
Awesome video, I agree and lived thru about everything you pointed out. I'm 62, BJJ grappled at a hobby level for 11 years in the 1990's until I had a neck injury from a local tournament that finished my BJJ training at 41. I still live with that wrenched neck pain, had 2 shoulder surgeries (one def. from BJJ injury), broken two toes, snapped a finger and a bad high ankle sprain JUST AS A HOBBYIST! *Still no regrets, the most fun style I've ever trained in. (5'10", 142 lbs)
I had a muscular injury back in June from bjj. I rested, tried physio, seen doctors, its just not getting better. Hoping I can get better this year and go back.
I think there are different approaches to jiu-jitsu. The martial art approach, which could well solve your problems. Combat jiu-jitsu, which will help prepare you for fights. If done properly, injurues Inevitably sustained in training will be less than those sustained in fights, and sport jiu-jitsu. This last one has the least chance of encountering problems with quitting, getting injured, ego.
Lot of truth in this video. Injury stopped me ACL blown out. Never been the same since. When I look back the injury was the best thing that happened to me. Got out the game. Now I can see all the issues that this lad talks about. And I've gone on to be successful in other things that actual makes me money and doesn't destroy my health.
I'm 62. I've been doing martial arts since I was 10. I have 3 black belts in different arts including Judo. A couple points to add; only 1-2% of people will get a black belt, that means 98+% of people quit. You Will get injured. Most injuries are not serious but need time to heal. An injury that requires 3-6 months to recover from is often more than most people are willing to go through. Some seemingly nice people are complete dicks on the mats and do not care at all for your safetly. When you allow them to practice on you make sure they respect your safety or find a different partner. No martial art should advance your aging. Its the opposite. I am more fit and agile than most people 10 years younger than me and some half my age. If the martial art is wrecking you then there is something very wrong.
I’m 31, just got my purple belt a few months ago. I haven’t been able to train as much as I would like. Over the years as I’ve accumulated injuries and damage, I find myself less and less eager to compete. I prefer a hard roll in the gym over a competition. Jiu Jitsu has become more about health, fitness, and community.
Heres the thing: I started BJJ for fun and I had free time. It was instantly fun, awesome workout. I didnt care whatsoever that I got my ass beat easily by other whitebelts with more experience, much less bluebelts or higher. I dont have that kinda weird ego ppl stupidly seem to have. I was humble about it and it was fun learning for some months. But then I realized something. I enjoyed it, but i also saw how people got injuries. Even me, playing it safe, instantly got a small(er) rib injury and I realized how people were constantly fkn up their fingers etc. To me, im interested in longevity and my body holding up well for physical activities into my 40s, 50s, 60s even 70s. For myself I made the choice that BJJ would only be negative in that regard, even if it would be cool to be more proficient than most normal people in grappling (and I loved the community aspect of it). So I quit it. not because I was "humiliated" or "dominated" on the mats lol, anyone that isnt ego-driven and insane would be fine with that as a newbie in BJJ.
The idea that jiu-jitsu will destroy your body all comes down to how you train. My coaches coach is a3degree black belt that has been doing jiu-jitsu for 30 years. He has had zero injuries that ever put him on the bench. If you train, smart, no wind to tap,and make it about jiu-jitsu instead of winning, power, strength, or force, I think you can go a very long time without doing any damage to your body.
Yes, you did a good decision for yourself and that's ok (I decided to do the same thing), but we can learn always from BJJ aspects for our lifes and that's SUPER GOOD!
I’ve always done combat sports, so everyday it was either sore muscles , sprained muscles or broken toes that flare up everytime it gets touched. But at the same time when I just played Xbox all day, I was bored and felt shit, and playing football would just pull my legs or hurt my ankles. Running was boring and would hurt my knees. It’s all what you’re willing to ‘sacrifice’(it’s not that deep) to have fun and a hobby you enjoy, which if you look around, most people actually don’t have
I’m in my 50’s now. When I was 48 I ruptured my biceps tendon rolling with a kid in his early 20’s. I now do a lot of Yoga and have given up BJJ. My body feels amazing compared to the constant nagging injuries I seemed to be accumulating doing BJJ.
been training for nearly 20 years now. it has taken its toll on my body. i would do it all over again. these days im coaching. i am not sparring as much as i used to, once a week now. but even now im going to cut it way down.
Been training for years, FINALLY someone says it. All these are SO true. I get hurt often, nothing serious but it effects my life and work constantly 😂
I’ve been training nearly 6 years and never had any real injuries. Couple of sprains here and there. But I have also seen coaches who are semi-crippled. It can definitely mess your body up. I think the key is to take regular breaks, listen to your body, dial down the intensity sometimes. These days I am only training once or twice a week, it sucks but on the bright side, at least it will hopefully save me from being a cripple.
@@tstarajayi Not really, no. Nothing actually injured, rest for a week and it's back to normal. Happens in any sport. I would consider a real injury to be something that puts you out of action for a long time or requires serious treatment.
Similar here except I had a couple of serious injuries that put me out for a while. Now I’m a sensible hobbyist, train once or twice a week, keep my skills up. Strangely enjoyable.
I quit after one year of going to class several times a week and learned virtually nothing. I never learned what to do when rolling. You go to class warm up 15 min. Cool down 15 min. Free rolling. And then learn some random technique you will never see again. Drill it for 15 min and forget it by the next session. I know guys who were doing it for years and are not blue belt and still have zero idea who to grapple.
Great & honest video! Subscribed 👍 After on/off training for the last several years, I'm now 43 years old training Judo at longtime friends family gym. I'm not looking forward to hunting for a new gym once I can begin travel nursing since I'm used to the family environment. Great advice to just mind my business and be respectful at any new gym to avoid politics/drama 🙏
You know you're in a good place when you get promoted to blue and a lot of people from the gym dm you later to co gratulate you the second time. I got promoted last friday to blue after anout 2 yrs of training. I had training partners that were there a year before i started and theyre still ehite belt and they are happy for me. I cant wait until their promotion so I can be happy for them too. This is a big part of bjj for me, however i may have more respect due to age and havibg 3 kids lol
@zerotoguitarhero5023 To be that close. He said the politics at the gym turned him off. It kinda turned him away from the art and sport as a whole. Then he didn't like how it became tournament focused only.
I quit because my body started to break down and I was gonna have to be a full time bodybuilder just to be able to keep training and I didn’t love BJJ enough to do something like body building that I hated
you cant quit you must keep going to class and training forever or your weak also do crossfit and run at least 2-3 miles a day might want to get a triangle tattoo somewhere visible and a bumper sticker so everyone knows you hard
the guy getting his finger amputated. I can relate to him. as someone who also has an addiction, BJJ literally saved my life. I swapped that action with BJJ. and I have to disagree with you saying "it's not gonna fix anything" because it has worked for so many other people including myself. I guess you will only know the feeling of why they train hard and basically are addicted to BJJ, once you have been in their shoes.
