cross Posted March 18, 2004 Share Posted March 18, 2004 This question is for those of you who practice muay thai, boxing etc. Do you think you will still be able to practice when your old .e.g. over 50 years old?? The intensity of training will probably drop but what ristrictions do you think you will have and what will you still be able to do during training? thanks in advance for your replies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
White Warlock Posted March 18, 2004 Share Posted March 18, 2004 I'm 40. My injuries are the only things that are holding me back. Once i'm fixed up again, i should be fine for another 20 years or so. As you get older, you don't heal as quickly and your body doesn't condition as well, but that doesn't mean you're out of the game. I've found that as i've grown older, i rely more on thinking, leverage, and positioning, and less on brute force. Those who can make the transitional dependency from body to mind will continue to train. Those who cannot, will not. "When you are able to take the keys from my hand, you will be ready to drive." - Shaolin DMV TestIntro Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thuggish Posted March 18, 2004 Share Posted March 18, 2004 i imagine id be able to... but i dont know if i still will be. so long as i dont have any major injuries that bother me forever im sure ill be able to- the shape im in now, all young and stuff, im not about to give up. i may slow down a little (im sure i will when im fify, sheez...) but ill still kick someones * if they mess with me, hehehe. i think ill have to be careful with my joings at that age, as well as train less time-wise, and not hit things so hard or push myself so hard so to not mess up my bones. also, i dont think contact sparring would be in my best interest. who knows though, some of the top boxers are around their forties, and still beatin everyone down professionally. a broken arm throws no punches Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ramymensa Posted March 18, 2004 Share Posted March 18, 2004 I think age can be a problem, but not a dead end street for a martial artist. When we are young and beginners we rely a lot on our strenght and speed and sometimes tend to forget about proper technique, because we compensate with our youthful power. Once mature enough we learn more and more to use tactics and techniques and sometimes they'll be our secret weapon. Being older doesn;t mean out of shape. I've seen people in their 60's or 70's who could wipe the floor with us, youngsters. A karateka I guess is like wine: it just gets better. The only condition ... to move on and surpass all the health problems caused by a lifetime in MA. World Shotokan Karate Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SevenStar Posted March 18, 2004 Share Posted March 18, 2004 you can. I know someone who got in the ring for his 50th b day. One of my judo coaches is 74. You may not be able to compete, but you can still train. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cross Posted March 18, 2004 Author Share Posted March 18, 2004 Do you guys ever worry about all the wear and tear catching up to you in later life? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
White Warlock Posted March 18, 2004 Share Posted March 18, 2004 Hehe, always and never. I always worry about it after i get a new injury and forget entirely once i step on the mat. But, the truth of the matter is, most of my injuries were received 'outside' of the mat. The facts are, regardless of whether it is martial art injuries or daily life incidents and accidents, you will obtain them. The best you can do is care for your body, go to your doctor when something breaks, and keep on going. To worry resolves nothing, but it sure does waste a lot of energy. "When you are able to take the keys from my hand, you will be ready to drive." - Shaolin DMV TestIntro Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Justfulwardog Posted March 19, 2004 Share Posted March 19, 2004 I sparr two nights a week, with a man that is 62 years old. He is the most deceptive fighter I have ever known. What he lacks in speed, he by far compensates with deception. He has sprained my jaw four times, one time on the right side, and three times on the left. He could have taken my head off a few times. Luckily for me, he held back. He also likes to teach me pressure points. The hard way. Nothing makes him laugh harder. He is ornery as hell, but I really respect him. JustfulwardogBy daily dying I have come to be. ~Theodore RoethkeEach forward step we take we leave some phantom of ourselves behind. ~John Lancaster Spalding Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cross Posted March 19, 2004 Author Share Posted March 19, 2004 Thanks alot for your replies everyone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
italian_guy Posted March 19, 2004 Share Posted March 19, 2004 In kickboxing I have the problem that I'm the oldest in my class (almost 43 now) and the second oldest is 10 years younger then me and so the practice is tuned up for young people and this makes the class physically quite hard for me. Another problem is that Kickboxing is a martial sport and if you do not compete after some time loses some of this meaning. A good thing is that you learn the basic techniques quite fast and you can start sparring after a couple of months but I feel that is not a lifelong choice and I started to consider a change.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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