In Dorian's video, a lot of people commented their injury stories, and talked about quitting BJJ. If you have tips for how you've kept your body STRONG for BJJ, comment them down below to give people something positive to try and look forward to. And if you'd like to begin the UNTAPPED program and join the discord group, links are in the description.
Links are in the description, but you can download the ATG app on iPhone or android OR head to athletictruthgroup.com and sign up. The program is on the app 🫶🏾
You basically nailed it here, treat your weight training like half a rehab session. Almost more like knees over toes. You’re after holistic joint function more than the biggest squat or deadlift. If you’re burning the candle on both meds it’s probably worse than not lifting at all. Think of how many powerlifter are constantly getting injured. A sports specific plan is always the way to go
Brownbelt here, quick tips on how I avoid injuries: - I only train No Gi now, mostly because I like it more, but the extra friction from the Gi always increased injury risk for me. - Tapping early and often, I don't try to escape once a submission is locked in. - Taking strength and mobility/flexibility training seriously. - Lifting focused on compound exercises with the largest range of motion possible. - Rolling at 60-70% intensity, if I feel like I'm using too much strength to gain a position, I give up and try something else.
No gi is significantly more injury prone, what you are saying does not make sense. Faster movements, more scrambles, more slippage, harder to balance due to sweat. Takes skill to keep nogi safe
@@OldManNutcakezI admit that this might be individual and acnedotal, might be due to my fighting style. At least I can say for sure that your fingers will be spared 😅
Very interesting that you’re more injury prone in the gi. No gi is a much faster game and that’s where I see more grapplers get injured. Slippery, and more dynamic. But it’s good that you’re doing what works best for you!
43-year-old white belt one year in, 7 year personal trainer, and 20 year gym rat here. The only injuries I've had in the last year have been pulled elbows here and there and I had a bad oblique strain a few months back that sidelined me for a few weeks. I lift 3-4 days a week and hit the mats about 2-3 times a week while listening to my body daily. If you want to last then listen to this man. Your personal health must be the priority. Use strength training to protect your body. Eat well to refuel and recover. If I have to take an extra day to recover or miss class to make my strength training sessions then I will and vice versa. Great video Nsima.
I'll be 49 in a few months and a blue belt started little over 2 years ago. I found that I have to do strength and conditioning, cardio HITT workouts, swim laps in the pool helps you learn to be more efficient and I train Jiu Jitsu 2 to 3 days a week but I listen to my body. Everybody is different and you have to listen to your body. Strength and conditioning, stretching and warming up is important to prevent injury and learn to breath and be as efficient as possible. Use muscle when you have to but when you don't have to just stay relaxed and breathe.
Been training BJJ consistently for 17 years. Rarely had an injury, nothing serious. Seen lots of people getting injured over the years. One thing I don't see enough discussion on is higher risk positions. Do not invert, do not allow your spine to be compressed, avoid explosive movements, avoid high speed movements. Focus on timing and precision. Focus on protecting your body FIRST and if you get extended be prepared to tap early. Just because you CAN get out of something doesn't mean you should. Be patient and find a better answer. Also, I rarely train Gi and even when I did for the first 12 years, I rarely used Gi grips. It wrecks your hands and provides little value in anything but a Gi. Train yourself to attach to bones with full hand grips, or even better, under and overhooks. This is how you can train BJJ for a very long time with minimal injuries. And yes, you MUST train your body to supplement BJJ.
Some good stuff here. I myself invert a lot since I play different guards, BUT, I’ve also strengthened my body in these positions. My neck and my ability to contort my spine are at a pretty resilient level. So I think instead of total avoidance, you should strengthen these capabilities so you can get into the positions safely and securely. I also do a lot of gi, that’s where I believe strengthening the hands plays a huge role but ALSO knowing when to let go of grips. When someone is about to rip a grip off hard, i let it go at the perfect time as to waste no energy holding onto it. It’s technique, but my hands feel great after 8 years!
Interesting you avoid gi, as you always hear no gi is more explosive and a young man's game. Slowing people down in their gi helps alot of older players.
I'm a 39 year old seasoned brown belt. I started at the age of 28 and trust me, I've had my fair share of injuries. Lower back, neck, shoulders, arms, wrists, knees, you name it 😂. But from what I've seen over the years a lot of injuries are a direct result from ego simply because they refused to tap. A lot of unnecessary injuries can be prevented if people would just tap rather than let their egos get in the way! My tip of advice is to tap early and tap often. Whenever I help cover classes for my instructor I make sure to engrain this into all of our new white belts' heads so that they understand that it is okay to tap. And if I see a submission locked in deep while walking around and they aren't tapping I stop them immediately and remind them to tap.
This is true some of the time, but to be honest a lot of injuries happen without any submissions occuring. A lot of injuries come from body parts bending in the wrong way due to scrambles and takedowns. This increases when a training partner uses quick and careless movement, random elbows thrown around getting people in the head, grabbing people and using strength rather than techniques, usually resulting in people falling to the ground in a heaped mess. Joint dislocation and constant sprains occur in these moments. I find this happens to the people who just roll to win at all costs, rather than use rolling as an ability to practise what you learn, or perfecting techniques. Usually comes down to ego.
Never been injured from a submission and I have been fucked for the last couple of years. In my experience most injuries are from transitions and or scrambles not people just grunting during a heel hook.
I’ve been training for seven years. I am currently a purple belt. I remember after my first day of training my immediate goal was to stay healthy enough to train the next day. This concept seems impossible for some to comprehend. Don’t worry about getting better. Don’t worry about tapping your training partners. Stay healthy, get on the mats, and the goals will take care of themselves.
Sometimes it's hard thou. Even if you are prioritizing your health not everyone you meet is, and if you do it long enough you'll eventually run into some psychos that will wreck your joints the fiiest chance they get and not even give a chance to tap. One time a dude I had never rolled with up to that point dislocated my shoulder with an unreasonably intense Kimura. Other time a guy busted my elbow with an armbar while holding both of my arms and making it so I couldn't even tap. Right now both my shoulders, one elbow, one knee, both feet and my trachea are damaged because I ran into dudes that rolled like their lives depended on it even thou we were all just doing it for fun.
@@leonardomarquesbellini Never hesitate to express the roll is too intense. Also never be embarrassed to dodge a roll that seems dicey. Guy I roll with is 55 years old and has been training for about a decade. We got our brown belts together, but he’s more than a decade and a half older than I. I asked him what his secret to longevity is, and he said, “I dodge a lot of rolls because I know not all training partners have my health in mind.” Just food for thought.
@@carlosmichael5183 my worse injuries were when I was younger and braver (read: stupid) and thought I just had to soldier throughany malice. My own safety is numero uno right now, but I'll admit the odd psycho you meet here and there killed most of the joy I had in BJJ, as I need to be constantly second guessing every choice I make to figure out if the other guy will do something insane in response and ruin my life. I had similar experiences with Muay Thai and Boxing, which I also enjoy when practiced right, with dudes here and there looking like they left home explicitly wanting to give someone a concussion. One guy in practice partiality detached my retina in freaking sparring between two amateurs with no pretense of ever fighting for real. Insanity, specially considering there were 2 pros in that gym that retired due to retinal detachment. Right now I'm looking into Kyokushin as my new martial art, even of it's basically neutered muay thai at this point and its competitive scene exists in an ever smaller bubble at least the ruleset makes it hard for the odd psycho to seriously hurt me, even if they're going harder than what's reasonable for amateurs and something you're literally paying to do.
40-year-old blue belt. I started training at 36. As a white belt, I've had a sprained wrist and 2 sprained ankles. These were within my first 6 months of training. The only injuries I've had in BJJ since then have seen muscle strains and superficial bruising because: 1. I strength train 2x per week with compound barbell movements 2. I train BJJ only 2x per week because I'm too exhausted to train more since I'm lifting 3. I focus on Gi since it's slower. 4. I make sure to stretch daily. 5. I have no problem with tapping early and often.
BJJ twice / week and weightlifting twice / week is a good balance. Focusing on the gi skills is a good practice. It is good when the teacher adheres to the true art by having gi mandatory classes.
I am extremely deconditioned physically, especially recovering from a meniscal tear injury, but I want to start Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. I am 37 years old, by the way. Could you kindly recommend any training and its duration?
50 year old white belt here. I roll 2 times a week, 3 times a week max. I’ve got a lot of lower back issues including a fusion surgery that I had years ago. I lift weights, run, and do yoga and stretching as well. 20 minutes of yoga before bed, to me it’s mandatory and I never miss doing it. So far so good, my body feels great and back feels stronger than ever. Also one of the pluses of starting BJJ . Later in life is that I feel zero pressure to do any type of competitive rolling. I do it for the pure enjoyment of the sport, intellectual satisfaction of learning techniques, and an awesome workout.
2 years in, 54 year-old blue-belt. I’m under no illusion I’ll be a champion, and I’ve had injuries. For me it’s worth it. I absolutely love it, and I’ll do it until I can’t. I roll twice a week between strength days. No room for ego, I tap early and often.
Swear to god... human body should come with an owners manual. Nutrition, Mobility, and Resistance training should 1000% be the focus for everyone, not just athletes doing a thing. I know shitloads of runners who cry about running breaking them down, basketball players who's knees and ankles are shaky, you name it - ultimately what it comes down to is that your body needs care and maintenance for longevity regardless of what your aspirations are with regards to sports, martial arts, or attaining an athletic physique.
Yes, I agree. The thing is we all like to push our bodies just up to limit without doing serious or permanent damage, problem is you don't know what that limit is until you pass it.
Doing competitive BJJ is not good for your joints, ligaments, etc., lol. I love it as much as the next guy but it will take it's toll. Not nearly as bad as wrestling but look so many older guys that are purple belts & above have chronic injuries, pain, surgeries..Eddie Bravo said recently he might not be able to roll again. Joe Rogan is on the best cocktail of PEDs, GH, peptides, etc., money can buy & he's said his BJJ days are basically over.
Well said, as a Former Kickboxer and now BJJ/Judoka, Choosing partners wisely, checking your ego, and strength training/mobility have been my best advices to others. Anyone hesitant to get into these things, Take his advice to heart and go for it. 👌
Year and a half in... Already a MCL, and a LCL injury... both in different knees. I can not explain how big it is to roll with the right folks and take your time!
Oof. I did MCL about two years in. I miss jits, but it’s not worth it to me. If I could roll only with people who I choose then I might… but I don’t have that option.
Im going on 3 years(well 9 months off in that time) how do you tear your mcl and lcl?I dont think ive ever been close that kind of injury. My worst has been a dislocated pinky finger. Im currently 50 yo blue belt.
