It’s never too late to start jiu-jitsu. However, some of us start when we are wise enough to survive it. The media is fascinated by stories of specialization, focused training, nutritional boosts, and exceptional talent in humans who can’t drive themselves to a gym. Likewise, we see highlights of adrenaline-fueled athletic attributes in young adults that, while admirable and entertaining, provoke thoughts of, “Are you for real?” and “Why would anybody want to …?” Those of us who can drive ourselves to the gym and who get our adrenaline rush from a BOGO deal at Ralphs, can shatter the narrative that starting younger is better.
Let’s start with science. Modern neuroscience proves that the human brain is built for lifelong reinvention. Our mature brains can grow, rewire, and create new neural pathways well into our 60s and 70s. Processing does slow with age and may be why we can’t keep all the steps to Berimbolo in order, but we can still change how we think about a problem.
The young brain has a fast, raw processing speed. Picture the teammates who go from a “blink-and-you-miss-it” takedown to knee-on-belly, spin to armbar, get the tap, and do the fist bump all while we are tying our belt. That is not going to happen for us, but we have something they don’t have: a calm amygdala. The amygdala is the threat and alarm detector of our brain. In those youthful brains, the amygdala fires rapidly in response to negative stimuli, setbacks, and criticism. This causes impulsive or stress-driven reactions to triggers. Our more mature brains give us an emotional buffer zone because our amygdala has calmed down and become more empathetic and strategic in decision-making. We approach life with a more “whole-brain approach”; our analytical, logical left-brain plays nicely with our emotionally nuanced right-brain. This allows for increased problem-solving capacity.
A young amygdala, frustrated by not getting the Berimbolo to work on anybody in the gym, might instead choke a partner into unconsciousness, while our older, more regulated amygdala will just conclude, “nah, that move’s not for me” and take a water break.
Age also provides us with a more holistic concept of why we chose jiu-jitsu. We have spent decades of our time and energy on others and their needs. We are starting now because we are finally asking ourselves what we want and what we need. We don’t want a UFC contract. We don’t need attention from showing our bruises to the new intern. We chose to start jiu-jitsu because it looked challenging but fun. It looked like a sport that would help us protect ourselves should the need arise.
It might help us face some of our fears. Let’s face it - the fears of 40+ year olds are different from those of most 20 year olds. Some of that comes from the ego of youth. Young teammates have a persona that is like liquefied flexibility and explosiveness. They can invert or get stacked kissing their knees and spinning 360 degrees, then explode to combat stance and arm-drag your face into the mat. Stiff older backs remind us that we need to get out of bed the next day and not wear slippers to work, making the best defense not getting stacked in the first place. The only explosiveness we’ve got comes from a loose sphincter and a partner's knee on our gut. Real fears are asking if the dye used to cover our greying hair will come off onto our partner’s gi or if our gi pants will still fit if we put them in the dryer.
At 40+ years old, we have a different fear of injury as well. We can’t heal overnight with a protein shake and some tape. We must consider how much longer it takes for bones to heal; we are a slow-cooker, they are an Instapot. Which analgesics can we responsibly take with our other age-related prescribed meds? Yes, we are going to tap because we don’t have time for pride or injury. We need time for a job, a commute, to-do lists, kids, or grandkids. The only face we need to save can be helped with some retinol cream at CVS. Knowing what we want and need is a superpower. Knowing that we can separate our on-the-mat fears from our off-the-mat fears means that our start date was the right date.
Does the second mouse get the cheese? Do you have a greater chance of sticking with jiu-jitsu because you have the advantage of strategic patience? Have your life experiences and self-awareness given you a better chance because you can learn more safely and efficiently? You won’t know if you don’t start. And to be fair, these thoughts are not meant to disparage early-starters. For some people, life is an uninterrupted single lane all the way to the finish line. There’s room for us all. There’s even a passing lane.
