“Am I Too Old To Start Jiu Jitsu?”

I’ve been meaning to write this post for a long time to answer a question I’ve seen come up in Google: “Am I too old for Brazilian Jiu Jitsu?” Reasons for wondering if you’re too old for Jiu Jitsu could include wondering if you should quit as well as wondering if you’re too old to begin, but in both cases the answer is clear: if you want to do it, age doesn’t have to stop you. In this article, I’ll introduce you to 30 women who started their Jiu Jitsu journey after age 40 and are still training today–including women in their 50’s, 60’s, and even 70’s. I’ll also include some tips that these women shared for how to keep training for years to come without letting age or physical limitations hold you back.

Tips for Training Jiu Jitsu As an Older Person

I asked women in the Facebook group Jiu Jitsu After 40–Ladies Edition who started Jiu Jitsu after turning 40 and are still training to share their tips for training as an older person. Dozens of women responded, and you’ll find their wisdom sprinkled throughout this article, but I wanted to start by listing some of the most valuable tips that came up:

Getting started

• Just try it. As one woman put it, it’s better to say “I was scared but I tried it” than “I was scared so I never tried it.” Several women who responded tried it thinking they would end up quitting, but discovered a new passion instead.
• Know your why. Make sure you’re doing it for you, not because of pressure or a sense of obligation.
• Find a good gym that supports you, with training partners that look out for your safety and become like a second family.
• Think about how you want to feel in 10 years, and what you can do now that will help you achieve that.
• Expect the beginning to be hard. Discouragement is common in the beginning, so plan to give it at least 6 months before giving up on it.
• When you feel like giving up, try telling yourself, “just come back tomorrow.”

Safety and Longevity

• Train in the body you have now, not the one you used to have.
• Don’t feel like you have to compete. It’s possible to get good at Jiu Jitsu and never compete.
• Also, don’t be afraid to try competing if you want to. Many older people compete (read on for examples!)
• Choose your rolling partners carefully. Upper belts tend to be safer for smaller, older women.
• You don’t have to roll hard. Ask for a flow roll, offer to drill instead, or stick with partners you trust.
• Listen to your body and sit out or modify when you need to. Don’t be afraid to say, “I need to sit this one out.” When rolling, tap early and often.
• Set small goals, like staying calm when you’re on the bottom or not getting swept when you’re in closed guard, instead of focusing on winning.
• Add other exercise between classes, like yoga or strength training.

Mindset

• Be patient. Progress can be slow, and that’s okay.
• Have fun. If training starts to feel like a chore, you won’t get better.
• Compare yourself to yourself when you started, not to people who are younger, stronger, or more experienced.
• “Do what you can with what you have.” Even when you’re not at your best, “you can always give 1%”.
• It can help to maintain a sense of humor.
• Don’t feel like you have to prove anything to anyone but yourself.

For more support, consider joining one of these Facebook groups:

• Jiu Jitsu After 40–Ladies Edition
• BJJAFTER40
• 50 and Up BJJ
• BJJ Master Women

These Women Didn’t Let Age Stop Them from Starting…or Continuing.

Read on to read the inspiring stories of 30 women who started Jiu Jitsu after age 40 and are still at it today.

Cindy Davis: “You can always give 1%”

Cindy started Jiu Jitsu in 2021 at age 63, when her HIIT instructor, who also taught Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, asked if she’d ever considered trying it. She laughed and asked if he’d ever taught a 63-year-old. He hadn’t, but he was up for the challenge. “We come broken,” she warned him, but she gave him until she turned 70 to see what he could do with her. The first three years were tough. She had a love-hate relationship with Jiu Jitsu, and a brain injury she suffered as a young adult made learning even harder. About four years in, she shifted her focus from what she couldn’t do to how far she’d come, and she began preparing for her first competition, where she faced women in their 30s and says she “held her own.” She has since competed at NAGA in both gi and no-gi and earned her purple belt in 2026. Her mantra: “Do what you can today with what you have where you’re at. You can always give 1%.”

Rebecca Blott: Hated Exercise, Was Planning to Quit

Rebecca’s three kids had trained for years before their head coach talked her into a free women’s self-defense class at 50. She signed up mostly to be a good role model, and at the first class she wanted to run away and cry. When the coach then suggested she join BJJ classes, she was horrified. She told him she was too old, too unfit, overweight, and hated exercise, but he offered her a free month anyway. She bought a kids’ gi one size up from her daughter’s so her daughter could have it once she quit in a couple of weeks. Instead, she never stopped.

