The best thing I ever did for my life was starting jiujitsu. I was a lost, punk kid at 18 when I started. I’m 29 now and a black belt. Jiujitsu gave my life focus. Changed me fundamentally as a human. I never thought I could be where I am today, or anywhere close to it. I attribute almost all of my progress as a human to the lessons I learned on the mats. Don’t hesitate to start. Just start.

Best thing I heard someone say, "If your gonna be around in 10 years, why not have a black belt"

Started training bjj at 47 years old. I'm now a 52 year old purple belt. I love this sport. I've had a few dings but thankfully no real injuries. The reward way outweighs the risk. You get a great workout. You build skills and confidence. And as a bonus you build a brotherhood with the guys you train with.

I started training Jiu Jitsu in the 90's when I was in college, graded up to a purple belt. In 1999, I lost my leg above the knee. I stopped practicing Jiu Jitsu. Fast forward to today, 24 years later, and I'm starting over at white belt again. I have to relearn the techniques, but also learn how to move on the mat with only one leg. Happy to be back on the mats. I don't know why it took me nearly 25 years to do it again. I'm now almost 50 years old, and wishing I hadn't wasted 25 years

Just started at 71 and I really love it! ❤️ I'm not a man but I do adore manliness (competence) in men. Great channel.

I started two years ago at 57 years old. Absolutely love it, there's nothing like it that I've ever done. Leave your ego behind and jump in, you're going to be glad you did.

I agree with all you said. I’m 62 and have 15 days in. Loving it! Thank you.

I have been training for 15 months now. Very intimidating at age 42 but so glad that I started. I love it

42 and just finished my 2nd week. One advantage of my age and experience is that I know my body, I know my limit, and my mind is centered more than it ever was. I learned to play hockey as a young adult and that learning experience has primed me for this new journey.

7 months in BJJ after a long background in kickboxing and boxing what I have learnt: 1. Respect for smaller experienced guys 2. What the hell do you you do with bigger experienced guys 😂 3. Hard !!!

39 years old, joined a free class last week, got beat over and over again, and it was spiritual. Signed up for regular classes as soon as the class over, looking forward to getting choked out 3 days a week until I finally turn a corner and do the choking out, then repeating the process.

i just started and i already love it. im 13 and really enjoy training, and i've also noticed it helps with confidence a lot too

Thank God for jui jitsu! Saved my life

Did BJJ for about a year in the late 90’s. I stopped at a 4 stripe while belt. Started back last year at age 57. One year later I’m back to 4 stripe white belt and loving it much more at 58. It’s never too late to start.

Ryan, Thank you. This post is spot on! At 47 my BJJ path began last night and i learned some harsh realities very quickly and you touch on most of them. 1) I am not near as bad as i thought i was. 2) Learned a hard lesson in energy exertion. 3)Technique.. Technique...Technique, strength is not king 4) It is absolutely a chess match. 5) I have rekindled my dormant competitiveness. And lastly, 6) confidence is already up and the analytical part of my brain is in overdrive! Looking forward to lesson 2... Keep doing what your doing.

Your perspective is appreciated. Considering the beginning of a martial arts journey at 51.

I go 2-5 days a week. I started a few months ago at 38. Wish I had started earlier. It a journey to better myself. I do sometimes get frustrated by newer guys who are younger and faster. But I remember it’s my own journey to better myself.

im 37 yr old started last year june same as you on/off the mats and still hooked and loved jiu jitsu, now i got my own space and mats at home. keep training guys

I’m 46 started two months ago, love it every minute of it. Rolling with Savages that smash me every class. Stay humble🤙 growth will come.

I’m signing up my son and I for lessons next month.....Getting on the mat and rolling is a good time

BJJ changed my life. Been doing it for around 8 years now. I am a purple belt now, and I can safely say I want to do this until the day I die :)

Started at 48 I'll be 50 this year. Jiu Jitsu is the best part of my day, maybe the best part of my life. I started way late in life, but as the saying goes "when the student is ready, the master appears".

Love this video ! 59, starting my 3rd month at a Gracie academy. The fact that we are not NEARLY as tough as we think we are is so true. I’m still stunned. I went with a grandson and just loved it and I’m addicted in a good way. Just go try it !

Thank you sir. I been training for 3 weeks. My first competition is in 6 weeks.

