[EXPLAINED] What’s The Best Age To Start Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu

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Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is a popular martial art that has been practiced for over a century.

This sport is popular with a wide range of individuals for many reasons.

It offers great physical health benefits as well as mental health benefits.

If you are planning to start Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu training at your current age, you may be wondering if it’s suited for you.

Today we will look at the suitability of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu for people of different ages.

What Is Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu?

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is a martial art that originated in Brazil.

BJJ (Jiu-Jitsu) is based on Judo, which originated in Japan.

This martial art focuses on bringing your opponent to the ground and immobilizing them using pins and submission attacks. 

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is also great for self-defense, as it allows you to take control of a situation and protect yourself from attacks.

People of all age ranges practice this martial art for this very reason. 

Many MMA fighters have backgrounds in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu due to its versatility.

BJJ practitioners are considered intimidating opponents in most fight settings.

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How Old Do You Have to Be To Start Jiu-Jitsu?

There is no minimum age to start Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

Parents who’d like to enroll their children in this martial art can do so from an early age.

However, young children may struggle to learn this martial art if their communication skills are not yet developed.

It is possible for children to start Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu at the age of three or four.

Children of this age are capable of standing, running, and performing different maneuvers.

They also have great flexibility, which is very beneficial in this martial art. 

Young children between the ages of four and seven who enroll in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu will need to be taught closely by an instructor.

However, they may struggle to pick up on the fundamentals of this martial art at this early age.

Older children between the ages of eight and twelve are usually able to keep up with training and learning the fundamentals of BJJ.

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They can follow the appropriate rules of the mat and participate in matches in a healthy manner.

Teenagers between the ages of thirteen and sixteen are in an especially great position to learn this martial art.

Their minds are developed enough to follow along with training and lessons, and their bodies are agile and energetic enough to practice and refine different BJJ techniques.

Teens are usually trained alongside other teenagers.

However, they may be able to practice alongside adults in many cases.

Teenagers above the age of sixteen usually practice with adults more regularly.

They can learn advanced Jiu-Jitsu techniques and participate in tournament matches. 

Many younger Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioners often perform warm-ups in mixed-age groups.

They then split into separate groups of children or teenagers based on their age.

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When Do Most People Start Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu?

There is no data available on the average age of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioners.

Even though many people start at a young age, a lot of BJJ practitioners start later in their lives.

It’s not uncommon to see new students starting well into their 30s and 40’s, or even older.

These people may develop an interest in learning BJJ for self-defense reasons, but many often start because their children who started before them enjoyed it so much.

You’ll often hear of entire families who practice Jiu-Jitsu, very often because they got their kids involved first as a hobby and then became intrigued themselves.

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Is 30 Too Old To Start Brazilian Jiu Jitsu?

Thirty is a great age to start Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

Many people may be reluctant to start learning this martial art this late in life.

However, most thirty-year-olds retain much of the flexibility they possessed in their twenties.

Especially if you’re particularly athletic, or have participated in other sports recently.

The advantage of starting after 30 is that you’ll grasp the deeper principles and concepts of BJJ a lot quicker.

Many women also learn Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in their thirties for self-defense.

This is because Jiu-Jitsu is especially great for helping people with a small stature or frame protect themselves against larger opponents.

People in their thirties can also benefit from the exercise that Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu provides.

The average training session tends to be cardio-heavy.

This gets your heart rate pumping and can help you rapidly burn calories.

If you want your body to maintain its flexibility (or to become more flexible) and shed a few pounds, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is definitely the right martial art to get into.

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How Late Is Too Late For Brazilian Jiu Jitsu?

There is no upper age limit for learning Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

Many practitioners are over the age of forty, with some notable individuals continuing with this martial art well into their sixties and seventies.

You might find yourself struggling with the speed, flexibility, and stamina required for BJJ in these later years.

However, with the right training partner, you should be able to train many of the same techniques as the younger grapplers.

When you’re older, you’re more prone to getting injured because of the bone brittleness associated with old age.

So it’s best to be careful when training later in life, but it’s still very much a possibility for most.

In fact, older Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioners might prefer to learn a limited form of the art that omits the dangerous throws that could injure you.

This way you’ll keep training for longer.

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Final Thoughts

As you can see, it is possible to learn Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu at various stages of your life.

If you’re thinking about starting Jiu-Jitsu, you should consider getting into it as early as possible, as it gives you more time to refine your techniques.

Older individuals are welcome at most BJJ academies around the world.

So consider giving Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu a try if you want to test your body’s limits and pick up on some great self-defense techniques.

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