“I suddenly realised that I bloody love Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu!” she says. “I heard someone say about jiu-jitsu once, ‘I didn’t know this was missing from my life until I found it,’ and that 100% expresses how I feel about it. There are still plenty of times when I hear that horrible voice in my head telling me that I’m too old or stupid for thinking I can do this, but the truth is, it makes me feel so alive and happy.” A year later, she trains three to four days a week in her own gi and has signed up for her first competition. The thought that made her commit kept playing over and over in her mind: “Yes I’m 50, but I cannot change that, and how will I feel in 10 years time, when I’m 60, if I don’t do this thing that I absolutely love? I don’t want to look back in 10 years time and have any regrets!”

Krista Precious Anzelone: Starting at “Negative 50”

Krista was 44 when her husband, who was already training with their kids, finally convinced her to try Jiu Jitsu after two years of asking. A survivor of childhood sexual abuse who had struggled with depression, anxiety, and panic disorder, she agreed to one month, fully expecting to quit and say, “There. I tried it. It’s not for me.” That was 2012, and Jiu Jitsu has since taken her on “a really, really fantastic journey both personally and professionally.” She says the first time she competed at Master Worlds, she was arm barred in about 20 seconds with ten black belts cheering her on from coaches’ row, but she popped up smiling and told her professor, “Only a few of us know that I really won today.” As a friend once told her, “Most people start jiu jitsu at zero. You started at negative 50 and had to claw your way TO the jiu jitsu.” The next year, at 55, she won silver and then earned her purple belt. She and her husband now run two schools and are opening a third.

Suzy Amos: “No one is judging you”

Suzy started Jiu Jitsu on her 69th birthday, after a decade of Krav Maga and combatives left her body wanting a less ballistic outlet. Three years in, she’s a blue belt with arthritis who admits she’s overpowered by everyone and her memory for techniques is “absurdly defective,” but she has a blast in every class. Her advice is to stop comparing yourself with brains and bodies decades younger, accept your current limitations, and not be too proud to sit out moves that are too risky for you. She jokes that she gets stripes for still being alive for another class, while the youngsters have to earn theirs. “No one is judging you truly,” she says. “I have 200 bodyguards.”

Jean Gregory: From First Class at 66 to Master Worlds

Jean started BJJ a few months before her 66th birthday, after eight years of karate and years of lifting and trail running before that. “I knew when I started that it wouldn’t be the same as starting in my 20s or even 40s, but to me that was not a reason not to do it,” she says. “You’re going to age one way or the other. You might as well get older and be able to do BJJ.” A little over a year and a half later, she was promoted to blue belt, and two weeks after that she competed at IBJJF Master Worlds. She lost all her matches but never got submitted, and lost her third match only by advantage. Her advice: compare yourself to yourself, not to younger, stronger training partners; set small goals like not gassing out; ask the guys to amp it up so you’re ready for real pressure; and don’t forget to have fun.

Cathrine Hegge: From Wheelchair to Blue Belt

Cathrine started BJJ at 52 after 15 years in a wheelchair. Thousands of hours of physical training had gotten her walking again, but she was still wobbly with almost no balance. Still, she thought BJJ looked fun after watching both of her sons wrestle and train, and decided to give it a try. Six months after starting, she gave away her wheelchair. She has since survived a stroke and even competed once, where she says she was beaten by four girls young enough to be her granddaughters. Four years in, she’s a blue belt who says she has never been this strong in her life. Her advice: “Don’t compare yourself with anyone else. Be patient, don’t give up, and when you don’t want to train, go anyway.”

Martha Bartlett Catz: Found Jiu Jitsu Through Yoga

Martha discovered Jiu Jitsu in an unusual place: a yoga class. A lifelong yoga practitioner and instructor, she was teaching at an Air Force base at age 62 when one of her students, a young man who also took private meditation and breathwork sessions with her, asked whether she’d ever tried to stay present with her breath and mind while someone was trying to choke her or break a limb. She told him the only time she’d experienced anything like that was when she was sexually assaulted in college, and that experience was dissociative rather than purposefully aware. He made her promise to take six Jiu Jitsu classes before deciding, the same deal she had made him agree to with yoga. That was ten years ago, and she never stopped! At 72, she now holds a brown belt and is still going strong.

Candia Tucker: Six Years In and Still Having Fun

Candia started Jiu Jitsu at 62, and six years later she’s a four-stripe blue belt. She calls herself a slow learner, but that doesn’t bother her one bit. “I’m just having fun!” she says.

Mary Estelle Douglas: Started at 62 and Not Stopping

Mary started Jiu Jitsu at 62, and three years later she has no plans to stop. She says adding weightlifting to her routine has helped. Her advice: “Just do it!”

