The Jiu Jitsu After 40 Survival Guide

By Ken Primola

BJJ Black Belt

 Ken’s Jiu Jitsu Biography

Ken Primola, a Jiu Jitsu Black Belt for over 10 years, is a world-class
competitive Jiu Jitsu fighter who came into the sport as a wrestler. Ken
currently lives in San Diego and is a student under Caio Terra. Ken has
competed in many events and most notably is a Pan Am Champion (Brown
Belt Adult Division). Ken continues to study and teach. Ken, also a former
attorney, is the author of numerous books and video courses about all
aspects of grappling. You can find Ken through social media on Facebook
or Instagram for seminars or questions.
 Preface

Jiu Jitsu is one of the rare sports where technique can overcome a lot of
other factors, in many cases, age. Of course some acrobatic techniques
may be better suited for a younger person than an older person, but
superior technique can equalize a lot of years at least until your upper 50s
and 60s.

I’m not saying with 100% certainty you are going to beat the 25-year old
world champion as a 45-year old, but if your skill level is high enough, you
can definitely have great success at the master’s level.

I wrote this short booklet because I am living proof that you can still train in
your 40s and be competitive with the younger generation.

I’m not suggesting it’s easy. I am suggesting that you can still reach your
potential in your 40s.

The reality is that we can’t turn back the clock. We can either go forward or
stop.
And if we go forward, we want to be as good as we can be.

How can being better at Jiu Jitsu help our longevity?

The more Jiu Jitsu you know, the safer you will be. You will be more aware
of what is going on and will be better able to predict movements and
scenarios, therefore better able to protect yourself. You can use more
technique, less energy and be more efficient.

It is okay to be recreational. Many of us have families and are immersed in

careers. But it doesn’t mean we have to resign ourselves to losing and
getting beat up because we’re getting older.

I wrote this booklet to help Jiu Jitsu players get the most out of the sport in
their 40s and beyond. I wrote this booklet for the person who believes they
can be better.

Hopefully that is you.

 Table of Contents

1 Respect The Inherent Risks ..................................................................... 5

2 Minimizing Injuries ................................................................................... 8
3 Weightlifting ........................................................................................... 14
4 Choosing a Safe Game .......................................................................... 18
5 Nutrition ................................................................................................. 19
6 Studying ................................................................................................. 20
7 Epilogue................................................................................................. 21
8 Links to Jiu Jitsu Study Material ............................................................. 22
1 Respect The Inherent Risks

After about a year into my surfing experience, a few friends and I travelled
to Baja California. We went surfing a few hours south of Tijuana.

After some time, the waves were beginning to get really big. I began to drift
towards the jagged rocks. I was about 200 yards from them. I tried to
paddle away but was stuck in a strong riptide. Because I was on a
surfboard, I felt confident I could just paddle haphazardly out of the riptide
using my endurance and strength.

I was wrong.

After about 20 minutes of getting nowhere, I began to grow weary. I was

within 50 yards of the rocks and drawing closer every minute.

My problem was that I was over-confident that I could handle myself well in
the water.

Luckily another more experienced surfer saw me struggling. He recognized

my situation. As we made eye contact, I stopped paddling and asked him if
he could help me out. He paddled close to me. I grabbed onto his leash
and we paddled together to where the current took me in toward the shore.

I’ll never forget that day.

I was humbled by the ocean.

Most importantly, I became wiser.

I learned I needed to survey the conditions and understand the water I was
going to be surfing in before I just jumped in.

The ocean can be tricky and ever-changing at a moment’s notice.

In many ways doing Jiu Jitsu is no different.

Jiu Jitsu is a beautiful art that has a ton of benefits. It changes people’s
lives. It gives us a community. It helps people lose massive amounts of
weight and get in great shape.
But there is also a dark side less talked about.

Jiu Jitsu for many involves pain and suffering, especially as we age.

You have to be intelligent with your training. You have to be thoughtful

when deciding who to train with. As our bodies age, we become more
susceptible to injury, pain and suffering.