Idk for me the biggest reason to regularly make breaks from jiujitsu is that it makes one depressed. Im not sure why either. Is it the constant ego crushing, the reduced blood flow to the head, the multiple micro injuries, the lack of community, or the lack of physical exercise (compared to wrestling/kickboxing etc), but for me Jiujitsu is causing depression, unlike other combat sports. And its so crippling that i can only do it for a few months before i have to quit again. Even though i like the techniques and acknowledge its usefulness.
This happens to me as well. I think sometimes it’s because I’m not eating enough to cover the intense calorie burn. If I eat a lot of good food, the depression isn’t there or not as bad.
I don’t think there’s anything that will make me quit. I tore my LCL a few weeks ago and I have bad bursitis in the other knee. Still training as much as possible.
My first experience rolling in BJJ was in 2001. I think the big blue belt I rolled with crushed my nose on purpose from a side mount. He drove his shoulder straight down on it and it was obviously not an accident. I tapped. At first I thought it was some "sh!t test" that seasoned veterans to see if I would lose my temper. But I did not. I continued for a few more months and eventually quit. I did not regret it.
I started martial arts 20 years ago. I have some issues from it, but in general I'd say my health benefited and still benefits from it. Took me at least a decade to figure out that I was going too hard all the time. Especially in early grappling and mma days we all sparred far too hard and a lot of my past training partners suffer from lingering injuries now and more than a few had to stop. I'm 50 now and I still go hard. Sometimes. With people that know me. Gym politics and belts never really interested me. Took me 5 years to get from blue to purple but I wouldn't really have cared if it would have been 10.
Ngl, this is why I dipped at 19 after i ripped my rotator cuff from a kimura (fully healed after 10 months fortunately). Nobody needs to try to get through life being injured all the time and I could just tell the injuries would keep coming
Our gym works so hard to keep drama out. We are able to do it cause we have been blessed to have a core group of guys 15+ that have been there since white belt and gym opening. We average 40 years old so the elder upper belts are looked up to by the young gun slingers. Its a very balanced gym and we all jump on drama IF! it shows itself. Just roll amd save the drama for tv.
Brother, I have my brown belt. Took a new job recently, and now I see taking 4 hours out of each day is preventing me from being useful for other things. Family. Business endeavors. Unfortunately, I think I'm going to slow down. It's really hard for people to manage injury. Thankfully I was focused on defense, but if you are not it's very hard to survive for long.
I´ve been 1 month into the sport and i have swollen ligaments in my shoulder rewarded by another white belt... just the other day one of the professors said that i'm way too new to be rolling in the mat... stuff that no other professor or high grade told me about. Ever since i started i have had minor injuries like pain in the ribs, broken nail, a bruise shin and so on... Low key it feels like you are in the jungle despite all the respect, check ego and discipline talks
When I retired from pro rugby at the of 26 I wanted to get into something new. I tried Jiu Jitsu and I quit after 3 months because my ego got crushed, I wasn't picking up on the techniques, and I was immature. At age 30 I saw a Jiu Jitsu School just down the street from my apartment at the time. Told myself I should get back into it since its just a 2 minute drive away. Started off as a fresh white belt again who was more mature and patient. Fast forward 9 years and I'm now a Brown Belt at age 39 loving every second of learning and teaching. Jiu Jitsu will always be there and you can pick it back up when you're ready. For me it was growing up more and getting into the mindset.
Similar for me. When I was in my late 20s I tried JJ. Back then, there weren’t many brown fewer brown and black belts in the US and the culture of most gyms was “go big, or go home.” I wasn’t picking up on the techniques because I was always trying to tried no gi last year and found a good place and group. It’s actually making more sense to me and it’s fun.
didn’t ask
@@beaualoevv damn bro you got them good holy cow
@@beaualoevv you should lay of the weed and tramp stamps and go train!!!
If it's just down the street why would you drive?
Taking a break when you need one solves a lot of problems.
Yea. And tapping before you’re crushed also helps. I am a 220 lb meathead and I tap all the time. No ego. I also sometimes roll with smaller, younger guys who refuse to tap to me. Our head coach called a guy out last night. He said - “that’s a big man about to snap your leg in half. You should tap.” The kid tapped and then said “I thought I had some possible moves left 😂
@michaelm9710 Some people are absolute fools and just won't learn. Ego plays a giant role, too many people acting like its an important competition.
@@michaelm9710 people fight leg locks and heel hooks way too hard in practice. I’ve had training partners get pissed during live rounds because I have tapped before they “had it”. Young guys are constantly popping ankles and knees because they won’t tap to leg locks.
@ yup. I rolled with a 19 year old meathead who was frustrated I kept tapping before passing out or losing limb. It’s all good except I want to be healthy and train.
i took a break and then quit for muay thai because despite getting kneed elbowed kicked and punched i get WAY less injured
Jiu jitsu crippled me. I did it for almost ten years. My knees, elbows, and shoulders are all messed up. I left it about 11 years ago and I still hurt! But I loved it and still miss it everyday.
Was that from being submitted on those joints, or injuries? Or just wear and tear?
Never tried jiu jitsu however I’m thinking of it, far from a genius but I assume all 3
@@joewilson3857 Fair assumption, but I try my best not to assume as it often hinders the pursuit of true knowledge :)
I have a genetic condition that leads to joint vulnerability - the double edged sword of training regularly has made me fitter and stronger than I was before, but I'm aware I'm only 29 still.
@@mikebasketball11 Getting twisted and torqued all over. And I fought through a lot of injuries I probably should not have. I was young and invincible when I started, then one day I just broke down.
@@ronnier5349 Ahh I see. Do you mind sharing at which age you 'broke down', and why you think you did? I trained through a fractured rib and regret it, have torn my MCL, and many other injuries (lesser ones). Your insight is appreciated dude as I'm slowly feeling the pain from it, but BJJ has saved my life and improves it in so many ways too.
I’ve been training all last year and right before a competition I torn my meniscus. Got surgery, couldn’t do the competition and couldn’t make belt promotions. The only person who visited me was the guy who tore my meniscus. We both started the journey at the same time he got promoted. So watching this video while recovering helps me out a lot. Thank you
local quitter here. He's right this stuff destroys the body. I still have headaches and neck problems from people doing neck cranks and my ego not letting me tap. TAP OUT WHEN YOU FEEL IT it's not worth the risk. I haven't finished the video yet but just be ready for some douchebag trying to hurt you no not make you tap but literally just hurt you. We had a 250lb dude that used to wrist lock me and my right wrist still has pain years later. Just be smart don't act fast and if you are uncomfortable with who you are rolling with just move on tell the coach not to pair you anymore.
I did roughly 1.5 years of steady classes 2x a week and loved it but I'm not going back anytime soon.
I started at 45 and never quit. Never missed a class for injury and I roll hard.
@@brianhowell67nice. I feel like going in older can help because I see a lot of the younger guys getting hurt. Older guys do too, but not as often. I like to roll hard, but I’m good with tapping before I get messed up. Knowing how my body works is also a huge help
Very true. I was too stubborn to tap to cranks for far too long. I do tap early now and I hope I started that soon enough. In general, I try to tap early these days no matter what, it's "only" sparring after all.
