Age and jiu jitsu: It's a question that at some point, we all have to ask – how will increasing age affect your approach to Jiu jitsu? Let's start by breaking this down into three questions. First, what do you LOSE in jiu jitsu as you age? Second, what do you KEEP in jiu jitsu as you age? Third, what do you gain in jiu jitsu as you age? In my experience you will lose speed, flexibility, mobility, cardiovascular endurance, explosive strength and robustness (resistance to injury and ability to come back quickly from injury). You will keep most of your isometric strength (especially grip strength) within normal range of motion. You will gain patience and mat wisdom. Of course there are things you can do to reduce these losses as you age, but understand that no one has ever beaten father time and you are unlikely to be the first. As you age your game must evolve in ways that reflect your answers to these three questions. Try to develop a game that does not rely too heavily on the attributes you are starting to lose but rather is based upon the attributes you keep and gain. This still gives you a lot leeway to work with. Do your best to keep your physical body preserved as well as you can, but understand that time will inevitably change you physically and be prepared to adapt accordingly along the lines of your answers to the three questions
