Is BJJ Worth All Injuries ?
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 2 ต.ค. 2024
- Today's video comes from a newer BJJ White Belt who's wondering if BJJ is worth all the injuries. He says he's curious because he sees all the "old timers" in his gym and realizes they've all had an injury or two.
And as a young guy who's just getting into Brazilian Jiu-jitsu he's wondering, is it worth it?
Now while this question is super subjective. I try to give the young guy something to think about regarding the ideas as to whether or not BJJ is worth the toll it can potentially take on the body.
-Chewy
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The most annoying things about my bjj injuries is that they aren't even from not tapping in time. They're just from unlucky accidents during rolls or drilling.
Yup
Same. Like bolts from the blue in a way.
YES!, this girl second time training, we were trying to drill take downs, very lightly, she was scared and she landed on my knee as my leg was going to the side to close the guard and boom!, nothing major, no noise, no crunch, nothing, but I still have pain, grrrr! thank God the girl is very small and light, if it would have been someone bigger it would have been shitty for me, and yes, it's worth it
Don't roll with white belts
I'm a fresh white belt and my main goal is to move slow and methodically so I dont hurt my partners. That and to avoid training with other white belts lol
I trained kick-boxind and mma for years and years, as I am in my early thirties I left all of that a couple of years ago and started training bjj...I have been more in the hospital for injuries because of bjj in 2 years than I have ever been there in my whole life and have now lower back injuries that I need to live with forever.
If you read until now waiting for a positive end message, sorry there is none :D
Can you elaborate, what kind of injuries are they and what's caused them?
Sadly this is not uncommon in BJJ. There's a lot of things like "Look at Rickson in his 60s". I have been to seminars with Rickson and today he is not in good shape. Rickson wakes up every morning in agony. He can't really roll anymore. It's a lifetime of BJJ. Even Rorion has "retired" from doing BJJ.
Reality is unless you are very careful from the get go with constantly great training partners, BJJ will take a toll on you. And even if you do have great training partners it can still take a toll. Choose your poison I guess, but don't believe the BJJ marketing propaganda than you can do it in to your 60s and 70s with no issues.
That's funny. I trained bjj 3 years never had any injuries except minor sprains..wonder what you guys are doing
@@เด็กพเนจร-ฝ4ษ guarantee you're huge. Most small guys are getting flattened too many times not to get injured
@@เด็กพเนจร-ฝ4ษ probably combat jiu jitsu. So you get to punch, like the BJJ they use in mma competitions. If you do BJJ like a puzzle and really try to figure eout every movie's weakness and let your partner do that move on you so you can see it on both sides, then you are not trying to win but really treating it like a math problem, making sure you get answers for problems.
In my 50’s. Have 40 yrs in the martial arts this year. Can politely say. No. No it isn’t. You realize this. When you’re like a retired football player from the 70’s and every single thing hurts. When your whole body is basically duck taped together. When you’re remembering each injury as you attempt to crawl out of bed and limp to the toilet. You realize whatever you were fighting as you trained was an internal demon that you didn’t need to sacrifice your body to. No super powers were bestowed upon you training non stop. Money, riches and pussy didn’t fall from the sky when you won each fight. Your body gets to a point where if a bad guy did suddenly jump out and go “Boo!” You better have gun cause your body isn’t doing jack shit. Each hour you roll on the mat today is 4-5 hours of soaking in a tub later in life. It isn’t worth it son. Go take up base ball or something less brutal on your body. Or go train. No skin off my peter. Just don’t make fun of the tai chi guys cause that’s the only art youre gonna be able to do after you trash your body for years (decades).
Well said sir. There's a lot of wisdom in this post. I believe your health is your wealth, BJJ is healthy for most, i believe many people were meant to do it. But in many ways its just a way to fulfill yourself in whatever way it strikes you, which is a good thing. There are many other ways to reach that fulfillment in life though.
Well said. I know plenty of guys who suffered knee injuries when they were younger. Now that they are older - ALL of them. I'm talking 100% of them, have some type of physical hardships - either they can't walk normally, can't squat down, cannot go up or down stairs, suffer from pain and arthritis, etc. I can't help but think to myself that many of these guys were really good athletes when they were younger, but now they're handicapped, and they would struggle to even do tai chi. Sad to see people in constant pain.
How much ground fighting do you realistically need against your average thug who's got nothing? Maybe 6 months worth of training at most would make give you all the skills you need to handle most people on the ground. After that little bit of training you should focus on other skills such as striking, kicking low and throwing. The only martial arts type training I've taken are US Army combatives with arrest and control classes for my security guard license. I'm focused on health. I don't want to be 80 years old and have every joint hurting and a bunch of tendons and ligaments torn.
@@user-sg8kq7ii3y from bjj??
That's such a wise comment
After training Jiu Jitsu for 6 months, I can say with certainty that it’s much more dangerous than most people make it seem, and that’s sad IMO. I used to play basketball through college, and had various small injuries doing that (ankle sprains, hamstring pulls, even a couple of minor surgeries).
It’s nothing like BJJ. It’s rare to go even two weeks of training without sustaining some kind of small nagging injury, best-case. Every sparring session, you can get judo thrown and fall directly on your shoulder getting it hurt or dislocated, get your ankles twisted badly when getting swept (when on top), hurt your lower back when getting stacked (on bottom), etc. I say this as a guy who religiously does yoga and weight training in addition to BJJ, and goes the extra mile on nutrition and recovery. It’s a combat sport and you’re going to get hurt - a lot. It’s a beautiful game, but I’ve had my doubts about continuing due to the injuries.
