Starting Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) at 61 Years Old — A New Journey

 

For those of you who've been following my journal, you may remember me mentioning my introduction to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ). If you're new here or just passing through, I touched on the realities of starting BJJ at 61 in an earlier entry titled Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, published June 9, 2026.

After looking into it a little more, I discovered that starting BJJ at my age isn't quite as common as I initially thought. Sure, there are plenty of practitioners in their 60s and even 70s, but many of them started training in their 30s, 40s, or 50s.

Not that any of that really mattered to me.

I'd already made up my mind. I was going for it.

And so I did.

Taking the Plunge

Just a week and a half before my 62nd birthday, I officially joined Kristiansand Ju Jitsu Klubb in Kristiansand, Norway.

My timing couldn't have been better. I joined just in time for a two-day seminar hosted by Bruno Carvalho, with Gi training on the first day and No-Gi on the second.

I was already planning to attend because my son is a member of the club. So I figured, why not attend as an official member myself?

It turned out to be a great decision. I participated in the training sessions, learned a tremendous amount, and had an absolute blast.

Little did I know what was waiting for me the following Monday.

Welcome to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu!

Monday, September 21, 2026, exactly one week before my 62nd birthday, was my first official BJJ class.

And let me tell you, it was an experience I will NEVER forget.

I went into that class thinking I was in pretty good shape.

I could run 5K without a problem.

Out the window.

I could strength train hard for two hours straight.

Out the window.

I could go 10–12 three-minute rounds of boxing with one-minute breaks.

Out the window.

I could spar MMA in the octagon for three to five five-minute rounds.

You guessed it. Out the window!

None of that seemed to matter the moment I stepped onto those mats.

What followed was 90 minutes of physical and mental challenges unlike anything I'd experienced before.

I was paired with another white belt who had trained previously but was returning after a long break. He towered approximately 46 centimeters over me and outweighed me by more than 30 kilograms.

Since it was essentially a fresh start for both of us, we agreed to take it easy.

Well, let me tell you something.

There is no such thing as easy when you're wrestling with someone who weighs over 105 kilograms!

Five minutes into grip fighting, I was nearly out of gas.

And we weren't even going hard!

We were operating in first and second gear, and I was already digging deep.

Ninety Minutes of Humility

The class consisted mostly of blue belts, and the pace was relentless.

We moved from one exercise to the next, with brief explanations between drills. The entire 90 minutes were put to good use.

Thankfully, attending the seminar the previous weekend helped tremendously. I recognized quite a few of the techniques and exercises.

Even my limited wrestling experience from decades ago came in handy.

But none of that changed the fact that I was being pushed beyond anything I'd experienced in years.

The final 20–25 minutes of class were dedicated to live sparring, or what we call rolling.

Five-minute rounds.

Now, five minutes might not sound like much.

But try spending five minutes grappling with someone who outweighs you by more than 30 kilograms.

It feels like an eternity!

When that buzzer finally sounded, I felt like I'd just crossed the finish line of the New York City Marathon.

Then I heard it.

"SWITCH!"

Are you kidding me?

On to the next partner!

At 72 kilograms, I was easily one of the smallest guys in class. Every roll felt like an uphill battle.

In my entire six decades on this planet, I don't think I've ever experienced anything quite so humbling.

You can talk all you want about how fit you are, how strong you are, or what you've accomplished.

But once you step onto those mats, none of that talk means anything.

It's all show and prove.

I've wrestled as a youngster. I remember those grueling sessions vividly.

I've trained in boxing under a coach who placed tremendous emphasis on conditioning. I remember wanting to quit every other day.

I even trained in Isshin-ryu Karate for a short period during my twenties.

All of those experiences were challenging in their own ways.

But for me, nothing has come close to the intensity of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

Surviving the First Week

When that first class finally ended, I felt victorious.

I'd made it through the entire session without quitting or losing my lunch!

My adrenaline was through the roof.

But physically?

I felt like I'd been run over by a Mack truck.

The following morning, I was sore in places I didn't even know existed.

I honestly wondered whether I'd recover in time for Wednesday's class.

I increased my protein intake, stretched as much as I comfortably could, and made sure I got plenty of rest.

Miraculously, Wednesday rolled around, and I felt ready to do it all over again.

And that's exactly what I did.

Three Weeks In, and I'm Hooked

Since that first class, I've completed six classes, along with two open mat sessions. Next week, I'll complete my first full month.

And yes, every session is still brutal!

Every class presents another hill to climb.

The learning curve is incredibly steep. There's so much to this martial art that sometimes I feel like I've barely scratched the surface.

But here's something interesting.

No matter how exhausted I am after training, once I get home and settle down, I find myself on YouTube researching the techniques we practiced.

I want to understand them better. I want to remember what I've learned. And, most importantly, I want to improve.

The deeper I get into this art, the more fascinated I become.

The cardiovascular demands of BJJ are on another level, at least in my experience. Running 5K feels like a breeze compared to some of these sessions.

And while I realize BJJ isn't going to be everyone's cup of tea, I would certainly encourage anyone who's curious to give it a try.

Another unexpected bonus has been the community.

I'm an introvert by nature, but for whatever reason, I've found the BJJ environment to be a surprisingly comfortable fit.

Sure, there are a few guys I prefer not to roll with. But the overwhelming majority have been absolutely awesome.

I've learned that finding the right training partners and communicating openly makes an enormous difference.

Especially when you're the new guy who's almost 62!

The Goal? Just Show Up.

If there's one thing I hope readers take away from this entry, it's this:

61, or in my case, now 62, is NOT too late to begin a new journey.

It's only been three weeks, but I've already made some significant adjustments to my training and recovery to accommodate this new challenge.

For the first year, my goal is pretty simple.

Just show up.

I'm not concerned about earning stripes or advancing through belt ranks.

I'm focused on learning, improving, staying healthy, and making it to the finish line of every practice.

That's enough for me right now.

Well... almost.

Because I've already started thinking about competing!

I'm eyeing an event in April 2027 as a possible first competition.

I've heard it said that the experience gained from one competition can be worth six months of training. Whether that's literally true or not, I can certainly appreciate how much someone can learn from putting themselves to the test.

My 10-year-old son is a perfect example.

He competed in his first BJJ tournament after only four and a half months of training and came home with two silver medals.

But the medals weren't the greatest reward.

It was the experience.

He still talks about that competition every single day.

And believe me, that young warrior is a tremendous source of inspiration and motivation for me.

He's been inspiring me since the day he was born.

Now here I am, 62 years old, beginning a whole new chapter of my own.

Who would've thought?

A New Chapter in My Fitness Journey

Don't get me wrong. Strength training and healthy eating are still very much part of my lifestyle.

I'm not abandoning everything I've worked so hard to build over the years.

I'm simply making room for something new.

That's one of the beautiful things about choosing to live a healthy lifestyle. It doesn't have to be rigid. It doesn't have to be boring. And it certainly doesn't have to look the same at 62 as it did at 52.

You can adapt. You can experiment. You can challenge yourself.

And sometimes, you can discover an entirely new passion when you least expect it.

So, expect quite a few more entries about this latest chapter of my journey.

To everyone who's been following along, I sincerely appreciate you taking the time to read my journal.

If you're new here, I hope you'll stick around. Hit that follow button, leave a comment, and introduce yourself. I'd genuinely love to hear from more of you and eventually get to know some of the people who've been sharing this journey with me.

And remember...

You don't have to be the best. You don't have to be the strongest. You don't even have to know what you're doing when you begin.

You just have to show up.

Thank you for reading.