50 and sparring

[marques]

Is 50 too old to do sparring?A few years ago a trainer did'nt want me to spar and got butthurt about it.Am I right believing I can still do sparring(light at first then progress as I get better) or is he right in not letting me?I'm getting ready to start at a new place and not being able to will be a dealbreaker.

I sparred for a while with a 70 years old guy. He had some serious car accident or something and limited mobility. Yet, he could spar up to 1hr!

If he can, I also believe you can. The remaining question is HOW to spar, since an old body doesn't recover as fast and isn't as strong as a young body. And usually already have some chronic issue...

Virtually everyone can spar under proper conditions.

 

[Glenn67]

I sparred for a while with a 70 years old guy. He had some serious car accident or something and limited mobility. Yet, he could spar up to 1hr!

If he can, I also believe you can. The remaining question is HOW to spar, since an old body doesn't recover as fast and isn't as strong as a young body. And usually already have some chronic issue...

Virtually everyone can spar under proper conditions.

I hope to be that 70 yr. old one day.I cleared up Hep C last year.Got the treatment after years of getting BS'ed and I only had to change doctors to get it.Things I wish I could have known earlier.My strengh is better than most I know.Been kettlebelling the last 6 months.Ready to switch to something different now.The only drawback I can see at the time is a ball on my heel holding up running but I got a fix for that too I can now start doing as I'm moving tomorrow.I expect to be able to run like a deer by the end of summer

 

[Tony Dismukes]

Speaking as a 52 (about to turn 53 in a couple of weeks) year old who still spars, I think the main thing you have to do is be smart in your choice of sparring partners. You need someone who is both willing and able to do technical sparring at an intensity level you can handle. A lot of beginners don't have the awareness or self-control to work at that level.

If your coach is unwilling to even consider the possibility of allowing you to work up to technical sparring, then you may have to find another school.

 

[Glenn67]

Speaking as a 52 (about to turn 53 in a couple of weeks) year old who still spars, I think the main thing you have to do is be smart in your choice of sparring partners. You need someone who is both willing and able to do technical sparring at an intensity level you can handle. A lot of beginners don't have the awareness or self-control to work at that level.

If your coach is unwilling to even consider the possibility of allowing you to work up to technical sparring, then you may have to find another school.

I am going to be starting at another school in a couple of weeks.I'm going to talk with him a lot during the free trial week to make sure I can get what I'm looking for.I'm a beginner at sparring not pad work and on off training times I work the heavy bag and know my technique is good.I work the bag like it is hitting back.Now I need the real thing with the right partner.

 

[frank raud]

What kind of sparring do you want to do? Here's a buddy of mine in a stick and knife match at 50

. That's in 2008, he is prepping for the North American Police and Fire Games now and will be competing in the karate tournament. The legendary Dog Brother, Philip Gelinas was competing in the Gathering of the Tribe this weekend in Los Angeles. He's 65

 

[frank raud]

Here's an article Perry wrote about the lead up and experience of getting into the ring at 50.

http://perrywkelly.com/mae_fall_2008.pdf

 

[Glenn67]

What kind of sparring do you want to do? Here's a buddy of mine in a stick and knife match at 50

. That's in 2008, he is prepping for the North American Police and Fire Games now and will be competing in the karate tournament. The legendary Dog Brother, Philip Gelinas was competing in the Gathering of the Tribe this weekend in Los Angeles. He's 65

I'm interested in both of them.There is a place that trains stick fighting near me and it will be in reach is a couple of years.I have a baton for dogs after I got bit and people do let them lose sometimes around here.I'd like to know how to properly use is before and if I ever might need it against a person.Same with the knife.That is something likely to be used against you here too.Learning to properly defend against it would be a plus.

 

[Touch Of Death]

Huh? What does chokes have to do with this guys training and why should he leave?

Because he can't spar. Nothing to gain, there.

 

[Paul_D]

Is 50 too old to do sparring?A few years ago a trainer did'nt want me to spar and got butthurt about it.Am I right believing I can still do sparring(light at first then progress as I get better) or is he right in not letting me?I'm getting ready to start at a new place and not being able to will be a dealbreaker.

As long as you are sensible. My Wado instructor went on a course once got a little carried away thinking he could compete with the younger guys. Injured his shoulder, never recovered and eventually had to give up MA completely.

 

[Glenn67]

Because he can't spar. Nothing to gain, there.

You presume to know I can't spar?What are you the ******* trainer I was talking about?

 

[Touch Of Death]

You presume to know I can't spar?What are you the ******* trainer I was talking about?

I'm tempted to run with this, but I was saying, go some place that will let you spar.

 

[Glenn67]

I'm tempted to run with this, but I was saying, go some place that will let you spar.

Then this was my mistake,I thought you were saying I could'nt spar without knowing who I was,It that is so I apologize.

 

[Glenn67]

As long as you are sensible. My Wado instructor went on a course once got a little carried away thinking he could compete with the younger guys. Injured his shoulder, never recovered and eventually had to give up MA completely.

I'm not trying to compete with the younger guys.I want them to help me be the best I can.

 

[Monkey Turned Wolf]

Sparring isn't about being better that the other person or beating them...sparring is about learning and growing your skills.

Not necessarily. To me, the main reason I spar is for fun/I enjoy it. Learning and growing from it are just side effects.

 

[drop bear]

You could compete if you wanted. We have a couple of oldies who fight in the masters division.

 

[Brian R. VanCise]

As you get older you need to be careful but at 50 you can certainly still spar. Still everything in moderation and being careful with who you are working with would be important as well. I spar a couple times a week but mostly knife or stick sparring. I still spar full contact empty hands with grappling but... I am careful. At this stage I don't let people hit me very much but I have been doing this a long, long time.

 

[Touch Of Death]

Not necessarily. To me, the main reason I spar is for fun/I enjoy it. Learning and growing from it are just side effects.

I disagree. Sparring is where you work on something; so, the something was always there.

 

[Bill Mattocks]

Did some sparring tonight. 3 minutes with a blue belt, bigger than me, 24 or so. Then 3 minutes with an adult white belt.

Fun fun fun.

Teaching-learning. Took time to work on reading attacks and setting up responses. Showed them how to through multiple techniques instead of one and wait to see if it worked.

Out of cardiovascular shape but kept my wind. Still moving briskly, hands like lightning.

Fyi, I'm slow and it doesn't matter because I'm in my technique.

And also Fyi my sensei is x number of years older than my and can beat me like eggs.

 

[Danny T]

"Sparring isn't about being better that the other person or beating them...sparring is about learning and growing your skills."

Not necessarily. To me, the main reason I spar is for fun/I enjoy it. Learning and growing from it are just side effects.

You must have missed the point I wrote just prior.
It ended with the period right before; "Sparring isn't about being better..."
I specifically wrote,"Have Fun."

 

[Monkey Turned Wolf]

"Sparring isn't about being better that the other person or beating them...sparring is about learning and growing your skills."

You must have missed the point I wrote just prior.
It ended with the period right before; "Sparring isn't about being better..."
I specifically wrote,"Have Fun."

You wrote have fun, but the way I read what you wrote was that improving yourself is the purpose, and having fun was a side effect. To me, having fun is the purpose, and improving myself is the side effect.