Hi, I do stretch at home and go to the gym regularly aside from bjj. I’ve been going to bjj class around 3 months now with no issues. But I also think that I don’t want to get injured and have to put everything away I love doing like gym, dancing, etc because of an injury. Did you end of quitting bjj, what are your thoughts on this ?
@@Shikami85 Maybe switch to Muay Thai or Boxing. Less injuries involved in those sports as long as you aren’t doing hard sparring.
Great comment, That's something people keep forgetting, that even with being flexible and doing weight there is still a lot of risk.
how many times a week did you go?
Finally someone saying it as it is. Your original comment is from a year ago. Where are you now?
I've had a bunch of injuries. Broken hand, sprained thumb, ringworm, septic knee bursitis that required a week in the hospital and 7 months of rehab. Don't care. I love the sport. Just got my purple belt and I do feel that with more experience comes better ability to move well and protect myself from injury.
I've thought about this a lot. Started training in 1998/1999. Black belt here, When jiu jitsu takes more from you than it gives it's time to reevaluate it's role in your life. Not saying quit, just reflect and redefine it's purpose and possibly modify. Osss, train smart
I’m glad you’re covering this topic. There needs to be more focus on injury prevention at bjj schools. I’ve been training for three months and already have had several injuries. If anything makes me quit, it will be injuries. Hoping I can stay healthy.
What type of injuries ?
3 months and several injuries seems really odd. Are you going way to hard? Maybe ive been fortunate but after 5 years Ive only broken a nose and a minor rib issue. Obviously aches and pains aside.
That sounds excessive. You sure the school is doing it right? (No training myself so I can't be sure but that rate doesn't sound sustainable)
@@ilyaibrahimovic9842 Definitely something wrong. 3 months of training and multiple injuries is either someone very out of shape going way to hard and fast or the school is being irresponsible with training techniques.
That's too many injuries for a short time frame
At 38, purple belt, I find myself asking the same question. I'm going to class tonight.
BJJ injuries are weird. They seem to linger until you get a new one and magically go away.
I 100% agree. I feel like I have pain that just moves around my body.
injuries are like toys once a new one comes you forget about the old one haha@@crzabjj
Then they'll come back all at once when you're 50. 😂
I've racked up injuries from various sports and martial arts. Part of it is just the process of getting older. These days I barely spar, I just enjoy drilling and training. The name of the game once you hit 45 is "don't get hurt." You're not going to be a world champion, you're not going to impress anyone by being hardcore. I have bad knees, the second someone touches my legs for a heel hook I tap. It's an auto win for them and I let them know that. I'm not going to run the risk for the sake of fighting harder. My shoulders are also trash. The moment someone tries for an Americana I'm tapping. I'm not going to try to wriggle out and fight my way through it. You win bud, I lost when I gave up the position.
Train, make friends, stay mobile and strong.
Your lack of crazy ego is badass..right on bro 🤙🏽
Lol. I don't care how old you are. The best advice I can give in regards to heel hooks is tap asap!
This one hits close to home. I started BJJ when I was already in my early 40s. Fast forward a few years and I had a torn meniscus on each knee, one torn MCL, torn rotator cuff and labrum along with several less serious injuries. Not bad for ten years of jiujitsu into your early fifties but added to injuries I sustained in the military, my career in federal law enforcement and life in general it became too much and I was out of BJJ at 53. In December of 2021 I had a heart attack, pretty bad one you guys almost lost your boy here, and that really left me feeling physically miserable. I’ve been boxing for awhile (limited sparring, one fight) but my son just got me back into bjj at a new school he is going to. So I’m a 58 year old two stripe purple, rusty skills, nervous about getting injured, held together with tape and bailing wire. Is it worth it? Honestly I don’t know but I’m going to ride it out a bit and see where it leads.
Hey james, take care of yourself man. It aint worth it
Some of us just need that outlet! It helps me keep my feces cowagulated. X, kids, dogs work, etc….
I hurt, yes! But I need that outlet
And I feel better afterword. Just trying to maintain
Hey bro, it ain't worth it. You can still be active and healthy without get injured. BJJ is awesome. Good community, great workout but you've been through so much bud. Just stick to the things that don't hurt you.
Great video. I'm 44yo and have been training since 2008. First major injury was torn intercostal muscles that sidelined me for six weeks. Next major injury as a blown out knee that required surgery, and was out for the better part of a year. In between, I've had wrist, finger, elbow, and foot injuries. But I will never give up Jiu Jitsu. It's such an important part of my life. For all of my brothers out there in their late 30s and early 40s, a bit of advice. I don't care about my flexibility anymore. For me, I wear knee braces, ankle and elbow braces, and I take 45 mins before class to properly stretch and tape my fingers and toes. It's well worth the extra attention to preventing injuries. That and tapping early. The disappointment to getting submitted by a blue or even a white belt is just not worth risking another devastating injury that could sideline you for months.
Been training 4 years and just learned this lesson the hard way. Was sweeping a 25 year old, 200+ pound mma fighter from half guard and poped my rib out. I'm 43 at 158. Have you had anymore trouble with your innercostal injury since?
YOU ABSOLUTELY WILL BE COMBAT INEFFECTIVE....go ahead destroy yourself
Hey I felt the same way as you. However, I leave the option of leaving BJJ because despite the community and the great feeling I get, there'll be a limit to the physical toll and injuries. I've planned alternative activities. They might not be the same as BJJ but I want to physically function day to day when I'm 50!