I know one serious fighter with typical Saturday - boxing ant Muithai 2 hours in the morning and 1.5 hours of Shinkiokushin fighters classes in the afternoon. He told me of not doing BJJ until neck recovery and some weeks later told me of never tapped in he's life 😂
My first lesson. With Gi. The black belt decided to test if I'd get mad and lose it. I have a black belt in karate and a yellow in judo, so expected a warm welcome.
I left with a crushed chest and throat, couldn't speak for a month, and still, 5 years later, get pains from that lunchtime birthday present.
Never again.
But others experiences do vary.
That is brutal. I puked, but that was because I was out of shape in a bad way. LOL But since then, even with higer and lower belts, everyone is pretty chill
i have taken breaks from it , school , work, kids ,injury. stay in your own lane learn basics, have fun is main key for me.
I appreciate the hard truths you've shared about Jiu-Jitsu. Your insights resonate deeply with me, especially as someone who has taken a long break from the sport. After moving, dealing with COVID, and the challenges of finding a new gym, I found myself hesitant to return. At 55, I worry about being an older brown belt and the potential for being targeted in training.
However, your video has sparked a renewed interest in me. I realize that while I have my objections and fears, I also have a strong desire to improve my skills. My primary goal is simple yet profound: I want to get better at escaping from bottom side control, mount, and back positions. This isn't just about Jiu-Jitsu for me; it's about committing to my passions and engaging in deliberate practice.
I understand that my reasons might seem insufficient compared to the challenges ahead, but I believe that if I can give myself a sustainable "why," then I'm ready to embrace this journey again. It's about creating a better version of myself, and I think you'll agree that pursuing improvement, no matter the obstacles, is a worthy endeavor.
Thank you for sharing your wisdom and encouraging others to face the realities of this sport. I'm excited to consider rejoining a gym and diving back into the practice!
I trained traditional jujutsu among many other things and the only 2 things that caused injuries were:
1. The throws in Judo (loading heavy guys on your back for some techniques is not good for the spine apparently).
2. The wrists make a funny noise after 2 years of Aikido (I like the sword parts).
If Brazilian Jujutsu is too problematic for you, traditional Jujutsu is basically the same, but you bow down before the matches and there is a better atmosphere. The belts are "real" too, meaning, they follow the usual color system from Karate, Judo, Kobudo, etc. instead of making them up as they go.
Brazilian Jujutsu it's as if someone said: "let's take this Japanese art, take away the respectful traditional atmosphere, the senpai-kohai dynamic, and have people brawl and injure themselves nonstop. It happened the same with Kyokushinkai... Some Korean guy thought foreigners would like a simplified and more brutal way of training and there you go. Respect and humility are more emphasized in traditional martial arts, so less injuries due to ego there.
Im a brown belt and for sure I've witnessed a ton of drama and politics, and i unwittingly avoided it by showing up,keeping my head down and training.
Good luck for your black belt exam.
Removing a finger to do more jiu jitsu just sounds like it just makes jiu jitsu harder
Oil checks get 10% less effective.
He's gonna need those Jean Jacques Machado instructionals
Thought so too!
@@TylerSpanglerthat story is bananas. Top to bottom.
Just got promoted to blue belt a few weeks ago after a tough two year journey. I have received some minor injuries such as sprains, cracked a rib, various finger pain, and such but it has helped immensely just slowing down and working technique. I feel pretty fortunate to be at a gym where there isn't any ego and people respect their training partners. One of my favorite things we'll do is enter all submissions very slow and controlled rather than rushing them. I think this level of control hones your technique and if you can do it slow and controlled you can do it fast.
We will often take someone to the point of submission and hold for about 5-10 seconds and let them see if they can escape or not and if they don't, we complete the submission, if they do, we keep the roll going. Getting a submission is a win, but so is every little thing done right. Every escape from a submission or a pin or getting your guard back is a win, even just holding a pin or skillfully passing guard is a win. All those little wins add up.
Even if I'm rolling with a higher belt that I have nowhere close to the skill to beat, I win when I survive a little longer each time. I'm 45 years old and suffered a horrible back injury and was in pain for 15 years. I probably shouldn't be doing this but I've learned over the years how to protect my back and where my limitations are. Sure, it's a risk, but life is risky and I don't regret starting this journey.
We have a really tough 70 year old white belt at our gym and he's a beast. I'm in it for the long game and the mental challenge. I hope to do it for as long as I can. Be safe out there, folks.
GOLD!
Thanks for the honesty in this video. I started Judo again at 39 after an 8 year hiatus. The same rules apply, especially with accepting throws and break falling. I love it, but I know my time and ability is limited, even gaining a black belt, so I'm trying to come in with little-to-no ego and enjoying something I can still physically take part in.
Man, that move at 02:14 should be banned, extremely dangerous.
It is banned in most places. People just do it anyways and then act surprised when their partner gets hurt😂
@@noelminor3599Agreed on "acts surprised" part. No freaking way they didn't know what's on the stakes. And the injuries that scissor kick could cause are permanent. Zero respect takedown for your partner
it actually is in NCAA wrestling. Ruined a lot of knees.
Kane sute. Illegal on judo but still taught in a lot of schools. We always practiced from a static position and tried to get leg wrap at belt level. Always a tough fall to take as uke.
Exact same injury happened to me (71kg) sparring a Sambo steroid monster (100kg), ripped my ankle, and MCL... He did apologize though :-)
This video is a whole lot better than "trust the process" and "just keep showing up".
Thank you for the honesty. I’m grateful for not encountering gym drama that often. I’ve experienced multiple injuries and they hurt my heart more than my body. Time off training is tough… God willing, I will never quit. I hope that only old age makes me stop rolling.
Imagine being so good at Jiu Jitsu people start calling you Dexter 💀
Well..Dexter did participate in “advanced jiu jitsu”. 😂
so good he's one-upping craig by never winning anything instead being 2nd
@@MuayThaiDreadlock He beats 99% of the people in his videos and a lot of those people are gym owners
Perfect ring name
Tyler, you spoke the truth.
I'm a former professional sambo and judo practitioner (have been doing both since 6) and I quit competition at the age of 23 after my last win in a regional tournament. And at the age of 24 I said myself this is enough. The truth is, I quit because of the lack of progression (stuck in the same level), a lot of accumulated injuries (broken bones, torn ligaments, meniscus etc.)
I had been thinking that I won't compete ever again. But at the age of 27 I decided to join my BJJ team because my keen interest was just to roll with people. And now I'm competing again. I don't care about my performance anymore. I don't have an ego of winning every single match as I used to have. I'm focused on new techniques and that's it.
I think if you had a competitve career before BJJ it puts everything in context. Getting in competition shape always takes so much live quality and yeah I got performance anxiety over the years.
But yeah people in their late 20s that never had a competitve sports career in anything really put too much ego in it.
39yo blue belt. Agree with everything you said. I’m trying to ride this thing until the wheels fall off. Vary between hard and flow. Loving every minute
If you can even make it to Blue Belt you have more perseverance and toughness then most people in the world.
Funny you say that, because when guys talk like that at BJJ gyms it makes me feel like I need to find a different gym
You only have to attend classes long enough and they hand one to you.
