Make BJJ Part of Your Life Going Forward
Many times a new kid walks through the door of the BJJ gym I call home. When I say kid I mean kid…11-14 years old! Oh how amazing it would have been to start BJJ at such a young age. Unfortunately I didn’t know Jiu Jitsu existed at that age.
Growing up in the 60’s and 70’s I was never exposed to a martial arts sport of any kind. I grew up with the traditional baseball, football and golf in my house.
In my 30’s I was raising 4 kids 3 of which were boys. I was a baseball and football mom and I loved it! WWE Wrestling was as close as I got to any type of fight sport, and as staged as that is, it made for some fun and bonding moments with my kids. The older they got the more they understood the entertainment value of the sport but they still enjoyed it and did their best to turn my living room into a wrestling ring.
I was often used to demonstrate how a clothesline, choke slam or German Suplex was executed. As often as I’d say “you’re going to be the death of me” their response was always “aww mom, were keeping you young”! Little did I know at that time how true that really was.
The older my boys got, the more mature their in a ring sport choices became. Enter Boxing and UFC! We’d buy PPV Events and make a night of it. As I watched the sometimes bloody and what seemed like painful fights I never understood that as a choice. When the fight got to the ground however, I was fully engaged!
I wanted to know more about the grappling aspect of UFC, I started paying more attention to that portion of the fights, BJJ started creeping into my life slowly but surely. Videos, testimonials etc. I eventually took a self defense class and it was all I needed to get me on the mats and keep me there.
I was 54 at the time and the more classes I attended and the more techniques I learned I soon became quite aware of how BJJ truly does “keep you young”!
At my current age of 56 soon to be 57 I know I’m not as fit as a lot of the younger members of the gym and I know I have limitations. That doesn’t keep me off the mats, if anything it makes me want to be there as often as my body allows. You can usually find me checking in at least 4 days a week, sometimes 5! Use it or lose it I always say. Truthfully, when I’m on the mats training and drilling the aches and pains of the day go away. Why wouldn’t I want to be there?!