Lol blown out knee and you're going to continue you sound like Ronnie Coleman
I’ve been training 3 weeks and already thinking about quitting. I’m sore as hell and sprained my neck twice, banged up knee, wrist pain etc . I’m also 45 and don’t think this is good long term.
I injured my knee last year slipping on tile floor while trying to stop our new puppy from crapping on the living room carpet. Took nearly a year to mostly recover.
Sounds about right! I tweaked my back the other day... taking off my jeans.
Sometimes the injuries and wear and tear will permanently limit or decrease your ability to train, or do other things you love. Train smart and carefully.
58 years old . Stopped Jits after 15 years due to Covid 19 closing down gyms. 2 years later no more aches , pains , strains , and no more ring worm . Loved GRAPPLING but it was time to stop . Train combatives and weapons now , love it .
1000% out about a month with sciatica issues and I can’t wait to come back and train.
Popped a rib, sprained an ankle, some nerve damage from an arm bar, and ringworm…every time I’m sidelined tho, no matter how bad, all I can think of is getting back on the mat.
At 42 and fragile, the most important lesson I’ve learned is to NOT show up to class to win. Treat training like an academic endeavor.
When you’re dead set on winning at all costs, you miss so many opportunities to try new things and learn.
Don’t think of tapping as losing. Think of it as your partner showing you where your knowledge is lacking.
This is easier said than done obviously, but remind yourself of it frequently, and you’ll progress faster with far fewer injuries.
AMen brother! if you focus on winning in training you will slow your learning down by leaps and bounds.... At 40 tho i still whoop most the youngings
43 here and I fully agree. It's not about taps, stripes, or belts. Walk away from each roll a better person and practitioner than when you first slapped and bumped.
Solid advice!
Like the othe guy said most of injuries are not from not tapping. They're just from unlucky accidents.
indeed, there is no losing when you step on the mat. you win or you learn and that is that... we all mis-calculate and get ourselves in the tricky spots, hence the learning part.
Another thing, since I have been doing BJJ (6 months ago) My recovery from injury is through the roof. I know for the fact that minor injury is good by next session. (I am 43 BTW)
I had to give up bjj after training for about 3 years at 40 years old due to serious neck and back issues. I learned a lot in those 3 years but unfortunately it crippled me. I sure do miss it.
My issue with the injuries is that they are often due to partners not repecting your boundries on how hard you wanna roll and will just pull on things as hard as they can so I quit.
I was a hobbiest but I don't think there is a place for me where ego and testosterone is too high.
Trained for 1.5 years yet to be injured. I often give up/change positions or let my opponent get a position if I feel my safety is at risk.
How often do you go. I’ve been training 4+ 2-3 days a week intense training and been injured multiple times. Gym is safe just happens. Can’t wuss out if you get hurt.
@@djlane522 I go about 2-3x a week. I've been injured outside of jiu jitsu which prevented me from training, oddly enough.
@@djlane522 I play a lot of guard which might help, I'm not constantly diving at my opponent, I will gently reel them in with my legs.
BJJ is like riding a motorcycle. You will wreck eventually.
@jigthepuff4540 that's actually not a good analogy. You wreck more in cars than motorcycles lol
From my Judo instructor of 70 years experience: you have to do it lightly to moderately capacity, and practice it with lighter weight and advanced and experienced people. This lessens you're chances of injury. Avoid competition. In Judo, we also have a world of rules learned empirically that do not exist in Jiu-Jitsu, so we're lightyears ahead in that respect. The objective is to practice the arts for your entire lifespan. If you practice with hyper white belts and aggressive people, and do full combat experience, and enter competition after competition, chances are you'll incur many injuries, suffer for the rest of your life with arthritis, and give up the art at some point
Most of these injuries can be solved by learning when to rest and when to tap. Unless its a career, its not worth the hospital bill.
46 yrs old and started BJJ about 5 months ago. So far a few minor injuries (torn rib cartilage, broken toe, sprains). I also weight lift, mountain bike, and recently started surfing and rock climbing too. All have their risks, as does anything worth doing. Eat healthy, stretch, warm up, and allow ample recovery time. Push to grow, but know and stay within your abilities until ready. I think people that don't respect that last one get injured the most.
Same age, a few more months in BJJ and other martial arts, same attitude. Know your limits, take calculated risks, have fun. What else is there to do?
@@martialartsvocationalschoo3319 sit on our asses and binge watch crap? hah
but seriously, testing the limits of abilities is the most fun part. that boundary is just a little tappy tap tap away... provided the rolling partner isn't a spaz.
All risk is not equal. That’s the point you are missing.
@@JK-vc7ie when you’re pushin or over 40 the bjj, biking, and climbing risks are pretty similar. Any injury is gonna take us out for longer than the 20 year olds nom sayin
5 month's aint a long time to draw conclusions from, I would say you have pretty high level of injuries for that short time, give it 10+ years and you will understand the point other are giving.
For me at 43 years old it is life changing. I am 3 years in and without it my life wouldn't be the same. Injuries suck and happen way more than other hobbies but it's so worth it. Wonderful quest everyone should experience!
Been doing bjj for two weeks, normally just got a couple of bruises until recently. on my 5th lesson another white belt(much bigger then me) rammed his thigh over my two front fingers and bent them right back hyperextending it. Ive been doing boxing for 2 years now and never got a injured as bad, from this experience my take away is bjj is dangerous so be careful with who you roll with.
