Every few weeks someone in their forties walks into my academy in Milford and says the same thing. “I always wanted to try this. I think I’m too old.” I have heard it from people at 35. I have heard it from people at 60. My answer has not changed in thirty years.
The honest answer
No, you are not too old to start jiu jitsu. I started training in 1996 at the original Renzo Gracie Academy in New York City. I am a 5th-degree black belt under Renzo Gracie now, and I still train at his academy in the city to keep my own game sharp. The best training partners I have had over the years were not all twenty-year-old athletes. Many of them started in their thirties and forties with a desk job and a stiff back.
What is true is this: you will not train the same way a 22-year-old competitor trains. You should not. The real question is not “am I too old” but “how do I train so I am still on the mat in ten years.” That is what this post is about.
What actually changes after 35
You recover slower. That is the main difference. A 20-year-old can roll hard five nights a week and feel fine the next morning. At 40, three good sessions a week with rest days between them will get you further than five sessions that leave you beat up and skipping the next week.
Your ego also changes, usually for the better. Older beginners are less worried about “winning” a training round and more interested in learning. That is an advantage. Jiu jitsu rewards patience and position over strength and speed. The person who taps early, asks questions, and comes back on Thursday will pass the person who muscles through everything and quits in two months.
Starting at 35, 40, and 50: what I tell each
Starting at 35
You still have plenty of athletic ability. The mistake at this age is trying to keep up with the younger students on day one. Do not. Learn to be comfortable on the bottom. Learn to breathe when someone is on top of you. You have a long runway, so there is no reason to rush the first six months.
Starting at 40
This is the most common age for new adult students at my academy. Most have kids, a job, and about three hours a week to spare. That is enough. Pick three classes and protect them on your calendar. We run adult classes at 11 AM and 6 PM every weekday, so there is a slot for most schedules, whether you are coming from Milford, Orange, or Shelton.
Starting at 50 and up
You can start. Tell me on day one about any old injuries so we can work around them. We choose your training partners carefully in the first few weeks. Go slower on the warm-up, not on the technique. Technique is the great equalizer in this sport. A well-timed hip escape works at any age, and it does not care how strong the other person is.
How we handle new adult students at Renzo Gracie Milford
Our Adult Brazilian Jiu Jitsu program is for ages 15 and up, and that includes every adult who walks through the door. Your first week is free, so you can try several classes before you decide anything.
We hold Gi and No-Gi classes each weekday at 11 AM and 6 PM, a 7 PM No-Gi class on Tuesday and Thursday, Saturday morning classes, and a Sunday open mat from 10 AM to 1 PM. You do not need to know the difference between Gi and No-Gi yet. Come to whichever time fits your life.
The academy also has a weight room, cardio equipment, and a sauna for members. In my experience the students over 40 use the sauna more than anyone else in the building, and I do not blame them.
You will be taught by professors, not by whoever showed up that night. You can read about our staff on the professors page.
Three rules for the older beginner
1. Tap early and tap often. There is no prize for holding out. Tapping is how you get to train again tomorrow. Every black belt you have ever seen tapped thousands of times to get there.
2. Pick your rounds. You do not have to roll with everyone. In the first months, roll with the people who are helping you learn, not the ones trying to prove something. A good academy makes that easy. Ours does.
3. Show up on a schedule. Two or three times a week, every week, beats one heroic month followed by three months off. It takes years to get good at this. Consistency is the only shortcut I know of.
What about belts?
Belts come slowly for everyone. It takes years to earn a blue belt, and longer for each belt after it. Age does not change that much, because promotion is about understanding, not athleticism. Do not start jiu jitsu to collect belts. Start because you want to be someone who can handle himself, and because you want a place in New Haven County to train with good people. The belts follow on their own.
Frequently asked questions
Is there an age limit for adult jiu jitsu at Renzo Gracie Milford?
There is no upper limit. Our Adult Brazilian Jiu Jitsu program starts at age 15 and goes up from there.
Do I need to be in shape before I start?
No. Class is how you get in shape. Go at your own pace in the first weeks and tell the professor about anything that bothers you. Nobody is keeping score on a beginner.
Should an older beginner start with Gi or No-Gi?
Either one. The Gi tends to slow the game down, which many older beginners like. Come to whichever class fits your schedule, and try both during your free week.
Come find out for yourself
If you have been telling yourself you are too old, the only way to settle it is to step on the mat. Your first week at Renzo Gracie Jiu Jitsu Academy Milford is free. No contract, no sales pitch, just training.