Competetive submission grappling/BJJ without needing surgery at some point. Is it possible?

[TheMaster]

We know grappling is generally bad for the body, and it gets worse with age.

Are there any competitive submission grapplers who haven't needed surgery at some point?
Is it even possible?

 

[RemyR]

I'm 40 and haven't had any surgeries from BJJ. Been injured quite a few times but luckily enough rest + the occasional physical therapy was enough to keep me going. Only real surgery I had from combat sports was when I broke my arm wrestling when I was 15.

 

[Smato_rules]

Mauricio gomes is the one I look up to. He still rolls every day and is in his 60s

 

[ShadowoftheSun]

I don't think it's possible to do any sport at a high level competitively without getting injuries which might involve surgery. It just takes a massive toll on the body to do anything athletic at a high level like that.

 

[kintana]

At the highest levels of any sport you will get injured. Maybe not surgery injured but significant rest.

I am no where near high level as a competitor. But I usually compete 5 to 10 times a year and for 12 years I had 0 medical-treated injuries until last year. LCL grade 1 tear about 5 months from proper training.

I know it takes like 6 weeks to recover but I decided to be super safe and wait longer after seeing some friends with similar injuries get back to early and re-injure.

surgical injuries it is very possible.

 

[DoctorTaco]

I don't think it's possible to do any sport at a high level competitively without getting injuries which might involve surgery. It just takes a massive toll on the body to do anything athletic at a high level like that.

agree

 

[TheMaster]

I don't think it's possible to do any sport at a high level competitively without getting injuries which might involve surgery. It just takes a massive toll on the body to do anything athletic at a high level like that.

Yes, competetive tennis can give you 'tennis elbow' it's true.
I feel that competetive 'getting your limbs and joints twisted the way their not supposed to with force' is somehow going to be a lot more damaging though.

 

[GreatSaintGuillotine]

So far I haven't needed surgery but I am not living and breathing the sport like I used to either

 

[THEfightsAREfixed]

It’s possible, but more of a luck of the draw thing

 

[mattemate]

I haven't really trained since 2021 because my knees are so fucked up. I'm either gonna need surgery, or major weight training or rehab (such as ATG) and more tape than Sakuraba if I'm gonna get that black belt one day. Sure, I tap black belts pretty regularly, but that's cold comfort lol

 

[TheMaster]

I haven't really trained since 2021 because my knees are so fucked up. I'm either gonna need surgery, or major weight training or rehab (such as ATG) and more tape than Sakuraba if I'm gonna get that black belt one day. Sure, I tap black belts pretty regularly, but that's cold comfort lol

In cost benefit analysis, the quest for the bb crippling your body to the point of needing recuperation or surgery already, its doesn't seem a wise trade off considering you're not even old yet and you will need those knees to walk even with a stick at some stage.

 

[ahheadlock]

I'm far from high level, but in 20ish years of combined martial arts - the first injury i've had that's going to require surgery was 3 weeks ago. Full ACL tear. TBH i probably dont even need it if i were to quit martial arts and just go on with life. I'm walking fine.
I've had a couple where it was close, one with my shoulder where i booked in surgery - but in the time between booking and actually going under the knife i managed to rehab it to the point it was no longer needed.

that being said i have pretty bad OA in my hip, and the same day i blew out my knee i was reaching out to hip surgeons for consults so there is that. The long term damage is real when you put wear and tear on your body consistently, and you don't need to be a high level athlete to suffer the effects.

 

[mattemate]

In cost benefit analysis, the quest for the bb crippling your body to the point of needing recuperation or surgery already, its doesn't seem a wise trade off considering you're not even old yet and you will need those knees to walk even with a stick at some stage.

I'm planning to take a trip to Colombia for some major stem cell injections next year. We'll see how that works!

 

[yetanother]

Roger Gracie never head surgery.
I think Mikey Musumeci only had appendix surgery.
Personally as a low level guy never had any surgery.

 

[shunyata]

Roger Gracie never head surgery.
I think Mikey Musumeci only had appendix surgery.
Personally as a low level guy never had any surgery.

I never competed at that level, but as a bb with 12 years on the mats as an adult and another 8 years on the mats as a kid I've never needed to go under the knife.

That being said, I have a friend whose daughter has had three different knee surgeries under the age of 20 (starting with an acl tear in softball, reinjured years later in basketball). And I know people who don't work out at all who've had to have spinal fusions.

Not sure if it helps or hurts that I'm a tall heavyweight. It might be easier to have longevity in sport when you're built like a sherdogger.

 

[yetanother]

I never competed at that level, but as a bb with 12 years on the mats as an adult and another 8 years on the mats as a kid I've never needed to go under the knife.

That being said, I have a friend whose daughter has had three different knee surgeries under the age of 20 (starting with an acl tear in softball, reinjured years later in basketball). And I know people who don't work out at all who've had to have spinal fusions.

Not sure if it helps or hurts that I'm a tall heavyweight. It might be easier to have longevity in sport when you're built like a sherdogger.

Also a 6 feet 3 guy, think being big helps a lot for preventing injuries in that you don't train with significantly bigger people that much.
The little people often get twisted up super bad stacked in double unders at stuff like that or are doing pretty uncontrolled speed passing.

 

[Quebec Nick]

Roger Gracie never head surgery.
I think Mikey Musumeci only had appendix surgery.
Personally as a low level guy never had any surgery.

It's as much about bad luck, bad style for your body or being too tough for your own good

When you listen to elite grapplers on podcasts, most of them had at least some surgeries going on, like meniscus, shoulder stuff, knee stuff

Most of the time it's bad luck, not having time to tap or plain old wrestling going wrong.

 

[rmongler]

Honestly, groundfighting is probably the least impactful phase of melee combat. Relatively speaking of course. Things like kickboxing or judo can end up with a lot more hard knocks if you're not smart about it.

 

[ShadowoftheSun]

Honestly, groundfighting is probably the least impactful phase of melee combat. Relatively speaking of course. Things like kickboxing or judo can end up with a lot more hard knocks if you're not smart about it.

Honestly I think of all the common grappling modalities I think judo is probably the one with the highest injury risk. It's a lot more chaotic than BJJ due to the focus on standing and the techniques are technically demanding on the person performing them in a different way to wrestling - lots of doing sweeps and shit while standing on one leg which can pop and ACL or PCL very easily.

There's a reason that "old beat up judo guy who specialises in groundwork/moves to BJJ" is a bit of a stereotype.
At least with BJJ most of what you have to worry about is spazzy opponents doing techniques wrong/not respecting the tap rather than in judo where you can go "alright I was doing my technique but I accidentally made a slight twisting motion and now my knee is made of balsa wood and held together with chewing gum".

 

[Dana's Moonface]

It's a lot about luck, but I am a firm believer of building strength, not just in your muscles, but tendons etc
A lot of hobbyists look down and scoff on strength and conditioning, but strength is never a weakness.

I used to be a competitive lifter, but although I no longer focus on strength or muscle, I do go back to dedicating some time to heavy lifting for a short period when I fall below a certain strength standard

I am far from a competitive grappler and have only been training grappling for a short time, but I do think having strong muscle/tendons/bones etc makes a difference.

Of course again, it is a lot of luck, but I think we should build ourselves up and make sure our bodies are strong and flexible enough to make sure we give ourselves a better chance

Just my 2 cents