In an interview with Matt Arroyo, former WWE superstar and Hollywood actor Dave Bautista offered valuable insights for those considering taking up Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, regardless of their age.
Bautista emphasized that the most critical first step is choosing the right training environment.
“The most important advice is be very particular about where you train because there are certain places where you go in and you’re just gonna get beat up and you’re just gonna get turned off from it,”
Bautista explained.
“Go to a respectable school.”
According to the “Guardians of the Galaxy” star, finding the right academy makes all the difference in a beginner’s journey.
“You want to go in to learn; you don’t want to go in to get beat up,”
he advised.
Beyond finding the proper training facility, Bautista stressed the importance of approaching the martial art with humility.
“Be willing to be a student; don’t go in with your ego,”
he cautioned, particularly addressing larger individuals who might be tempted to rely on their physical attributes rather than technique.
“I don’t like to train with a lot of big guys because soon as their ego starts getting in the way, they start trying to muscle everything,”
Bautista noted.
“They’re not gonna learn anything like that.”
Reflecting on his own beginnings under instructor Cesar, Bautista shared,
“I went in and I got my ass handed to me by everybody in that school, and I was completely okay with it because I walked out of there that day and I got an education.”
What keeps Bautista engaged in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is its endless complexity.
“I get obsessed with puzzles, and jiu-jitsu is a puzzle that I will never be able to figure out,”
he expressed with enthusiasm.
“It’s like a never-ending puzzle, and that’s why I just love it.”
The interview highlights how even after years of training, practitioners like Arroyo, a high-level black belt, continue discovering new aspects of the art—a journey of perpetual learning that Bautista finds deeply rewarding.
For those contemplating starting Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu at any age, Bautista‘s message is clear: choose your gym wisely, leave your ego at the door, and embrace the learning process with curiosity and excitement.