I did BJJ, left after multiple injuries. Started climbing and injured myself. Now I did 2 to 3 days of resistance training and climb safely because I love it so much I want to keep doing it for the rest of my life. I support this approach 100%.
I’m 23 years old and have been training BJJ for almost a year. I want to keep doing it until I’m 100. Thank you for this slow paced, informative video. It’s a breath of fresh air.
I'm a muay thai guy not a BJJ guy but this has a lot of great lessons for any martial artist and in fact anyone who wants to stay healthy and active into their old age. Thanks.
Love that people with years of practice of BJJ are sharing their experience. BJJ is a discipline much more demanding and risky than how it has been sold for so many years, especially to people who only wanted to do some physical activity to be in good shape and healthy. As the video suggests, you shouldn't practice BJJ without, for example, having other routine of exercises to strengthen your body. So the person who just wanted to be healthy and in good shape will need to invest more than he/she probably thought to prevent injuries (which will be inevitable to some degree). The risk of injury is definitely higher than in other traditional martial arts that will probably not be as effective for a 1 on 1 fighting situation, but could suffice for those whose main purpose is just to practice a physical activity.
I am 59 and started bjj in 1998 and haven’t rolled since 2011. I have 2 ream and run shoulders last surgery was May 19 2023 and to many injuries to list. I am a lifelong gym rat and feel better than I have in a long time.I feel I am at the point to start back after all the info I have learned from people who also have the passion. Thank you
Great video! I’m 41, still training 3-4 times a week. Similarly, in the early days all I did was Jiu Jitsu and I got pretty beat up. As I’ve gotten older, I supplement my Jiu Jitsu with calisthenics and a regular stretching / yoga routine. Also have a greater respect for the rest days, eating well and sleep. If you can afford to go to class, you can afford to rest and recover. Keep training! OSS!
Fantastic video, Nsima. Your channel has always been criminally underrated. I'd love to see more bjj content! I'm 25, I've been powerlifting for 7.5 years, I started Jiu Jitsu about 3 months ago and have absolutely loved it! However, I really wanted to start bjj like 4 years ago and never did because I had a fear of injury which was compounded by a phobia of medical treatment that I've had since I was a child. I finally decided enough is enough and started jiu jitsu as a way to face my fears and have been going 2-3 times a week for about 3 months while also still lifting weights 2-4 days a week. My training outside of bjj has definitely shifted to be more focused on recovery and strengthening injury prone areas (all of which you covered in this video) but I still make sure to maintain that base of strength and muscle that I built from years of hard lifting because I know it will keep me safe and healthy in the long run
I am 21 years old, have been strength training since 16, and started Jiu Jitsu about 1.5 years ago. It's important to understand that even if you have a strong body, are flexible, and choose partners wisely - injuries can still happen. I recently was rolling with a dude I have trained with numerous times and wasn't even going that hard. My pinky toe literally got snapped in half (bone sticking out). Shit happens. What you are doing is inherently dangerous, but it is incredibly worthwhile.
That absolutely sucks, but you heal fast at 21…just wait, you’ll see how much harder the 30’s are, then the 40’s, then the 50’s - every decade gets so much harder for every little thing…
iam a 40yo disabled veteran with a super messed up spine and body from iraq. no complaints here :) everything you said is 100000% true! listen to this man!!
2 years and 3 months into BJJ. Currently blue belt. I haven't missed a single training session due to injuries (fingers crossed), but I started after serious conditioning through calisthenics. By the way, I'm 49 and have competed multiple times, including in adult category. You are totally right. Strengthen to mitigate the risk of injuries (never zero, but at least is somehow handled).
I've been training jiujitsu for almost 14 years and have been a black belt and gym owner for the last three years. For far too long I relied on a little bit of yoga and my ability to carry me through my training. After coaching six days a week and rolling 2-5 matches a night, it wasn't cutting it. Investing into weight training with equipment and training has been some of the best investments into myself and jiujitsu. While I don't use the ATG grappling program, I do use the ATG programs and they are all amazing! Great video and great information!
Love this video. Great response to Dorians video. I randomly saw part of his video and had to turn it off. I didn’t want to invite any thoughts of injury in my head. Your video offers solutions and science to back it up. My favorite was you talking about ownership in the end. If we spent a little more time building our bodies to become more resilient, we can last in this sport longer. I’ve been training for 10 years now and before my now 14 month old was born I was kind of losing my “why” for jiu jitsu. I wasn’t planning on competing anytime soon and a white belt said something great and I over heard it, “I just want to be able to protect my family.” Those words lit a new fire in me. Not only do I want to become more dangerous if I have to be, but I also want to become stronger and resilient to get there. I think having a family should give us more of a why we should train.
Totally. That's my why too. To avoid injury I prefer to avoid competition, but our head instructor said that the stress of it is a good way to build capacity for self defence as the stress level is higher. And your body's energy drains faster the more stressed you are. So I might go for it but probably would want a few more stripes and to feel I'm landing more submissions on the mats in practice first.
Been training BJJ for about a decade. I remember training 2-3x a day without strength training and I crashed and burned pretty badly. When I got on a good program I felt like a different person. I been slacking lately due to a lifestyle change, but these videos help so much. Thank you so much
I’m a 6.5 year BJJ purple belt. I don’t lift heavy anymore, I lift with dumbbells and cables, I do pushups, pull-ups and dips. I practice BJJ 4-5 times a week. I drill way more now and I only hard roll one day a week at open mat. Drill more, eat better and stay away from heavy weights and straight bars.
@@Sensei_Gaz how old are you? I have bad shoulders and any doctor will tell you to stay away from straight bars and lifting heavy. Lifting heavy is terrible for your joints as you get older. Maybe you should talk with a doctor before you make comments on RUclips.
@@Sensei_Gaz also the combination of lifting heavy and years of BJJ will tear your body down. You would know this if you actually trained BJJ for more than a couple of years.
@@amjedhatu542I don't have a dog in the fight. I don't lift heavy either. But I know plenty of Black belts who lift heavy. To each his own. What works for some does not work for others.
@@dingusmcgringle9741 if they’re older black belts then more than likely they’re not lifting heavy bc they’re joints are terrible from years on the mats and if they’re younger black belts then I could see that. I know what works for me and what works for the older belts in BJJ where I train and no older BJJ practitioners lift heavy.
Thanks so much for this great info. After I watched I instantly subscribed. I am a 49 YO blue belt and while I love BJJ I am constantly aware (almost too much) of being injured. Can’t wait to explore your strength training videos. FWIW here are my rules that have helped keep me safe. OSS 🤙🤙 1. Tap early 2. Only spar takedowns with trusted partners 3. Do not invert. I have a fragile back and simply cannot risk it. 4. Do not spar with blue and white belts half my age who are too intense. Need purple at least for this. 5. Proper stretching routine 6. Proper rest between classes and nutrition. 7. Communicate with your training partners (ex current rib injury). I should have mentioned earlier, here are my BJJ goals 1. Fun & Fitness. Use this amazing sport as a tool to age well. If someone passes my guard because I cannot invert oh well. It was a great workout. 2. Self defense. I am not training to be a world champion. I am training to subdue a clown if an altercation cannot be avoided. 3. And a distant third is sport BJJ
Man, I’ve really been grappling with the decision to start training BJJ/MMA. I will soon be 29 years old, and have been lifting for about two years now, as well as working on mobility and cardio. I have totally transformed my body and my health, and my number one goal is to preserve health and function as I age. However, nothing is more thrilling than fighting. I took two classes, one MMA which mixed striking and wrestling, and one No-Gi BJJ class. Those two hours were the most fun I’ve had in years, and I can’t stop thinking about them. But even with a focus on resistance training, mobility, sleep, nutrition, etc., I worry that the risk of injury is just too high to pursue this passion. I don’t want to have chronic pain or nagging injuries in my 40s, 50s, and beyond. Nothing scares me more. I find it so cruel that the thing that excites me most is in such direct conflict with my core belief that preserving my body and health should be my number one priority.
I’m 60 and didn’t start BJJ until I was 35, so at this point I’m 31 years older than you are now. Yes, you will inevitably incur many injuries, but like you I have trained with weights and body weight exercises since I was a teen. I believe this helps my body be more resilient and heal quicker. The best part about martial arts is that all that higher nutrition and exercises now have an objective; a focus in helping you perform in your art at its best.
yep I know the feeling. I joined a bjj/mma gym 2 years and 3 months ago aged 30 and have been off for probably 1/4 of that time with injuries. broken middle toe, big toe problems, two eye infections from the mats, long-lasting stinger injury, sprained ankle, neck that clicks a lot more easily than before... I don't even think I try that hard. If anything I role more lazily and give up more easily than most other people in the class. But the problem is that even though you probably can avoid a lot of the injuries by only rolling light 90% of the time and only doing 1 or 2 sparring round where you try per week, sparring is so fun that you often can't help but try. It's theoretically possible to avoid injuries following certain rules but practically speaking it's unlikely that someone will follow all the rules correctly. you're basically trading your long term health for the ability to beat people up without strikes.
Thanks for the info. Im new to bjj.49 y/o military vet. I learned early that calasthenics and strength training is critical in recovery and injury prevention. Im also not competing. I love the sport and the art and love training. Thanks for the info. Ill put it to good use.
Very well said. No one ever explained to me the need and importance of strength conditioning when I started. I was sold on the philosophy strength had no relevance it was all about technique. This gave me the excuse to forego any of these extra cricular activities (why lift). I was injury prone. About a year in, I had my manuscus removed. I then ruptured a disk in my neck at year 6-7. The long breaks due to injuries would set my conditioning back exponentially. I never did strength training (big mistake). When I returned to the matt's out of condition injuries plagued me all the time. I have now integrated a strength training and diet program in my game (game changer). I am 47 years old and fell incredible due to diet and proper strength conditioning. I hope to strap that black belt on one day pushing for brown this year. I truly believe many of my injuries could have been avoided had I incorporated from day 1 some of these strategies you recommended. Thank you!
Yup! Currently at purple belt and I can tell when I maintain my body I feel a lot healthier and stronger on the mat. Stretching, weight training, and self massaging.
Black belt here! Always focused on strength and conditioning. When I saw Dorians video I thought exactly about all that. People need to understand that you need to prepare your body for jiu jitsu. You need to build a shield around your joints! For sure, random accidents happen but if you focus on shielding your body, you will train for life!