There’s no way around pre-existing injuries. Jiu Jitsu engages our entire
body. I have torn my rib and broken small bones along the way (among
other issues). Usually when even a small bone is broken it can be a
challenge to find a way to train. For example, I broke my pinky toe years
ago, and I had the hardest time training without it being touched. Each time
it was touched during training, the longer it took to heal. Recovery from my
rib injury was exactly the same.

Just like many of you, I hate to be the guy who is telling their training
partner to “take it easy on me.”

When I go to a new gym, sometimes I like to watch a few of the students

train before I train. I also pay attention to how the groups are spread apart.
I want to be aware of all the hazards before I train. I want to see if anyone
is training in a haphazard way.

This doesn’t mean that I’m trying to avoid people. I recommend training
with almost everyone. You want your Jiu Jitsu to be adaptable to any
situation.

I’ll train with almost anyone. I have a lot of experience. I’ve trained with
world champions twice my size without hesitation. But I’m very careful. I’m
not tentative (because that can be dangerous). I try to be measured in my
approach. If someone is very dangerous, I may be more passive so I can
feel how they move by being more relaxed rather than on edge. For
example, if someone is reckless from the standing position, I may
immediately pull guard.

I also like to understand the rules people are playing by. I’ll share a story
about an unexpected injury that occurred from not fully understanding the
unwritten rules at one gym.
On one occasion in 2001, I was training after a seminar I attended at
another academy. We were training sport Jiu Jitsu rules in the Gi. I was
training with the academy owner. He was twice my size and a brown belt. I
was a blue belt. I had him stuck in a deep triangle in front of his black belt
instructor who was giving the seminar. As I slowly tightened it up I realized
he was getting a little angry because his face started to get red.

I didn’t know him very well, so I let up a little on the triangle choke in order
to be sensitive to the situation in case he was a hot-head. I didn’t want to
embarrass him in front of his instructor. As I released the pressure a little
bit he took full advantage of it and literally lifted me 6 feet off the mat and
then slammed me on my neck and head. I let go of the triangle after that. I
was dizzy and thought to myself, “What the hell is happening here?” I
thought to myself “What rules are we playing by?” I didn’t get angry or
anything because it was his gym. I was just really surprised.

He apologized afterwards and told me that he thought we were playing by

“MMA grappling rules.” Had I understood that prior to training, I would have
been more aware and better-prepared. If you want to chalk it up to me
being naïve, that’s fine also. The bottom line is that it happened, and I got
injured because I wasn’t aware of the rules we were playing by.

I later found out from his former students that the guy was not all mentally
there. Long story short, he had a pretty bad reputation for being a hot-head.

Bottom line, whether it was his fault or my own, I am the one who took the
damage and I had to live with it.

In summary, you can roll with whomever you choose to in any situation you
choose to. My word of caution from years of experience is this: Do your
best to be aware of what the “conditions” are before you go diving in head
first.
2 Minimizing Injuries

Jiu Jitsu injuries are common, especially if you have been doing Jiu Jitsu
for a long time.

As we age, it takes us more time to recover after a training session than

when we were younger.

What can we do as we age?

We can reach our individual potential.

Read that again.

This is a very important concept to embrace.

In fact, it is rare that a person reaches their potential in anything they do in

life.

Do you know anyone who has truly reached their potential as an athlete?

It’s a hard question to answer, but I’m willing to bet that a person can often
do more than what they expect. I’m not talking about working so hard that
you get injured. I’m talking about being as strategic as possible with your
development as an athlete.

As we age, wisdom is our ally.

I was an average athlete in my 20s. Now, in my 40s, I am an above

average athlete when compared not with other 40-somethings but when
compared with 20-somethings. Yes, I’m a better athlete now than I was in
my 20s. I am better now because my understanding of how to get better is
far more advanced today than it was 20 years ago. And it more than
compensates for my aging body.

I’m wiser.

If you believe in yourself and do your best with what you have, you may
come close to reaching your potential. Don’t worry about your age. You
can’t change that. You must appreciate what you have, and work with it. If
you don’t like where you are right now, you can change it.

The problem is that some of us don’t want to embrace the fact that our
body is changing.

I get it.

