Advice for middle age student

[Tiger1962]

I started training late in life and I was really nervous at the beginning. I would say to make sure you take extra time to stretch out your muscles properly. That's one of the things I find most important before I take class because I am prone to strains and pulls. Also, make sure you drink plenty of water before class and eat a very light snack to sustain your energy. Nothing heavy.

Other than that, don't underestimate yourself. I've seen people at a tournament sparring who are in their 60's and are pretty tough. Don't get discouraged either!

Good luck!

Edited September 2, 2008 by Tiger1962

[troutkick]

First let me thank everyone for some excellent advice and ideas. I have now survived two months of training and am still walking!

A few observations from my brief experience:

1. Don't try to keep up with the young students. I am somewhat competitive by nature, but I have to supress it and use my head. I watch others do a difficult move and my mind knows I could do that move also, but then I have to realize I am not 22 anymore. Yes I could have done it 30 years ago, but this is today....

2. Patience - Much harder to achieve than to think about.

3. Listen to your body and any warning signs it gives you. Old injuries will reappear, in fact, my achilles tendonitis from 1981 is burning again. I have to avoid jumping jacks until the ankle improves.

4. Realize some medications such as Lipitor have a side affect of sore joints, something you just have to learn to live with.

I find martial arts to be very motivating and I am more serious about loosing weight and getting back in shape than I have been in many many years. To date, I have dropped 9 pounds in 8 weeks and feel more energetic than I have in a long time.

[yingampyang]

Thankyou for your respect to the martial arts. And i hope you can stay motivated for many years to come.

Kind regards Ying&Yang

[white owl]

congrats, on the weight loss this far. Keep striding forward on your martial arts career.

[NewEnglands_KyoSa]

congrats on the weight loss, i 100% know how hard it is to do that, i've lost 18 pounds in 4wks, and i have 12 more to go, it seems like the end is no where in sight! but i have to say, keep treckin' and best of luck, congrats to you sir!

[Tiger1962]

I am so glad to hear it's working out for you.

Troutkick, those four points you made are good reminders to myself as well !

Edited July 29, 2008 by Tiger1962

[tori]

So it's been about 6 months, right? How is it going? Keep us posted.

[humble monk]

I have to say in all seriousness, I view youth as having the disadvantage. I have sparred, and smoked, guys half my age in class. I find it humorous when the new guys eat a kick because they underestimated my flexibility, or when they get tossed with my"fossil strength".

In all seriousness, sometimes the self control that comes with maturity far exceeds the energy of youth in effectiveness.

In every Shaw Brothers movie I've ever seen, you really didn't want to mess with the white haired guy. Think about it.

[tallgeese]

Experiance counts, for sure. It grants you quality movement that is difficult for a newcomer, even one with youth, to deal with.

But it's the experiance, not the age that grant this. And eventually, age will overcome even that advantage.

That being said, it's better to train than to not train. And to do that you have to start, no matter the age.

Again, I think it's great that the OP is starting now. Keep at it.

[troutkick]

Update Oct 07:

Hello Everyone and thank you for all your responses. I have now been studying karate for about 10 months and have my third belt. My passion for karate has only grown over the past 10 months and I have improved significantly since starting.

Generally, I have not been injured in karate, except for a brusied toe that was my fault and some bruised ribs when a fellow student missed the kick shield. I have suffered a couple of accidents around the house that set me back, but I managed to catch up with my fellow students and have not lost significant time.

My advice to all the senior beginners, in addition to the excellent advice in this thread is:

1. Stretch and warm up before every class.

2. Be careful in class and at home because the body injures more easily as you age.

3. If you get injured, take the time to heal. Don't rush it and heal completely.

4. Be careful around the house, the house is much more dangerous than a dojo!

Since resuming my karate career, I have a few observations:

1. Some of my felllow students are not serious about their training. Maybe my age makes me more serious as I realize I don't have a lot of time left to be healthy. Funny, the young don't appreciate being young and fit. Remember the old saying: "Youth is wasted on the young."

2. Karate is a journey of one. While my ultimate goal would be a black belt, I accept my limitations and focus on the next belt and next tests. If I make it to black belt, then great, but I am going to enjoy and learn everything possible out of all my training and be proud of every belt I achieve.

3. I am honestly surprised at what I can do. I have a lot of trouble with jump kicks, but my spining kicks are better than some of my teenage classmates. Interestingly, my excellent balance and some of my old wrestling experience have not been lost. I was amazed to have remembered a few moves from over 40 years ago.

Now at the tender age of 53, I am the most "senior" student in the dojo. Yet in my few sparing matches I have generally kept up with much younger students. Nothing makes an old guy happier than besting a much younger opponent.

Be careful, be patient, and enjoy the journey.