Bad ending to the video. Bjj does destroy people's bodies. Go to any gym and look at the guys who have been training for 10+ years in their late 40s or 50s and ask them what injuries they have. Case closed. Infact you don't even need to ask them. Just watch them walk to and from the mats. Look at how they walk as though they're 20 years older than they actually are. They are so much less spry and agile than normal fitness enthusiasts the same age. or even just people that age who play tennis at their club every week. It's just a fact that grappling causes accumulated wear and tear on your joints and ligaments and neck and shoulder and ankles etc. that can't be avoided.
I just started training two months ago. With 4-5 years of resistance training experience, I've noticed it's making a big difference in how quickly I recover between sessions. Even though training 2-3 times a week feels like a lot, I'm sticking with it! Thank you for the info! Super helpful.
I'm 47 and a 20 year gym rat with only 3 months into my BJJ journey. I've learned that when I gas out during a roll or apply too much power and tension, I make mistakes and take risks that subject me to more potential injuries. Rolling slower with mindful, deliberate actions and knowing what to defend and where to spend energy has helped me to be relaxed and calm without gassing out or placing my muscles and joints at greater risk of injury. I believe this strategy, along with everything discussed in this video will lend itself well to longevity in BJJ.
I started right after I turned 40 and now I have my blue belt. Ive found positional training to be the absolute key to longevity. When it’s free mat time I won’t just stand there and roll with the younger guys. I’ll train with whomever but I work on 2 position training meaning we start in a position, once 2 positions have changed or someone taps we start over in that position. This has helped me for many many reasons and I highly recommend it.
Luckily, I've only gotten little injuries here or there. Clicking is normal for me. I had to figure out not going all out every session. Some people are too injury prone because they tend to full send it. They refuse to tap and just let subs go on too long. I never roll with men who have an ego or who don't want to 'lose to a girl', most guys I feel safe with. It is sooo important to pick your partners wisely.
This is a big part. Reputable instructors for recreational training are going to do their best to avoid peeps from getting hurt. You have to watch out for mcdojos and that one guy in every class who grew up getting bullied😂
Most injury prone people are a) not used to contact sports, b) have little to no body awareness and c) do not lift or do mobility training. I'm 48 and competing in Master's 4 in another two weeks. Lift/Stretch/Be Aware when rolling/competing. Eat and Sleep enough. It's a Martial Art...a Fighting Art. Free weight squats (back and front) Conventional deadlifts. DB incline bench. These should be your core exercises. Ensure your hammies, core and glutes are strong. Job done. Nice video.
I’m a 30 year old blue belt, been training almost 3 years. I had a light LCL tear on an incorrect lasso sweep at white belt. I also hurt my ac joint on a sweep before I knew how to fall. These injuries were 2 years ago now. Now I realize I’m not old yet, but over time I’ve come to realize that I have to give myself the time to fully recover as well as do proper rehab and maintenance. My injuries taught me how to do things with proper technique and rely less on youthfulness which won’t be with me forever. If I want to train bjj forever I need to eat like it, sleep like it, stretch like it and strength train like it. Otherwise I’ll just end up with an early retirement. Awesome video and great tips. Some of the pain is unavoidable but managing it is fully within your ability.
Great video. I started BJJ summer last year, prior to that I’d been weight training 3-6 times a week for around 2 years. However, after getting a bit carried away with BJJ classes as a beginner, I ended up getting long head bicep Tendonitis, which for 8+ months now still hurts after intensive sessions. I had to take around 6 months off BJJ, which sucked as I was really enjoying it. My advice for anyone who is already lifting and wants to start BJJ: you will be using your body in ways you never had before. If you jump straight into frequent BJJ classes and think you can maintain your current gym routine, don’t. You need to readjust your weekly programme to ease your body into this combined way of working. Then you can ramp things up. Take it from me - I didn’t do that and now have a shoulder injury which I believe will stay for me indefinitely.
I started jujitsu last year at 59 years old with my 17 year old son. Yes, I experienced minor injuries, but as my technique got better, injuries became less. Now, at 60, I realize it's not just a sport for young people. You just have to do your resistance/cardio training and recover. I will continue to view this channel to get better. It's a great help
As a purple belt whose body cracks like a glow stick every morning ive never felt better. Also, stretching regularly has been a lifesaver for me but jiu-jitsu has changed me for the better but sometimes it's not so nice in the body
Excellent video! I'm nearly 43 years old. I've been resistance training for a while and can say it has served me well. I just started BJJ and found it is very hard on the body, but I recover from it due to my fitness. I'm going to ramp up to 3 days per from 2, while reducing weight training to 2 days per week. Big focus on range of motion in the weight room.
I’m 37 yr old blue belt and started Jiujitsu after age 35. Granted I did do a lot of athletic things as a child and constantly was rock climbing as an adult , but I feel a lot of this is great advice . I trained 4-6 times a week when I started , but I learned to dial that back to 2-3 for example as suggested here. I feel stronger on the mats when I go and feel more resistant to injury during rolls. Cool video , my suggestions personally are to combine like activities . Rock climbing in a gym for example is grip strength and flexibility for jiutjsu , with isometric training also!!! So it’s like doing figure skating and ballerina 🩰 training , that and sauna , and swimming . I suggest lifting weights , resistance training , sauna regularly and swimming also !! That might be why I’m a problem on the mats though, I do all that for fun. 😂❤ 🐺
I agree 100% I started BJJ at 46, I wrestled in HS, and have kept in decent shape over the years, and its really helped me out, I often roll with younger and much higher belts No problem, but I did have to tweak my diet, and sometimes I do need some type of sports cream lol So far its only been a year, but I feel like I can do this for many more
This is great, thanks. I'm 38yo, and I'm 6 months in and didn't get injuries, but I know it will happen one day. I'm losing weight, and my other type of exercise is long walks, don't love gyms, but I was thinking about doing resistance training... I think you convinced me that I need to do it to continue doing BJJ.
Yea man dont be ignorant. You’re probably smarter than that. Ur smarter than just ignoring resistance training and acting likr its not CRUCIAL for longevity in sport and life in general. But please make sure u lift carefully and follow good advice specifically for ur own goals
23 yo blue belt. Trained for 2 years and I’ve taken the last 5 months off because of neck. It became sore to the touch and hurt me badly. I’ve been resting and stretching. When I go back I will make sure to not let people get ahold my neck. Most people don’t understand you need medium intensity training every time you train. Not 110% every time
Calling him ignorant in the thumbnail is harsh especially when admitting BJJ can in fact cause injuries. You do not know his specific circumstances from a RUclips video. I'm not his fan or even a subscriber, I just saw that one video of his, but calling him ignorant to get people to click on your video is messed up. The BJJ community is about respecting each other, not this.
I watched both videos and saw no disrespect. This guy is trying to keep you on the mats longer and makes a fine point that you control a lot of the outcome of your training based on your preparation.
48 black belt here. Knees and shoulders destroyed. Today I do once in a while just for fun. Doctor forbide me 😅😅 Best advice: take it easy, choose your partners wisely and leave your ego outside. Also stretch and work on mobility and strength.
Started BJJ in my late 50's, 60-something now. You have to listen to your body and take responsibility for your training, swallow your pride and step off the mat before you are wrecked, skip some rolls, take a few days or even a week off now and then to recover and refocus. Learn how to roll slow and smooth, and roll with partners who know how to do this. If someone is going to strong and fast, or is just too strong/large, you may need to avoid them, or take those rolls as an opportunity to develop frames and defense, breathing, pacing etc. I'm 130lb and have trained with partners nearly twice my weight and a foot taller than me. Most of the time that really suks, so I avoid it unless I have a good history with that student. I like the 80/20 rule as a guide. Train 80% of the time with other students you are "better" than, and 20% of the time with those who are "better" than you. "Better" may take into account their size and experience. Sometimes I still encounter new white belts who are much younger, larger, stronger, quicker etc. all their physical attributes are superior to mine, and I struggle to execute and perform well against them. Unfortunately the 80/20 is not as doable when you first start, and the population of the gym impacts availability of diverse students to train with. When I started it was flipped the other way, 80% larger, stronger, more experienced students. When newer students showed up closer to my size was the only time it felt like I had learned anything and could execute anything well. One struggle is to get enough nutrition and sleep to support my training. There are lots of supplements recommended, I take a good mix of multi-vitamin-minerals, plus curcumin, collagen, creatine and CBD. I use protein shakes or powder mixed into a smoothie to get about an extra 50g of protein a day, and try to eat a high protein diet. I do have a mobility/flexibility, body-weight strength training and cardio routine I try to do daily as a morning warmup and extend it on days I don't train BJJ. Only injury that has kept me off the mat was a groin-pull that had me out about 6 weeks. Some lingering pain still dogs me from that, but mobility and flexibility exercises help.
As a person that played football and wrestled in hs, football in college, and competed in powerlifting post college, I started Bjj at the age of 34 and now I’m a 4 stripe purple belt at damn near 40. I compete regularly in tournaments and super fights, train 6 days a week and lift 2. My body has never felt better. As a personal trainer I see the same problems with my clients that I see with my teammates at the academy, they think that hour/hour half is more valuable than the 23 other ones in the day. It’s a 24 endeavors, sleep, food, recovery, and strength strength training aren’t activities that are separate of Bjj, it’s all one collective endeavor.
Word of advice.. Just because you haven’t had any major injuries yet doesn’t mean they won’t blindside you. I trained for 7 years, and did all the things he mentioned in this video. I went from no issues or symptoms to 7 bulging discs. No amount of stretching, mobility work, strength training, nutrition, testosterone, etc can keep you from wearing out your joints and ligaments. Training 6 days a week will do just that.
@@mikedemopoulos2210 If you train like a pro athlete, expect to live with physical consequences that come with that sort of lifestyle. BJJ is an extreme sport. Good luck
Injuries are a part of the sport, everyone who trains for a meaningful length of time will end up with some niggling injuries. I broke my collarbone and was back on the mats in 3 weeks. (Obviously not rolling hard) torn my rotator cuff in a comp and had no time off just rolled light. This video is absolutely packed with wisdom, thank you sir.
Bro, you are awesome. Great advice. I have really bad injuries, was prior military, and am 32. I used to be super active, but recently was able to slowly get back into it and am brand new to jiu-jitsu. I will likely need low back surgery soon. Thank you so much for the tips. I needed to hear this inspiring advice.
This is some good stuff. I've been researching since looking to get back into martial arts and combative to ramp up my fitness activities being in the military. My nephews are also in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and one of the things I've discussed with my military peers are the injuries, and it was my intention on researching more, and this video was so helpful, so thank you for sharing.
