Did you ever suddenly lose interest in BJJ?

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Evenflow80

Purple Belt
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Been training a little over 6 years, and a few months ago got my brown belt.

Through out those years I've consistently trained 4 to 5 days a week. Never had a serious injury that took me out for months. There were exceptions, but for the most part I was obsessed with jiu jitsu. Loved coaching and running classes wheb the professor wasn't going to make it, etc

But man.... last 2 months or so, it's like the fire is suddenly gone. I've been going once, maybe twice a week, and only to open mats. I'm becoming more and more relaxed about missing classes. And when I do go roll I'm not very motivated.

Not sure what is going on. I just turned 40 sure , but this sudden lack of interest was too sudden to chalk up to age.

I just don't want to sit thru warmups anymore. I'm tired of doing 2 or 3 techniques each class, it's repetitive, and suddenly I just want to skip all that and roll, if I even want to go at all.

I've always been one of the better guys at my academy , but due to my lack of motivation I'm getting caught in dumb subs by guys I was beating a couple of months ago without breaking a sweat.

What's going on? Is this permanent? Anyone else experienced this sudden change before?
 
Evenflow80 said:
Been training a little over 6 years, and a few months ago got my brown belt.

Through out those years I've consistently trained 4 to 5 days a week. Never had a serious injury that took me out for months. There were exceptions, but for the most part I was obsessed with jiu jitsu. Loved coaching and running classes wheb the professor wasn't going to make it, etc

But man.... last 2 months or so, it's like the fire is suddenly gone. I've been going once, maybe twice a week, and only to open mats. I'm becoming more and more relaxed about missing classes. And when I do go roll I'm not very motivated.

Not sure what is going on. I just turned 40 sure , but this sudden lack of interest was too sudden to chalk up to age.

I just don't want to sit thru warmups anymore. I'm tired of doing 2 or 3 techniques each class, it's repetitive, and suddenly I just want to skip all that and roll, if I even want to go at all.

I've always been one of the better guys at my academy , but due to my lack of motivation I'm getting caught in dumb subs by guys I was beating a couple of months ago without breaking a sweat.

What's going on? Is this permanent? Anyone else experienced this sudden change before?
Click to expand...

Unpopular opinion

But, at 40, BJJ 3 times a week is more than enough

Do some other sport, to get involved into

Personnaly, I started CrossFit, and now I do 3-4 times a week Crossfit and 3 times BJJ

I appreciate my BJJ time more, I'm more curious about technique, my brain is not saturated, I'm more focus when I roll.

And I'm just as fit as I was
 
I used to think there was no life after bjj… when life struck you and you get past your mis 30s, perspectives change, a lot. To the point that I’m totally fine if for any reason I must stop training, it used to mean death sentence for me just. Couple of years ago
 
Happened to me after about 10 years. The only part of bjj I really enjoy now is helping new white belts. Unless my kids get into it, I don’t see continuing much longer.
 
yetanother said:
Aikido is bullshit, if he doesn't like drilling some random stuff his coach shows him I doubt he would like drill some stuff invested by japanese weirdos that doesn't even work.
Click to expand...
"Just to spice things up"
 
I feel ya! I've been training BJJ going on 11 years. Last year I was asked by my Professor to take over the 6:30pm - 7:30pm Fundamentals class. Its a great deal! No dues, free merchandise, despite being a 56 year old Brown Belt with questionable skills, I'm treated well. The thing is that shit gets repetitive. I work all day, get to the gym at 6pm, get changed, teach for an hour, train in the Advanced class from 7:30pm to 9pm, go home, eat, shower, sleep, rinse and repeat.
All I can tell you is take a week off and relax. Go somewhere and get your mind off the grind.
 
I’ve been training 15 years and have been a black belt 5 years.

Are you having fun? That’s the most important thing (to have fun). That’s what has always kept me coming back, although I can empathize. I’m not really interested in class anymore (I’m more into sparring, theory, and helping students when I can).

Maybe a change of mindset is due? At 43, I look at BJJ as a way to stay in shape and have fun. If it’s not fun anymore, thats fine. It’s okay to lose interest in hobbies.