At first I didn’t want to acknowledge that I was in my 40s. I learned to

embrace it over time. I don’t look at it as limiting; it forces me to practice
better Jiu Jitsu. If I consider age at all, I view it as a reason to do things in a
more measured and focused way rather than recklessly as I did in my
youth.

Here are 5 things I do to avoid injury: (Coincidentally these are also making
my Jiu Jitsu much better.)

A Grip more efficiently

Years ago, one of my mentors, Robson Moura, told me a story that later
helped me grip smarter after I had begun to experience pain from gripping
too hard.

One day we were talking about his matches with Ricardo Vieira (another
world champion athlete). Robson told me Ricardo was one of his greatest
opponents. He mentioned that Ricardo had a very light grip. For example,
Ricardo would grab Robson’s collar or sleeve but he wasn’t grabbing it with
a death grip. It was very light and sort of loose so Robson could not tell
whether Ricardo was going to push or pull with his grip. Basically Robson
was inferring he didn’t feel in total control of his opponent.

Years later after plenty of joint and muscle pain, I thought more and more
about this story.

I had a problem with my grip – my joints were causing me great pain and
frustration throughout the day. I would grip inefficiently. For example, I
would fight against a person’s leg with my arm. And when they moved
quickly it would hurt my whole arm. My elbow would feel like it had
tendinitis, my fingers would feel arthritic (like they were on fire), and my
shoulder would be writhing with pain. I was holding on too tight for too long.
I knew it was my poor gripping habits because I began to do No Gi for
about a year instead of Gi. All the pains from Gi gripping went away.

Then I went back to training with the Gi. Having reassessed how I was
gripping I began to grab the collar and sleeve more loosely. I would not
hold tight for more than a few seconds. What became more important was
when to grip. I wouldn’t simply hold on just to hold on. For me to use a
“death grip,” my grip needed a purpose. If I needed to hold on to a grip, I
would release the tension in my arm while still holding somewhat tight with
my hand or fingers. My body wasn’t all tensed up.

When it was time to drag the sleeve or collar, I would then engage my
back. I brought my body closer to my grip to re-enforce and protect the
distal point (such as my wrist or hand).

If you have any issues with your back, shoulder, arm or hands, consider
altering the way you grip. It may add pain-free years on to your game.

B Use Caution When on Your Feet

Takedowns—whether Judo or wrestling take time to learn. At times the

difference in skill can be enormous.

It's not that takedowns are bad. I love takedowns. It's just that a lot of
people are inherently unpredictable, and if you lack the necessary
experience on your feet, you may get hurt. On top of this, some people are
very aggressive when on their feet. Some people want to go “Beast Mode”.
They want to win in practice at all costs. If you are not well-skilled or well-
prepared, you may unfortunately end up getting hurt if you cannot absorb
their force appropriately.

As a coach and competitor, I find takedowns to be more dangerous than

ground positions. You can be thrown with a lot of force to the ground from
your feet. The distance can also cause a lack of control over your
opponent. It’s not to say that you can’t get injured on the ground or face
similar circumstances, but the majority of injuries I have witnessed as a
school owner were from the standing position.
Even though I have a college wrestling background, I will often pull guard. I
will start from the knees in general sparring where applicable. In
competitions or competition training I will start on the feet.

It’s not that I am scared of the takedown game. I just want to protect my
health. I can still sweep and come up on a single or double leg without
having to cover as much distance to get there.

This is my experience. I can’t afford knee surgery right now. This section
was not meant to say, “Avoid playing on your feet.” I just want you to be
prudent because as a 30-year takedown expert, I can tell you that I have
seen a lot of unnecessary damage come from that position.

C Posture and Positioning

Poor posture and positioning are linked to injury.

Even if you are in solid position, you may lack mobility. If you lack mobility
in certain areas, you may not want to play certain positions until you gain
the necessary mobility.

Back injuries for me often come from bending over too far while on top or
when I am getting crunched up while playing upside down positions. Knee
injuries often happen when I turn or pivot the wrong way or my opponent
places too much weight on me in a certain position I am not capable of
maintaining.

I have strained my back badly from elongating my body and using too
much muscle to overcompensate for my lack of skill and positioning.

