Brazilian jiu jitsu may have a reputation as a young person’s sport, but walk into an Atlas Jiu Jitsu gym and you will find something different. Our mats include adults of many ages, including plenty of students in their 40s, 50s, and beyond.
If you are over 40 and have been thinking about trying BJJ, your age does not automatically put the sport out of reach. In fact, Brazilian jiu jitsu offers a combination of physical activity, skill development, problem-solving, and community that can make it especially rewarding at this stage of life.
You Don’t Have to Be Young or Extremely Athletic to Train at Atlas
One of the biggest misconceptions about BJJ is that you need to arrive in excellent physical condition. You don’t.
Brazilian jiu jitsu is a skill-based martial art. Strength and athleticism can certainly help, but technique, positioning, timing, leverage, and decision-making are fundamental to the sport. As you train, you learn how to use your body more efficiently rather than simply trying to overpower the person in front of you.
That makes BJJ a martial art you can continue developing for years. There is always another technique to learn, position to improve, or problem to solve.
BJJ Gives You a Reason to Stay Active
For many adults, staying active becomes harder when exercise feels like another obligation. Running on a treadmill or repeating the same gym routine can get boring quickly. BJJ is different because the physical activity is part of learning something.
A typical class can involve warmups, technique instruction, drilling with a partner, and live training. Over time, that can help you work on your conditioning, coordination, balance, strength, and mobility while continually developing new skills. Instead of simply counting repetitions, you are learning how to escape a bad position, control an opponent, defend yourself, or execute a new technique.
It Keeps Your Mind Working, Too
Brazilian jiu jitsu is often compared to a physical version of chess. Every position presents choices. Your opponent reacts to what you do, and you have to adjust.
That mental element is one reason many people stay interested in BJJ long after the novelty of a conventional workout program might have worn off. Even experienced practitioners continue learning.
At Atlas Jiu Jitsu, our Brazilian jiu jitsu program is led by third-degree black belt and multiple-time national champion Edward Anthony. Students have the opportunity to learn a technical approach to BJJ in an environment designed to help people continue improving regardless of where they are starting.
You Can Train at Your Own Pace
Starting BJJ after 40 does not mean you have to train like a 20-year-old preparing for competition. Different students have different goals: Some want to compete, but plenty of others want to learn practical martial arts, get in better shape, relieve stress, meet new people, or simply challenge themselves.
No matter your goals, the important thing is to train intelligently, communicate with your instructors and training partners, and allow yourself time to learn.
See What BJJ Is Like for Yourself
You do not need prior martial arts experience to start Brazilian jiu jitsu, and you do not need to decide that you are going to become a lifelong practitioner before walking through the door.
Just try a class!
Atlas Jiu Jitsu offers a free trial class so you can experience BJJ firsthand, meet our instructors and students, and see whether it is right for you. With Atlas Jiu Jitsu locations in Albany, Valatie, and Glens Falls, New York; Waltham, Massachusetts; and Buda, Texas, there may be an Atlas academy near you.
If you have been telling yourself that you are too old to start Brazilian jiu jitsu, now is a good time to challenge that assumption. Find your nearest Atlas Jiu Jitsu location and sign up for your free trial class.