Thank you so much for sharing your raw experience. The fact that this is so relatable makes me feel like I am not the only one going through the same thing

I’m 32 and just started mon already in love with it great content keep up the hard work

# 9 Proximity is a great predictor of performance. In psychology, this is called social contagion theory. Great video.

I appreciate the transparency. I feel that. I have a real assessment of my lack of ability to control another TRAINED human being. If you have ever wrestled or fought and dominated someone who has never been trained in your past, you may need a wake up call. Not to mention the fact that I’m fairly athletic and “in shape” and I found out really quickly (within the first hour) that I need WAY more cardio in my workout plan! Especially if I’m training to use my skills for self defense, it’s crazy how fast we can burn out when grappling. New to the channel! God bless you. 👊

Starting any serious endeavor after 40? Adjust expectations accordingly and then you will enjoy yourself. You can't make up miles or time studying or time practicing but you can still be successful and even compete on a high level in a master's division. But take inventory of your resources and capabilities first so you know what you are getting into.

I just started a month ago, at age 53. It is hard, but I think will be worth it. Im a veteran, and have always loved to push myself. And the folks in the school are super friendly and supportive.

I started in Feb/23, I’m a 55 y/o leg amputee with all aches and pains that are the inevitable result of a serious industrial accident. If I can do it, pretty much anyone can!!!

I started Jiu-Jitsu on the last week of Dec 2022, I was 66 yrs old; now I'm 67 and already been training Jiu-Jitsu for 9 months; I think I'm beginning to love the sport but don't know till when

I haven't listen to this podcast yet but all I ever hear from Joe Rogan and other podcast dudes that practice the art seem to have sustained multiple injuries throughout their lives, yet at the same time, they're always encouraging people to start. It seems that there is a risk vs. reward issue that should be weighed. Enjoy your podcast!

23:48 Profound. Such a great concept!

I am going to start jiu jitsu I am mid forties and I am really excited about it

One benefit I'd like to add from BJJ has been the constant chance to experience failure from attempted techniques; Ultimately you will get a taste of success once you are able to land something you never were able to before.

I started a few months ago and it’s honestly changed my life. As I write this I have broken all bones in my body and have felt pain in parts of my body that I never knew existed.

Oss! Big love from South Africa 🇿🇦

What’s going one with your BJJ now? What rank are you? I started BJJ at 19 in 1999. I received my blue belt in 2001. Unfortunately I got injured and quit in 2003. I got married, had kids, helped build a business. Got fat and complacent. My marriage, and my life totally fell apart in mid 2019. I decided then to go back. I found a no gi gym and started there in 2020. I was so bad. I’m 5’5”, at 230lbs, 37% body fat, and almost a 44 waist when I started back. Today I’m 165lbs, 18% body fat, 28 in waist. I’m a baby purple belt now and now instruct. I train and instruct 25+ hours per week currently. My BJJ has just exploded around 6 months ago and am hitting things on high level brown belts. Tuesday I hit a bottom side kimora trap to back take with ease in a (3) striped brown belt. This was not at my gym. It’s awesome.

I am a blue belt 38yo. I am sure my idea will change but for now, I believe sparring with lower belts is better for improving my jiujitsu..I dont have enough room for practicing my game against higher belts.

I started training at 36. When I think about my first year training, I just remember feeling like my body was wrecked all the time. LoL. So glad I made it past that hurdle. At blue belt, I told myself 'all I need to focus on is continuing to show up to class.' and that's what I tell everyone now. Just keep showing up. At 44, i earned my purple belt a few yrs ago and although i don't get to train as much as i used to, i hope to continue training and one day share the mats with my children.

Great video. I can totally relate, 6 months into jiu-jitsu. Thank You!

3:42, purple belt here. I say this alllll the time. Especially when I see guys pontificating on how they'd be able to take on a trained girl with ease. They simply don't know. Lol

I started at 47 - and now 1 year in - The physical aspects are secondary to the mental, the friendships, the brotherhood, etc

Any age is good- but it takes a lot of discipline to fit it into your weekly schedule if you have a lot going on (43 yr old 3yr white belt).

Shit that age thing fucks with my head too. It's hard to train hard work hard etc etc constantly. So now I have to break it down to 3x a week BJJ and 1x to lift. But a bad day on the mats is still a great day in life!! 46 soon to be 47 One stripe here!!

Technique beats strength is such a fact

Great podcast. I'm 38 now and have been on the mat in some form since I was 6, be it wrestling or bjj and nothing has taught me more life lessons than grappling. Keep up the great work.

