The Thing Nobody Tells You About Starting BJJ at 45
There's a conversation I have fairly regularly. Someone finds the gym, reads the website, maybe even drives past the building a few times. Then they email. The email usually starts with some version of: "I'm probably too old for this, but..." Let me be direct: you are not too old. I know that sounds like something a salesperson would say. I know you've probably heard it before and didn't quite believe it. So let me tell you what nobody actually explains. The invisible barrier isn't your age. It's your imagination of what the room looks like. You're picturing a 22-year-old at 60% effort making you feel like you've never moved correctly in your life. You're picturing an instructor who speaks in acronyms and assumes you already know what "half guard" means. You're picturing the embarrassment of not knowing where to stand, what to do with your hands, whether you're meant to bow. That room exists. It's not our room. Th...
