How bad is grappling on the body?

The mental and physical benefits of BJJ far outweigh the risk of injury If you train smartly and cautiously, with good partners , good technique, and without ego. It is definitely possible to learn jiu jitsu without any major injuries. Always listen to your body and if something doesn't feel right then don't do it.

Most injuries in hobbyist bjj result from picking the wrong training partner, refusing to tap, or sparring too hard or with improper technique.. Remember, you're always allowed to turn down a roll, or ask your partner not to go so hard..., and in hindsight there are definitely some times I wish I had done those things.

All my injuries came from rolling with bigger white belts. If you only train with more experienced people and smaller people and avoid sparring with larger white belts then your odds of injury decrease dramatically.
 
Last edited:
37. My skin, ears and knees are jacked, everything else is fine.
 
I've had six knee and two hip surgeries. I had to stop training or else I'd be on a fast track to a knee replacement by 50. All of of my knee injuries stemmed from having my meniscus explode while attacking a triangle from my own closed guard as a blue belt.
 
Patrick Jane said:
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.
Click to expand...

Find it surprising that they have no knee issues?
I am just back at Judo as a young 38 (lol) after doing it as a kid and all I ever hear is "You will have severe knee problems"

Though at my club our sensei is 70+ year old 6th dan that still does Randori, though he picks his partners wisely. There are many other adult black belts with various degrees that Randori

I fucking love it and if injuries happen? So be it, it is a contact sport after all
 
IMO if you're not tryna compete or go super hard in training it's not horrible on your body. You'll have bumps and bruises ofc but for the most part the only time I've gotten injured is hard training for competition or helping others get ready.
 
I have always been a manlet but loved martial arts anyway, and always admired BJJ.
Anyway, I started practicing BJJ, maybe without proper weight training, and it gave me two L4-L5; L5-S1 herniated disks. To be fair, I did Muay thai at the same time, so maybe the roundhouse kicks and knees might have been a factor too, who knows.
Anyway, with you are not a particularly talented beginner, and you are a small man, prepare for a nightmare practicing BJJ.
 
Patrick Jane said:
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.
Click to expand...
I used to do the same but I always felt like they were the ones who survived. How many of their contemporaries had to quit because of knee problems? I know I did.
 
ChickenBrother said:
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.
Click to expand...
Not even late thirties, my BJJ instructor also competed in Judo since he was a kid and he was done by late 20s. I'm a casual practitioner going into my early 30s and I have no injuries, nothing. The main problem is that people who compete don't give their body time to rest so they turn a small injury into something big.
Even with good genetics your body may be physiologically the same at 18 or 38 but you will just have acquired a lot of injuries at 38 if you compete for a long time, it's very different if you just started at 38.
 
375vwv61mss11.jpg
 
Cuauhtemoc said:
Not even late thirties, my BJJ instructor also competed in Judo since he was a kid and he was done by late 20s. I'm a casual practitioner going into my early 30s and I have no injuries, nothing. The main problem is that people who compete don't give their body time to rest so they turn a small injury into something big.
Even with good genetics your body may be physiologically the same at 18 or 38 but you will just have acquired a lot of injuries at 38 if you compete for a long time, it's very different if you just started at 38.
Click to expand...

For sure. Me stepping away from the mats for most of the years between age 23 and 43 (focused on lifting weights and running) is probably the only reason I'm still able to train like I do in my late 40's.

But hobbyists can incur a lot of damage too. My gym is more hardcore than most and I sometimes resist chokes more than I should. I always tap early and often to joint subs but I tend to fight chokes to the death out of habit from my competition days. Went out yesterday without tapping which I know is fucking stupid. I tend to get injured less when I'm more relaxed but sometimes I get fired up and go for broke. It's hard to turn off and something I'm still phasing into.
 
Last edited:
Patrick Jane said:
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.
Click to expand...

I find Judo easier on the body than BJJ. I have had shoulder, neck, and knee problems from Jiu-Jitsu. Other than sore fingers, I've not had any issues from Judo. Learn to relax and getting thrown is no big deal. YMMV.
 
Einheri said:
I find Judo easier on the body than BJJ. I have had shoulder, neck, and knee problems from Jiu-Jitsu. Other than sore fingers, I've not had any issues from Judo. Learn to relax and getting thrown is no big deal. YMMV.
Click to expand...
I think the constant slow and grinding position struggle in BJJ may be unhealthy for joints. If you play Spider guard then it's even more unfcomfortable for fingers than Judo grip fighting, haha
 
Einheri said:
I find Judo easier on the body than BJJ. I have had shoulder, neck, and knee problems from Jiu-Jitsu. Other than sore fingers, I've not had any issues from Judo. Learn to relax and getting thrown is no big deal. YMMV.
Click to expand...

All of my Judo injuries are from competition.
 
Restarting at 51 after a 4 year break due to feeling completely broken down. It is hard on the body, for sure. As you age just try to avoid really big guys and overly aggressive sorts. Keep up with the strength training and mobility work. Don’t be too competitive. Avoid all that crazy young person shit, so no spinning around like a break dancer.
 
Almost as hard as you make it. You can go to war every time treat every training like it's the finals of the worlds then yeah, it can be bad. Refer Miyao Bros.

You can take it easier and just train and keep within yourself. Tap when uncomfortable, don't train with people way bigger than you etc. You'll still get something out of it, but just bear in mind you won't be testing your limits.

Basically, it's as hard as you make it.
 
The other Masters 3 guy who kicked my ass in the absolute division on Sat was kind enough to end me quickly...just a little sore around my neck....
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Forum statistics

Threads
1,236,576
Messages
55,428,132
Members
174,774
Latest member
Judoka_Noob

Share this page

Back
Top