I train in kadochnikov russian systema here in England been doing it for four years. 49 now. You raised so very interesting points. I am also a black belt first dan in kali. I thought that ment something but i was wrong. I went up against a guy from a hybrid martial art and ended up getting beat so badly i could hardly walk. All my training failed. All the stick stuff and unarmed stuff. He destroyed me. So i went on a quest to learn something that worked and ended up doing systema. There is something very important about a beating

Biggest lesson is the daily dose of humble pie. Big, small, fat, athletic, old, young, females, nerds, anyone can fuck you up and you wouldn’t know about it if you couldn’t see their belt colour. We all love humble pie motherfuckers, keep strong!

Just started jiu-jitsu at 51. Loving it but do realise i have to train smart. Mobility rest and tap out before injury occurs to neck or legs and shoulders particularly. Oh and dont allow beard grips!!!

I’m meeting Dedeco at a seminar at our gym tomorrow. Definitely excited to learn from this man, especially after watching your interview in September. Thanks for the videos.

9:31 This is definitely a real thing. Haha. 1 thing I might add to this second the vid is to limit the amount of grains and sugar old ppl use. Inflammatory foods definitely add to the achs and pains. Nutrition, stretching,sleep, and consistency is so key, just to confirm the things u stated. The body will adapt but it's not as fast as in the 20s so we have to stay clean to give our bodies the best chance at recovery.

Brazilian Jiu jitsu is on my to do list after school

Craziest thing I got from this video is this guy moved from the beautiful state of Utah to Maine!

What a great video 👍👏 It’s so true, we kinda think we’re tough until someone shows us that we are NOT that tough at all! I feel this exact thing (started training ~7 months ago, im 36yo) 100% agree, jiujitsu will not abide any delusions if you are honest bout your training. Glad to know it’s not just me who feels this way!

Love the video man. It gives great inspiration to anyone hesitant yo get out there and do something they're afraid of. Especially in the later years of life

Jiujitsu is a humbling, amazing chess match. Yes, I'm hooked too. I'm a 48 year old white belt.

I started at 52 it’s awesome it’s important to do the hard thing and challenge ourselves

I'm on my 2nd month of judo training, 38 y.o. When 16 y.o. kid with white belt can screw me in like 20 seconds, you reboot & do a reality check, understanding how much you are NOT ready for extreme situations. I regret not joining it earlier, would have proper confidence and energy in life earlier.

Great video and I agree Jiu Jitsu will humble anyone. ha ha. Great stuff. I am a blue belt at 61 yrs young.

I wouldnt mind getting beat up I just worry about injury, so I give it up to you guys.

7:40 - I prefer to roll with higher belts because it's perfectly fine to get tapped out. Yes, I've been tapped out by lower belts because those lower belts were larger and/or younger (I'm pushing 40 and I can feel the age difference when I roll with someone in their 20's).

great video. Thanks for sharing. I started training at 41. I agree with your point of view. Good luck with your podcast.

Sir thank you for your post . Well articulated and your insight on your journey seems interesting . I truly believe in the circle of life . My goal is to tighten that circle to create time and distance for maximum affect in everything I do . Thanks for sharing your insights .

In the beginning in Japan when they had other rules in the tournaments ,and a young man was going to a match he said to his parentes bye now ill hope i survive this weekend because its was win or die actually ALLMOST they could die. But then they changed the rules so today's modern Jiu jitsu there are not so many injuries. I have trained it before it verry fun.

What an excellent insight!!!! Shared on FB.

I’m 40 and I work in an office all day. I have to make sure I get some form of physical activity in or I’ll fall apart. I wake up early and work out and I’ve been doing Jiu-Jitsu for over a year now. I’m close to getting my blue belt but I had a rough couple of months from injuries and personal/work stuff so I didn’t go as often as I should have. Those days and sometimes weeks off set me back from not being there and doing the moves. My technique diminished so now I’m not ready. Frequency and consistency are the most important things when practicing technique. Every time I break my discipline or get hurt it’s a setback. If those things lead to time off practicing technique it’s almost like starting over.

as a retired fighter and ex bouncer I have alot of injuries that prevent me from doing much other than bag work or mitts. If you ate not getting hit in the face in sparring weekly and rolling atleast twice a week with a resisting opponent your ability to defend yourself is up for debate now matter how many years you have trained. When you become the best fighter in tne gym find another gym asap pressure= growth Drills can only do so much.

