Mount Laurel Martial Arts Guy, Peter Liciaga, Competes in NAGA Grappling Tournament
My next Grappling / BJJ Competition Goal: Survive, Stay Alive and Thrive at Fifty-Five
At 55-years-old I am doing my 4th BJJ competition this Saturday at the Metuchen Sportsplex in Metuchen, New Jersey at the North American Grappling Association (NAGA) Championships.
There’s a time to play jiu jitsu and a time to fight jiu jitsu.
Some of my friends around the world think I’m a bit out of my mind to compete at “my age” but, believe it or not, it keeps me “young”!
First, I train because I love the sport; and second, I love the great friendships I’ve formed.
While I don’t compete often, when I do – it’s time to fight jiu jitsu. But – the majority of the time, I play jiu jitsu – at varying levels of intensity; work hard, train hard – but ultimately – train smart.
I found the secret to not getting injured in BJJ over 50 is to train with a focus on my personal goals and needs, to train regularly and to train under and with people I trust. Being older makes me focus and appreciate learning the small details to improve a technique instead of how many taps I get in a training session.
There are times I will train full out and push myself and my training partners (or get pushed) – and there are times I will take a more laid back approach.
I plan to enjoy my BJJ journey for the next 45 years!
At this Saturday’s bjj competition I will definitely fight for the gold medal in Gi and No-Gi for ages 50 and over. But, more importantly, I will have fun, learn, survive, thrive and stay alive at fifty-five!
