BJJ Over 40 · By Simon Kenny
Train smarter.
Stay on the mats.
Practical ideas on training, recovery and adapting your game—from a black belt still coaching, training and competing.
- BJJ black belt
- Coach & competitor
- Founder of Beyond Human
Start here
Find your way forward.
Starting out, planning your week or adapting your game? Choose a useful next step.
New to BJJ after 40?
Thinking about your first class? Explore what it means to start jiu-jitsu later in life.
YouTube video · Opens in a new tab
Watch “Too Old to Start?”Plan your training week.
Plan your week, give each session a focus and review what works. A practical worksheet you can use again and again.
3-page PDF · Printable and fillable
No email required.
Ready to adapt your game?
Look beyond collecting techniques. Explore the principles that connect your decisions on the mats.
Article · BJJ Principles vs Techniques
Read the articleRecommended next
Good ideas. Better training.
Two articles and a video to help you rethink your training, use your effort well and keep developing your game.
The 60% Rule
Rethink the idea that every round needs maximum effort. Explore a different approach to intensity and progress after forty.
Read the article
Scrambling Is a Young Man’s BJJ
How I changed my game as I got older, with more focus on position, control and deliberate decisions.
Read the article
BJJ Over 40: 4 Game-Changing Tips
Four ideas for rethinking how you train and keep developing your jiu-jitsu. Watch the featured video on our Watch page.
Watch the video
Coach. Competitor. Still learning.
Meet the coach
Simon Kenny
1st-degree BJJ black belt · Coach · Founder of Beyond Human
Forty years in martial arts.
Longevity is a skill.
I started Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in 2011, in my forties. Like many people, I thought progress meant harder sessions, more rounds and pushing through every setback.
As injuries accumulated and recovery became harder, I had to rethink that approach. I learned to be more deliberate about my training, adapt my game and make recovery part of the plan.
I'm still training, coaching and competing. BJJ Over 40 is where I share what I continue to learn, so you can keep developing your jiu-jitsu as your body and priorities change.
- Years in martial arts
- 40+
- Degree BJJ black belt
- 1st
- European medallist
- 3×
- Years coaching
- 13+
Take your learning further.
Want more structure or a deeper read? Explore these resources from Simon Kenny, at your own pace.
The Purposeful Grappler
Choose one recurring problem, give your sessions a focus and track what improves. A printable and fillable PDF.
View the workbook
The 99% Blueprint
Explore ownership, ego and the habits that shape your progress, both on the mats and in everyday life.
Explore the course
Books by Simon Kenny
Explore staying capable in The Capability Standard, and training beyond forty in The Longevity Game.
Explore the booksWorkbook and course links open our Beyond Human shop in a new tab.