Oh my gosh this is me. 😢 working through a meniscus tear rn. Had double plantar fasciitis spent 3-6 months in a wheelchair last year. Year before that rolled my ankle (sidewalk broke under my foot) had a really bad sprain was down for 3-4 months. Not even 34 yet. I gotta stop getting injured and work on all my little muscles and tendons around the bigger ones. To build myself back up again literally from the feet up. Had shoulder reconstruction at 15, fractured knee, L foot surgery before that. Didn’t want to do BJJ because I knew I’d get hurt. But I also feel like a wimp doing bands and weird movements. When I remember myself throwing around so much weight when I was younger. Just need to see what I am accept that I’m not who I was and work my way to a better place daily to achieve the goal of staying injury free and healthy.
I'm just about to get into BJJ having trained resistance training for a few years. I stumbled across this video, and a lot of the resistance training that you promote are things I have been doing at the gym for longevity and mobility. You got yourself a new subscriber, keep up the good work!
The best thing you can do is get as big as strong as possible just look at this guy he's a genetic freak that claims he doesn't even take trt🎉 I've noticed that the 250 plus pound guys never seem to get hurt but the smaller guys seem to get injured by them🎉 don't ever roll with the spas they'll try to get you to roll with then and they'll say they'll take it easy then they'll spaz out and throw you into an arm bar that they'll wrenches hard as they can
About to start my Jiu Jitsu journey after being a long-time striker. I'm nervous as heck after hearing all the injuries you could get from the sport. Thank you for this video! this is extremely helpful. More power to you dude.
Thank you for this great video! Appreciate you taking the time to give solution and share your experience. I am in this (BJJ & physical training) for a lifetime. I found balance to be my solution, and it’s working! Swimming, stretching, weight training and BJJ - I listen to my body and have no problem taking it easy when I have to. It’s working.
There we go! I also swim a few times a week and have found it to be super useful. Minimal joint impact, full range of motion of the body. I actually feel like it helps me decompress! Thanks for sharing 👊🏾
Started BJJ last year, and I am currently 44! At this stage of my life, it's critical to be mindful of our bodies and prepare the best we can. If we don't look after our own body, who will? I love everything Nsima mentions, I even bought the heavy rope which will be instrumental to the health of my joints and spine. These videos are informative and beneficial for all athletes/martial artists. Great work
You hit the nail on the head. My BJJ gym also offers weight training classes. Since day one my professor has always stressed the importance of proper resistance training in preventing injuries.
As someone who’s transitioning from kickboxing into bjj, this alien (to me) martial arts is amazing, but my body (41, very active and working out) seems ill prepared for the tribulations that bjj brings. This video is a great reminder and teaching tool for folks like me and others who feel like they can’t handle the art of folding clothes with people in them.
Awesome!! I'm planning to start doing BJJ and these video completely nailed it, it gives the exact peace of advice I was expecting to hear from someone experienced. Now I understand that jiu-jitsu is not gonna threaten my future wellbeing, because the responsibility of that relies on me, not on the marcial art. Thank you 💪
I like the information and a different take on how to recover from injuries or minor tares and sprains. I'm glad you mentioned the Become Supple Leppard book. Kelly has some great information. Sitting on the floor I would have never thought of, but it makes sense to get your body conditioned for jujitsu. Thank you 🙏
Thanks for this video, I'm in my 30s and started kickboxing, it helped with some pains, but I certainly have some new ones. I know that I'm aging but I'm glad to know that there are options to not geting hurt in the long run.
I thank the algorithm for the recommendation. Subbed to your channel. I wish everyone who does jiu jitsu would watch this video. Having done martial arts before, I understand it’s my responsibility to remain healthy while I practice jiu jitsu. Thanks again for the video!
39 years old, 6' 1.5" height 170lbs (tall and thin) started in 2005. Two rib injuries (recurring pain associated), one dislocated thumb, one shoulder strain. Not bad for two decades. I dont roll much anymore. Greatful for the time I have had to train. Saving my body for picking up grand kids and building a home.
Growing up in a home with a mom who personal trained and taught group classes of all types at a gym for 30+ years experience made these concepts 2nd nature and intuitive. Now in my late 30s and 3 years into BJJ and no major or progressive injuries Im forever thankful for the knowledge that was passed onto me seeing others around me at the same age break physically in the worst ways…. Knowing the human anatomy and when to tap helps too
How prone you are to injuries varies vastly between individuals, even if you do everything right. I would even go so far to say that your changes of becoming elite in any sport depends on how injury prone you are. There are tons of people with athletic talent that quit all sports due to injury that many other talented people do not get, even if they do exactly the same thing. Good video with good tips.
Agreed, some are more injury prone than others, BUT, everyone can become less injury prone if they strengthen their tissues and movement ability. It doesn’t mean you’ll never get injured, but you will reduce the likelihood of it and if it happens it will most likely be less severe.
proper strength training was vital for me.. im 42 now and i started when i was 17. not including wrestling and power lifting. i was injury free until 31. and then....lol( 2 pec tares, groin tare, torn meniscus, torn acl, broken wrist, broken elbow, broken/ shattered ankle.) some of thst wasn't caused by sports just work accidents. so yeah, everything started going. i radically changed my strength training and diet to adapt. now i practice twice a week and lift twice a week.
BJJ training for 18 months. Just earned my Blue Belt. I am 69 years old. I have had sore ribs and broke my toe. I appreciate your great advice and BJJ lifelong goal setting.
I think it depends on how you approach learning something new. I think when you do it’s important to take it slow and night dive in headfirst at full speed. There’s a reason why a lot of schools make you stay in the basic classes in the very beginning. When I started playing golf I went headfirst full speed and blew out my back and knees a bunch of times. Your mindset and goals are very important.
Every single one of my injuries is from grappling: a partially torn ankle, torn acl, torn bicep and now it has been 8 months since I'm dealing with a shoulder injury. I like grappling, but I don't make enough money to just support my medical expenses plus more than once I've been given wrong results. I'm focusing more on my striking and takedowns rather than ground fighting. I've been working out since my first injury and already 5 years have passed
Great video, thanks for your advice, hitting the gym becomes very important in those martial arts. I do judo and bjj and I feel so beat up by the end of the week that I can only manage to go one day to the gym but I can do some weight lifting on the mornings before going to work, I will give a special treatment to those morning routines now
I started at age 73, 7 months in and 107 training days. I came in with a lumbar injury, a bad shoulder and two bad knees, one worse than the other. I find that the best thing is to indentify the guys who like to teach and will instruct you along the way. Some people actually enjoy purposefully hurting people, identify them and stay away or be aware.
Been rolling for 3 years, train 5-6 days per week, 2 classes per day (gi and no gi). I’m 42 yrs old and compete. I do roll hard (most of the time) but bring down the intensity with partners who are much older, smaller or newer. I think my saving grace so far has been weight training 3x’s per week (Bro split- PPL), lots of core work and stretching. 👊
Black belt here. Been doing Jiu Jitsu for about 14 years. Injuries are real here is the best advice I can give. -Tap Early. There is absolutely no point in being “tough” or having an ego. Just tap. Seriously. If it’s close, tap. -Training Partners are very important. You take care of them and they take care of you. If you break all your toys, you don’t get new ones. - Space out your days. My days have been and will be, Mondays, Thursdays, and Saturday Mornings. This helps me to recover for a day. - Yoga. Yup it’s not just for women! I think I’ve avoided more injuries because I’m more flexible and have better balance than most.
In Dorian's video, a lot of people commented their injury stories, and talked about quitting BJJ. If you have tips for how you've kept your body STRONG for BJJ, comment them down below to give people something positive to try and look forward to.
And if you'd like to begin the UNTAPPED program and join the discord group, links are in the description.
how to I find the untapped program?
Links are in the description, but you can download the ATG app on iPhone or android OR head to athletictruthgroup.com and sign up. The program is on the app 🫶🏾
You basically nailed it here, treat your weight training like half a rehab session. Almost more like knees over toes. You’re after holistic joint function more than the biggest squat or deadlift. If you’re burning the candle on both meds it’s probably worse than not lifting at all. Think of how many powerlifter are constantly getting injured.
A sports specific plan is always the way to go
Don’t overtrain duh
Hi, thank you for this video. What do you think of heavy resistance band workouts for BJJ? Thank you in advance if you give a reply. Take care.
Brownbelt here, quick tips on how I avoid injuries:
- I only train No Gi now, mostly because I like it more, but the extra friction from the Gi always increased injury risk for me.
- Tapping early and often, I don't try to escape once a submission is locked in.
- Taking strength and mobility/flexibility training seriously.
- Lifting focused on compound exercises with the largest range of motion possible.
- Rolling at 60-70% intensity, if I feel like I'm using too much strength to gain a position, I give up and try something else.
No gi is significantly more injury prone, what you are saying does not make sense. Faster movements, more scrambles, more slippage, harder to balance due to sweat.
Takes skill to keep nogi safe
@@OldManNutcakezI admit that this might be individual and acnedotal, might be due to my fighting style. At least I can say for sure that your fingers will be spared 😅
Very interesting that you’re more injury prone in the gi. No gi is a much faster game and that’s where I see more grapplers get injured. Slippery, and more dynamic. But it’s good that you’re doing what works best for you!
How old are you just curious? 44 year old brown belt here. I definitely feel like no gi will save your fingers lol
Yup! And if you’re middle aged and haven’t trained for this type of stuff you will be way more prone to injury.
43-year-old white belt one year in, 7 year personal trainer, and 20 year gym rat here. The only injuries I've had in the last year have been pulled elbows here and there and I had a bad oblique strain a few months back that sidelined me for a few weeks. I lift 3-4 days a week and hit the mats about 2-3 times a week while listening to my body daily. If you want to last then listen to this man. Your personal health must be the priority. Use strength training to protect your body. Eat well to refuel and recover. If I have to take an extra day to recover or miss class to make my strength training sessions then I will and vice versa. Great video Nsima.
Thank you Chris, and congrats for starting BJJ! I’m glad you dig it dude 😁
We aint you special...
Add another 5 years and get back to us
I'll be 49 in a few months and a blue belt started little over 2 years ago. I found that I have to do strength and conditioning, cardio HITT workouts, swim laps in the pool helps you learn to be more efficient and I train Jiu Jitsu 2 to 3 days a week but I listen to my body. Everybody is different and you have to listen to your body. Strength and conditioning, stretching and warming up is important to prevent injury and learn to breath and be as efficient as possible. Use muscle when you have to but when you don't have to just stay relaxed and breathe.
Very inspiring!