I still make it to class every week (because it’s fun), but I’m more into stretching and my grass lately.
 
I'm in my 14th year of training. I think everyone has their interest in BJJ ebb and flow over the years when you train for a long time. In fact, if we are all honest, I bet we've thought about quitting at some point or there were times where you could have just faded out slowly without deciding to quit. I was feeling pretty similar to you at the end of purple.
My advice would be to rethink your focus. We all started BJJ for various selfish reasons - we wanted to learn how to defend ourselves, round out our MMA game, become a bad ass or maybe just for fitness. The reason doesn't matter so much as identifying that BJJ is about you at the start of your journey. At the start you are hungry for knowledge, to get better. Every roll you focus on what you did right or wrong, you keep track of your taps to try to judge your own progress. That's where the reward is. There is zero wrong with that, it should be like that. The longer you stay in BJJ (late purple or so), you start to see that BJJ isn't as individual at you thought. You are part of a team, your function in that team starts to become about the other people at the club. You realize that you needed the higher belts back when you started and now the lower belts need you. You have a duty to pass on what you've learned, you rolls aren't only for you anymore. They are for mutual benefit, sometimes only for the lower belt even.
Competition could be a motivator to get you to the gym more but if you aren't a super competition focused practitioner (I'm not), you may have to find your motivation in this new focus.
 
I know how you feel.

I'm 20 years into BJJ at age 39. I go for the workout and the social aspect. I did a bunch of mma fights and held 3 regional titles and won the panams back in 2010 as a purple belt.

I stopped fighting/competing after getting a really bad case of lyme disease that went undiagnosed for several years.

I'm definitely not into it anymore. I just do it for the exercise and to chat it up with my friends.
 
So many true things in this thread. Started training in the end of 2004.. I still have not gone back to class since before the covid situation for various reasons.. but the thought is always there. It's not as big and desperate as it was years ago (where, much like Bjj_rage described above, the thought of abandoning Bjj sounded simply unbearable) but the urge is there lying underneath and I often find myself daydreaming about jiu jitsu, especially if something that remembers it to me comes up. I've had periods of time in which I would have rather not go.. but it never last that long and in hindsight I'd kick my ass for losing so many classes I could have gone to.

For the now, well we'll see. Honestly between the fact that where I'm you now have to book classes (so no more casually jump in) and usually inform if you don't go, the covid still somewhat lurking, the fact many people I used to practice are not there anymore.. it's kind of a good drawback. Regardless, if somehow I'll be able to soften some of the issues I talked about I'd love to go back before summer ends.
 
Evenflow80 said:
Been training a little over 6 years, and a few months ago got my brown belt.

Through out those years I've consistently trained 4 to 5 days a week. Never had a serious injury that took me out for months. There were exceptions, but for the most part I was obsessed with jiu jitsu. Loved coaching and running classes wheb the professor wasn't going to make it, etc

But man.... last 2 months or so, it's like the fire is suddenly gone. I've been going once, maybe twice a week, and only to open mats. I'm becoming more and more relaxed about missing classes. And when I do go roll I'm not very motivated.

Not sure what is going on. I just turned 40 sure , but this sudden lack of interest was too sudden to chalk up to age.

I just don't want to sit thru warmups anymore. I'm tired of doing 2 or 3 techniques each class, it's repetitive, and suddenly I just want to skip all that and roll, if I even want to go at all.

I've always been one of the better guys at my academy , but due to my lack of motivation I'm getting caught in dumb subs by guys I was beating a couple of months ago without breaking a sweat.

What's going on? Is this permanent? Anyone else experienced this sudden change before?
Click to expand...
Martial arts is bigger then Gracie Submission Judo.
Like people said, you could try some actual Judo, Sambo, No-Gi or Catch, or maybe even a standup style.

Personally I never got the idea of training 5 times a week unless you're an amateur or pro fighter.
2-3x a week is more than enough plus supplementary workouts for pretty much any art at the hobbyist level. Have a more varied life.
 
Either lock in to be a competitor or listen to their advice.
And.. compete.. so you actually worry about competitions and not practice rolls..
 
Evenflow80 said:
Been training a little over 6 years, and a few months ago got my brown belt.