Here’s what you can do if you feel you may have similar issues.

Ask yourself what hurts after you train. See if there are more efficient ways
to use your body that will be less painful.

You don’t want to be in unnecessary pain after training. If you are, you
must do your best to find the reason. If it is positioning or posture, it’s best
to rectify it sooner rather than later. Having both will also make your Jiu
Jitsu better.
D Sleep/Rest

If you can get 7-9 hours sleep, then do so. In order for me to recover from
training, this is often the minimum. If I can find an extra 30-45 minutes in
the day to nap, I will do my best to nap.

It can even be done in the car during lunch depending on whether you can
find a get-a-way.

Studies suggest that looking at your phone can keep you up longer at night.
Eating certain foods and drinking alcohol close to bedtime can also keep
you awake or affect the quality of your sleep. I try to not eat at least one
hour before bed, and some experts recommend more time than this.

Lack of sleep is associated with lack of growth hormone. Adequate sleep is

associated with positive muscle recovery.

As we age, we need proper rest, or our bodies will decline faster.

If you are sore and get little sleep, try sleeping more.

E Back

Having a bad back is common in Jiu Jitsu. One thing that recently helped
me was sleeping on a harder surface. I have a one-inch mat and on the
floor and I have been sleeping on it for about 3 years.

Honestly, I’ve never felt better. I had major issues and was lethargic all day
when it used to hurt. It took a few weeks to get used sleeping on a thin mat,
but it has helped big time.

I also recommend checking out Stuart McGill’s advice on back mechanics

and trying his big 3 exercises before you conclude that the only solution to
your back pain is surgery. He has some very persuasive videos on
YouTube worth watching. He also wrote a book, Back Mechanic, which I
recommend.

Practically speaking, having good positioning and being aware of the

alignment of your body is wise to consider in Jiu Jitsu. For example, when I
play half guard I keep my back and neck straight. I also find I don’t injure
my back when I play a style of Jiu Jitsu that slows the game down.

Find your way.

3 Weightlifting

Weightlifting and/or supplemental exercises can have added benefits for

your Jiu Jitsu, particularly if you build muscles around your joints to protect
them.

The main problem with weightlifting is that, like Jiu Jitsu, it can cause injury.

The 3 keys to injury-free weightlifting progress for me are: Consistency,

Moderation/Safety and Recovery.

Let’s briefly look at all 3.

A Consistency

Olympic lifting champion Tommy Kono said that keeping a lifting journal
was one of the keys to his success. He was able to measure his progress
and keep himself accountable.

I agree. A journal allows you to track your progress and helps you stay
consistent.

If something I am doing isn’t working or helping to develop my muscles, it

becomes clear when I look back at my journal.

Consistency is a basic requirement to being successful in any endeavor.

B Moderation & Safety

Moderation does not mean that you are going to lift weights like an 80-year-
old. You can still lift heavy weight and reap the benefits.

Moderation in this case means not hurting yourself because you over-did it.

I recommend high volume weights at first to strengthen your base, and then
slowly increase the weight while doing lower reps for strength. I am also a
huge fan of overload training for strengthening your tendons. Read about
tendon strength; understanding it is crucial as you age.

Never put more weight on your body than your infrastructure can handle.
For example, if my maximum squat is 300 lbs and then I bump up the
weight to 350 lbs out of the blue, some areas of my body may not be ready
to handle the load, and they may break down. What if my knees are not
ready for it, and I tear some cartilage? I could be out for a year and
perhaps never get back to where I was before.

I push myself, but I don’t take risks or get my ego involved. If I can bench
press 300 lbs but it’s very risky, I may do lower weight until I feel very
comfortable when I lift 300 lbs.

I see people who either have poor technique or are lifting too much weight,
thus injuring themselves.

If you do Olympic lifts (which are advanced and complex), or any type of
lifts, practice good technique. Only use weight that you can handle as you
learn.

To make this point crystal clear, I want to give you an example of this in my
daily life.

About 4-5 weeks ago I was doing an exercise called the front squat. I was
using heavy weight. My back was straining. To me, this meant my back
was not ready for the amount of weight and/or my technique might have
been off.

