How many of your injuries could have been prevented?
If you’re like me, you’ve probably ignored your body’s warning signs more times than you care to admit—and paid the price.
For those of us over 35 who’ve spent years on the mats, pain is a familiar companion.
While pain is complex and influenced by many factors, it’s often a critical warning sign: a signal from your nervous system that something isn’t right.
Yet, in a sport that thrives on mental toughness, we often ignore these signals and push through. I’m as guilty of this as anyone, and last week, it caught up to me.
Here’s my story—and a reminder to learn from my mistake.
Chronic Nagging Pain
After 15 years on the mats, my body carries its fair share of wear and tear.
I’ve often talked about how Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu can destroy your body if you don’t actively work to manage it.
One common issue many grapplers experience is elbow pain.
It’s something I’ve dealt with for years. But because it was never debilitating, I didn’t give it the attention it deserved.
Unlike lower back pain, which can disrupt your entire life, sore elbows that crack occasionally feel like a nuisance, not a crisis.
One of my mentors, Steve Maxwell—a world-renowned BJJ strength coach with over 50 years of experience—always stressed the importance of balancing elbow strength to prevent injuries.
The repetitive gripping and clenching in BJJ causes the forearm muscles to become chronically tight, leading to overactive flexors and underactive extensors.
Steve recommended a simple solution: strengthen the extensors by extending your fingers against resistance, like a rubber band. In fact, I wrote about this very tip in Jiu-Jitsu Magazine back in 2016.
Fast forward nearly a decade, and I failed to follow my own advice.
Listen Before It’s Too Late
The tension from gripping, combined with excessive phone and computer use, had left my elbows vulnerable. And last week, the inevitable happened.
I arrived early to class for a full-body warmup and felt great. Halfway through the first roll, I passed my opponent’s guard, and he slapped on a defensive kimura to escape.
My elbow wasn’t bent, and the attack didn’t feel threatening—until I heard the pop.
It was loud enough for the whole class to stop and look.
I hadn’t respected the signals my body had been sending for months. My elbow didn’t give out because of a freak accident or a fully locked submission. It failed because I ignored the warning signs.
It was my fault.
Attack Your Weaknesses
Now I’m paying the price: three days of barely being able to lift my arm and likely a few weeks off the mats.
The takeaway here is simple: listen to your body.
Each week I write about how to build a more resilient body for BJJ, but this is the easiest and most effective principle of all.
When it’s sending you signals, don’t ignore them—attack those weaknesses before they become major problems.
In your twenties and early thirties, you might get away with brushing off nagging pains. But after 35, the responsibility for your injuries falls squarely on your shoulders.
Evolving as a grappler means checking your ego and taking care of your body.
Tap early, tap often, and put in the work to address those aches and pains before they escalate.
For me, that means diving into elbow health, expanding my knowledge, and committing to the necessary work. (Expect some articles on elbow and forearm health soon!)
Final Thoughts
This week, I’m not sharing high-value exercises like normal—but a reminder to listen to your body before it’s too late.
When those nagging pains keep showing up, take action.
I do, however, recommend all grapplers balance their forearms with extensor work like rubber band extensions, or old-school rice bucket drills.
And if it seems like a lot of time and work to build the resilience your body needs for grappling, realize that’s just the price you have to pay to remain on the mat after 35.
As Coach Steve used to say: Life’s not fair. Do the work.
WHENEVER YOU’RE READY, THERE ARE 3 WAYS I CAN HELP YOU:
1. Start improving your BJJ durability and performance with the new BJJ KB RESILIENCE.
2. Fortify your body for BJJ with this free course on BJJ Resilience.
3. Join the free weekly newsletter here.
