How to Age as a Grappler

ItÂ’s common that as you reach your thirties that you see certain changes in your grappling game. For instance, you cannot quite pull off the same techniques you once did. Or, recovery from training takes longer and longer. Sadly, you canÂ’t just jump back on to the mat and do whatever you want.

If you do not learn how to make the proper adjustments physically and mentally, you could be in for some big surprises (i.e. injuries). This is why itÂ’s important to look at your training and recovery methods as you age. These tips will have you stay happier on the mats to keep training for years to come.

For more Judo/BJJ tips, check out this site.Â

Check your Ego

As you age, itÂ’s harder to face off against the young kids in the gym that are in their athletic prime. Accept that you are not the spring chicken you used to be. Often, no good can come from accepting every challenge. Yes, you might defeat your opponent or you might win, but you should also be asking whether your body will feel like crap because of the intensity of the training. Additionally, you need to understand what you are going to get out of each intense round and whether that is worthwhile for your development.Â

Depending on the context, you need to learn how to say “no” to a challenge. Realize that you have limitations. Even if you accept a challenge from someone, “checking your ego” can also mean that you roll to your skill level and intensity level and accept that you will likely get tapped. There is no shame in this acknowledgment.Â

To do this, benchmark yourself against people at the same age and skill level. If you benchmark yourself to the high level, young competitors, you will constantly want to test yourself, but you will end up feeling bad about your inability to meet their level. Avoid the frustration by checking your ego and accepting your current state, whatever that might be.Â

Consider alternative athletic exercises

Jiujitsu is great for physical fitness, but it also beats your body up. Your body needs to recover for you to be in the best shape on the mat. Fortunately, there are many alternative forms of physical exercise that compliment jiu jitsu.

Find an exercise that will allow your body to heal. This can be kettlebells, pilates, etc.Â

Forms of stretching tend to be a favorite among judo and jiujitsu practitioners. With appropriate exercise, your body will learn to heal and relieve the tightness in your muscles. Consider alternating your BJJ training days with your exercise/recovery days. As you do, your body will start to rebuild itself and your overall BJJ performance will improve.

While we tend to think of jiujitsu equipment as things like gis, mats, and rashguards, but you should also invest in equipment that is good for your recovery. For instance, try finding a (hard) foam roller, which can help relieve your fascia tissue after practice.Â

Read this article for more tips on BJJ training session recovery.Â

More Focused Rolling

Sparring is a huge part of jiu jitsu training. While it is crucial for improving, sparring is very hard on the body. Hard rolling should be limited for older grapplers. Intense rolls will zap you of strength, can lead to injuries, and require you to spend more time off the mat recovering.Â

Instead, cut down on your level of sparring, and give yourself certain goals when you go against someone. Perhaps you can play just a certain position or use only a certain technique. By concentrating on a specific area of your game and rolling with a purpose, you will avoid injuries and improve faster.Â

For more tips on rolling, check out this article.Â

Get the Right Training Partner

Choose your training partners wisely. The point of training is to get better, and growth requires a challenge. Since grappling is a sport that must be practiced with another person, it is crucial that your training partner knows how to challenge you in a safe and appropriate way. Oftentimes training partners simply want to go 100% to test the outer limits of their strength and abilities.  These types of partners are not good for the older grappler.

Avoid the new wrestlers trying jiu jitsu for the first time or the four stripe white belt who loves to be aggressive so that he can make it to blue. Instead, develop a good relationship with the person in class who loves technique over pure muscle. Lastly, remember that the best way to find a good training partner is for you to be one as well. If you have a bad reputation on the mat, start to change that by being more considerate of your teammates.Â