Not even compete lol.
Not much toughness needed lol
I just made it a few weeks ago for the last year and a half to get blue belt I have been averaging 7 hours/sessions a week. I saw my friends before and after me technically leave once getting blue belt, in fact I was worried about it like something would just happen the second I friend blue belt and my perspective would change 180 degrees. But that hasn’t happened yet 🤞🏼 what did do was want more since blue belt (I have been wanting to do more) but instead I joined Muay Thai too, in addition to. At 39 with 2 kids and a job I sometimes wish I could just give all that up and train both all the time. Oh well.
@@Joecool20147why is that?
@@Joecool20147 Most people are soft.
The ego goes after a few years. White belts are to be avoided
Butt scooting isn't fighting. People kick heads
It's a young man's game like most combat sports or contact sports after 25 your injury rate will go up the longer you keep training same goes with Boxing ,Muay Thai, Wrestling
Football ect.
I quit for 10 years at blue belt. Came back in 2023 and now working on getting my brown
You never quit, you took a break. Much respect for coming back and teaching ppl this art
10 year break? How young are you?
The truth isn’t hard… it’s just true.
2:14: isn't that scissors takedown illegal? I've seen it end horribly too many times. :(
A small but important detail that most of the people miss out:
Upper body joints get damaged AFTER the pain signal forcing to tap reaches the brain. So, tapping may protect from that damage to occur.
Lower body joints get damaged BEFORE the same signal. Here, by the time of tapping, a percentage of damage has already occurred.
Quitter here and found myself nodding like a bobblehead during the video. My (short) story is that I started at 35, went in without ego so that wasn't a problem, I knew I'd get humbled and i enjoyed that - was even learning from 15 year olds in there. I kept mostly to myself because I know that drama is inevitable and yet this happened:
1. Got injured twice by blue belts, ligament in ribs and thumb - had to take a lot of time off right at the start. I tapped but "oh sorry bro, i went too hard".
2. Gym politics, sadly one of the coaches is a sleazy guy on a power-trip (hits on the girls there, humiliates some guys and etc) making an overall shitty atmosphere at least for me.
3. I don't know if this applies to other gyms, but I found the lack of actual lesson structure off-putting. You learn 1 thing, practice it for 10-20 mins in drill, then never hear about it again until the next lesson, when they try to teach you another. It just seems haphazard. There's no focus on anything, like "a month spent on defense" or "a month spent on take downs" it's just random and mostly you're on your own.
For me those were the two that nailed it and sadly only have one gym in my area, so BJJ is pretty much over for me. I wish I could just keep my head down and ignore the coach but he's the coach. I wish I could just do rolling or light-sparring, but there aren't enough people in the gym , so eventually I still rotate to one of the jackasses that go too hard.
My big regret is that I legitimatly loved it - I even got a stripe on my white belt, so if there was another gym I'd be there in a heartbeat.
When I listen to this I'm glad I took it up at 46 and have learnt to just train to enjoy it, be a better version of me and not to win - sure I get injured but that's because I'm made of fat and dust
This are good points here and I personally appreciate your perspective on this matter . I needed this
Choosing Pickleball will ensure that you can check your blindspot when you're switching lanes.
And will also probably destroy your knees.
So true. I am 51 and was training BJJ but had to stop due to my neck locking up when I shoulder checked in my vehicle. Neck, back, cartilage, knees and tendons have all been injured. I miss BJJ so much but had to walk away. I wish they had belts in pickleball!
@@morganmackenzie250bjj will leave you with a cane by 60 and wheelchair by 70.
many people will live to 100 now due to medical tech advancements with AI and supercomputing. lmaoo at destroying your body for a hobby
Thank you for being honest and not glamorizing BJJ. The current culture has some issues.
I'm a 36 year old blue belt who's a few years in and often takes extended breaks because of life stuff and to just heal and do other things with my life. I think this has helped me avoid major injuries for now. Quitting frequently does not bother me and I'm not gaslighted by the memes. Jiu-jitsu can be a weird cult sometimes, partially because it's all some guys have and there's this macho energy at a time when men are looking for anything to feel strong. I know enough to keep myself somewhat safe in case of an altercation and tbh that's enough for me for now. Anything else is lagniappe.
I'm also over the general toxic attitude and posturing I find. It's one reason I'm no longer going to add gym mates on social media or even really socialize with them outside the gym. I've gotten into too many political debates and weird squabbles with them. I'm now just at training and comps for the mat experience.
I still love jits but at the end of the day it's a hobby and fun recreational exercise and learning exercise. It's not my life or entire personality.
Good timing on this video. Yesterday at training I stopped rolling with a spastic white belt after he basically front flipped out of a position. Told him he needs to relax some. I'm a 3 stripe white belt and feel like I shouldn't be telling training partners to relax. Would like some input on the situation.
I feel like saying no mid roll is 1000% okay. I’ve done it before. Telling someone to chill in a way is being a good partner. Letting newer people know what is and isn’t okay is important. Normally upper belts are “responsible” for that but you’re MORE than welcome to do so if you feel it is necessary. Also, a short convo with the head coach to let newbies know what is okay and not is also a good idea.
It’s hard to say without seeing. Generally its best to tell him you don’t wanna risk injury so when your rolling can you avoid hectic flying guard passes when you roll WITH ME. Explain the dangers ie the falling body weight or catching a heel, knee,elbow etc or stop rolling with him
don’t tell him to chill in all rolls n assessing the techniques n speaking for others. Leave that to a coach or the higher belts.
as competition classes with young bucks often get those rolls. People will attempt those stupid things in competition ( id get one cartwheel or diving gilly attempt like every few tournaments all the way into purple belt)
unless your 100% sure what he’s doing is seriously dangerous
What's wrong with front flips?
Gotta know, what position exactly did he front flip out of?
I stopped at 35, was mainly MMA, but a lot of BJJ classes up until that point... Realising we have this one body (and brain), the likelihood of getting in physical altercations drops with age, so why continue? Since I am lifting weights and haven't felt better since. Good honest video!
Ironically when I went to the ER for busted ribs from a botched takedown, someone else was there with a torn bicep from playing pickleball.
The main takeaway i had from that visit is that I'd rather my body break from too much use than too little. The amount of overweight ill people was pretty staggering.
I remember to compare myself to the man I was when I got here. When you train with real athletes you can lose perspective.
Jim Plunkett won two super bowls with the Oakland/LA Raiders back in the 80s. He said recently that he is in so much pain in his old age now, that he wished he never played football at all. At least he made money playing football, most jui jitsu guys make very little money if anything at all...
I've been on and off for years. Why have I quit? Last gym, I never saw them clean the mats. Other times, you're in a gym with a bad crowd. Guys who think every roll is fighting to the death, and they'll fly into an arm bar, or ankle lock, and can seriously hurt you. When you say the sport is a magnet for these guys, you couldn't be more right. Other times, I life got in the way, and I was tired.
Two broken toes and one cracked rib until I got to my blue belt. And it was worth it.
