HongKongPhooey

Thank you all! Sounds like I'm in good company!!

started at age 41 - first knee injury at age 41 and 3 months

IMHO, the two best things to keep a 5 y/o interested and on the right track are 1) having a sensei who can mix the discipline and training regimen with having fun, and 2) having one or both parents standing next to the child in class wearing their Gi and going through the same training. As for 5 years of age being too young, I joined with my 5 y/o son several months ago and we're having a blast! Our sensei is great - he's strict when he needs to be and just when the kids are starting to get restless with a lesson (it's an hour class), we'll do something fun like our version of "whack-a mole" to practice blocks (or duck walking back to the line after a movement, which is murder on my knees!) We test for our yellow belts in about two weeks, and after practicing in our garage, he knows the kata better than most of the other kids who are 2-3 years older! Not to pat myself on the back, but I think it's like any other activity with a young child - parental involvement and positive reinforcement is the key!

BTW, I meant no disrespect to younger students or experienced practitioners when talking about the knee injury post. I was just referring to the fact that their situations might not be directly relevant for me due to their quicker recovery time and better conditioning.

Good Day: I'm a 41 y/o white belt about to test for yellow with my 5 year old son. I've enjoyed scanning the forums as a guest and look forward to learning a lot more at my new "online dojo". Although I've greatly enjoyed hearing from people with a wide background of styles and experience, I'm wondering if there would be enough interest for a forum dealing with issues pertaining to older adults who are new to martial arts. Are there many of us? For example, my first post, unfortunately, was in the health and fitness section for advice about a knee injury. There were quite a few people who posted about various knee injuries, but it seemed that most of these individuals were either practitioners and/or younger. Just a thought, no big deal. Thanks again for providing a great online resource.

I'm a 41 y/o white belt preparing to test in about three weeks. Last week, while practicing round kicks, I experienced a knee pop and an inward buckle on my pivot leg while kicking to a bag. I think I may have inadvertently bounced on the pivot/base leg thereby causing the extra stress. No severe pain, some minor swelling (which is mostly gone now) and instability. Have been using alternating ice/hot tub therapy and walking for exercise. My doc examined the knee (Lachman ACL test, McMurray Miniscus test, etc.), found no tears, and diagnosed a strain. Meanwhile, I'm getting through class, but without attempting kicks until the knee heals. Has anyone experienced this type of injury? Any advice on exercises to try? What was the recuperation time? Thank you!