Been training BJJ consistently for 17 years. Rarely had an injury, nothing serious. Seen lots of people getting injured over the years. One thing I don't see enough discussion on is higher risk positions. Do not invert, do not allow your spine to be compressed, avoid explosive movements, avoid high speed movements. Focus on timing and precision. Focus on protecting your body FIRST and if you get extended be prepared to tap early. Just because you CAN get out of something doesn't mean you should. Be patient and find a better answer. Also, I rarely train Gi and even when I did for the first 12 years, I rarely used Gi grips. It wrecks your hands and provides little value in anything but a Gi. Train yourself to attach to bones with full hand grips, or even better, under and overhooks. This is how you can train BJJ for a very long time with minimal injuries.
And yes, you MUST train your body to supplement BJJ.
Some good stuff here. I myself invert a lot since I play different guards, BUT, I’ve also strengthened my body in these positions. My neck and my ability to contort my spine are at a pretty resilient level. So I think instead of total avoidance, you should strengthen these capabilities so you can get into the positions safely and securely.
I also do a lot of gi, that’s where I believe strengthening the hands plays a huge role but ALSO knowing when to let go of grips. When someone is about to rip a grip off hard, i let it go at the perfect time as to waste no energy holding onto it. It’s technique, but my hands feel great after 8 years!
Interesting you avoid gi, as you always hear no gi is more explosive and a young man's game. Slowing people down in their gi helps alot of older players.
Superb comment!
Good stuff, should have read this comment before I messed up my shoulder at a 3 day BJJ Camp 6 months ago :D stay save everyone !
When we get smart enough to keep those devices, we are deep into the sport and already full of injuries
I'm a 39 year old seasoned brown belt. I started at the age of 28 and trust me, I've had my fair share of injuries. Lower back, neck, shoulders, arms, wrists, knees, you name it 😂. But from what I've seen over the years a lot of injuries are a direct result from ego simply because they refused to tap. A lot of unnecessary injuries can be prevented if people would just tap rather than let their egos get in the way! My tip of advice is to tap early and tap often. Whenever I help cover classes for my instructor I make sure to engrain this into all of our new white belts' heads so that they understand that it is okay to tap. And if I see a submission locked in deep while walking around and they aren't tapping I stop them immediately and remind them to tap.
100%
This is true some of the time, but to be honest a lot of injuries happen without any submissions occuring. A lot of injuries come from body parts bending in the wrong way due to scrambles and takedowns. This increases when a training partner uses quick and careless movement, random elbows thrown around getting people in the head, grabbing people and using strength rather than techniques, usually resulting in people falling to the ground in a heaped mess. Joint dislocation and constant sprains occur in these moments. I find this happens to the people who just roll to win at all costs, rather than use rolling as an ability to practise what you learn, or perfecting techniques. Usually comes down to ego.
Never been injured from a submission and I have been fucked for the last couple of years. In my experience most injuries are from transitions and or scrambles not people just grunting during a heel hook.
I’ve been training for seven years. I am currently a purple belt. I remember after my first day of training my immediate goal was to stay healthy enough to train the next day. This concept seems impossible for some to comprehend. Don’t worry about getting better. Don’t worry about tapping your training partners. Stay healthy, get on the mats, and the goals will take care of themselves.
This* 1000
well said brother, im going to try and get better at this
Sometimes it's hard thou. Even if you are prioritizing your health not everyone you meet is, and if you do it long enough you'll eventually run into some psychos that will wreck your joints the fiiest chance they get and not even give a chance to tap.
One time a dude I had never rolled with up to that point dislocated my shoulder with an unreasonably intense Kimura. Other time a guy busted my elbow with an armbar while holding both of my arms and making it so I couldn't even tap. Right now both my shoulders, one elbow, one knee, both feet and my trachea are damaged because I ran into dudes that rolled like their lives depended on it even thou we were all just doing it for fun.
@@leonardomarquesbellini Never hesitate to express the roll is too intense. Also never be embarrassed to dodge a roll that seems dicey. Guy I roll with is 55 years old and has been training for about a decade. We got our brown belts together, but he’s more than a decade and a half older than I. I asked him what his secret to longevity is, and he said, “I dodge a lot of rolls because I know not all training partners have my health in mind.” Just food for thought.
@@carlosmichael5183 my worse injuries were when I was younger and braver (read: stupid) and thought I just had to soldier throughany malice. My own safety is numero uno right now, but I'll admit the odd psycho you meet here and there killed most of the joy I had in BJJ, as I need to be constantly second guessing every choice I make to figure out if the other guy will do something insane in response and ruin my life. I had similar experiences with Muay Thai and Boxing, which I also enjoy when practiced right, with dudes here and there looking like they left home explicitly wanting to give someone a concussion. One guy in practice partiality detached my retina in freaking sparring between two amateurs with no pretense of ever fighting for real. Insanity, specially considering there were 2 pros in that gym that retired due to retinal detachment.
Right now I'm looking into Kyokushin as my new martial art, even of it's basically neutered muay thai at this point and its competitive scene exists in an ever smaller bubble at least the ruleset makes it hard for the odd psycho to seriously hurt me, even if they're going harder than what's reasonable for amateurs and something you're literally paying to do.
As a 46 year old former pro MMA fighter and 20 year BJJ practitioner I wholeheartedly endorse this video, brilliant content. Subscribed. 👍🏻
That's high praise coming from your experience! Thank you!
40-year-old blue belt. I started training at 36.
As a white belt, I've had a sprained wrist and 2 sprained ankles. These were within my first 6 months of training.
The only injuries I've had in BJJ since then have seen muscle strains and superficial bruising because:
1. I strength train 2x per week with compound barbell movements
2. I train BJJ only 2x per week because I'm too exhausted to train more since I'm lifting
3. I focus on Gi since it's slower.
4. I make sure to stretch daily.
5. I have no problem with tapping early and often.
BJJ twice / week and weightlifting twice / week is a good balance. Focusing on the gi skills is a good practice. It is good when the teacher adheres to the true art by having gi mandatory classes.
I am extremely deconditioned physically, especially recovering from a meniscal tear injury, but I want to start Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. I am 37 years old, by the way. Could you kindly recommend any training and its duration?
50 year old white belt here. I roll 2 times a week, 3 times a week max. I’ve got a lot of lower back issues including a fusion surgery that I had years ago. I lift weights, run, and do yoga and stretching as well. 20 minutes of yoga before bed, to me it’s mandatory and I never miss doing it. So far so good, my body feels great and back feels stronger than ever. Also one of the pluses of starting BJJ . Later in life is that I feel zero pressure to do any type of competitive rolling. I do it for the pure enjoyment of the sport, intellectual satisfaction of learning techniques, and an awesome workout.
That’s how to do this for a long time man! Thanks for sharing!
20% of sparring partners cause 80% of the injuries
YEP.
There’s a relative societal study in America that shows this about crime too
@@ghgghhggghhhPlease stop the politicizing here and go to 8chan where you belong.
@@ghgghhggghhhPower law works damn near universally. Hell, 80% of STI cases are caused by 20% of promiscuous dudes
@@ghgghhggghhhand another one that shows this about finances.
2 years in, 54 year-old blue-belt. I’m under no illusion I’ll be a champion, and I’ve had injuries. For me it’s worth it. I absolutely love it, and I’ll do it until I can’t. I roll twice a week between strength days. No room for ego, I tap early and often.
Swear to god... human body should come with an owners manual. Nutrition, Mobility, and Resistance training should 1000% be the focus for everyone, not just athletes doing a thing. I know shitloads of runners who cry about running breaking them down, basketball players who's knees and ankles are shaky, you name it - ultimately what it comes down to is that your body needs care and maintenance for longevity regardless of what your aspirations are with regards to sports, martial arts, or attaining an athletic physique.
ABSOLUTELY! This is what’s going to allow us to AGE WELL.
Just learn or think about our evolution. All the answers are there.
Yes, I agree. The thing is we all like to push our bodies just up to limit without doing serious or permanent damage, problem is you don't know what that limit is until you pass it.
Doing competitive BJJ is not good for your joints, ligaments, etc., lol. I love it as much as the next guy but it will take it's toll. Not nearly as bad as wrestling but look so many older guys that are purple belts & above have chronic injuries, pain, surgeries..Eddie Bravo said recently he might not be able to roll again. Joe Rogan is on the best cocktail of PEDs, GH, peptides, etc., money can buy & he's said his BJJ days are basically over.
There are lots of owners manuals, the average person just chooses not to read any of them
MASTERFUL WORK 🔥🙌
Love your work! Thank you!
Thank you! 🙏🏾
The goat himself!
Well said, as a Former Kickboxer and now BJJ/Judoka,
Choosing partners wisely, checking your ego, and strength training/mobility have been my best advices to others.
Anyone hesitant to get into these things,
Take his advice to heart and go for it. 👌
Year and a half in... Already a MCL, and a LCL injury... both in different knees. I can not explain how big it is to roll with the right folks and take your time!
Oof. I did MCL about two years in. I miss jits, but it’s not worth it to me.
If I could roll only with people who I choose then I might… but I don’t have that option.
Im going on 3 years(well 9 months off in that time) how do you tear your mcl and lcl?I dont think ive ever been close that kind of injury. My worst has been a dislocated pinky finger. Im currently 50 yo blue belt.
I did BJJ, left after multiple injuries. Started climbing and injured myself. Now I did 2 to 3 days of resistance training and climb safely because I love it so much I want to keep doing it for the rest of my life. I support this approach 100%.
I’m 23 years old and have been training BJJ for almost a year. I want to keep doing it until I’m 100. Thank you for this slow paced, informative video. It’s a breath of fresh air.
I'm a muay thai guy not a BJJ guy but this has a lot of great lessons for any martial artist and in fact anyone who wants to stay healthy and active into their old age. Thanks.
You’re welcome! Glad you dug it 👊🏾
Love that people with years of practice of BJJ are sharing their experience. BJJ is a discipline much more demanding and risky than how it has been sold for so many years, especially to people who only wanted to do some physical activity to be in good shape and healthy. As the video suggests, you shouldn't practice BJJ without, for example, having other routine of exercises to strengthen your body. So the person who just wanted to be healthy and in good shape will need to invest more than he/she probably thought to prevent injuries (which will be inevitable to some degree). The risk of injury is definitely higher than in other traditional martial arts that will probably not be as effective for a 1 on 1 fighting situation, but could suffice for those whose main purpose is just to practice a physical activity.
I am 59 and started bjj in 1998 and haven’t rolled since 2011. I have 2 ream and run shoulders last surgery was May 19 2023 and to many injuries to list. I am a lifelong gym rat and feel better than I have in a long time.I feel I am at the point to start back after all the info I have learned from people who also have the passion. Thank you
Don't do it. You WILL get hurt at 60. Find another hobby.