After the many years Ive been training, I've learned the taboo is in the wrong place. Its not leg locks, its chokes. More specifically, getting your neck grabbed and yanked on by collars, guillotines, head and arm chokes, etc. That will mess you up far worse than a knee injury.
It doesn't have to ruin your body. Lift, sauna, take time to recover from injuries. There is no reason for chronic injuries.
No lies told. Especially on gym drama.
I trained wrestling for years, then I decided to start jiu jitsu. The issue with it was I had to train 2 hours for 3 days a week. The coach trained us as if this is our main profession. I have to wake up at 7 am every day and go to work to earn bread money for my family.
If I get injured just because I was trying to follow the warm-ups or heavy rollings, then it was out of my work.
Jiujitsu is for people who have light daily work or unemployment.
Most coaches in gyms don't understand that some of us are full-time employed and we have to work to buy bread.
My dad quit when he was in his late sixties. I am forty something. I'll drink beers and eat whatever. You just need to do stretching and strengthening exercises besides it and realize around your thirties that KFC is more attainable than the UFC...just don't do stupid things, tap just before shit really is going to hurt and accept that younger lower belts sometimes could let you tap. There is also no shame in missing a few lessons and just nerd out on technique...
Jiu-Jitsu is just DIRTY
broken limbs and plenty of infections
I will stick to HIIT and hitting the bag
I was 24, in legendary physical condition. I was a blue belt at the time and we had a seminar on how to hold a perfect side control. I was told to take bottom position and attempt to escape side control. I tried multiple techniques as hard as I could and turned every angle to get out but it was no use. That night my lower back was killing me. Turns out I had a bulging disc and it basically changed my life forever. I went from feeling fit and young to feeling like a 99 year old man. It scared me and psychologically depressed me. I am lucky that I recovered because I was young and dedicated to therapy. I went back to jiu jitsu and suffered a broken wrist almost within a few months of my return. My instructor accidentally wrist locked me way too hard and I never had a chance to tap out. I was in a cast for 8 weeks. Doctors said the scaphoid was cracked and may never heal again. I got lucky again. Now I stay out of those jiu jitsu gyms and my life is almost pain free. I still have extreme tightness in my back and stretch deep about twice a day to remedy.
Damn, that sucks but at least your positive about it. Maybe you can get mats and just rep moves & light roll without wrist/heel hooks etc? If you have space & someone you deem trustworthy? 🤷♂️ Good luck with whatever you decide to do 🤙🥋
This is a great video about the reality of martial arts. I have neck issues, back issues, knee issues (heel hook anyone), and don't forget about MRSA from the mats! It's hard and it's a long road and not all gyms, instructors, and cultures are the same. It's better to try jiu-jitsu and at least complete your blue-belt training than to just quit after 3 months. When I trained BJJ exclusively it was just starting to get going (1999) and there were few gyms and great teachers. It's so much about the coach and the culture they create. Some top-tier guys are still great friends and there were some legit criminals at our gym. Our coach didn't tolerate the latter but everybody gets hurt. I'm pretty outgoing and I never had any drama except an occasional fist fight when we got too competitive! Lol. Partner preservation is important.
Two stripe white belt here, two years rolling, 5-0 comp record, 38 years old with 3 boys. What people do not understand when they enter BJJ at my age is that everything needs to be dialed in your routine. Nutrition, Bjj 2-3 sessions a week, lifting 3-5 days a week, sleep, no alcohol, and 10 minutes of stretching before bed. This helps me stay injury free and lets me enjoy the process. I don’t care about promotions but more about learning, staying healthy and being an example for my kids who also do Bjj. It makes a big difference when you can roll them. Maybe this helps. Stay healthy and always be humble as a white belt.
Man this is my plan. Going from steroid monster to actually wanting to get into a healthy lifestyle.
@@dami8512 BJJ is not a part of a healthy lifestyle, tbh.
I've trained in Judo since 1982 (81?). I started wrestling and boxing in B&G Club the following year. I've been in combat sports my entire life. Fifteen years in BJJ. People quit BJJ because it's simply boring. Incredibly boring! And it's declined in effectiveness beyond Blue/Purple. The rigors of getting a Black Belt just aren't worth it to the 95% who are just hobbyists. It's just dull. Like fencing or tennis. It's great for recreation, but throwing your life into it just seems sort of...odd.
I’ve had a little experience in wrestling, boxing and Judo. I got into BJJ and felt like after 6 months or so it got boring. It shouldn’t be a “sport” but rather “apart of a sport”.
I went in wanting to learn more for self defence purposes
As a forme fencer, BJJ isnt that boring. But I get your point. Especially NoGi is super simple and Gi yeeah you can do a lot of unrealistic stuff with the Gi with no carry over for effectivnesss.
After Blue you only get better in fighting blue belts and above.
Injuries --> look what happened to Rokas from Martial Arts Journey! Leg break and months of rehab. He is lucky to be walking, much less BJJ or other martial arts!
BJJ broke my elbow and knee. One eye poke lowered vision on my right eye. I think putting that time on real work would have been better investment.
The thing my friend is that all these "hard" truths that people would find tough to swallow, are actually what make the journey worth within the sport and I will explain myself in a second.
Through my life I have been an avid researcher of philosophy, theology, psychology, and occultism in the context of finding ways that have been there for perhaps millennia in regards to becoming a better person. As cheese as it might sound, there are , if understood properly specific ways to apply theory to achieve these things, like practicing tolerance, stoicism, deconstruction of negative patterns within ones self and a long list of others that i wont analyse at the moment.
The only practical situation/activity that personally have seen to assimilate and incorporate all these aspects that the aforementioned High Arts encompass is this sport which
*ultimately* if gone through the whole curve, *will* with mathematical precision lead you to becoming a better person (man or woman for that matter).
Why? Lets find out.
1. Quitting: yes indeed many people with very few exceptions have had in mind at some point to quit due to the *feeling* of non-progression, hitting plateaus, gym politics, being steamrolled constantly etc. Though the adjustment to ones attitude whilst in these situations allows you to work through the frustrations, and coming to terms that there are many uncomfortable times that will be forced upon you (much like a 200lbs pressure passer of purple belt pining your ribcage to the ground when you are white at 150lbs) and sometimes you cannot do anything about it than accept. This allows you to build up character in situations that are out of your control and you cannot do anything about it. Might be a redundancy at work, might it be a sudden loss of someone close to you, may it be a failure at a team project that others didnt carry their weight or anything else. You come to terms with that and you can bounce back in a better fashion ,or at least regulate your inner feelings.
Lack of progression. Here there are two things that can happen.
A. you are not as good as you think you are even at your own level. I.e. you are a white belt that trains for a couple of years, you see others getting promoted you are not you feel that there is no progression so you go away to try something else. In this case the sport teaches self-reflection and introspection *if* you are willing to face the Hard Truths. Why are you not progressing? what is the fault? Is it because you lack understanding of the nature of the sport? of the techniques? could it be you are approaching all rolls and training as an ADCC final ? is it because you are trying to spar with the 1-2 week or much weaker people in order to dominate shying away from challenge? It could be different from person to person, but it will be the case that if you do this meditative self-reflection and change mindset you wont quit. This will teach you introspection overall and enhance the way you philosophise on other matters of life, unjust behaviour you had towards others, bad attitude, taking things for granted you name it.