Yeah you kind of have to know who you roll with because a lot of people I know/roll with are very nice but do not know that they're heavy enough to straight up injure me because I don't weigh much, so I roll with those who are kind of in my weight
The way I see it, as long as the injury doesn’t stop me from training it’s whatever lmao. The injuries are worth it because the alternative is much worse. Bjj in a lot of ways literally holds my life together, albeit by a thread lol, but together nonetheless
Yoga and a little weights will help definitely. Im 40 and just got back into jiu-jitsu all up 4 years on and off the matts. I have a bunch of micro injuries from others shit ive done through out my life. If i dont strengthen and stretch my body and just go to training, no shit i will sneeze on the couch watching ufc and be fucked for the week, pulled my neck out😂, but if i do the things i need to do to make me better, for me it definitely minimizes injuries on my journey.
The big issue IMO aside from people going crazy in the gym sometimes is that people don't take care of themselves OFF the mats.
You need to realign and stretch out your body properly after every BJJ session and strengthen your core off the mats. Look after your back, you only get one!
You need to avoid certain food and drink that can make certain injuries worse or slow recovery.
You need to find ways to strengthen your body properly off the mats to reduce injuries.
Nothing is a guarantee, but what you do off the mat will help dictate how much you suffer on the mat.
I will say that if the pain of not trying is bigger that the pain of possibly failure or injury, if come to you, thru you and out of you like if you are not even trying, then try, and "if you are going to try, go all the way" - Charles Bukowski
Came here looking for injury answers in BJJ, got out wanting to learn more about oratory.
Chewy is as such a good fighter as he is a good speaker.
Kudos to you, bro!
It is a tricky subject actually and i think each individual has to assess his resons and if I knew id get the injury I got i would have never done BJJ. Loved BJJ 4 fun and also for self defense purpose after beeing jumped in a nightclub.
Rolled with a young white belt ready to win at all cost, so I just thought myself just tap early, and roll slowly. But ofc he got a foot or a knee to my head and i developed post concussion syndrome which took me 7 months to recover. I stopped BJJ but kicked a bag with muay thai kick and sklipped aha had a whiplash, so now i have post concussion syndrome again, soon 5 months again haha. Much better now, and prolly fully recovered in 2-3 months.
It was hella fun when I did it but was it worth it? Not in my situation, its time to quit.
So to anyone having a good life already and thinking about BJJ but afraid of injuries I would say dont do it. You will with big chance get at narly injury at some point, even if u are careful. But if you almost cant live without it, like u really need it, yeah then the injuries prolly worth it. And u could focus on injury prevention, training witht personal trainer or only with few chosen partners.
I write this not to complain but actually I wish i would have read this comment before I made this mistake, so hope someone else does.
Anyways im starting with bachata instead :)
Lol I’m one month in and thinking about quitting and switching to Muay Thai
The way I see it, we take risks every day. Yes, you may get injured when doing a physical activity such as this, but there are ways to circumvent injury, and more often than not, you will not suffer anything major. I hardly sustained any injuries when I did sports at a younger age. If you are worried about injuries in BJJ, don't roll as hard, make sure to stretch and hydrate sufficiently, and communicate with your partners any concern you may have when training with them. There are steps you can take to avoid injury; do not be scared to try this based on your fears.
all true. I think the most important thing is knowing your body and taking time to recoup and doing every modality of recovery available to you. You can still go hard too just not all the time.
@@BG-sj7zh And having in place a restorative counterbalance to correct the strain of BJJ too e.g. BJJ specific pilates
@@iorekby do you have that? What do you call it?
@@BG-sj7zh I did generic pilates when I did BJJ, but I also did _Ginastica Natural_ for a while too and it helped. It's a BJJ specific system, worth checking out if you haven't already.
@@iorekby thank you. I’m familiar. I’ve found assisted stretching and deep tissue massages along with stretching keeps me going strong. I need to try Ginastica too tho.
I'm training for about 3 years now. I chose bjj beacuse I was always in combat sports, I wanted to improve my ground skills. I treat this sport as a form of relaxation, I'm 36 now and since I get blue belt, I feel like a toy for higher belts. Also I have some strong, ambitious, dangerous white belts in club. Recently a spazmotic brown belt almost break my knee. I have pain in my neck, elbows, fingers, feelings. I want to be healthy for my little kid, play with him football, cycling. Last month a I have a break from jiu jitsu, I started riding a bicycle. After couple of kilometers I startem to feel all taktarovs on my leg. Cycling is safer and more enjoyable, views, wind, sunsets, nature, silence. Compared to the fat sweaty guy on your face, and injuries I know it's not worth it.
As a 41 years old with early arthrosis in both elbows, having already had a surgery on each ... yes.
I'll probably stop training for good now, but the good BJJ has made me is priceless.
Short answer. Yes. I got a slap tear from yoga 5 years ago! I tore my acl and meniscus in BJJ earlier this year.
You can get hurt doing anything, and even not doing anything. And anytime I’m sedentary I end up with more ailments. I love BJJ and it gives back to me more than anything else I’ve done up to this point in my life
That’s like saying both a lion and rabbit can kill you. So it’s the same danger level between the two.
Technically, if a rabbit bit your jugular you could bleed out.
@@JK-vc7ie well then I guess playing with rabbits is your thing …
I also tore my meniscus and when you rely on your body for work it makes you question what are your priorities?
