FIGHTING MY WAY ToFitness
Aged 59, Hiromi Stone is a glowing example of the health benefits of the grappling sport jiu-jitsu – despite the bruises
To my surprise, I loved the sport, despite being terrible at it…
As I bow to the young man in front of me, I feel tired but exhilarated from our fight. Admittedly, I lost – but after all, I am old enough to be his mother.
If you’d told me two years ago that I’d be taking part in a combative sport in a class of youngsters half my age, I’d have laughed. But now I attend jiu-jitsu classes four times a week and, although I’m 59, I am stronger than I’ve ever been in my life.
Back in 2009, when I noticed that an “MMA” gym was being built just five minutes from my flat in London, I wasn’t sure what the letters stood for.
“It’s mixed martial arts, Mum – fighting!” explained my son Ken, then 18.
I’d never been interested in that sort of sport, but because the gym was so close and I wanted to improve my fitness, I emailed them when they opened to see whether they were running any classes suitable for someone of my age. I had an enthusiastic response from the manager saying that the gym was for everyone and that I ought to come and have a tour. When I arrived the following day, the first thing I saw was a boxing ring and I felt completely intimidated. But the manager – a young woman in her thirties – told me that, as the gym was new, they were encouraging all the staff to try the different classes available.
“If you come and do a boxing class tomorrow, I’ll do it with you,” she suggested.
To my surprise, I really enjoyed the class, despite the fact that I’d never done anything like it before and to be honest, was absolutely terrible at it.
Luckily, my coach was incredibly patient, despite my lack of hand-eye coordination!
I began doing boxing classes every week – I wasn’t hitting anyone, just bags and pads. But after a few years I got to the point that, if I wanted to progress any more I’d have to start sparring, and I had no interest in getting hit in the head!
I had a go at another class – Muay Thai – for a while, but again it was a sparring sport and I didn’t fancy getting kicked.
Then, in 2016, one of the coaches suggested I try a Brazilian jiu-jitsu class. I accepted the challenge and went along, not expecting to enjoy it at all – after all, it was yet another combative sport.
When I walked into my first class and realised that I was the oldest in the class by at least a decade or two, I nearly walked right out! But I hate quitting, so I decided I’d give it a try.
To my surprise, I loved the sport, despite being dreadful at it! Although jiu-jitsu is combative, its focus is grappling rather than hitting and kicking, which I much prefer.
It’s not without its risks,
though. I am covered in bruises and have broken two toes taking part – one when it got trapped under a mat, and another time when I was rolling. But breaking a toe is not so bad – you can tape them up and keep going.
Despite my initial reluctance, I now take part in classes four times a week and am stronger than I’ve ever been.
I run my own artisan nut business, Kinomi Nuts, and regularly have to carry boxes that weigh 22kg – but I can manage them with ease.
As well as ensuring I’m in peak physical condition, jiu-jitsu provides a mental challenge too. When you are engaged in rolling with a classmate, you are in an
extreme physical situation and you have to work your way out of it. It teaches you to stay calm, but also to be assertive rather than aggressive.
The sport has taught me a lot about how to approach life.
Understandably, some class members still refuse to fight me – often young men, as they’re worried they might hurt me. But that’s fine – to be honest, I prefer to roll with people who are closer to me in ability.
Despite taking part in jiu-jitsu for almost two years, I’m still pretty terrible at it. At one stage I felt a bit down because I never seem to get my opponent to “tap” (which
is how they signal defeat). But my trainer pointed out that this wasn’t a great measure of my progress – rather than aiming for an outright victory, I should count the times where I wasn’t defeated as wins.
Last week, I was finally awarded my blue belt – I was ecstatic!
I’m 5 foot 1 and nearly sixty years old, so people are often surprised when I tell them I do jiu-jitsu. Some have even laughed. But my kids think I’m pretty cool.
I’d recommend the sport to absolutely anyone – it’s a great way to keep both your mind and body fit, and despite the bruises, I enjoy every minute!
iu- itsu teaches you to stay calm and be assertive rather than aggressive