B. the coach either doesnt like you or doesnt want to promote you for a reason. This case calls for stoicism, patience and iron will.
There is a saying in Greece that states "drop by drop the water pierces marble, and whatever someone hates, he changes and loves it".
there are many reasons why you are not liked by someone or why you are not given the dues you think you deserve. I personally think the biggest "proved you wrong" to these people
is if you stoically and without whinning, bitching or creating drama, take it and wait the time to come. I gurantee you that if you arent a real asshole of a person and if the disliking
is not justified, eventually you WILL be acknowledged and respected threefold more than others that gained approval on the bat.
Is it unfair ? yes. could it be uncalled for? yes. who cares though. thats life, and this lesson prepares you to be armed with stoicism in real life. i.e in work for a promotion you felt you
deserved but didnt get. Efforts you did for a person that werent immediately acknowledged. Patience. The biggest piercer of any marble.
2. Injuries: with experience as you train forward you will start to be able to identify who are good sparing partners and who are not. There are big indicators of a persons demeanor and
appetite from the way they even discuss simple manners, but you will also from the feel of them on the first touch understand if they are trying to be proper or bat shit dangerous.
Thus you cultivate the experience to not engage with dangerous people that could injure you from carelessness and not work with them.
Also you will come to terms with there is no bigger loss than getting a serious injury that will affect your day to day life, and you wont risk that for fighting "to the death" with a random
roided up freak that started couple of months ago and thinks that he will become pro within 6 months in the sport.
I am not saying that sparring 100% is to be avoided, hell I spar 80-95% most of the rolls but still in a controlled mutually agreed frame with people that when on sub mode
wont crank or go for the kill but rather gradually pull till the partner taps.
When injuries occur which they will even as an accident you need to know how to take a step back recompose yourself and body to return stronger.
The above teaches good judging of character, learning to let go, not antagonizing people that wear blinders and dont see the Truth, and of course again Patience.
This will help in everyday life to be able to see which of the people around us, friends, co workers are loose cannons, reckless, don't really care about your well being
as long as they reach their goal. In addition this will help you save time and stress by not trying to change people that think they ve figured out everything and let them
meet their humbler (could be work, could be friends walking away , could be the 200lb european champion purple belt that will torture them with pressure
every single roll for going 100% on him).
3. Jackasses & Egos: pretty much related to my statement above, but also here you could be the jackass and the egotist.
You need to learn again to let go, to accept that there will be always a bigger fish than you and that you will always be worse than someone on a mat somewhere in your gym
or in the neighbourhood, in the state, in the country or even in the world. You need to start training properly with others and not against others.
this teaches again inner balance, introspection, getting de-tethered from fictional shadow-self created images on what you think you are - in order to become who you really are.
Leaving your Ego away is the biggest challenge in every aspect of life, and is one of the biggest focal points we all would need to work on.
Now, if others are jackasses and egotistic, again you develop a filter of character and you can easily avoid them overall.
4. Jiu Jitsu cannot fix you by itself, as divine providence is not enough if you dont do anything. Jiu Jitsu will teach you all the lessons i am analysing above and below but
will require your understanding and actual "sight" of these lessons. If you just do it to blunt your head and you just go in 120% in most likely scenario is that you will do something
dumb i.e. as a total amateur hit roids to get stronger, faster and better, that could potentially harm your health, spar 120% with experienced and seasoned athletes that could end up
with you getting seriously injured, losing the track of purpose, and if by any chance you quit, or made to sit back like with an injury, your life will be actually empty and with no meaning.
The Gentle Art requires you to be a gentleman (or lady), and to be a gentleman you need to have a specific level of intellectual understanding and by this, if you see the
lessons you can identify negative patterns within yourself that can be changed. i.e. not being patient, having panic episodes whenever mounted or chocked, to prefer to risk towards
very serious injury just not to tap and show "weakness", trying to bully the weak (kids, lighter and more inexperienced people than you). The Gentle Art is a mirror that you can see who you are.
Most people wont like to see what the reality is on who they are so they chose to turn the other way and scroll on tik tok. But if you take a closer look, it can help you.
Nothing is a fixer if you wont do the Work.
This helps you in, self-judgement, self-improvement, increasing empathy, understanding where others come from.
5. You cant escape politics: this is the harsh reality of *any* environment that has people within. Society has politics, sports teams have politics, groups of friends have "poltics"
work definitely has politics, household relationships have politics, and you need to learn how to be calm, diplomatic and understanding on what is happening and learn to weigh the
situations. Imagine being a new guy at work with limited experience, and at the first weekly meeting of the commercial team you chime in start taking time talking about yourself
and how you would do things differently and better and discussing on how you are the best basically (with other words even) - what, do you think this would be viewed as alright?
and even if your pointers were actually true and even if you are this hidden genius would it be the right time and place to play your cards?
Being accepted in a group is basically what gives you the right (not as a person overall but within the spectrum of the group) to have an opinion, to be able to make statements
and being understood on what you want to say/mean together with the intentions.
Also, if you always dive in politics and try to manipulate situations, people, being manhandling or whatnot, sooner or later the veil of truth comes off and you will be exposed as
the person who is creating the drama.
This teaches you, if you want to not be part of this, to practice again stoicism, silence, calmness, and indifference to things that shouldnt be of your business.
Hence why people think that Tyler was a psychopath, because in this rotten society it is viewed as normal to engage in shit talk behind peoples' back, trashtalking people, trying
to form groups and cliques to ascend as a team within the team, rather than actually doing the honourable solo way with your value.
In real life this can be easily seen everywhere and people with high work ethic, that are not engaging in menial politics, that come put in the work, and they mind their own
business, are the ones that win the marathon race, which life is and also JJ.
6. An additional Truth that i have discovered is JJ deconstructs your own idea of self and creates a constant struggle and pain both metaphorical but also literal.
when you are humbled and can be humbled at any time, and still chose to be exposed openly, when you fail and fail and fail again and keep trying, when you mentally
build up reserves to cope with the constant struggle and pressure and pain, when you reach the deepest depths and have built a Self that is not even thinking to quit,
when you are caught in a RNC and you smile you ended up in there, then there is only one way and this is up and as physics and chemistry have taught us,
enough pressure, will create a Diamond.
This can help you in life approaching situations with no fear as you have willingly put your "life" at risk every day multiple times, what can a public speech to
20 , 50 , 100 people make you afraid of then? You expand your comfort zone limits day after day, to a point that you start slowly becoming not a strong person
that can kick peoples asses but who you really are.
JJ is a sport yes, but due to its nature, you have meetings with your Self every single day if you are open to go inside and See.
Will this work for everybody? of course not, but still for me is the most complete activity that I have ever tried.
And for this, I will be a Practitioner for life. Not an athlete, not a champion necessarily, but a Practitioner.
Too long ? yes.
You didnt read it? Dont really care have a nice day.
