How bad is grappling on the body?

Super_Nintendo

Black Belt
@Black
Joined
Jan 17, 2020
Messages
6,866
Reaction score
13,344
Always wanted to get into it for basic self defense and confidence but have bad knees and spine issues. How bad is BJJ and wrestling on the body?
 
Always wanted to get into it for basic self defense and confidence but have bad knees and spine issues. How bad is BJJ and wrestling on the body?

I mean, they're full contact sports. I have great knees and an ok spine and it's still really hard on the body. The only worse thing I've done is rugby.

I'd look into something else if I was too beat up from the start.
 
I wish it was good but it can be awful. Hall, who doesn't have a brutish style, just completely tore his ACL
 
Can't judge on knee or spine problems, but i used to train Judo with a bunch of 65+ year olds and they had no problems.
 
Your spine issues are a concern, to be honest. Have you gotten a doctor’s opinion?
 
Depends how shit your training partners are. If theyre cocks who crank subs and move frantically and violently, you will get hurt eventually and may begin to dislike coming to training.
 
It really depends on your style and how you train.
 
are you sure they were fine? or were they just too proud to tell you their back/shoulder was killing them
I did both randori and technical stuff with them and usually you see it in someone's movement or feel it in their resistance when they are hurt. Nobody had problems putting up meaningful resistance or deal with quick movements. That also taught me very quickly that old man strength is a real thing as well, lol

Might be a Judo thing though because you don't have to shoot for takedowns and stuff which tends to be more difficult for older people with hip or knee issues for instance.

Edit: By the way, they were all hobbyists without overtraining / training injured for competitions or other such unhealthy habits. That may very well be a deciding factor.
 
I did both randori and technical stuff with them and usually you see it in someone's movement or feel it in their resistance when they are hurt. Nobody had problems putting up meaningful resistance or deal with quick movements. That also taught me very quickly that old man strength is a real thing as well, lol

Might be a Judo thing though because you don't have to shoot for takedowns and stuff which tends to be more difficult for older people with hip or knee issues for instance.

Edit: By the way, they were all hobbyists without overtraining / training injured for competitions or other such unhealthy habits. That may very well be a deciding factor.
Judo is harder for the body than BJJ.
Some people are just a lot more injury resistant.
 
Edit: By the way, they were all hobbyists without overtraining / training injured for competitions or other such unhealthy habits. That may very well be a deciding factor.

I think this is a big factor. I competed regularly (HS and college team) in my teens and 20's but have been a hobbyist for the past 20 with regular training for the past 5. I'm now 48 and if I have a nagging injury I skip training or otherwise train super easy. I can't imagine someone training continuously for competition into old age - I'm sure there are exceptions but most bodies would be destroyed. My Judo buddies that kept competing into their late 30's can't train anymore and many have had hip replacements or serious neck and back injuries.
 
Last edited:
I did both randori and technical stuff with them and usually you see it in someone's movement or feel it in their resistance when they are hurt. Nobody had problems putting up meaningful resistance or deal with quick movements. That also taught me very quickly that old man strength is a real thing as well, lol

Might be a Judo thing though because you don't have to shoot for takedowns and stuff which tends to be more difficult for older people with hip or knee issues for instance.

Edit: By the way, they were all hobbyists without overtraining / training injured for competitions or other such unhealthy habits. That may very well be a deciding factor.
Damn that's hella interesting, I do wrestling mostly and one of my coaches is 43 and needs to foam roll every single muscle before he is able to wrestle lol, that being said I can confirm old man strength is REAL breaking his collar tie is almost impossible once he latches on.
Maybe I'll switch to judo to not end up like him haha
 
Damn that's hella interesting, I do wrestling mostly and one of my coaches is 43 and needs to foam roll every single muscle before he is able to wrestle lol, that being said I can confirm old man strength is REAL breaking his collar tie is almost impossible once he latches on.
Maybe I'll switch to judo to not end up like him haha
You'll still find plenty of old boys with unbreakable collar grips!
 
Before going back to training I used to have severe arthritys. It was absurd the amount of pain I used to feel day by day, after losing weight it disapeared (I even trained with a broken rib thinking it was the usual). So having sayd that, grappling is very taxing in the body but not training is even worse.
 
Well damn I was just about to make a post asking how to find a legit gym when you're starting out, but I read this first.
I'm 45 who laid brick for twenty five years. So shoulders and back aren't the best, especially shoulders. Guess I might need to find something else to get into.
 
Well damn I was just about to make a post asking how to find a legit gym when you're starting out, but I read this first.
I'm 45 who laid brick for twenty five years. So shoulders and back aren't the best, especially shoulders. Guess I might need to find something else to get into.
Much by the contrary my friend, the exercise even though is taxing it will reinforce your muscles and it will help with the pain.
 
Before going back to training I used to have severe arthritys. It was absurd the amount of pain I used to feel day by day, after losing weight it disapeared (I even trained with a broken rib thinking it was the usual). So having sayd that, grappling is very taxing in the body but not training is even worse.

Sure, but the cost of grappling increases as you get older. Hike and bike all over the place and lift weights and you'll stay in great shape while never getting injured. It's worth considering.

At some point, some activities should go on a ''fuck it'' list. If I was over 40 with no previous grappling experience I wouldn't start BJJ. Maybe if I was juicing.
 
Last edited:
Back
Top