@@MOAB-UThater
Great video! I’m 41, still training 3-4 times a week. Similarly, in the early days all I did was Jiu Jitsu and I got pretty beat up. As I’ve gotten older, I supplement my Jiu Jitsu with calisthenics and a regular stretching / yoga routine. Also have a greater respect for the rest days, eating well and sleep. If you can afford to go to class, you can afford to rest and recover. Keep training! OSS!
Fantastic video, Nsima. Your channel has always been criminally underrated. I'd love to see more bjj content! I'm 25, I've been powerlifting for 7.5 years, I started Jiu Jitsu about 3 months ago and have absolutely loved it! However, I really wanted to start bjj like 4 years ago and never did because I had a fear of injury which was compounded by a phobia of medical treatment that I've had since I was a child. I finally decided enough is enough and started jiu jitsu as a way to face my fears and have been going 2-3 times a week for about 3 months while also still lifting weights 2-4 days a week. My training outside of bjj has definitely shifted to be more focused on recovery and strengthening injury prone areas (all of which you covered in this video) but I still make sure to maintain that base of strength and muscle that I built from years of hard lifting because I know it will keep me safe and healthy in the long run
I’m glad you started man. Stay consistent and keep listening to your body. I appreciate your comment 👊🏾
I am 21 years old, have been strength training since 16, and started Jiu Jitsu about 1.5 years ago. It's important to understand that even if you have a strong body, are flexible, and choose partners wisely - injuries can still happen. I recently was rolling with a dude I have trained with numerous times and wasn't even going that hard. My pinky toe literally got snapped in half (bone sticking out). Shit happens. What you are doing is inherently dangerous, but it is incredibly worthwhile.
shit can happen! But you'll heal in time and be back at it
That absolutely sucks, but you heal fast at 21…just wait, you’ll see how much harder the 30’s are, then the 40’s, then the 50’s - every decade gets so much harder for every little thing…
@@JT-oc2dn that will be the hardest of all…
You’re only 21. You don’t know about training for longevity yet.
Most useful comment here and I'm even more shocked it's come from a 21 year old.
iam a 40yo disabled veteran with a super messed up spine and body from iraq. no complaints here :) everything you said is 100000% true! listen to this man!!
2 years and 3 months into BJJ. Currently blue belt. I haven't missed a single training session due to injuries (fingers crossed), but I started after serious conditioning through calisthenics. By the way, I'm 49 and have competed multiple times, including in adult category.
You are totally right. Strengthen to mitigate the risk of injuries (never zero, but at least is somehow handled).
Dude that's AMAZING, you're doing it right. You NEED to keep the body strong for BJJ
I've been training jiujitsu for almost 14 years and have been a black belt and gym owner for the last three years. For far too long I relied on a little bit of yoga and my ability to carry me through my training. After coaching six days a week and rolling 2-5 matches a night, it wasn't cutting it. Investing into weight training with equipment and training has been some of the best investments into myself and jiujitsu. While I don't use the ATG grappling program, I do use the ATG programs and they are all amazing! Great video and great information!
is there a grappling program
Love this video. Great response to Dorians video. I randomly saw part of his video and had to turn it off. I didn’t want to invite any thoughts of injury in my head. Your video offers solutions and science to back it up. My favorite was you talking about ownership in the end. If we spent a little more time building our bodies to become more resilient, we can last in this sport longer. I’ve been training for 10 years now and before my now 14 month old was born I was kind of losing my “why” for jiu jitsu. I wasn’t planning on competing anytime soon and a white belt said something great and I over heard it, “I just want to be able to protect my family.” Those words lit a new fire in me. Not only do I want to become more dangerous if I have to be, but I also want to become stronger and resilient to get there. I think having a family should give us more of a why we should train.
Totally. That's my why too. To avoid injury I prefer to avoid competition, but our head instructor said that the stress of it is a good way to build capacity for self defence as the stress level is higher. And your body's energy drains faster the more stressed you are. So I might go for it but probably would want a few more stripes and to feel I'm landing more submissions on the mats in practice first.
@@BenWeeks-ca I highly recommend competing too. Competing always gave me more of a focus of what to work on versus winging it.
Been training BJJ for about a decade. I remember training 2-3x a day without strength training and I crashed and burned pretty badly. When I got on a good program I felt like a different person. I been slacking lately due to a lifestyle change, but these videos help so much.
Thank you so much
You're welcome! I'm glad this was helpful for you.
That’s me dude I train about 2-4 times a day and feel broken constantly
I’m a 6.5 year BJJ purple belt. I don’t lift heavy anymore, I lift with dumbbells and cables, I do pushups, pull-ups and dips. I practice BJJ 4-5 times a week. I drill way more now and I only hard roll one day a week at open mat. Drill more, eat better and stay away from heavy weights and straight bars.
@@Sensei_Gaz how old are you? I have bad shoulders and any doctor will tell you to stay away from straight bars and lifting heavy. Lifting heavy is terrible for your joints as you get older. Maybe you should talk with a doctor before you make comments on RUclips.
@@Sensei_Gaz also the combination of lifting heavy and years of BJJ will tear your body down. You would know this if you actually trained BJJ for more than a couple of years.
@@amjedhatu542I don't have a dog in the fight. I don't lift heavy either. But I know plenty of Black belts who lift heavy. To each his own. What works for some does not work for others.
@@dingusmcgringle9741 if they’re older black belts then more than likely they’re not lifting heavy bc they’re joints are terrible from years on the mats and if they’re younger black belts then I could see that. I know what works for me and what works for the older belts in BJJ where I train and no older BJJ practitioners lift heavy.
Thanks so much for this great info. After I watched I instantly subscribed. I am a 49 YO blue belt and while I love BJJ I am constantly aware (almost too much) of being injured. Can’t wait to explore your strength training videos. FWIW here are my rules that have helped keep me safe. OSS 🤙🤙
1. Tap early
2. Only spar takedowns with trusted partners
3. Do not invert. I have a fragile back and simply cannot risk it.
4. Do not spar with blue and white belts half my age who are too intense. Need purple at least for this.
5. Proper stretching routine
6. Proper rest between classes and nutrition.
7. Communicate with your training partners (ex current rib injury).
I should have mentioned earlier, here are my BJJ goals
1. Fun & Fitness. Use this amazing sport as a tool to age well. If someone passes my guard because I cannot invert oh well. It was a great workout.
2. Self defense. I am not training to be a world champion. I am training to subdue a clown if an altercation cannot be avoided.
3. And a distant third is sport BJJ
Man, I’ve really been grappling with the decision to start training BJJ/MMA. I will soon be 29 years old, and have been lifting for about two years now, as well as working on mobility and cardio. I have totally transformed my body and my health, and my number one goal is to preserve health and function as I age.
However, nothing is more thrilling than fighting. I took two classes, one MMA which mixed striking and wrestling, and one No-Gi BJJ class. Those two hours were the most fun I’ve had in years, and I can’t stop thinking about them.
But even with a focus on resistance training, mobility, sleep, nutrition, etc., I worry that the risk of injury is just too high to pursue this passion. I don’t want to have chronic pain or nagging injuries in my 40s, 50s, and beyond. Nothing scares me more.
I find it so cruel that the thing that excites me most is in such direct conflict with my core belief that preserving my body and health should be my number one priority.
I’m 60 and didn’t start BJJ until I was 35, so at this point I’m 31 years older than you are now. Yes, you will inevitably incur many injuries, but like you I have trained with weights and body weight exercises since I was a teen. I believe this helps my body be more resilient and heal quicker. The best part about martial arts is that all that higher nutrition and exercises now have an objective; a focus in helping you perform in your art at its best.
yep I know the feeling. I joined a bjj/mma gym 2 years and 3 months ago aged 30 and have been off for probably 1/4 of that time with injuries. broken middle toe, big toe problems, two eye infections from the mats, long-lasting stinger injury, sprained ankle, neck that clicks a lot more easily than before...
I don't even think I try that hard. If anything I role more lazily and give up more easily than most other people in the class. But the problem is that even though you probably can avoid a lot of the injuries by only rolling light 90% of the time and only doing 1 or 2 sparring round where you try per week, sparring is so fun that you often can't help but try. It's theoretically possible to avoid injuries following certain rules but practically speaking it's unlikely that someone will follow all the rules correctly.
you're basically trading your long term health for the ability to beat people up without strikes.
Thanks for the info. Im new to bjj.49 y/o military vet. I learned early that calasthenics and strength training is critical in recovery and injury prevention. Im also not competing. I love the sport and the art and love training. Thanks for the info. Ill put it to good use.
Very well said. No one ever explained to me the need and importance of strength conditioning when I started. I was sold on the philosophy strength had no relevance it was all about technique. This gave me the excuse to forego any of these extra cricular activities (why lift). I was injury prone. About a year in, I had my manuscus removed. I then ruptured a disk in my neck at year 6-7. The long breaks due to injuries would set my conditioning back exponentially. I never did strength training (big mistake). When I returned to the matt's out of condition injuries plagued me all the time. I have now integrated a strength training and diet program in my game (game changer). I am 47 years old and fell incredible due to diet and proper strength conditioning. I hope to strap that black belt on one day pushing for brown this year. I truly believe many of my injuries could have been avoided had I incorporated from day 1 some of these strategies you recommended. Thank you!
Yup! Currently at purple belt and I can tell when I maintain my body I feel a lot healthier and stronger on the mat. Stretching, weight training, and self massaging.
Black belt here! Always focused on strength and conditioning. When I saw Dorians video I thought exactly about all that. People need to understand that you need to prepare your body for jiu jitsu. You need to build a shield around your joints! For sure, random accidents happen but if you focus on shielding your body, you will train for life!
Bad ending to the video. Bjj does destroy people's bodies. Go to any gym and look at the guys who have been training for 10+ years in their late 40s or 50s and ask them what injuries they have. Case closed.
Infact you don't even need to ask them. Just watch them walk to and from the mats. Look at how they walk as though they're 20 years older than they actually are. They are so much less spry and agile than normal fitness enthusiasts the same age. or even just people that age who play tennis at their club every week.
It's just a fact that grappling causes accumulated wear and tear on your joints and ligaments and neck and shoulder and ankles etc. that can't be avoided.
I just started training two months ago. With 4-5 years of resistance training experience, I've noticed it's making a big difference in how quickly I recover between sessions. Even though training 2-3 times a week feels like a lot, I'm sticking with it! Thank you for the info! Super helpful.
Thanks for sharing! And keep it up man 🫡
Amazing man! Keep the habit of resistance training! It’ll allow you to maintain the sport for a LONG time.
This is one of the best videos on fitness and Bjj.
