Martial arts practitioners?

[noahpictures]

I’m in my forties and I’m only interested in the basics of BJJ. I’m not interested in sparring or getting injured. Is that possible by joining an MMA gym?
Btw I did taekwondo as a kid if that means anything and I’m in decent shape.

 

[Doc4]

I’m in my forties and I’m only interested in the basics of BJJ. I’m not interested in sparring or getting injured. Is that possible by joining an MMA gym?

Your best bet is to go try out the local BJJ places in your area. You will get a good sense of the "vibe" at each club from a class or two, and find a club and instructor that suits your training goals.

 

[IMightBeWrong]

I’m in my forties and I’m only interested in the basics of BJJ. I’m not interested in sparring or getting injured. Is that possible by joining an MMA gym?
Btw I did taekwondo as a kid if that means anything and I’m in decent shape.

Yes. However you will need to do live rolls with BJJ. That said, you don’t have to go hard. Just tell people you don’t want to roll too hard and you’ll have no problem. I train BJJ at an MMA gym also and it honestly seems like 90% of the gym is just there for BJJ anyway.

 

[PoppyJ]

I’m in my forties and I’m only interested in the basics of BJJ. I’m not interested in sparring or getting injured. Is that possible by joining an MMA gym?
Btw I did taekwondo as a kid if that means anything and I’m in decent shape.

Similarly, I'm 47 y/o and have stayed somewhat active with weight lifting; nothing earth shattering but respectable enough for age and body weight. Wanted to do BJJ for a while so gave it a try twice this week. Sweat my butt off. The practitioners were patient and supportive both nights, however one was primarily the competition guys and it left me a bit bruised and sore, so next time I need to keep that in mind.im still smiling though so that says a lot. Enjoy.

 

[tamahagane]

That said, you don’t have to go hard. Just tell people you don’t want to roll too hard and you’ll have no problem.

gave it a try twice this week. Sweat my butt off. The practitioners were patient and supportive both nights, however one was primarily the competition guys and it left me a bit bruised and sore

One thing to keep in mind is that every dojo has a different focus. Some are heavily competition focused, others are more technique-oriented. You can work around the issue by choosing martial arts rather than sports, e.g. Aikido.
That said, if you don't mind or want to participate in competitions, don't be afraid of the training. I have been doing judo for a decade and until you get good at ukemi, you are bound to have (avoidable, but not serious) injuries. Learning proper ukemi takes longer than adjusting to a new razor but less than adjusting to a new girl*, so be patient.

*varies by person

 

[FarmerTan]

One thing to keep in mind is that every dojo has a different focus. Some are heavily competition focused, others are more technique-oriented. You can work around the issue by choosing martial arts rather than sports, e.g. Aikido.
That said, if you don't mind or want to participate in competitions, don't be afraid of the training. I have been doing judo for a decade and until you get good at ukemi, you are bound to have (avoidable, but not serious) injuries. Learning proper ukemi takes longer than adjusting to a new razor but less than adjusting to a new girl*, so be patient.

*varies by person

I have zero experience in martial arts, but is there an "art" in the act of falling/rolling after you have left the ground?

I used to do LOTS of things as a lad where I would find myself airborne. I seemed to be able to "tuck and roll" much better than average (I was rarely if ever injured. Not so much my friends). I guess I'm asking if this is a skill/gift, or are some just better at learning it?

I am on Coumadin now, so I avoid, sadly, my "young person activities" I enjoyed so much.

 

[tthoms]

I have zero experience in martial arts, but is there an "art" in the act of falling/rolling after you have left the ground?

I used to do LOTS of things as a lad where I would find myself airborne. I seemed to be able to "tuck and roll" much better than average (I was rarely if ever injured. Not so much my friends). I guess I'm asking if this is a skill/gift, or are some just better at learning it?

I am on Coumadin now, so I avoid, sadly, my "young person activities" I enjoyed so much.

Judo can teach you how to reduce your injuries during a fall. It's definitely a skill that you can learn. Tumbling classes can help as well.

 

[MartinKrpan]

I don't train ma anymore, but have a rather long history:

5 years of Judo, 5 years Tae Kwon Do, 1 year of boxing and 1 year of Wing Chun.

After all that, I started with Yoga and now my only sport is skateboarding.

Of all those martial arts, the most helpful must have been Judo, since it taught me how to fall without injuring myself.

 

[tamahagane]

I have zero experience in martial arts, but is there an "art" in the act of falling/rolling after you have left the ground?

Yes, called "ukemi" or literally "the art of being a med ball", comes from "uke" - the one who is being thrown (as opposed to the one executing the technique, "tori"). Sometimes also translated "the art of falling".
This is the first thing you learn in Judo, BJJ, Aikido and related grappling martial sports/arts. The hardest kind of fall is where you jump in the air, roll, then fall on one side. It does take some practice to learn, but in return you obtain a fool-proof tool to get your thinking straight when in need.

 

[Dave himself]

I started off doing Karate when i stopped smoking to keep the weight off. Then the class closed as the instructor moved to Boston in America. Luckily I found a Wing Chun shool where the instructor had 15 year experience of being a doorman he was a black belt in judo and a amateur boxing coach. Our warm ups would be a mixture fast pad work, heavy bag work and light weights. My fitness levels went through the roof. Then we trained in Whing Chun fighting techniques centre line fighting and trapping and doing our forms. I got to seventh grade then I had to move homes it was to far to tavel to make class so had to leave. It was then that I discovered there was a JKD class 30 minutes walk from where I was living. I called in and talked to th instructor for a good half hour and found he was a 4th generation teacher. We had to have the self discipline to keep our own fitness levels up by training at home and class was all about learning techniques which were really repetitive but built in your muscle memory to a point were you just reacted without thinking There was also a lot of heavy sparring which prepared you for what it was actually like to being in a fight. We also done pre-fight in-fight and post-fight training. Then eventually a bad injury I'd received in my Wing Chun days started to rear its head again and could no longer heavy spar and I lost heart and left. I really miss it but age and injuries catch up with some of us. I still go through my Wing Chun forums and my JKD techniques just to keep myself in tune incase it all heads south but that's about all I can manage these days.

 

[FarmerTan]

Thank you ALL for taking the time to reply,
Dave