Betsy Wolfe: Started for Her Sons, Stayed for Her Health

Betsy started BJJ at 58 because of her two sons, hoping it would help with some physical issues. “It sure did!” she says. Nearly four years later, she’s working on her second blue belt stripe. “I can’t tell you how much physical repair and improvement I have doing BJJ.”

Kristy Dunaway: “Just do it”

Kristy started BJJ at 53 because of her interest in firearms training. Her instructors recommended having grappling skills in her self-defense toolbox, and after a close-quarters gunfighting class that included some BJJ moves, she found the courage to sign up for a trial week. For the first four months she had to force herself to go to class, but eventually she was hooked. Three years later, she trains with the teen girls in her class, supplements with weights the rest of the week, and says BJJ gives her confidence that she won’t freak out or freeze up if someone closes the distance. Her advice: “It’s better to say, ‘I was scared but I tried it’ rather than ‘I was scared so I never tried it.’ Over 40? So what. Just do it!”

Justine Lokanis Pratt: From Karate Black Belt to BJJ at 55

Justine started karate at 44 because her three kids were in it, and she went on to earn a third-degree karate black belt. At 54 she wanted to try something new, so she took up Muay Thai, and six months later she tried Jiu Jitsu. She’s been training ever since. Three years in, she’s a blue belt and still going strong.

Michelle Halverson: “I Pay to Get Choked and Twisted Like a Pretzel”

Michelle started Jiu Jitsu at 53, and two years later she’s a one-stripe blue belt. “This has been the most rewarding, brutal thing I have ever done,” she says. “It’s so hard to explain to people who don’t do it; I pay to get choked and twisted like a pretzel, and I love it.” She calls it the best exercise she’s ever had and says the camaraderie, which she never expected, is part of what keeps her coming back. She’s even gotten her husband into it.

Laura Nuzzo: “Choose Your Rolling Partners Carefully”

Laura started Jiu Jitsu at 54, and four years later she’s a blue belt who loves every moment. Her advice: “Choose your rolling partners carefully. Upper belts tend to be safer for smaller older people.”

Rebecca Marquez-Roberson: Back on the Mat After Injury

Rebecca started Jiu Jitsu at 50 after watching her husband and kids train for years. She earned her blue belt at 53, then had to take time off for an injury. Five years after she first started, she’s back on the mat. “I hope to continue as long as I possibly can!” she says.

Cynthia Gamboni: “It’s Your Time!”

Cynthia started Jiu Jitsu at 43, and within a year she’d entered her first competition and won bronze. Her message to anyone on the fence: “If you are thinking about doing this, you should. There is a part of you already ready to meet this challenge. This is why you’re considering it. Don’t let the part of you thinking about doing this be held back by the part of you that just wants the familiar status quo. It’s your time!”

Linford Wright Murao: Continuing Her Journey After Cancer

Linford started Jiu Jitsu at 48 and fell in love right away. Eleven years in, close to earning her black belt, she was diagnosed with an incurable blood cancer, and then COVID kept her off the mats for three years. Fourteen years after she first started, she’s back to finish her journey, though she’s a little slower and tires more easily. After one class when she was feeling down about not keeping up, a young teammate told her, “Aunty, you cannot live life in your past jiujitsu body, you have to live life in your now jiujitsu body.” She adds, “I believe that God sent him to me with those words to help me to assure myself that I can do this and quitting is not an option!” Linford has also started a Jiu Jitsu program for teens at her local YMCA.

Jennifer Ellis Drennan: “It’s the BEST Therapy!”

Jennifer started kickboxing and Muay Thai at 47, then added BJJ at 52 to round out her skill set. Almost two years in, she’s “definitely hooked,” working toward her blue belt, and has already competed several times with plans to keep going. “It’s the BEST therapy!” she says.

Kaz Page: “Figure Out Your Why”

Kaz started Jiu Jitsu at 47 because her husband, who had been medically retired, was training as part of his mental health rehab program. In 2024 he earned his black belt and she earned her purple. But after her promotion, she realized she had been training for her family, not for herself. “I had to make a decision. I had to find out why I wanted to be there,” she says. “Everything about my training, my understanding and my growth has changed for the better.” Her advice: “Figure out your why and make it personal.”

Tina Jo: Her Son Got Her on the Mat

Tina started Jiu Jitsu at 46, and her son is the reason she gave it a try. As a white belt, she’s already competed and earned a spot on the podium.

Donna Broughton: Years of Nagging Finally Paid Off

Donna’s husband, a black belt who runs Carlson Gracie Kent in the UK, spent years nagging her to try BJJ, but she was never interested. Then, after the COVID lockdowns ended, she decided it was time to try something new and started at 47. Four years later, she says she can’t believe she’s stuck with it this long. Her advice: “Just keep turning up.”