Great insight, helpful information, im 59 started jiu-jitsu 2009 and still training, doing kettle bells
I'm 47 and a 20 year gym rat with only 3 months into my BJJ journey. I've learned that when I gas out during a roll or apply too much power and tension, I make mistakes and take risks that subject me to more potential injuries. Rolling slower with mindful, deliberate actions and knowing what to defend and where to spend energy has helped me to be relaxed and calm without gassing out or placing my muscles and joints at greater risk of injury. I believe this strategy, along with everything discussed in this video will lend itself well to longevity in BJJ.
Quitting BJJ has been the best thing that I have done health wise. Even more than losing weight.
Glad you found that helpful. It’s not something everyone needs to do if they can take care of themselves.
Injuries are passing, being a pussy is life long
Almost no one even brings up neck training before you even start
How long did you do BJJ for? any major injuries before you quit?
I started right after I turned 40 and now I have my blue belt. Ive found positional training to be the absolute key to longevity. When it’s free mat time I won’t just stand there and roll with the younger guys. I’ll train with whomever but I work on 2 position training meaning we start in a position, once 2 positions have changed or someone taps we start over in that position. This has helped me for many many reasons and I highly recommend it.
I stepped back at purple belt too. I have dreams of going back but I know how obsessed I get and know it'll take over my life again.
Make resistance training a habit (your body will become more resilient), take recovery seriously, and lower your training frequency.
Yeah you can get obsessed very quickly and it's so addicting, it's tricky but try to find a balance where it doesn't take over your life.
Trained 6 years.. stopped at age 45 and glad i did..I got what I needed from jiujitsu..The mental tools benefit me the most
Oss
Luckily, I've only gotten little injuries here or there. Clicking is normal for me. I had to figure out not going all out every session. Some people are too injury prone because they tend to full send it. They refuse to tap and just let subs go on too long. I never roll with men who have an ego or who don't want to 'lose to a girl', most guys I feel safe with. It is sooo important to pick your partners wisely.
Yes it is! There’s no problem with denying a roll
This is a big part. Reputable instructors for recreational training are going to do their best to avoid peeps from getting hurt.
You have to watch out for mcdojos and that one guy in every class who grew up getting bullied😂
@Whattimeislove-ec8xr 100%. Luckily nothing bad happened except some sore ribs 🤣
"Take control of the narrative. Take responsibility of your well-being."
Spot on.
Most injury prone people are a) not used to contact sports, b) have little to no body awareness and c) do not lift or do mobility training.
I'm 48 and competing in Master's 4 in another two weeks. Lift/Stretch/Be Aware when rolling/competing. Eat and Sleep enough.
It's a Martial Art...a Fighting Art.
Free weight squats (back and front)
Conventional deadlifts.
DB incline bench. These should be your core exercises. Ensure your hammies, core and glutes are strong.
Job done.
Nice video.
I’m a 30 year old blue belt, been training almost 3 years. I had a light LCL tear on an incorrect lasso sweep at white belt. I also hurt my ac joint on a sweep before I knew how to fall. These injuries were 2 years ago now.
Now I realize I’m not old yet, but over time I’ve come to realize that I have to give myself the time to fully recover as well as do proper rehab and maintenance. My injuries taught me how to do things with proper technique and rely less on youthfulness which won’t be with me forever.
If I want to train bjj forever I need to eat like it, sleep like it, stretch like it and strength train like it. Otherwise I’ll just end up with an early retirement.
Awesome video and great tips. Some of the pain is unavoidable but managing it is fully within your ability.
Great video. I started BJJ summer last year, prior to that I’d been weight training 3-6 times a week for around 2 years. However, after getting a bit carried away with BJJ classes as a beginner, I ended up getting long head bicep Tendonitis, which for 8+ months now still hurts after intensive sessions. I had to take around 6 months off BJJ, which sucked as I was really enjoying it. My advice for anyone who is already lifting and wants to start BJJ: you will be using your body in ways you never had before. If you jump straight into frequent BJJ classes and think you can maintain your current gym routine, don’t. You need to readjust your weekly programme to ease your body into this combined way of working. Then you can ramp things up.
Take it from me - I didn’t do that and now have a shoulder injury which I believe will stay for me indefinitely.
Pure gold there is no downside if this advice
YES! Give your body the time it needs to adapt to the stress of the sport. Going too often initially is not a good idea!
I started jujitsu last year at 59 years old with my 17 year old son. Yes, I experienced minor injuries, but as my technique got better, injuries became less. Now, at 60, I realize it's not just a sport for young people. You just have to do your resistance/cardio training and recover.
I will continue to view this channel to get better. It's a great help
Thank you! I’m glad that you’ve figured that out for yourself, that’s awesome 👊🏾
As a purple belt whose body cracks like a glow stick every morning ive never felt better. Also, stretching regularly has been a lifesaver for me but jiu-jitsu has changed me for the better but sometimes it's not so nice in the body
Excellent video! I'm nearly 43 years old. I've been resistance training for a while and can say it has served me well. I just started BJJ and found it is very hard on the body, but I recover from it due to my fitness. I'm going to ramp up to 3 days per from 2, while reducing weight training to 2 days per week. Big focus on range of motion in the weight room.
I’m 37 yr old blue belt and started Jiujitsu after age 35. Granted I did do a lot of athletic things as a child and constantly was rock climbing as an adult , but I feel a lot of this is great advice . I trained 4-6 times a week when I started , but I learned to dial that back to 2-3 for example as suggested here. I feel stronger on the mats when I go and feel more resistant to injury during rolls. Cool video , my suggestions personally are to combine like activities . Rock climbing in a gym for example is grip strength and flexibility for jiutjsu , with isometric training also!!! So it’s like doing figure skating and ballerina 🩰 training , that and sauna , and swimming . I suggest lifting weights , resistance training , sauna regularly and swimming also !! That might be why I’m a problem on the mats though, I do all that for fun. 😂❤ 🐺
I am a 46 year old Brown belt. PLEASE LISTEN TO THIS MAN. Actually pay attention. He is spot on.
Thanks for the vote of confidence! OSSS 👊🏾
I agree 100% I started BJJ at 46, I wrestled in HS, and have kept in decent shape over the years, and its really helped me out, I often roll with younger and much higher belts No problem, but I did have to tweak my diet, and sometimes I do need some type of sports cream lol So far its only been a year, but I feel like I can do this for many more
You know nothing Jon Snow
This is great, thanks. I'm 38yo, and I'm 6 months in and didn't get injuries, but I know it will happen one day. I'm losing weight, and my other type of exercise is long walks, don't love gyms, but I was thinking about doing resistance training... I think you convinced me that I need to do it to continue doing BJJ.
Yea man dont be ignorant. You’re probably smarter than that. Ur smarter than just ignoring resistance training and acting likr its not CRUCIAL for longevity in sport and life in general. But please make sure u lift carefully and follow good advice specifically for ur own goals
43 years old, 4 stripe brown belt. This is 100% accurate. OSS!
23 yo blue belt. Trained for 2 years and I’ve taken the last 5 months off because of neck. It became sore to the touch and hurt me badly. I’ve been resting and stretching. When I go back I will make sure to not let people get ahold my neck. Most people don’t understand you need medium intensity training every time you train. Not 110% every time
I have a neck program coming out on the ATG app. Strengthening the neck is extremely important for combat sport athletes and grapplers.
Calling him ignorant in the thumbnail is harsh especially when admitting BJJ can in fact cause injuries. You do not know his specific circumstances from a RUclips video. I'm not his fan or even a subscriber, I just saw that one video of his, but calling him ignorant to get people to click on your video is messed up. The BJJ community is about respecting each other, not this.
I think being ignorant is part of the sport
But he is. And ignorant isn’t explicitly an insult
What’s being ignored?
I watched both videos and saw no disrespect. This guy is trying to keep you on the mats longer and makes a fine point that you control a lot of the outcome of your training based on your preparation.
48 black belt here. Knees and shoulders destroyed. Today I do once in a while just for fun. Doctor forbide me 😅😅
Best advice: take it easy, choose your partners wisely and leave your ego outside. Also stretch and work on mobility and strength.
What happened to your knees and shoulders?
Started BJJ in my late 50's, 60-something now. You have to listen to your body and take responsibility for your training, swallow your pride and step off the mat before you are wrecked, skip some rolls, take a few days or even a week off now and then to recover and refocus.
Learn how to roll slow and smooth, and roll with partners who know how to do this. If someone is going to strong and fast, or is just too strong/large, you may need to avoid them, or take those rolls as an opportunity to develop frames and defense, breathing, pacing etc. I'm 130lb and have trained with partners nearly twice my weight and a foot taller than me. Most of the time that really suks, so I avoid it unless I have a good history with that student.
I like the 80/20 rule as a guide. Train 80% of the time with other students you are "better" than, and 20% of the time with those who are "better" than you. "Better" may take into account their size and experience. Sometimes I still encounter new white belts who are much younger, larger, stronger, quicker etc. all their physical attributes are superior to mine, and I struggle to execute and perform well against them.
Unfortunately the 80/20 is not as doable when you first start, and the population of the gym impacts availability of diverse students to train with. When I started it was flipped the other way, 80% larger, stronger, more experienced students. When newer students showed up closer to my size was the only time it felt like I had learned anything and could execute anything well.
One struggle is to get enough nutrition and sleep to support my training. There are lots of supplements recommended, I take a good mix of multi-vitamin-minerals, plus curcumin, collagen, creatine and CBD. I use protein shakes or powder mixed into a smoothie to get about an extra 50g of protein a day, and try to eat a high protein diet.
I do have a mobility/flexibility, body-weight strength training and cardio routine I try to do daily as a morning warmup and extend it on days I don't train BJJ. Only injury that has kept me off the mat was a groin-pull that had me out about 6 weeks. Some lingering pain still dogs me from that, but mobility and flexibility exercises help.
This was some great insight. What belt rank are you currently?
@@paulg3397 Thank you, I am a blue belt.
As a person that played football and wrestled in hs, football in college, and competed in powerlifting post college, I started Bjj at the age of 34 and now I’m a 4 stripe purple belt at damn near 40. I compete regularly in tournaments and super fights, train 6 days a week and lift 2. My body has never felt better. As a personal trainer I see the same problems with my clients that I see with my teammates at the academy, they think that hour/hour half is more valuable than the 23 other ones in the day. It’s a 24 endeavors, sleep, food, recovery, and strength strength training aren’t activities that are separate of Bjj, it’s all one collective endeavor.
Word of advice.. Just because you haven’t had any major injuries yet doesn’t mean they won’t blindside you. I trained for 7 years, and did all the things he mentioned in this video. I went from no issues or symptoms to 7 bulging discs.