@@JK-vc7ie Exactly lol!
@@cheekytitaable That’s a dumb response.
have this discussion when you're fifty and can barely walk and in constant pain. probably will have a different opinion.
Well it’s a better option than the ole 45 lol
Seek help bro 😂
Good one chewy. But what about the cost of all that surgeries ? We're lucky in France (and most of Europe) not to have to pay that much for it. But in the US with a healthcare that's so expensive and so many people without insurance i feel like it's crazy to do BJJ (unless you're a millionnaire). Oddly, BJJ is (way) more popular in the US than in Europe...
Depends on your goals and your career choice. Someone that’s Mil, Police, or FF it’s not worth it getting hurt. Or someone that has a young family that needs to keep up with their kids. I’ve had an MCL tear, 2 slipped disc, & bi lateral groin tear, and I’m barely a purple belt after 6 years.
I’m 38 years old, sometimes I want to do jiu jitsu, but I have two little children and wife and don’t want to deal with injuries since they rely on me, and don’t want to be always at the hospital
This is a great question. I’m a lot like Chewy in that I think philosophically. For me I know that time is fleeting and that no matter what I’ll end up old and sick at some point. I would rather experience my bodies potential and enjoy being athletic than never knowing what that was like. I stopped training for almost 10 years after playing football and boxing as a teen/early 20’s. BJJ reminded that I loved martial arts and have missed it this whole time. I like to train hard but as a rule I try to avoid rolling with much larger opponents. I know it’s kinda looked down on but I’d rather play it safe. I still do roll with larger people and I stay very defensive but if it gets too intense with a larger unskilled opponent I don’t mind throttling down to avoid injury since someone 100lbs bigger can easily injure you on mistake. Other than that I try and lift and stay in shape so that I can have a good base to help with the wear and tear that can happen with any sport and I also rehab work on flexibility and take time off when injured. I know it’s a marathon not a sprint. Oss!
Thx for your videos Chew...they really help me! You give great advice!
Interesting. I’ve been training for a long time but never with BJJ. I’ve taken a couple of classes. I’ve never really been injured and I fart in tournaments when I was younger. Nonetheless unless you’re trying to really be a fighter… I don’t really think it’s worth it. I mean you can train in BJJ for self-defense but you can avoid injuries by choosing your training partners correctly. But this is my opinion
You fart in tournaments? That's a. Good tactic
37 and currently dealing with a knee injury, terrified that my journey might be coming to an end. Yes, its worth it.
Hey dude, did you recover? Hope you did and you're back on the mats.
@@stefantasic6437 Yes for the most part...getting ready for a tournament right now.
@@burghblonde
How is the body now?
@@timexcape7961 left knee arthurtis, right knee one 1 year healed from acl, mcl pcl surgery. Back at the gym but ill never do another competition again.
In order to avoid injuries i realised couple of things:
-Learn to say no , to the hell with your ego if that can costs you an injury, which translates into less days of training and training is what we like to do .
Rolling with heavier opponents? , depends on the partner if i know him ,etc .
-Sleep .
Stretch , warm before and after .
- little stretching/yoga at home helps .
- Healthy foods and water .
- Cardio and not too heavy lifting (calisthenics work for me ).
Age is a factor ,young guys going to give you hard time, it's normal and nothing wrong about it .
Know your body and take it easy, you don't have to prove anything to anyone . We're in bjj because we love it and we want yo do it as long as we can or feel. If it means two rounds sparring instead four so you can train next day , so be it .
Started 6 months ago at 59. Feel battered and bruised most days but LOVE IT.
I wont stop until my body just cant take it any more. I love the guys I train with.
Do u still feel the same way now?
@@SkepticalMantisCHANNEL10
Big changes in my life. Retired last year and we are traveling for the next 4-5 years between Mexico and Argentina, currently living in Nicaragua. So, had to leave my school and my buddies. I trained there for over a year and it was AWESOME ! Now, I’m 61. I brought a couple gis with me and if we get to a city with a good school I may try them out along our travels. I would highly recommend BJJ to anyone, especially a Gracie Academy.
How about an update?
@@jpjp3873
Went 3-4 times a week for over a year and loved every minute, but retired and traveling…now in the mountains of Nicaragua, so no classes. I did bring a couple Gis so if any stops have schools, I’m in !
There's an old Japanese art called Kintsugi where they repair broken pottery with gold. The shattered pieces are thought of as new and special, and when repaired, can look more beautiful and unique than the original. I think this translates to the damage we do to our bodies transforming us into something more.
Well said
That's cool and all but bending your knees and elbows is also cool.
Ill remember that when i cant walk later in life
@@kevint4673 ok then no sports, no driving, no leaving the house cause you might get hurt. The point is there's a trade off, a physical toll for a life changing reward
Thats a pretty dangerous philosophy. If you are comparing a shattered pot to your shattered body, you can't fix your body so easily..... If you get injured I bet the last thing youd think about is how special your torn knee ligament is. Some injuries stay with you for a loooong time.
after 20+ yrs of rolling, ...no. I would have said yes up until 2yrs ago when i ended up with spinal cord damage and now cant walk without a cane.
Damn hope your making it wow sorry that happen
@@l3loodforpride426 appreciated. but thats the price to play sometimes. ...feels wrong tho that after all this time to practice and prepare has led me to be more vulnerable. kinda defeats the purpose of training.
