Shotokan Black Belt in need of advice

[zuluking]

Now that I spar other Black Belts all the time instead of Brown and below, I feel so damn old (44 years) and slow. Its getting more and more difficult to keep up with a 20 or early 30 something for 3 rounds.

I've added a lunchtime weight lifting regime to my workouts, 5-6 days a week for 1 hour, and I added more heavy bag work, 1/2 hour 5-6 days a week. This is in addition to regular classes 6 nights a week.

Any advice?

[stoneheart]

I think you're taking the wrong approach. Why bother trying to match a younger man's strength and athleticism? In the end, this will be a losing proposition for you, no matter how hard you work... In fact, the harder you work, the longer it takes you to recover as an older karateka, and this puts you deeper in the hole.

My teacher is older than me, but he whips me every time. Why? Because his technique and flow is much better than mine. His movements are tighter and he doesn't have the flaws that I have that slow me down. Simple example is tai sabaki. Because my teacher can avoid an attack more economically, he's simply in much better position to counter than I am, trying to execute the same motion.

I know this doesn't help you much if you have focused heavily on external karate. I've always been told that you cannot rely on speed and strength forever, because they will abandon you sooner or later. When that happens, you'd better have worked on your finesse, else your quiver of arrows will be awfully empty....

[powerof0ne]

I don't know without seeing you in jiyu kumite. Without seeing your strategy and how you spar, it's hard to say.

A problem I see with many karateka is they are too linear..not saying that you are becaus all aren't but something you could try is as soon as you land a technique or block one...immediately side step or step then pivot to your opponent's blind spot.

Try to become more of a counter fighter if your problem is dealing with an opponent's youth. It's all about strategy.

[Killer Miller]

In Karate, experience usually outweights youths in the end. You have to reserve your energy more and rely more on breathing and breathing timing when sparring. Typically, you will know with experience and good technique what the youth is doing to do before they even do it.

I'm 50 now, and although I don't have the stamina that a youngin has, but I have lots of experience and still good technique. I also still have that explosive and quick blast that I use to have, but I just have to be more selective as to when I apply it where it counts... But as far as keeping up their consistent pace, the youth would always out do me now.

- Killer -

[SubGrappler]

I personally think your problem is that you're adding more to your regime when you should be subtracting.

As men get older, their strength actually does increase with age (up until your 50's actually) but other things, such as speed, endurance, and recovery time, diminish a bit.

That being said, its quite possible for you at 44 to still be able to hang in there with people half your age when your sparring them. The only thing you need to remember is that you're going to need more recovery time than they will in between workouts. That is the unfortunate drawback of age that catches up to everyone.

Rather than working out more frequently, try giving yourself some rest in between workouts- you may find that you'll feel much better afterwards.

[karate kid 1]

I personally think your problem is that you're adding more to your regime when you should be subtracting.

As men get older, their strength actually does increase with age (up until your 50's actually) but other things, such as speed, endurance, and recovery time, diminish a bit.

That being said, its quite possible for you at 44 to still be able to hang in there with people half your age when your sparring them. The only thing you need to remember is that you're going to need more recovery time than they will in between workouts. That is the unfortunate drawback of age that catches up to everyone.

Rather than working out more frequently, try giving yourself some rest in between workouts- you may find that you'll feel much better afterwards.

sub grappler is right it will take you longer to recover from workouts and your endurance and speed will decrease abit

[Fairfax_Uechi]

Now that I spar other Black Belts all the time instead of Brown and below, I feel so damn old (44 years) and slow. Its getting more and more difficult to keep up with a 20 or early 30 something for 3 rounds.

I've added a lunchtime weight lifting regime to my workouts, 5-6 days a week for 1 hour, and I added more heavy bag work, 1/2 hour 5-6 days a week. This is in addition to regular classes 6 nights a week.

Any advice?

Maybe I missed your point, but how much cardio work are you doing? What sort of shape are you in? If you have weight to lose do everything you can to get rid of it. Fat is just extra weight you're lugging around. If you don't have any extra fat, then consider cutting back the weights and add more intense cardio work. Intervals, and sessions where you push yourself for long periods with short breaks. Get to the point where your cardio workout is tougher than the 3 rounds. And as others have said, get enough rest. Contrary to popular belief, your body gets stronger when it's resting, now when it's working out. The workout tears the body apart, the rest is when the repairs are made and the improvements come.

Also eat right, and don't over or under hydrate.

[marie curie]

Yeh, I agree. True, working out regularly helps keep one's energy level up, but it sounds like you are pushing the upper bounds of "regularly", and as we get older that kind of energy expenditure and ripping up of the muscle cells is hard to bounce back from.

I started karate when I was 11, and now that I'm 23 I've found that I have to fight a little differently, since I don't have the never-ending energy of a pre-teen anymore. I figure the same will have to happen with more age- adjusting my fighting styles a bit more to compensate.

Good luck!

[NidaninNJ]

There's a couple articles in the latest issue of ShotoMag about this.

[NidaninNJ]

There's a couple articles in the latest issue of ShotoMag about this.

here's the link:

https://www.shotomag.com

I guess it was obvious...