Adventures in Living a Healthy, Juicy Life
Guest Post by Fred Cook
A friend of mine, Cheryl Ragsdale, from That Girl Is Funny, asked if I’d write a post about age and practicing martial arts.
Cheryl is no stranger to being on the mat. She trains in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu at Florian Martial Arts Center in Brookline, MA, run by Kenny Florian and his brother, Keith Florian. She also started her BJJ training later than most…take a look and try and guess how old Cheryl is…I’ll bet you’ll be off by 10 or 15 years.
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In 1989, I began my Aikido training at the Aikido Shobukan Dojo in Washington, DC at the “ripe old age” of 40. I think that’s when the journey really began. I became a “mat-rat” and earned my Shodan in a little over five years. Since then I’ve been training and/or helping teach at the dojo on a regular basis.
In October of 2008, I joined Evolve Academy and started training in their Personal Defense System (PDS) which is based on Muay Thai with a bit of “street jiu-jitsu”. At 59 I was the oldest student in the class. In July of 2009, one month shy of 60 years old, I started training solely in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) to “see if I could hack it”.
That was three months ago and although I get my head handed to me on a weekly basis when sparring, I love getting on the mat each time to see if I can last just a little bit longer before being “subbed” by one of the higher belts.
I love being the oldest guy on the mat.
Why? Here are my Top 10 Reasons:
#10 Reassurance: Training in BJJ is by far the hardest ‘physical’ thing I’ve ever done. It’s also the BEST workout you could ever wish for; assuming you have your doctor’s “ok” and you’re in decent physical condition. Sparring with someone for five minute rounds will let you know, without a doubt, just what kind of shape you’re in. It’s very reassuring to know you can survive. (At least for a few minutes!)
#9 Confidence: Have you ever wondered how you would stack up against someone half your age in a fight/physical conflict? Doesn’t matter if you’re 40, 50 or 60…always nice to know. (It’s even better if you’re confident you could hold your own…at least for a few minutes!)
#8 Awareness: As in Aikido, being aware of your situation (‘zanshin’) in BJJ is extremely important, whether you’re on the top or bottom, because things change quickly. That also translates well to everyday living. Being the oldest guy on the mat, I’m also aware when I surprise my partner with speed, strength, balance or flexibility. Feels good. (Someday, I’ll surprise them with my technique…I hope.)
#7 Hope: Being the oldest guy on the mat, I hope I’m sending a signal to anyone who questions, “Can I do this?” The answer is a resounding YES. You’re never too old to try something new. Just go for it! You might surprise yourself! (Hey, if I can do this, why wouldn’t you be able to?)
#6 Feeling of Accomplishment: In general, most martial arts schools (the good ones) promote their students based on accomplishment. You need to show up and “do the work”. Nothing’s guaranteed, you have to earn it. Getting promoted to Intermediate White Belt may not sound very exciting, but I felt a terrific sense of accomplishment when I was presented with my new belt by Mr. Jordan. Being the oldest guy in the class: nice. Being the oldest and getting promoted: priceless.
#5 Respect: The harder I work at being better on the mat, the more respect I feel from my partners, regardless of belt level or age. (Being twice the age of most of the class doesn’t give me a pass. To get respect, you have to earn it. Everyone in the class works hard.)
#4 Inner Strength: Muscular strength is one thing and, quite frankly I’m a pretty strong guy. But strength is secondary to technique and inner strength is a whole different ballgame. Dealing with someone pressing all of their weight into you, smothering you in side control while trying to submit or mount you tests your inner strength. How do you stay calm? How do you breathe? How do you move? Age has little to do with this, but being the oldest on the mat and not giving it up right away? That’s sweet.
#3 Test of Abilities: As we get older, we start to question our abilities…or perhaps I should say our limitations. Unfortunately, there’s an assumption in our society that once someone turns ___ years old, they need to slow down, take it easy and not push themselves too hard…they need to be aware of their limitations. I’ve always believed in the “use it or lose it” school of thought. Being the oldest guy on the mat let’s me test my abilities (not my limitations) against opponents much younger, stronger, faster and more skilled than I am. How COOL is that?
#2 Awesome Blue Kimonos: This has absolutely nothing to do with being the oldest guy on the mat – I get to wear – not only white kimonos – but BLUE ones as well! BONUS! (I have to wear a white gi when I train in Aikido.)
And the #1 Reason Fred Loves Being the Oldest Guy “On the Mat”…
#1 Fun: The most important reason of all. Even though I moan and groan about how hard the training is, when it’s all said and done it’s FUN! Also, being the oldest guy on the mat makes it fun to watch someone’s face when I tell them I’m 60! When I received my belt promotion, Master Mike told the class that “Fred is 46, so I don’t want to hear any excuses why you guys can’t train.” When I told Virgil, one of my favorite training partners, that I was actually 60, he didn’t believe me. Fun times! Who needs any other reason?
