back in training after a few years. and 50.

Discussion in 'Brazilian Jiu Jitsu' started by Giovanni, Aug 2, 2021.

  1. Giovanni

    Giovanni Well-Known Member Supporter

    hello gentelmen and ladies.

    so i'm back training bjj. i had a third kid in 2014 and i had just recently been promoted to blue. and honestly since then, it's been quite downhill in bjj dealing with the family life. i have a lovely wife and three lovely boys and my focus and number one priority is on them--career and working out and recreational sports watching and live music or whatever hobbies i'm into is always going to be lower priority than my family. it's who i am and how i was raised. but anyway, things started opening up for me in the fall of 2019 and i was on the verge of going back to regular full-time training. i don't need to rehash what's happened since then.

    last couple months i've been back pretty consistently 2x per week. looking to expand to more training sessions during the week. my kids are all in school now and while i still have major logistical challenges, my wife tries her best to accomodate my bjj. i've come to realize that i need the sport for my mental health.

    also, i'm now 50. that much closer to death every day. lol. i'm of course way out of shape for the sport, but working on getting back to some level where i can compete with my age/belt/size in local ibjjf's.

    glad to be back. glad to be back posting here.

    cheers.
     
  2. David Harrison

    David Harrison MAPper without portfolio

    I'm really glad you're back too!

    Always valued your input around here.
     
    Giovanni likes this.
  3. Dunc

    Dunc Well-Known Member Moderator Supporter

    Great that you're back on the mats!!
    From a fellow middle aged roller
     
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  4. Mitch

    Mitch Lord Mitch of MAP Admin

    Welcome back, good to see you here :)
     
    Giovanni likes this.
  5. Giovanni

    Giovanni Well-Known Member Supporter

    i asked my bjj coach to take my blue belt away, because honestly at this point i am not a blue belt. he said that belts are for life.
     
    Dunc likes this.
  6. Dunc

    Dunc Well-Known Member Moderator Supporter

    Also don’t forget that technique only closes the gap between age, athleticism, weight, strength etc
    So as an older roller you’re gonna need a greater skill gap to be able to handle the young beasts in the academy
     
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  7. Flying Crane

    Flying Crane Well-Known Member

    I’m not a BJJ guy but I turned 50 a couple months ago. I also had a recent slide in my training after my son was born in 2013. I got out of shape and the last couple years of working it back has made it clear to me, seems I work twice as hard for twice as long to get half as good. And if I lose my routine for a couple weeks, I lose the gains a lot faster. I’m not 25 anymore.
     
  8. Giovanni

    Giovanni Well-Known Member Supporter

    i'm trying to focus on that.

    i had a terrific guard game when i was competing. one thing i have found now that my brain is moving way faster than my body. need to get the two in sync. going to take lots and lots of rolling.
     
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  9. Dunc

    Dunc Well-Known Member Moderator Supporter

    Hahaha I know what you mean
    I've really focused on a game that slows down my partner as much as possible - because the younger folk tend to be much more mobile (& I have an artificial hip so I don't want people spamming passes so much)
    So lots of half guard (top & bott0m), closed guard on the bottom and using pressure from the top
     
  10. Giovanni

    Giovanni Well-Known Member Supporter

    nice.

    i had nice x, z, lasso, spider guards for open guards. and actually from closed i could pull off a couple sweeps (flower and scissor) and the occasional kimura. never really liked the half guard although i find myself in it. usually i try to get out of it right away.

    i was able during this morning's roll to get knee on belly, which i love to attack from. but again, brain too fast for slow body and couldn't pull off the moves that i like from there.

    cheers, dunc.
     
    Dunc likes this.
  11. Dunc

    Dunc Well-Known Member Moderator Supporter

    Nice!!!
    Yeah at the lower belts I did a lot of closed guard as it really shuts down someone’s speed and strength and equalises things for one to apply “old man strength”
    My teacher/academy does a lot of closed guard and I think it’s good for older grapplers generally - I can’t afford to be stacked (hip injury) which applies to most of the “older rollers” I know (lower back etc) so I tend to avoid triangles or arm bars from closed guard
    Over time I’ve realised that half guard (top and bottom) is pretty easy to get into and it immediately nullifies your opponent’s speed advantage
    Other open guards don’t seem to do this quite so easily, but obviously have their place & are important
    I don’t like spider or other very grip dominant guards because of the wear and tear on the fingers
     
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  12. Giovanni

    Giovanni Well-Known Member Supporter

    dunc, my fingernails, finger tips and cuticles are all torn up again, from gripping gis. i guess that means i'm back. lol

    also, here's a funny story. when i started bjj some time ago, my wife told me that if i ever get cauliflower ear, she's going to divorce me. honestly, i love my wife, but how sweet is that! i keep praying that some young buck with an attitude is going to crush me from the top and ride his gi top across my ear. i would love to start dating again. life is too short. i guess all the kids are using apps nowdays. woo hoo! let's do this! ( i haven't had to date for oh 25 years ). i mean sure, i'm willing to date my wife too--or should i say, ex-wife.
     
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  13. axelb

    axelb Master of Office Chair Fu

    good to read you are back to it!
    I know that feeling having been out of it in the past for several years whilst my focus was on the family (2 kids) and work.
    It's a big difference trying to balance training with family. On a good week I get 3 times a week training, other times 1 or no training (pre covid). So I'm happy to get what I can.
    41 and asthmatic, so I know how you feel about these young energetics at BJJ. I went through a period of time of looking more and more likely an Egyptian Mummy with all the tape from sore fingers and feet, but after a year away I have so far not needed any finger tape. I try to focus on letting grips go if they are fighting to remove them.

    Maybe you'll never get Cauliflower ear :D I know some people who get it within months, and others who train decades without it. My wife has also mentioned the disgust of Cauliflower ears, so I best watch out for those smash passes and triangle escapes
     
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  14. Giovanni

    Giovanni Well-Known Member Supporter

    thanks axelb. so far so good. 3 times per week for a couple months and looking to keep it going. the big test is what happens when schools start for the kids.
     
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  15. axelb

    axelb Master of Office Chair Fu

    funnily it's the opposite for me, with kids off school I can't make the midday classes. My club has early morning, midday and evening classes, so I usually get more consistent attendance from the lunch sessions when the kids are in school :)
     

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