Through out those years I've consistently trained 4 to 5 days a week. Never had a serious injury that took me out for months. There were exceptions, but for the most part I was obsessed with jiu jitsu. Loved coaching and running classes wheb the professor wasn't going to make it, etc

But man.... last 2 months or so, it's like the fire is suddenly gone. I've been going once, maybe twice a week, and only to open mats. I'm becoming more and more relaxed about missing classes. And when I do go roll I'm not very motivated.

Not sure what is going on. I just turned 40 sure , but this sudden lack of interest was too sudden to chalk up to age.

I just don't want to sit thru warmups anymore. I'm tired of doing 2 or 3 techniques each class, it's repetitive, and suddenly I just want to skip all that and roll, if I even want to go at all.

I've always been one of the better guys at my academy , but due to my lack of motivation I'm getting caught in dumb subs by guys I was beating a couple of months ago without breaking a sweat.

What's going on? Is this permanent? Anyone else experienced this sudden change before?
Click to expand...

I like jiu jitsu most, when wearing MMA gear and sparring full spectrum, wrestling, bjj, boxing, with PG-13 Muay Thai (no elbows, baby knees to indicate vulnerability). When I get the feeling of fighting, however light, it’s always a blast.
 
+1 to changing up the routine and dabbling in other styles to add to your game. Judo, wrestling and sambo are complementary to BJJ.

I'm 48 and have been training in some form or fashion for 35 years. During that time I've been passionate about physical fitness and martial arts but have always viewed the latter as secondary i.e. I'm not going to compromise long-term health/fitness for results in competition or practice. But for as long as I can remember, I've generally trained 5 days/week (used to be 6) between lifting weights, running and/or combat sports.

After 40, unless you're a serious competitor or on PEDs, adequate physical and mental recovery is critical and the best way to ensure that training frequently is to keep things light and fun. Change it up. My BJJ coach who has been BB for 10 years and fought in WSOF and PFL recently started training under the new Judo coach. The first class he walks in with a huge grin sporting a Judo white belt and he told me how excited he was to start a new grappling journey and work his way up another belt system. It's hilarious because he can already take you down with anything he wants but he was embracing the white belt mentality which is what it's all about.

I myself have trained and competed in wrestling (scholastic, freestyle and greco), ammy boxing, Judo (brown) and BJJ (purple). I also have at least a month or more of formal instruction in each of karate, aikido, sambo, systema, escrima, muay thai, mma, capoeira and basic wing chun, tae kwon do and japanese jujutsu. Each of those have added techniques to my game or at least appreciation for concepts I wouldn't otherwise have been exposed to. I've gone to a capoeira roda and busted out the world's shittiest cartwheels and ginga. If you're having fun, you're doing it right.

I can also appreciate some aspects of bullshido now that I'm older. I used to scoff at kata in my 20's and 30's but I now would like to learn and perform Judo nage no kata both for the tradition and to make a run at shodan after 27 years at brown.
 
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You've kept a pretty full schedule of bjj. I'm not surprised you are feeling burned out. You probably would be losing interest in most things if you did it that often. Just try to go and have fun. Over 40 I found 3 times a week is plenty to train. Lift weights, yoga, meditate, run, or whatever else you might enjoy are all things you can do on those other days.
 
I am as good as i can get without finding a gym with good open mat time. I think BJJ classes are inefficent. The best way to learn is private lessons + youtube + open mat drilling. Most people just want to roll at open mat. Most gyms barely have open mat. Most BJJ classes have too many moves and too little coaching. So i am q little down on it right now because where i moved is pretty vacant.
 
BJJ today emphasizes and prioritizes "kick-ass" aspect and as a budo it's way out of proportion. Some guys go to the gym just to lift weights and spar.

When Carlos Gracie Sr learned the art, Jiu-Jitsu was all about reaching your mental, physical, philosophical potentials by committing to experiments of self discipline and harmonizing with the great nature. The Gracie family no longer controls the art and correct ways have been missing.

When your sole purpose of training is to compete against other people just like anything commercially taught in our modern capitalism era, you'll hit the end sooner or later.

After 35, You only get weaker and slower. The only motivated ones in the academy after this point are those who are making money.
 
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