Really enjoyed this video. Thanks Ryan

I’m on my 3rd week of training and I go to the 5:30am classes. I was up at 1:30 am unable to really sleep. I still got up at 4:30 to get ready to make it to my class. I’m getting my ass kicked but even 3 weeks in I’m seeing little improvements. Found myself in a chokehold this morning and my first week I would’ve tapped out, this week I was able to get out of it. Even finding myself in a stale mate when the clock runs on our rounds is a win for me so far.

once you become a black belt in one art become a white belt in another starting from scratch striking to grappling or grappling to striking is very humbling and will make you more well rounded.

To get better at Jiu Jitsu there is only one thing a person needs to do. Don’t quit.

Well, I'm three years late on this one, but I'm 38 now and just now restaring my jujitsu career.. Holy shit my whole body hurts! lol

Been there...done that...loved jujitsu & Karate..

Anyone thinking of getting into jujitsu, there is a real risk of getting hurt. Accidents happen, especially if u roll with younger dudes or big obese dudes. Remember it's your body, tap often avoid idiots. Once you get the blue you'll be able to control the white belt spaz better. It's fun, I love it, but don't overdo it.

Enjoyed this conversation!

Bjj is mostly a nonperishable skill- once you get to a certain level. coming up on brown belt here, and i just got injured massively. likely will be 6 months off the mats, maybe more. but I'm 100% confident I will still smash everyone when I come back.

This guy is relatable. Most videos we have in youtube are already established blackbelts.

I'm a bit late to the party, but I just started BJJ about a month ago (I'm 32yrs old, former Offensive Lineman). I'm having a blast right now... There's aches and pains but it's been overwhelming positive.

Every time I wanted to start, something got in the way.. It’s called life and career.. I’m obsessed with Discipline and consistency…And if I can’t commit to both, I talk myself out of it.. So here I am now, 65 and retired..Other than 65 yr old limitations, it was time to start..Time to put a muzzle on my “inner bitch” and no more excuses. I’m an infant in the BJJ world.. a single stripe white belt.. Somedays the hardest part is walking through the doors and suiting up.. I believe I’m one of the oldest students in the school..I’ll take that title.. Talking with other students, they say, “at least you’re here.. Most don’t have the balls to even walk through the door at any age, let alone @ 65.” For all those around my age, we have nothing to prove.. Check your ego at the door.. work at your own pace and limitations.. and put a little fire back in your ass!! 👊🏽💯

I started at 33 thinking I was to old I'm a blue belt and wish I started 10 yrs ago but I be getting beat up by people older and younger than me so if your on the fence just jump over because once you start your gonna wish you started ten years ago if your gonna be alive in 10 yrs you might as well have a black belt oss!

One of the other benefits of bjj particularly as we get older (I’m almost 41 now, started at 39 18mos ago) is not intentionally getting punched and kicked. If this was a striking sport there’s no way in hell I could go 6 days a week

This is true. Great stuff. I wish more men and boys would do something hard.

35 y.o. Unfit guy, Looking to go to my first two free classes next week.

52 just finished my fifth class. Hooked!!!

38? I could go night & day till well into my late 40s , then my 50s were a bit of a grattitude plateau physically, now im middle 60s , you definately have to be realistic , you can be very healthy yes, very fit yes, look trim & able yes, (but un nessesary combat ? you can hurt yourself & takes weeks to heal vee just days before), so why mess yourself up thinking your a youngster,? Your not !, so for older guys just enjoy improving yourself , but stay away from heavy sparing & combat (unless it comes to you for real , then you go for it then for real, because then its you or them, no choice, otherwise just stay realistic & enjoy, !👍👍

After a year of BJJ you can beat up all of your friends. But seriously, 99% of people have zero days on the mat. You can definitely defend yourself from a regular guy walking around.

Kratom has been a game changer for me as a 46 year old jiu Jitsu player. First coast tea has amazing product, split 75 discount code.

I just started mma training 5 weeks ago. It's definitely very humbling and way harder than it looks

That proximity part was the truth

Well spoken ❤

Well said!

I'm from southern Maine so I go to Jiu Jitsu in New Hampshire. I'm curious where you train

40 is too old to compete mma but it's true your never to old for learning mix martial arts

Great Content!

What he really learned in his first year of jujitsu: How to wrap his beard around an opponent's neck and choke them out. Lolz.

Inventory the people around you

Op may be a white belt in BJJ, but he’s a black belt in beard!

I started bjj at 45. I'm 6'0 and 180 lbs. One of our female professors who is a 23 yr d brown belt, is 5'7 and 130 lbs can tap me easy. I want my daughter to have that skill so I enrolled her both in Kindergarten and bjj in the same year :)