No amount of stretching, mobility work, strength training, nutrition, testosterone, etc can keep you from wearing out your joints and ligaments. Training 6 days a week will do just that.
@ some people are built different
@@mikedemopoulos2210 If you train like a pro athlete, expect to live with physical consequences that come with that sort of lifestyle. BJJ is an extreme sport. Good luck
@ Thats fair
Injuries are a part of the sport, everyone who trains for a meaningful length of time will end up with some niggling injuries.
I broke my collarbone and was back on the mats in 3 weeks. (Obviously not rolling hard) torn my rotator cuff in a comp and had no time off just rolled light.
This video is absolutely packed with wisdom, thank you sir.
I’m glad you’ve recovered! You’re welcome
Bro, you are awesome. Great advice. I have really bad injuries, was prior military, and am 32. I used to be super active, but recently was able to slowly get back into it and am brand new to jiu-jitsu. I will likely need low back surgery soon. Thank you so much for the tips. I needed to hear this inspiring advice.
Why will you need low back surgery?
Forgetting one thing, OXALATES! They destroy the joints amongst other things. Avoid at all costs. Great video!
What’s that
This is some good stuff. I've been researching since looking to get back into martial arts and combative to ramp up my fitness activities being in the military. My nephews are also in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and one of the things I've discussed with my military peers are the injuries, and it was my intention on researching more, and this video was so helpful, so thank you for sharing.
This is exactly like the person who does not emphasize Mobility work then just chalks it up to getting old its excuses
BOOM.
Oh my gosh this is me. 😢 working through a meniscus tear rn. Had double plantar fasciitis spent 3-6 months in a wheelchair last year. Year before that rolled my ankle (sidewalk broke under my foot) had a really bad sprain was down for 3-4 months. Not even 34 yet. I gotta stop getting injured and work on all my little muscles and tendons around the bigger ones. To build myself back up again literally from the feet up. Had shoulder reconstruction at 15, fractured knee, L foot surgery before that.
Didn’t want to do BJJ because I knew I’d get hurt. But I also feel like a wimp doing bands and weird movements. When I remember myself throwing around so much weight when I was younger. Just need to see what I am accept that I’m not who I was and work my way to a better place daily to achieve the goal of staying injury free and healthy.
What kind of mobility work do you do please put me on
Great advice on curing yourself. Your body is obviously your own responsibility, so do what you can for it!!
100% it is your responsibility to take care of your own body. Thank you for the video
Of course!
This is probably the best video you’ve ever made……thanks! 🙏
Well said! I'm a counselor and I love how you wove in narrative therapy into taking responsibility for your body!
Hmm, narrative therapy? I’ll look that up real quick haha 😂
I'm just about to get into BJJ having trained resistance training for a few years. I stumbled across this video, and a lot of the resistance training that you promote are things I have been doing at the gym for longevity and mobility. You got yourself a new subscriber, keep up the good work!
The best thing you can do is get as big as strong as possible just look at this guy he's a genetic freak that claims he doesn't even take trt🎉 I've noticed that the 250 plus pound guys never seem to get hurt but the smaller guys seem to get injured by them🎉 don't ever roll with the spas they'll try to get you to roll with then and they'll say they'll take it easy then they'll spaz out and throw you into an arm bar that they'll wrenches hard as they can
About to start my Jiu Jitsu journey after being a long-time striker. I'm nervous as heck after hearing all the injuries you could get from the sport.
Thank you for this video! this is extremely helpful. More power to you dude.
Thank you!
Thank you for this great video! Appreciate you taking the time to give solution and share your experience. I am in this (BJJ & physical training) for a lifetime. I found balance to be my solution, and it’s working! Swimming, stretching, weight training and BJJ - I listen to my body and have no problem taking it easy when I have to. It’s working.
There we go! I also swim a few times a week and have found it to be super useful. Minimal joint impact, full range of motion of the body. I actually feel like it helps me decompress! Thanks for sharing 👊🏾
Started BJJ last year, and I am currently 44! At this stage of my life, it's critical to be mindful of our bodies and prepare the best we can. If we don't look after our own body, who will? I love everything Nsima mentions, I even bought the heavy rope which will be instrumental to the health of my joints and spine. These videos are informative and beneficial for all athletes/martial artists. Great work
Thank you, and I’m glad you dig em!
You hit the nail on the head. My BJJ gym also offers weight training classes. Since day one my professor has always stressed the importance of proper resistance training in preventing injuries.
Makes a big difference
As someone who’s transitioning from kickboxing into bjj, this alien (to me) martial arts is amazing, but my body (41, very active and working out) seems ill prepared for the tribulations that bjj brings. This video is a great reminder and teaching tool for folks like me and others who feel like they can’t handle the art of folding clothes with people in them.
Awesome!! I'm planning to start doing BJJ and these video completely nailed it, it gives the exact peace of advice I was expecting to hear from someone experienced. Now I understand that jiu-jitsu is not gonna threaten my future wellbeing, because the responsibility of that relies on me, not on the marcial art. Thank you 💪
You’re welcome, enjoy your journey with BJJ 👊🏾
Thanks for this man. As a trainer, your reminding me to take my worjouts kore seriously such as working in those end ranges more.
I like the information and a different take on how to recover from injuries or minor tares and sprains. I'm glad you mentioned the Become Supple Leppard book. Kelly has some great information. Sitting on the floor I would have never thought of, but it makes sense to get your body conditioned for jujitsu. Thank you 🙏
You’re welcome 👊🏾
Thanks for this video, I'm in my 30s and started kickboxing, it helped with some pains, but I certainly have some new ones. I know that I'm aging but I'm glad to know that there are options to not geting hurt in the long run.
You’re welcome man 👊🏾
I thank the algorithm for the recommendation. Subbed to your channel. I wish everyone who does jiu jitsu would watch this video. Having done martial arts before, I understand it’s my responsibility to remain healthy while I practice jiu jitsu. Thanks again for the video!
Absolutely, you're welcome!
39 years old, 6' 1.5" height 170lbs (tall and thin) started in 2005. Two rib injuries (recurring pain associated), one dislocated thumb, one shoulder strain. Not bad for two decades. I dont roll much anymore. Greatful for the time I have had to train. Saving my body for picking up grand kids and building a home.
Growing up in a home with a mom who personal trained and taught group classes of all types at a gym for 30+ years experience made these concepts 2nd nature and intuitive. Now in my late 30s and 3 years into BJJ and no major or progressive injuries Im forever thankful for the knowledge that was passed onto me seeing others around me at the same age break physically in the worst ways…. Knowing the human anatomy and when to tap helps too
How prone you are to injuries varies vastly between individuals, even if you do everything right. I would even go so far to say that your changes of becoming elite in any sport depends on how injury prone you are. There are tons of people with athletic talent that quit all sports due to injury that many other talented people do not get, even if they do exactly the same thing. Good video with good tips.
Agreed, some are more injury prone than others, BUT, everyone can become less injury prone if they strengthen their tissues and movement ability. It doesn’t mean you’ll never get injured, but you will reduce the likelihood of it and if it happens it will most likely be less severe.
proper strength training was vital for me.. im 42 now and i started when i was 17. not including wrestling and power lifting. i was injury free until 31. and then....lol( 2 pec tares, groin tare, torn meniscus, torn acl, broken wrist, broken elbow, broken/ shattered ankle.) some of thst wasn't caused by sports just work accidents. so yeah, everything started going.
i radically changed my strength training and diet to adapt. now i practice twice a week and lift twice a week.
39 yo blue belt here. I’m so glad I watched this video. Excellent content ❤
Thank you! Glad you found it helpful 🫶🏾
BJJ training for 18 months. Just earned my Blue Belt. I am 69 years old. I have had sore ribs and broke my toe. I appreciate your great advice and BJJ lifelong goal setting.
Congrats! Work on strengthening those feet and get some spinal rotation to help with rib movement 👊🏾
100% happy you made this video train smart !!!! Don't be stupid. This video is great !
I think it depends on how you approach learning something new. I think when you do it’s important to take it slow and night dive in headfirst at full speed. There’s a reason why a lot of schools make you stay in the basic classes in the very beginning. When I started playing golf I went headfirst full speed and blew out my back and knees a bunch of times. Your mindset and goals are very important.
Every single one of my injuries is from grappling: a partially torn ankle, torn acl, torn bicep and now it has been 8 months since I'm dealing with a shoulder injury. I like grappling, but I don't make enough money to just support my medical expenses plus more than once I've been given wrong results. I'm focusing more on my striking and takedowns rather than ground fighting. I've been working out since my first injury and already 5 years have passed
Great video, thanks for your advice, hitting the gym becomes very important in those martial arts. I do judo and bjj and I feel so beat up by the end of the week that I can only manage to go one day to the gym but I can do some weight lifting on the mornings before going to work, I will give a special treatment to those morning routines now
I started at age 73, 7 months in and 107 training days. I came in with a lumbar injury, a bad shoulder and two bad knees, one worse than the other. I find that the best thing is to indentify the guys who like to teach and will instruct you along the way. Some people actually enjoy purposefully hurting people, identify them and stay away or be aware.
Yes! Great insight
Lord have mercy sticking to boxing and muay thai 2nd class of jiu jitsu got my knee twisted and hurts now
Man, I’m sorry to hear that.
Been rolling for 3 years, train 5-6 days per week, 2 classes per day (gi and no gi). I’m 42 yrs old and compete. I do roll hard (most of the time) but bring down the intensity with partners who are much older, smaller or newer.
I think my saving grace so far has been weight training 3x’s per week (Bro split- PPL), lots of core work and stretching. 👊
That's awesome man, thanks for sharing your experience
This video has a colossal amount of value.
Thank you 🙏🏾
Great insight. Most fighters don't realize the importance of strength training
try gracie jiu-jitsu not the competing one but for self defense.
a good idea
Sir, thank you so much. I believe longevity is not talked about as much as it should be.
Black belt here. Been doing Jiu Jitsu for about 14 years. Injuries are real here is the best advice I can give.
-Tap Early. There is absolutely no point in being “tough” or having an ego. Just tap. Seriously. If it’s close, tap.
-Training Partners are very important. You take care of them and they take care of you. If you break all your toys, you don’t get new ones.
- Space out your days. My days have been and will be, Mondays, Thursdays, and Saturday Mornings. This helps me to recover for a day.
- Yoga. Yup it’s not just for women! I think I’ve avoided more injuries because I’m more flexible and have better balance than most.
Thanks for the detailed practical suggestions.
@@DaveM86 enjoy the journey my brother