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If you want to read more about Fred Cook’s adventures with Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, visit him on his blog called “Luck is for Rabbits“.
This guest post is Fred’s official entry in ThatGirlisFunny’s “51 Must-Know Habits for Staying Young – from the Inside Out” Gift Basket Give-Away.
Looks like Fred is handling at least 3 of the “51 Must-Know Habits for Staying Young – from the Inside Out“:
- Habit 44: Gather people around you who support your learning process.
- Habit 47: Find people to share your passion with.
- Habit 50: Surround yourself with everything and everyone who pleases you, to support your comfort and make you feel at home.
In his own words, “Then those of us who were promoted had the “privilege” of walking the gauntlet. The whole class lines up in two rows, removes their belts and you get to walk slowly on your hands and knees from one end to the other while they take a whack at your hind quarters with their belts. (EE-YOWWW!..that stings just a bit! ) Special thanks to those few who didn’t wail on us as hard as they could.”
It’s a guy thing.
photo credits: sweep, Helio Gracie, Royce Gracie, armlock triangle, found all photos on google images or else they’re from Fred Cook’s personal collection.
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Looking for the Comment Section? It’s on the right hand side of this post.
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The “51 Must-Know Habits for Staying Young – from the Inside Out” Gift Basket Give-Away is sponsored by Genuine Health featuring healthy products for your inside and your outside.
Genuine Health is a proud sponsor of Sustainable Oceans. For every Happy Place posted , they donate 50 cents to the David Suzuki Foundation in support of healthy fisheries and oceans. Click to post your happy place!
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It is a great article since we all had the tips now on how to maintain our strength at the same polishing our skill to had it perfect but most of all I believe that BJJ is a great sport for all ages and this article is a good and best proof that age really doesn’t matter but attitude and skill does just like Fred.
Twitter: thatgirlisfunny
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Hey Martial Artist,
Fred is in fantastic shape and has been practicing martial arts for a long time.
It’s a great sport for all ages as long as you are healthy and in shape. Getting tossed around the mat isn’t for everyone. I agree with you that BJJ is a great sport
Cheryl´s Last Fabulous Post blog ..15 Things You Didn’t Know About Michael Jackson Infographic
This article is awesome and describes about various techniques to test your abilities even you are old. These techniques will help to improve your health and protect from diseases.
Home care ´s Last Fabulous Post blog ..Home help cuts criticised
yes this is a fantastic article, and inner strength can be maintained by doing exercises like yoga is the best to live healthy at the old age.
Twitter: thatgirlisfunny
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Agreed! Yoga works for everyone no matter what age you are.
Cheryl´s Last Fabulous Post blog ..15 Things You Didn’t Know About Michael Jackson Infographic
Hey, Nice article. I agree with you. We have to develop our inner strength as we grow old. Learning new things will keep us young and happy.
Twitter: thatgirlisfunny
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Learning new things really does keep us young from the inside out

Cheryl´s Last Fabulous Post blog ..15 Things You Didn’t Know About Michael Jackson Infographic
Twitter: slideyfoot
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Cool post: I’ve been seeing a lot of ‘am I too old’ threads on BJJ forums recently, so it’s good to have another example to put forward.

slideyfoot´s Last Fabulous Post blog ..26/01/2010 – BJJ (Advanced)
Twitter: thatgirlisfunny
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Hi Slideyfoot,
Never too old as long as you feel healthy and rest when you get tired. The best thing is to try. BJJ is physically challenging and well worth the effort.
I missed this comment until now
Cheryl´s Last Fabulous Post blog ..250 Super Useful Stay Young from the Inside Out Health Tips
Twitter: Kobinskijj
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Интересно….спасибо..
Сергей.
Россия
This means…wonderful, thanks…Sergey…Russia
Пожалуйста, Сергей!
(You’re welcome, Sergey!)
Thanks for stopping by! So glad you liked the post!
Twitter: thatgirlisfunny
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Oh my god, now Freddie is speaking Russian! What’s next? This man is full of surprises.
Hi Sergey!
Great post! I can’t say I love being the oldest ballerina at the barre, but it sure as heck beats the alternative.
Besides, lots of dancers can say they danced the part of Clara in the Nutcracker one year. But how many can say they did it at age 44
Twitter: thatgirlisfunny
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Haha! Good for you, Laura! I’m proud to know you. You’re like Judy Garland, a grown-up playing Dorothy in the “Wizard of Oz”. Fantastic! Thanks for sharing that juicy tidbit with us today.
Hi Laura! Thanks for commenting…You’re another great role model for people who think they’re “too” old to try something new and challenging! Getting your HKC certification at 44 and planning on running another 5k (which I know you’ll rock!) are just two terrific examples! You definitely make your own luck and as Cheryl likes to say, you’re “living a healthy, juicy life”!