@@hapyharyhard0n581 I box and thought about dabbling into jujitsu but idk now heard so many cons
@@l3loodforpride426 i would roll for pride and fought hard and wouldnt tap. ...thats where people go wrong. tap early. practice light. go through the motions but dont get ego involved. if you roll with someone with ego, find a new partner. the objective is to learn. youre not in a fight, dont risk like its a fight. ....word i wish i could tell my younger self.
@@hapyharyhard0n581 damn my boxing injuries weren't half of what my jujitsu friends got never saw it like that
The probability of injury is greater in BJJ. Ive done sports my whole life, basketball, tennis, padel, soccer, all at a competitive level, and 6 weeks of BJJ had me going to physical therapy twice a week lol. I loved it, but at 37 is not worth all the injuries.
Most injuries could be avoided if white belts stopped sparring. They are a danger to whoever they're sparring with, no matter what their experience level is. STOP SPARRING! just drill for the first years, you'll be healthy and have good technique.
Those white belts would turn into awful blue belts who couldn’t do anything. Drilling is important, but rolling equally so
There's a lot of BJJ-swifties in community who'll argue broken fingers and joints are totally worth it, but as fun as the sport is, it isn't for everyone and the injuries are definitely not worth it as a hobbyist. I'm quitting because I've snapped my shit often enough over a small training accident and been out for months at a time for rehab. I don't want to be semi-crippled over a hobby. Planning on picking up climbing and some form of striking instead.
Aren’t those more dangerous though
Im a white belt, just 4months in bjj and I just turned 41. Im female and in good shape, but i get bruised very easily and well, the body aches from rolling are new but i can take them. Knee gets hurts the most by takedowns and sometimes a shoulder. I dont mind about that much, just the constant bruises i dislike.
this guy give me old Elliott Hulse vibes back in the days when he still was nice. Am I the only one?
My 2c as a 35 year old that came late to the game. I'm at the beginning and have carefully read the advice offered in the comments thread.
The balancing point is, what would your health look like if you weren't in BJJ?
If your choice is between yoga+Tai Chi vs Jiu Jitsu one is clearly better for your health. For some including me that's not on the table. I do jiu jitsu to avoid slipping into obesety and depression. That's more unhealthy than a wonky knee and aching shoulder.
Of course I stand to be corrected and remain humble about my view, however discovering jiu jitsu has tranformed my life and health for the better.
I'm 27 now. And last two years had to learn what is injuries in bjj. I had around 5 diffrent injuries during these last two years. From both competition and training. Now I start to understand that I have to train with more controlled and slow tempo during rolling sessions. Not always with 100% like I mostly did before. But yeah I like this sport very much.
So I have been training bjj now 3 years (blue belt) and diffrent other martial arts around 15 years. But mostly grappling arts.
As a 33 Yr old blue belt recovering from lower back suregy. Totally worth it! Hope with the right supplementary trainning I can make it to black belt.
You’ll make it🤙 keep on rolling sir
I guess if you need your body for work it's not worth it
It's crazy to me that Chewy drops a video about injuries and the stories they carry and the experiences that come with jiu-jitsu and fighting literally the day after my coworker gives me the "21 questions" after seeing my cauliflower ear on why and what have I done and what kind of injuries I've had over the years of jiu-jitsu training. Nuts lol great video
44 been rolling for 4 months, broke a toe, tore a rotator cuff and the usual bruises, black eyes etc , I've just kept on going and delt with the injuries,because it's worth it.
It depends on the severity of the injury 🤷🏽♂️. I live by the tap early, tap often motto lol
Not that I'm weak, I'm disabled and I get told I tap out too early. Dude, I'm trying to train tomorrow too.
@@bravelilspidey Exactly bro. Your there to train and get better Your not going to win any trophies or championship.
@@COACH_ANTHONY_MMA I totally misunderstood your comment. *thumbs up*
@@Flexiblility Everything hurts. Firstly don't use Tylenol or pain killers otherwise you may hurt yourself without knowing. And do what you can. It's going to hurt, it's going to feel like slow progress. Start with physical therapy, as I have but it took me almost 7 years to be able to ride a bike. And don't quit. I'm a quitter, but I always continue. There may be days the really suck and you'll ask yourself why you are doing this. Always remember the goal you are trying to achieve. For me, it's torment and agony, but I accept it. Inform your trainers of all your disabilities both physical and mental so they can understand how to work with you. Just be very careful you don't injure yourself further. I'm still in progress so this is what I deal with. Take from this what you can and throw away the rest.
Trust your trainers and be honest with them. And ask questions, always ask questions.
Bjj gave me wicked FAI that resulted in wicked bone spurs needing massive surgery - was on crutches for 6 months; couldn't even sit up straight. Yeah bjj was awesome, but you know what's also awesome? Walking. You don't really appreciate it until you cant.
Eat healthy, get sleep, stretch, do strength training, massage/cryo/recovery therapies, stay away from roided spazes and have no ego to tap. If you do all that you greatly minimize major injuries. That being said everyone get injuries, runners, weightlifters, skiers, even sedantary people.
Yes
Nope, everybody I know who owns a school/has been a black belt for a long time is legit crippled with mangled hands. Your quality of life after 50 will be SHIT.
Do you train?
@@Chewjitsu yes since 2005, gmacs, nagas, grappler quests etc. Trained in catch, bjj and judo. All my older friends have horrible neck and back issues MRIs suggesting spine health of an 80 year old etc. and the guys who loved GI have fingers like yours, which turned into arthritis.
