Frankfast,,, Welcome aboard! I have been riding fixed since 2000. I am 56, and see no reason to give it up, just because some perceive it as "too hard".

On riding brakeless: Illegal and just plain stupid. Leave it to the 20-somethings, who seem to have the sad misconception that they are making some sort of political statement
by doing this. Yep, they're making a statement alright.

Clipless pedals: No. never needed them. Toeclips and straps work fine for me.

Give yourself time. You will get sore the first few rides, but this passes, and you will find yourself becoming a better cyclist. It works. You may need to experiment with gearing, depending on where you're riding. I find my 42 x 15 (≈75 inches) works fine for me. More hilly routes would need a lower gear.