I started Jiu Jitsu pretty late. Thirty-four years old, completely out of shape, sitting at a desk all day. My back hurt most mornings and I realised I just needed to move again. I didn’t really know what I was getting into when I joined my first class, I just wanted to do something.
The first few months were rough. I couldn’t remember half the techniques. I’d gas out halfway through a round and just try not to die. My grips would give up before I did. Everyone else seemed calm and smooth while I was flailing around, red-faced and lost.
But I kept turning up to class.
After a while something clicked. Not all at once, but slowly. I stopped thinking so hard and started feeling where to go. My defence got better. I could hang on longer with people who used to crush me. That was the first time I realised Jiu Jitsu isn’t about being naturally talented, it’s just about turning up again and again.
I’ve learned a few things along the way. Like, consistency is everything. You can’t fake it. The people who get better aren’t the strongest or the most flexible, they’re just the ones who turn up two or three times a week no matter what.
Fitness helps too. When you’re totally gassed, you can’t think or learn. Once I started doing a bit of running and weights, things on the mat made a lot more sense.
There’s also the frustration. You’re going to get tapped a lot. You’ll forget moves. Some weeks you’ll feel like you’ve actually got worse. That’s normal. You just have to keep training.
And asking questions makes a difference. Don’t just nod when your coach explains something and pretend you understand. Ask why, ask when. Half the time I only really “got” something after bothering my coach after class.
The last thing is recovery. I used to think training more was always better. It’s not. If you don’t rest, you burn out or get injured. Sleep, eat, stretch. It all counts.
Jiu Jitsu’s changed more than just my fitness. I’m calmer now. More patient. I don’t panic as easily. At work or when life gets stressful, I can feel that same calm I’ve learned on the mat. You get used to pressure when someone’s literally trying to choke you.
Now I’ve been training about three years. I still get tapped, plenty. But I learn quicker, my timing’s better, and I actually enjoy the process now.
If you’ve been thinking about starting, just start.
If you stopped, come back.
If you’re tired, keep going.
You’ll never regret another hour on the mat.
About the author
Aaron Clarke is a blue belt who started Jiu Jitsu in his mid-thirties after years behind a desk. He writes about training later in life, balancing work and family with regular mat time, and trying to figure things out one round at a time.
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