Me personally, my neck is shot, along with my elbows, my hands, etc
I’m definitely starting to feel the injuries as im aging. Was it worth it? Depends on my mood
@@tonytooreal2433 look into peptides brother
Judo has horrifying injuries too. I've met a girl who was on a f wheelchair for the rest of her life because she rolled too hard into national competitions (specifically with drop seoi nage). Oh yeah, she was only 19 and started competition at 15.
If you do EVERY time good warm up when you train, good cooldown after the workout, do some mobility work through the week and eat and sleep well, you avoid a shit load of stupid injuries. Also if you use your brain while rolling and dont do moronic things (tap when you have to and dont try to win every single little scenario while rolling) you will stay healthy.
I'm a older judoka (45 years old) and I get injured often... When I increase de training routine and neglect the rest Days i very often get knee injuries and muscle pain but I think it's worth because make me feel very good after training. And I train with my 8 year old and I try to tech him that in life injuries can't make u stop, u just got to keep going. That's just how it is ...
at 48 I live by one motto on the mats....tap early, tap often....for me the BJJ adventure is worth it, not everyone feels that way.
49 yr old purple belt. I finally came to the realization that the only person that truly cared whether or not I was injured was me. Lets be honest, your coaches and partners care if you get hurt... to an extent. But in the end, they will compare your effort and willingness to get hurt based on their standards. My standards I realized are much higher when it comes to a threshold for continuing to get hurt for a hobby. White belts don't know any better and can injure by mistake or it could be a higher belt who wants to not let lower belt win everyone is trying to take you out. Whether its blinded by competition or just a desire to win the long term cost is your body. Only you can decide what long-term injuries you are willing to live with.
If you are doing any sport or marital arts long term, you will pick up a few injuries along the way.
Is bjj worth it?
Chewy: was it worth it when the Greeks pushed the Persians back into the sea?
Was it worth it when our fore fathers fought for our independence from the chains of England?
Was it worth it when our brothers stormed the beaches of Normandy?
BECAUSE THEY CAN TAKE OUR LIVES BUT THEY CAN NEVER TAKE AWAY OUR FREEDOM!
Ironically, (some) people take up JJ to learn to protect their health from bad guys, then are encouraged to "roll" or compete and end up getting injured anyway. Start asking around your gym how many guys have chronic neck and back problems from JJ.
Don't roll with the spaz whitebelts that think they're in the octogan
I had my ACL surdgery thanks to BJJ but also thanks to BJJ i learned to fight on the ground.
Mmmh, I'm afraid that while you are young you find your injuries okay ... but when you are 50, 60, 70 perhaps you regret it ... don't know
Do the same injuries hurt later in life or is it just that it's easier to get injured when older?
I mostly had bumps and bruises and the occasional sprains & strains from wrestling at a high level for 8 years but 5 years of jiujitsu has wrecked my neck, wrist, & especially knees. Tore my meniscus in 2020, again in 23 along with my ACL. Just got surgery and i am now DONE with jiujitsu. I should have stuck with wrestling only. Thats not all injuries included but the major ones, & most are from just training. My kid is doing jits right now but looking to transfer him to wrestling full time. I’ll let him make that choice to wreck his body later down the road.
Operation: Be the deadliest cripple in the nursing home is a GO! 😂
My first week in jiu jitsu and already i experienced a scare. I was with another white belt. There was a big weight class difference between us. I was on mount doing positional sparring with side control. I had my arm extended on the mat and she quickly went in that direction. I didnt have time to shift my weight and ended up folding back w my shoulder straight. Heard a pop but luckily it went back in the socket.
This question was asked to the wrong guy. You need to ask a guy in his late 40's, 50's or older. In my 50's now and I can say that I had a great time training in martial arts (judo, karate, jiujitsu, boxing and MMA). In my 40's I realized I was having problems, too much wear and tear on the body (mostly my neck and shoulders but also my hands and knees). Eventually I made the decision to stop training as the injuries were coming more frequently and taking much longer to heal, while at the same time I was slowing down with reflex time. Now, I miss training. There is nothing like training and going toe to toe with someone, testing yourself in so many ways. Having also worked in security and law enforcement on two continents, I can also say that having martial arts knowledge did save me from at least getting seriously injured more than once in real world situations. All of this said, was it worth it? Probably not. That doesn't stop me from feeling this void of not rolling these days. I think the advice I'd give someone is to train, but to train in moderation. We don't all need to aspire to UFC potential (unless that's what you're going for). Realize that training should be a lifelong pursuit and take your time. Supplement your training with flexibility and resistance training so that you are physically fit, well balanced and after a few years of practice also skilled with martial arts. Be smart about how you train, train for the long haul not the short term gains. This way, you will have less injuries and be able to enjoy the activity a lot longer.
Depends on your goals. If you wanna be a high level competitor or instructor or even just a warrior then yes. If you lookin for a Hobbie late in life then definitely no.
Forty years in martial arts. Karate, JKD, San da , Gracie JJ. Every serious injury I've had has been in JJ. Wrestling has a slew of rules in place to prevent serious injury. BJJ has few. There are alot of "unspoken rules" about torquing on heel hooks, grinding elbows into noses, bending fingers back, etc, but these are mostly allowed. Especially in "rolling in the gym". Nothing makes me more nervous than a testosterone -pumped 25yo ex high school football-player blue belt who wants to prove himself in a BJJ gym. Pass.
Competitive Contact is the worst.