@@finisaborigine1712 Good post dude. I also feel that jj is the most practical exercise in building strong character (in terms of ancient Greco-Roman philosophy), that I have ever encountered. This sport does take you into your own depths, but only if you're open to it. It can help to resolve internal issues and can take a lot of anxiety out of situations where it normally rises.
Really like and agree with what you said about the journey itself. It's hard to do, but enjoying, or even just accepting, the process as it happens is the overall right path in my opinion. Trying to rush to the finish is the way to burn out, and to miss the lessons you could have learned about your self.
@@richgarganese3571 thanks for taking the time to read through.
you are right, ancient Greek philosophy and/or ancient Egyptian philosophy held an extremely high value
of the ability of one to be able to go deep Within reconstruct what is necessary and express a better Self Without.
the Templaric/Freemasonic saying "V.I.T.R.I.O.L" or "visita interiora terrae rectificando invenies occultum lapidem" meaning
"visiting the interior of the earth, and by rectifying, you shall find the hidden stone"
is actually based on that and simply means "Γνώθι Σαυτόν" or "Know Thyself" and by knowing who you really are
what and how you are good and bad and what you need to change WILL mathematically and definitely if approached
with an open mind and heart make you a better person.
p.s. when Neo goes to visit the Oracle in the Matrix (much like when people went to visit the Oracle in the Delphi Mantion Temple)
it said (much like the actual Temple) on the top of the door "Temet Nosce" that translates to "Know Thyself".
jmlkanewischer.wordpress.com/2022/02/11/know-thyself/
Also in Freemasonic Lore same element is seen with "ΕΙ, Γνώθι Σ Αύτον" which means "You Are. Know Thyself"
Now what you are, God, demon, degenerate, or a good person it is *only* for you to find out.
And if you can find the *Right* answer you will be able to change and Find the Hidden Stone on your way to become Neo. Or the One.
And One is Everything and All, again, in Ancient Greek philosophy as per Heracletus ("Εν το Παν" / "One is All).
Cheers.
Facts in regards to Breaking down your body. I owned BJJ/MMA/MT Schools for 18 years. Got my BB in 2008. Now I am 49 with a TBI, neck, back, hips, knees, shoulders, etc in constant pain. Struggle with executive function now from the TBI with 20 years worth of concussions, and sub Concussive blows preceding it. Be safe.
I honestly think bjj gave me the confidence, patience, and fortitude to get through some rough periods in my life.
Fantasy: Trophies, heroics, Jason Bourne, street fighter
Reality: Laundry, showers, hard work, more laundry
I've been thinking about starting for the last 3 years 😂 so this video is massively helpful. There are so many insightful things to consider. Well done! 😎
Glad I never started. The older I get the less I care about being a tough guy. I just want to take care of my body for longevity. AKA cardio, weight training with a little boxing / kickboxing on my BOBXL lol....
Awesome video, I agree and lived thru about everything you pointed out. I'm 62, BJJ grappled at a hobby level for 11 years in the 1990's until I had a neck injury from a local tournament that finished my BJJ training at 41. I still live with that wrenched neck pain, had 2 shoulder surgeries (one def. from BJJ injury), broken two toes, snapped a finger and a bad high ankle sprain JUST AS A HOBBYIST! *Still no regrets, the most fun style I've ever trained in. (5'10", 142 lbs)
The only reason I started jiujitsu is so everyone would he impressed I have a black belt
I don't even like it lmao
$10 with free prime shipping is a lot better solution
My man.
I had a muscular injury back in June from bjj. I rested, tried physio, seen doctors, its just not getting better.
Hoping I can get better this year and go back.
I think there are different approaches to jiu-jitsu.
The martial art approach, which could well solve your problems. Combat jiu-jitsu, which will help prepare you for fights. If done properly, injurues Inevitably sustained in training will be less than those sustained in fights, and sport jiu-jitsu. This last one has the least chance of encountering problems with quitting, getting injured, ego.
Lot of truth in this video. Injury stopped me ACL blown out. Never been the same since. When I look back the injury was the best thing that happened to me. Got out the game. Now I can see all the issues that this lad talks about. And I've gone on to be successful in other things that actual makes me money and doesn't destroy my health.
I'm 62. I've been doing martial arts since I was 10. I have 3 black belts in different arts including Judo. A couple points to add; only 1-2% of people will get a black belt, that means 98+% of people quit. You Will get injured. Most injuries are not serious but need time to heal. An injury that requires 3-6 months to recover from is often more than most people are willing to go through. Some seemingly nice people are complete dicks on the mats and do not care at all for your safetly. When you allow them to practice on you make sure they respect your safety or find a different partner.
No martial art should advance your aging. Its the opposite. I am more fit and agile than most people 10 years younger than me and some half my age. If the martial art is wrecking you then there is something very wrong.
I’m 31, just got my purple belt a few months ago. I haven’t been able to train as much as I would like. Over the years as I’ve accumulated injuries and damage, I find myself less and less eager to compete. I prefer a hard roll in the gym over a competition. Jiu Jitsu has become more about health, fitness, and community.
Heres the thing: I started BJJ for fun and I had free time. It was instantly fun, awesome workout. I didnt care whatsoever that I got my ass beat easily by other whitebelts with more experience, much less bluebelts or higher. I dont have that kinda weird ego ppl stupidly seem to have. I was humble about it and it was fun learning for some months.
But then I realized something. I enjoyed it, but i also saw how people got injuries. Even me, playing it safe, instantly got a small(er) rib injury and I realized how people were constantly fkn up their fingers etc.
To me, im interested in longevity and my body holding up well for physical activities into my 40s, 50s, 60s even 70s. For myself I made the choice that BJJ would only be negative in that regard, even if it would be cool to be more proficient than most normal people in grappling (and I loved the community aspect of it). So I quit it. not because I was "humiliated" or "dominated" on the mats lol, anyone that isnt ego-driven and insane would be fine with that as a newbie in BJJ.
The idea that jiu-jitsu will destroy your body all comes down to how you train. My coaches coach is a3degree black belt that has been doing jiu-jitsu for 30 years. He has had zero injuries that ever put him on the bench. If you train, smart, no wind to tap,and make it about jiu-jitsu instead of winning, power, strength, or force, I think you can go a very long time without doing any damage to your body.
While you're right to an extent, you'll always be dependent on your sparring partners. It only takes one person with the wrong mentality.
I quit 5 years ago and do not regret it. I’m tired of being sore, and walking like a old man
Yes, you did a good decision for yourself and that's ok (I decided to do the same thing), but we can learn always from BJJ aspects for our lifes and that's SUPER GOOD!
Try another hobbies are good for ourselves 😇😇😇😇😇😇😇
Same
I’ve always done combat sports, so everyday it was either sore muscles , sprained muscles or broken toes that flare up everytime it gets touched. But at the same time when I just played Xbox all day, I was bored and felt shit, and playing football would just pull my legs or hurt my ankles. Running was boring and would hurt my knees. It’s all what you’re willing to ‘sacrifice’(it’s not that deep) to have fun and a hobby you enjoy, which if you look around, most people actually don’t have
Telling it like it is - good job.
