Aren't you getting a bit old for all that?

[BLueDevil]

I was at a work social gathering a few months ago, when chatting with a senior manager he asked me when I was going to stop Karate!!!

He was not having a pop at my professional ability, he was just bemused as to why a grown man would give over 3-4 nights per week in pursuit of "pyjama" wearing karate exploits

Anyone else come across this sort of "karateism" (I made that word up, as in racism (although I am not in anyway trying to mock racism cos it just ain't funny).

I suppose it may be an age related thing, but I would like to ask if anyone else has been subject to this sort of thing.

Does training get in the way of your school, college, career etc. and if so how do you manage it and respond?

Or is it just me.

Z

Nothing wrong with training to stay in shape and such but I do kind of laugh when older people try to get into the fight game late in life. I'm 23 and I've been into martial arts since a very young age. I kickbox competitively and I see a lot of 30-35+ people trying to jump into the game and they don't last. Injuries take longer to heal at that age and 9/10 times there is no hope for that person to get to any sort of elite level.

I know it is kinda mean to say but it's the truth.

Im 23, so because I dont want to become "elite" I shouldnt train at all? Maybe they want to do it to get in shape, theres things outside competition that give people reason to start martial arts.

[tallgeese]

Yeah, elite, probilbiy not. Stranger things have probibly happened however.

Still, you can't write off training entirely based on someone elses predisposition to wanting to be an "elite" fighter. Starting with a student from no background who is 35, speaking from a combative background here, you can still expect a student to radically increase his ability to defend himself. Probibily rapidly.

That dosen't really strike me as a "why bother" situation. Not to mention the fitness componant. And I'm not even qualified to go into the esoteric and internal compants of the arts like others here are.

You are right on certain levels. It will be difficlut to become a competive whiz, espically in a high contact game. But the ma's have so much to offer we aren't really at a "why bother" level at any point I think.

[tori]

Nothing wrong with training to stay in shape and such but I do kind of laugh when older people try to get into the fight game late in life. I'm 23 and I've been into martial arts since a very young age. I kickbox competitively and I see a lot of 30-35+ people trying to jump into the game and they don't last. Injuries take longer to heal at that age and 9/10 times there is no hope for that person to get to any sort of elite level.

I know it is kinda mean to say but it's the truth.

There are no age limits on training in any Martial Arts, or anything that matters. Any way that an individual can better themselves mentally and/or physically is worth being a part of. Before you know it, you will be 35 years old. It happens in a blink of an eye. I bet then, you won't want someone to put limits on you and your abilities.

[humble monk]

Randy Couture

[Tiger1962]

Nothing wrong with training to stay in shape and such but I do kind of laugh when older people try to get into the fight game late in life. I'm 23 and I've been into martial arts since a very young age. I kickbox competitively and I see a lot of 30-35+ people trying to jump into the game and they don't last. Injuries take longer to heal at that age and 9/10 times there is no hope for that person to get to any sort of elite level.

I know it is kinda mean to say but it's the truth.

You say, "no hope for elite level"? Not all of the older martial artists are training for the rank advancement, status or prestige like some of the younger ones are. Some just like to train and learn - period.

That being said, as a matter of fact, 99% of the masters who train in the style I do happen to be older / middle aged and AT that "elite" (as you call it) level.

Younger doesn't necessarily mean, faster, smarter or bettter. With years and age in training comes wisdom. Personally, I have witnessed some older martial artists sparring the younger ones in schools and and the younger ones (20s-30s) could not keep up --- got their "butts whipped". I saw this 50+ guy at a tournament once, he beat the daylights out of his opponent who was younger. Heck, I'm sure there are white belt adults who could make a young (20-something) master cry. LOL

So, yeah, I'd never judge a person's abilities by their age.

[tallgeese]

Again, not so much by age, but by experience. The next question becomes experience or focus in what art and for what reason. But time in rather than age is a major factor.