Wrestled as a kid, done years of bjj in my 30s and now do judo and whether it is worth it or not it depends what do you mean by it? If you work physical job and injure your neck(for instance) during judo and can't do that work for x amount of weeks and your whole family suffers as a result of that, then no its not worth it. I'm so far from trying to romanticise grappling. Especially stand up grappling- injuries in wrestling and judo are inevitable especially past 30. So it really may or may not be worth it and may or may not bring more pain and struggle then joy- risk is yours. I do it because I'm addicted to it and find it difficult to stop. I don't think I'm being wise for not stopping though
No it's not worth it. My knee is wrecked from BJJ and is now causing me mobility issues at a relatively young age.
I boxed and thought about ju jitsu but after seeing my friends I am just gonna continue to put my ethnic in boxing instead to bouncing from art to art
Unfortunately, I don’t think bjj is worth it. I have trained off and on, every time I go back I get some form of injury. This time a white belt who wants to compete was rolling way hard while drilling and pulled my knee in the wrong direction and that’s all she wrote.
I also was a college athlete,boxed for 4 years, and never had injuries like I get from BJJ.
It’s the white belts who think they are next Gordan Ryan who will injure you.
I’m having the same issue where after boxing sparring I’m always having headaches and can’t function properly at work, don’t know if I should continue coach
As a 31 y.o. that loves striking, that's why I left striking and focused on bjj, yes my joints suffer but my brain is safe.
I'm 52 and been training about 25 yrs. If you are getting injured so frequently that you need to question it then there are issues IMO. Either people around you that do t know how to train with new people or just don't care and want to smash you. Maybe you are the problem because you stress and tense everything when you don't know what to do. Maybe the gym is just a bunch of meat heads. No matter what the cause you shouldn't be getting hurt to the point that you can't train unless you are a competitor and doing intense rolls. Figure out what the issue is and fix it.
Agree with this. Trained 3 years never got injured. Don't roll with idiots
Choose your gym and your training partners very carefully.
Yeah I do it with a childhood friend and it’s works well for the both of us
After training MMA for over a decade and now being close to 30, I have recently put down the striking over the past year or two and stuck with primarily jiujitsu.
I feel like I could do MMA/jiujitsu into maybe my mid 40's if I really wanted, but you can ultimately only get hit in the head so many times and im a crayon eating combat vet and dumb enough as it is (LOL UNVAXXED SO SOME MIGHT SAY DOWN RIGHT RETARDED) but I truly feel like i could do jiujitsu well into my 60's.... and honestly plan to. I absolutely love this sport and it has truly saved my life, as I'm sure it has for others too.
I’m 21 with the goals of doing MMA. I’m starting with jiu jitsu because I did wrestling in high school. I couldn’t imagine doing MMA or anything striking intensive beyond 15 years. Too much head trauma, and my mind is something I’d like to protect. But jiu jitsu, I can already see myself doing it in some capacity until I die of (hopefully) old age. And I aspire to do that.
As a mid 30s hobbyist blue belt. If I have to get surgery I'm out. And that sucks. I want to train with my kids as they get older. So I'm very careful when training. Especially when my partner has a sub or is doing something I'm not 100% sure of.
Some say I'm quick to tap and don't have enough aggression. But I'm trying to train for the next 10 to 30 years. And I know I'll never be really serious about it. I think its all about what you want out of it.
Judo wasn't worth it for me. Never loved it or was any good. If it was a lifelong sport and it was the opposite, then it probably would. Ask yourself if a career ending injury would be worth the skills and experiences gained.
Hey Chewy purple belt here. I'm currently out of training for about six-eight weeks due to an elbow injury.(Didn't Tap to a kimura) Just about everyone in my gym is carrying injuries it's incredibly common. No surgeries and I will start physical therapy soon. Could you do a video about getting back into training after an injury? Your input and advice would be highly appreciated.
What’s your question about coming back?
@@Chewjitsu How do I transition back into it while being careful not to reinjure the same area. How can I start off smoothly so I can build myself back up to how I was before?
Maybe because i got a smaller gym and their is a big zize difference in members. I havent seen anyone break sprain or have serious injury in my three months.
Makes me a lil nervous i didnt know how widespread injury was. I understand its a combat sport
There should be more focus on strengthening the body outside the gym. Reinforce your joints with strength training and do legitimate warm ups before training
I dislocated my knee cap. I'll be out for a while 😞
I love martial arts and have been training in some type of martial art form for the las 30 years (I'm 40 now). I started taking BJJ classes a year ago after taking several years off of any type of grappling and I had to stop my BJJ training because injuries were getting in the way of being able to work every day. I'm in the construction field I need my body to function on a day-to-day basis. It's a shame, because I really enjoyed rolling, but it wasn't sustainable for me.
Torn elbow, shoulder, broken fingers. It's hard and the injuries come, but I still love it.
Had my spine fused from T1-L2 and I’ve trained a few times in the last year but just scared I’ll mess something up. It’s the only thing that makes me feel alive but don’t wanna get hurt. And my fusion wasn’t from mma it was from kyphosis
I got a sprain toe once in practice, I was a white belt, toe was so bad man, but I tied it up and next they went at it, then got hurt again, then I realized that everyone there had banndages and tied toes and I thought " am I gonna really be this wrecked training this shit, no thannks " It was not worth all the pain, I am thankfull of learning subs and general ground stuff but enough was enough
Are injuries worse in BJJ or Judo ?
About the same from what i have seen