So a week later, I used lighter weight and higher reps.

Then, the next week I lifted lighter weight with higher reps again.

On either occasion, if I experienced any back pain at all, I would

immediately stop and call it a day. I strengthened the muscles in the proper
areas and eventually after 4 weeks, I lifted the heavier weight. I lifted it, and
slowly progressed even further. Baby steps.

The goal is to be able to lift weight without injury and get stronger without
feeling excessive pain. There is a good chance that if you are hurting, the
pain will linger until you strengthen the painful area of your body. This will
usually mean taking a step back to ultimately move forward—as I did with
my front squats.
I highly recommend lifting weights because it can help you gain lean
muscle and protect you from injury, improving your long-term athletic
sustainability.

NOTE: Be sure the weights and apparatus you utilize are sturdy. If you
need a spotter, make sure you have one who understands what you are
trying to do and what they need to do. Getting injured with heavy weight
can set you back years. If you get seriously injured, you won’t be training
on or off the mat.

C Recovery

By lifting weights, you are actually causing tiny tears (known as “micro-
tears”) in the muscle fibers, which the body then repairs and adapts the
muscles to better handle the stimulus that caused the damage. This is the
process by which muscles grow (scientifically termed hypertrophy).

Recovery for me is often active recovery. I go for a brisk walk, do some

light yoga, light gymnastics floor work or light swimming - nothing too crazy.

According to www.verywellfit.com this is how active recovery works:

Active recovery is beneficial to an athlete in a number of key ways: 1. It

reduces the buildup of lactic acid in the muscles, minimizing post-exercise
stiffness and discomfort. 2. It helps alleviate fatigue and improve moods
that typically crash after a heavy sporting event. 3. It promotes blood flow to
the joints and muscles, counteracting inflammation. 4. It maintains the heart
rate at a more steady state, improving endurance and training volumes.

As we age, recovery takes a lot longer than when we were in our 20s. For
example, if I lift heavy with my legs, I will take about 5-7 days off from lifting
with my legs. If I did the same lifting routine every day, my body would
never recover. Eventually injury would stop me. I want my body to grow
naturally and as I age, and that means plenty of rest and recovery.

In addition, if I grapple hard one day and feel very sore, I may take it easy
the next day of training. Listen to your body and don’t injure yourself.

In summary, weightlifting can be very advantageous if you do it right. I

recommend bodyweight exercises and solo drills if you choose not to lift
weights. I also recommend these types of exercises in tandem with weights
or prior to lifting if you feel your body is not ready to handle weight.

Why? Being strong is one thing, but having mobility, fluidity, flexibility and
functionality is equally as important in getting good at Jiu Jitsu and avoiding
injury.

NOTE: If you are looking for solo Jiu Jitsu exercises, check out my booklet,
The 30-Day Solo Grappling Challenge*.” This booklet is a godsend for
people who want to get in shape, look leaner, have more energy and get
better at Jiu Jitsu. I also included a 40-page nutrition guide that helped me
achieve 8% body fat in my 40s.
4 Choosing a Safe Game

Some styles of Jiu Jitsu are more dangerous than others. I know a person
who has had multiple concussions. He is still very young. He’s light yet
competes in the absolute division, often does flying maneuvers and often
ends up getting hurt. His daily life has been affected.

Having given that example, to each their own. Some people feel that they
aren’t here for a long time but a good time. That’s fine. I’m here to try and
do both safely.

I’m not trying to get concussions or injuries unless I’m making millions of
dollars. I have a daughter. I want to be able to communicate and function
properly when she is older.

Rather than play an open, acrobatic game, I generally will try to play half
and closed guard on bottom and play low while on top.

I want there to be a connection between myself and my opponent to

minimize surprise movements.

In summary, find a game that works for you which is safe and technical.
5 Nutrition

What do you eat? When do you eat it? These are important questions.