Jeni Stephens Peters: “Jiu Jitsu Really Is for Everyone”

Jeni started training at 41, and seven years later she’s a one-stripe purple belt. “Jiu jitsu really is for everyone and all body types,” she says. She especially likes focusing on the self-defense concepts BJJ offers, particularly for smaller women.

Agnes Chau: “You Are Worth Defending”

Agnes started Jiu Jitsu at 46 while going through a divorce and living with a lot of fear. Within a year, she says, her self-esteem, self-love, and self-confidence skyrocketed. Seven years later, she shares that feeling of empowerment by teaching women’s self-defense through the Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Women Empowered program. “One of the most powerful messages to share is ‘You Are Worth Defending,'” she says. For women who aren’t ready for the mat yet, she also runs an online community called Summon Your Inner Dragon, which teaches verbal and mental Jiu Jitsu for protecting yourself from strangers, people you know, your own self-talk, and “energy vampires.”

Rebekah Vincent: “Jiu Jitsu Is a Personal Journey”

Rebekah started Jiu Jitsu at 45 and has become an avid competitor. Her advice: “Remember that jiu-jitsu is a personal journey.”

Vanessa Scott Stratton: Training Side by Side With Her Son

Vanessa started at 46 in a women’s program her gym offered right after her son’s kids class. Four months later her family moved, and she took six months off before starting again at 47 in a new state, this time in co-ed classes. She’s since added no-gi training, which she admits intimidated her “to no end,” and she and her 14-year-old son now train together. Her main goal is longevity, and her dream goals are blue belt by 50 and black belt by 60. “My advice would be to just start and keep going,” she says. “The biggest benefit for me beyond the community has been my mental health. The endorphins post-training are unmatched.”

Janis Ann: Started at 52, Won at Masters 5

Janis started Jiu Jitsu at 52 and has since won her division in the Masters 5 bracket at an IBJJF tournament. Her advice is simple: “Start, keep going, never quit. BJJ will improve every area of your life.”

Kathy Thomas Savage: “Longevity Is the Goal”

Kathy started BJJ at 45, and about ten years later she’s a brown belt. “Even with all the highs and lows, frustrations and injuries, BJJ has brought so much to my life, including some of the best friends I’ve ever had,” she says. Her advice is to keep showing up, even if you have to modify, stick with trusted partners, or offer to drill a move instead of rolling hard. “Longevity is the goal, and you have to take care of your body and be smart about knowing your limits.”

Kathryn Louise: “One of the Best Gifts I Have Given Myself”

Kathryn started Jiu Jitsu at 44, and about six years later she earned her purple belt. “Training makes me feel strong and confident!” she says. “It’s one of the best gifts I have given myself.” Her advice is to step out of your comfort zone and try it, find the people you feel safe and comfortable with, and remember you can always flow roll. “You don’t have to be a competitor, you can be a hobbyist and still get really good.”

Julie Kirby: Black Belt at 68

Julie started training in Jiu Jitsu at 42 and was promoted to black belt at 68. Her advice: “Remember, the only person you have to prove anything to is yourself.”

Elaine Beiersdoerfer: “Do You Take Old People?”

Elaine started training at 69, after calling a gym in Alabama and asking, “Do you take old people?” She had taken a short judo course at 21, so nearly 50 years later she signed up for judo, then quickly added Jiu Jitsu. At 4’11” and just over 100 pounds, she was the only woman in class and decades older than everyone else, but in 2019 she won two silver medals at the World Masters as a new blue belt. Her granddaughter set up her Instagram account, “Jiu Jitsu Grandma,” which gained tens of thousands of followers and made her an Internet celebrity in the Jiu Jitsu world. Now in her late 70s, she has earned her brown belt and is still training. On her wall hangs a poster of her doing Jiu Jitsu with the words “Not Too Old and Not Too Late.”

You’re Not Too Old for Jiu Jitsu.

Hopefully reading these inspiring stories has convinced you that the fact that you’re even asking, “am I too old to start Jiu Jitsu” means that no, you’re not too old for Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.

If you look up the age brackets of the oldest Jiu Jitsu competitors, you’ll learn that IBJJF Master Worlds has a division for athletes 56 and older. Elaine won two silver medals there as a new blue belt in her 70s, and Jean competed there in her late 60s at her very first tournament.

But you don’t have to compete, earn a black belt, or keep up with the 20-year-olds to enjoy and benefit from Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.

As Julie put it, “The only person you have to prove anything to is yourself.” So if you’ve been worried that you’re too old for Jiu Jitsu, sign up for a trial class and find out for yourself why so many women have fallen in love with this sport!