I actually met people who stopped drinking or doing drugs because they were training
I don’t plan on quitting bc I do it to stay in shape and I enjoy physical sport.
Life will hurt you, JJ or no JJ
I’m in my 50’s now. When I was 48 I ruptured my biceps tendon rolling with a kid in his early 20’s. I now do a lot of Yoga and have given up BJJ. My body feels amazing compared to the constant nagging injuries I seemed to be accumulating doing BJJ.
been training for nearly 20 years now. it has taken its toll on my body. i would do it all over again. these days
im coaching. i am not sparring as much as i used to, once a week now. but even now im going to cut it way down.
Been training for years, FINALLY someone says it. All these are SO true.
I get hurt often, nothing serious but it effects my life and work constantly 😂
I’ve been training nearly 6 years and never had any real injuries. Couple of sprains here and there. But I have also seen coaches who are semi-crippled. It can definitely mess your body up. I think the key is to take regular breaks, listen to your body, dial down the intensity sometimes. These days I am only training once or twice a week, it sucks but on the bright side, at least it will hopefully save me from being a cripple.
Sprains are not real injuries to you?
@@tstarajayi Not really, no. Nothing actually injured, rest for a week and it's back to normal. Happens in any sport. I would consider a real injury to be something that puts you out of action for a long time or requires serious treatment.
Similar here except I had a couple of serious injuries that put me out for a while. Now I’m a sensible hobbyist, train once or twice a week, keep my skills up. Strangely enjoyable.
@@wrxstock2820 good for you. Once a week is nothing in BJJ but in any other hobby it would be normal!
I quit after one year of going to class several times a week and learned virtually nothing. I never learned what to do when rolling. You go to class warm up 15 min. Cool down 15 min. Free rolling. And then learn some random technique you will never see again. Drill it for 15 min and forget it by the next session. I know guys who were doing it for years and are not blue belt and still have zero idea who to grapple.
Great & honest video! Subscribed 👍 After on/off training for the last several years, I'm now 43 years old training Judo at longtime friends family gym. I'm not looking forward to hunting for a new gym once I can begin travel nursing since I'm used to the family environment. Great advice to just mind my business and be respectful at any new gym to avoid politics/drama 🙏
You know you're in a good place when you get promoted to blue and a lot of people from the gym dm you later to co gratulate you the second time. I got promoted last friday to blue after anout 2 yrs of training. I had training partners that were there a year before i started and theyre still ehite belt and they are happy for me. I cant wait until their promotion so I can be happy for them too. This is a big part of bjj for me, however i may have more respect due to age and havibg 3 kids lol
That finger story is insane 😂
Nuts. That’s a lotta nuts
My ego is low when it comes to combat sports. I tap way before shit gets hairy.
I literally had a buddy quit at 4 stripe brown belt.
That takes balls tbh
@zerotoguitarhero5023
To be that close.
He said the politics at the gym turned him off. It kinda turned him away from the art and sport as a whole.
Then he didn't like how it became tournament focused only.
@@BigBrandonMarcel I understand
I quit because my body started to break down and I was gonna have to be a full time bodybuilder just to be able to keep training and I didn’t love BJJ enough to do something like body building that I hated
GPO unit 2 is one of my favorite Gundams man. I loved Stardust Memory as a kid.
you cant quit you must keep going to class and training forever or your weak also do crossfit and run at least 2-3 miles a day might want to get a triangle tattoo somewhere visible and a bumper sticker so everyone knows you hard
I was concerned for a second lmao
😆
Sunk cost fallacy. It's too late to stop 😔
the guy getting his finger amputated. I can relate to him. as someone who also has an addiction, BJJ literally saved my life. I swapped that action with BJJ. and I have to disagree with you saying "it's not gonna fix anything" because it has worked for so many other people including myself.
I guess you will only know the feeling of why they train hard and basically are addicted to BJJ, once you have been in their shoes.
Idk for me the biggest reason to regularly make breaks from jiujitsu is that it makes one depressed. Im not sure why either. Is it the constant ego crushing, the reduced blood flow to the head, the multiple micro injuries, the lack of community, or the lack of physical exercise (compared to wrestling/kickboxing etc), but for me Jiujitsu is causing depression, unlike other combat sports. And its so crippling that i can only do it for a few months before i have to quit again. Even though i like the techniques and acknowledge its usefulness.
This happens to me as well. I think sometimes it’s because I’m not eating enough to cover the intense calorie burn. If I eat a lot of good food, the depression isn’t there or not as bad.
Sounds like you're simply not friends with the ppl at your gym.
Nothing to do with the sports.
I don’t think there’s anything that will make me quit. I tore my LCL a few weeks ago and I have bad bursitis in the other knee. Still training as much as possible.
My first experience rolling in BJJ was in 2001. I think the big blue belt I rolled with crushed my nose on purpose from a side mount. He drove his shoulder straight down on it and it was obviously not an accident. I tapped. At first I thought it was some "sh!t test" that seasoned veterans to see if I would lose my temper. But I did not. I continued for a few more months and eventually quit. I did not regret it.
DEXTER
Spot on I wouldn't even be mad tbh.
I always thought BJJ was the safest Martial art and an alternative to Judo for older people
I started martial arts 20 years ago. I have some issues from it, but in general I'd say my health benefited and still benefits from it. Took me at least a decade to figure out that I was going too hard all the time. Especially in early grappling and mma days we all sparred far too hard and a lot of my past training partners suffer from lingering injuries now and more than a few had to stop. I'm 50 now and I still go hard. Sometimes. With people that know me. Gym politics and belts never really interested me. Took me 5 years to get from blue to purple but I wouldn't really have cared if it would have been 10.
"Even have a successful television series after me" 😂😂😂
I'm taping my fingers and toes, which are chronically sore, as I'm watching this video. Class starts in an hour. haha
Ngl, this is why I dipped at 19 after i ripped my rotator cuff from a kimura (fully healed after 10 months fortunately). Nobody needs to try to get through life being injured all the time and I could just tell the injuries would keep coming
yeah I got back into wrestling and tore my RC a few weeks ago
Our gym works so hard to keep drama out. We are able to do it cause we have been blessed to have a core group of guys 15+ that have been there since white belt and gym opening. We average 40 years old so the elder upper belts are looked up to by the young gun slingers. Its a very balanced gym and we all jump on drama IF! it shows itself. Just roll amd save the drama for tv.
Brother, I have my brown belt. Took a new job recently, and now I see taking 4 hours out of each day is preventing me from being useful for other things. Family. Business endeavors. Unfortunately, I think I'm going to slow down.
It's really hard for people to manage injury. Thankfully I was focused on defense, but if you are not it's very hard to survive for long.
my back hurts and my ankles and knees & neck
I´ve been 1 month into the sport and i have swollen ligaments in my shoulder rewarded by another white belt... just the other day one of the professors said that i'm way too new to be rolling in the mat... stuff that no other professor or high grade told me about.
Ever since i started i have had minor injuries like pain in the ribs, broken nail, a bruise shin and so on...
Low key it feels like you are in the jungle despite all the respect, check ego and discipline talks