I follow a very old school kind of diet. What do I mean by “old school?” I am
talking about way back when we gathered and foraged for food. Yes, I do
eat meat. I keep an open mind and have also studied vegan and vegetarian
diets. I am personally not a vegetarian, but some of the principles like
eating a diet high in fruits, greens and vegetables are very beneficial. I
have meat (usually chicken) about 1 -3 times per week on top of eating a
lot of whole foods such as nuts, greens and fresh fruits. My diet is a whole
food, plant-based diet with sensible portions of lean meats.

I have felt my energy and life change because of my nutrition habits. My

cholesterol went down dramatically, and I got much leaner. Before I started
thinking about what I ate, I would just eat a ton of meat and breads. But
since considering other ways to eat, I have become well-balanced in my
approach.

Nutrition can also be very mental. For example, I fasted every morning for
close to a year. I would train Jiu Jitsu at 1 PM on an empty stomach.
Surprisingly, I never felt better in my life. I felt quicker, leaner and meaner.
Had I not committed to trying this, I never would have believed it would be
so. Prior to committing to fasting, I thought fasting was just an ineffective
fad. It’s not.

NOTE: I go into nutrition a lot more in my Lean Athlete Nutrition Handbook

which comes with The 30-Day Solo Grappling Challenge.
6 Studying

You want to stay fresh and on top of the game’s nuances and evolution.
The problem is that a lot of people say they will study, but they don’t. Set
aside 15 minutes per day or every other day to study certain lessons,
positions or matches. After you finish, write it down and mark it off. Also,
take notes as you are watching. This will increase your Jiu Jitsu IQ
tremendously. You’ll be way ahead of others because most people do not
study – trust me.

Treat Jiu Jitsu like any form of education. There is study and there is
practice; both have their usefulness.

As you get older, it becomes more advantageous to be more technical

since other faculties may decline.

Do me this favor. Study for 10 minutes for 7 days straight.

Then you will understand how powerful it is.

Stay consistent!
7 Epilogue

Jiu Jitsu is unlike most sports. It has a lot of static positions and ground
work where you can be highly technical and overtake a more athletic
opponent. Caio Terra, who is my professor, weighs much less than I do. I
can attest that his technical acumen more than makes up for my strength
and weight advantage. I truly believe that if he were 65 years old, he’d still
destroy me even if I was 25. There are not many sports where this can
happen.

In fact, if you used your technical experience to your advantage and

conserved your strength for only the most necessary times, you may hardly
even break a sweat. A lot of people actually do better and learn a lot more
when they are calm, relaxed and induced in thought while training.

It’s all in the psychology of how you physically choose to train.

If you went against someone double your size, strength and skill, would you
get tired?

Well, if you tried to match their strength or skill and were playing catch up
the whole time, you would likely gas out pretty quickly.

If you let things happen and tried not to fight as hard as your bigger and
stronger opponent, depending on your skill level, you may lose positions
and get submitted much more (at first) but you might also preserve your
energy by not fighting against the tide. I suspect you would also preserve
your body and learn a lot in the long-term if you approached Jiu Jitsu this
way.

If you want to train until you are 80 start acting like it today. –Carley Gracie
8 Links to Jiu Jitsu Study Material

The Submission Machine consist of close to 300 pages filled to the brim
with Jiu Jitsu techniques. You are welcome to spin your wheels on Youtube
trying to figure it out. I guarantee whatever you choose to do this book will
help you see not only new options, but you will see new details in
techniques you may already know. Some of the submissions and set ups in
this book you likely will not find anywhere else. I’ve been doing Jiu Jistu
close to 20 years and I have not seen many of these submission set ups
and details taught by others.

Grab your copy by licking here >>> https://bjjvibes.com/sub-machine/

The 30-Day Grappling Challenge and Bonus covers over 200 pages of
daily Jiu Jitsu specific at home exercises (need no for equipment, workouts
are 10-20 minutes in length, suitable for all fitness levels). These will not
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As A BONUS You get over 40 pages of nutrition advice and meal

selections. This is gold. Making these simple changes literally saved my
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Grab your copy by clicking here: 30-Day Solo Grappling Challenge

The Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Encylopedia is over 750 pages of high level Jiu Jitsu
techniques. This book covers everything you need to keep that Jiu Jitsu IQ
buzzing. It is plug and play. You will never have a shortage of ideas,
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