Looks legit. I don't know anything about the instructor personally, but a brown belt in the Carlson Gracie lineage will have plenty to teach you.
This one has a
much more advanced instructor. That doesn't necessarily mean he will be a better teacher for beginners such as yourself, but I would definitely check them out. Other possible advantages:
- They have a dedicated fundamentals class, which is very good for beginners
- As a more well established school, they probably have more students of different ranks and body types for you to train with and learn from
I would visit the school and give them a try, but don't assume that because the instructor is more highly ranked that it will be a better school for you. You want to train in a place where the atmosphere and the teaching style are a good fit for you and will motivate you to show up and train.
You're reaching the age where training smart is just as important as training hard. I started training BJJ in my 30s and even though I had already been involved in martial arts for well over a decade I spent a lot of time feeling sore and worn out. Now that I'm in my 50s I advise the following for anybody who wants to maintain their longevity in training:
Warm up thoroughly before rolling. Stretching is
not a warm up.
Consistent yoga to work out the knots and correct the muscular imbalances that can result from BJJ.
Let go of worrying about winning or losing. Rolling is for learning.
Go at your own speed while rolling. If your body is only feeling warmed up enough to go 15 miles an hour and your sparring partner is going 60 mph, keep working at your own speed. If he is able to pass your guard or escape your submissions or tap you out because he is going faster, then good for him. Just keep figuring out the most efficient way to move at your own speed.
First priority in rolling is safety. Next is having fun. Next is learning. "Winning" a roll is a distant, distant, 4th place. Keep it playful.
Safety tip #1: assume your rolling partner is prepared to go full MMA/street on you and throw strikes at any time. Keep yourself positioned to stay safe from those strikes. That should help avoid accidental elbows/headbutts/knees, etc. It also helps keep your sport training from developing bad self-defense habits.
Safety tip #2: Even if you are really flexible, try not to rely on that. Work to keep your body in proper anatomic alignment. You might be comfortable in pretzel position now, but that takes a gradual toll on your spine and joints over the years.
Safety tip#3: Tap early, tap often.
Be sure to keep up with your core strength exercises. They do a lot to protect your body.
Get enough rest.
Stay hydrated.
Make sure your ukemi is solid.
Even with the gi on, I try to use no-gi grips as much as possible unless I'm working techniques that specifically depends on the gi (like collar chokes or spider guard). Gi grips seem to take a toll on the hands.
If you are recovering from an injury, spend time working drills that are safe for you. Don't be such in a rush to get back to sparring that you re-injure yourself.
