Martial Arts for the Over 40 Crowd

[karatekid1975]

Yea, but you are still hard to spar, Heidi

My boyfriend is 51 and he has just recieved his prob. black belt. When he did the run (fitness part of the test), he was the fastest adult. He was beat by only two teenagers.

When he first started, he was concerned about his age, but with a young girlfriend (me) to kick him in the butt, he kept plugging along. Now look at him I'm really proud of him

He is a perfect example that age doesn't have to hold you back, unless you let it. Heidi is another example. She has knee problems, but she doesn't let that hold her back (other than healing time) They are both inspirations for me.

[Kicks]

Thanks for the compliments about the article. Venrix was right in that many of these principles apply to all ages. It's a lot easier to keep your shape than to try to get it back. But it's not impossible. It takes time, dedication, and patience. To understand the underlying principles of physical conditioning helps in staying focused and accepting your progress and/or limitations.

[SaiFightsMS]

I loved the article. Are you doing a follow up on martial arts for the 50ish crowd?

[Kicks]

Are you doing a follow up on martial arts for the 50ish crowd?

I'm not 50 yet, so you're on your own till then.

[gheinisch]

I'll be forty in June. Thanks for the article Kicks. I do feel better now at almost forty then I did at thirty. I give Martial Arts a lot of credit for that.

[trustkid1]

Excellent article! I'm getting into the 40's soon. This article helps me to keep practicing and be fit!

[shikata]

Cant thank you enough for the article as I am 49 and an 8th kyu.

I keep getting pushed around by fat ignorant professionals who seem to think that if you sit and look at a steven segal movie - you are steven segal.

Men 45+ give up living and are just waiting to die, in fact I can see their mental health deteriorate in front of me, I saw mine in the mirror.

So Shotokan has come to me late in life but not as late as two of my fellow martial arts friends. One is 76 and does the KATAS, I drink water in between the rest periods he drinks champaigne!. When I asked why? he said " at my age I need to get the heart going" (priceless).

My other friend is 73 and practices AIKIDO, when I didn,t see him for two weeks and asked where he was? I didn't expect to hear him say he had fallen awkwardly on the mat in an AIKIDO move and dislocated his nose.

It had popped out and it had just been pushed back in by the doctor.while he was told to read a notice looking the other way.(priceless)

From reading your article it means I can get there without injury or death and when I am sitting in my rest period at the age of 76, I will toast your health with my glass of champaine. (priceless)

Kind regards Shikata

[dennykp]

I also am over 40 and am now hoping to take my black belt this october. I am definatly fitter,stronger and my sons friends all have the utmost respect, don't mess with mum

[shikata]

Good luck with your grading, and let me know how it goes.

I am a long way off Black belt, last week a Japanese instructor at our club was asked

" how long before we can do the kick yoko-geri-kekomi as good as him.

He repied it was a 25 year kick, after 25 years you get the kick good.

I will be 75 before I get it right. You either laugh or cry. but it showed me that you cant perfect KARATE overnight.

So live long and practice fellow vulcans.

Regards

[jaymac]

I loved this article and everyones replies. I am not 40, but in my early 30's. I was just thinking to myself recently if I will be able to keep this up in my 40's and beyond. Because at my dojo there are few people who are in there 40's, I wondered, will I still be able to do everything that I can do now? I really think it was just my fear of aging. (I took it pretty hard when i turned 30.) But I really think that I am going to do Karate forever, and I am glad that there are so many wonderful MA to learn from in this forum.