Age effects on your training

[TerryC]

This morning as I was finishing doing my forms, as I do nearly every morning, I began to wonder how the elderly masters can continue to perform at the age of 70 or even 80. I know for me at the age of 57 it's becoming more and more painful to perform kicks and low stances. I continue in the hope that I can stave off some of the pain by keeping flexible and continuing to use the muscles. But I've personally seen old masters in the Philippines and Hong Kong who were at least 80 who could still perform with power and agility that was unbelievable. My own instructor is now 79 and you can still feel the power when he performs. Maybe the Asian body heals all the years of injuries better than westerners. I have always seen myself practicing martial arts until I was old, but sometimes I can feel the time coming to give it up.

 

[still learning]

Hello, Age does affect our training. In our system anyone over 40 get to do half the amount of the physcial requirements and anyone over 55 does one-third. The rest of the test is all the same. The Peter principle ( as a baby the body grows stronger and bigger, as we age the body starts to go down hill )

Funny thing about muscles? Don't use it...you lose it. That's why we need to keeping training everyday. But at over 50 years old the body does not regenerate as much. I am slowing down too. Only our mind thinks it can still do it! .....nice to be young again...but can't ......getting older every day...Aloha

 

[DuneViking]

As one ages several compositonal changes take place both in the muscles and in the bones and joints. The muscles fiber type ratio changes in one's 40s, I believe its from the more predominance of powerful burst [type I?] to the more sustained contraction/endurance [typeII?], can't remember the exact specific names, as well as slowed healing. The joints have their own changes too, the hyaline [teflon-like] cartilage at the bone to bone interfaces is usualy worn and the ligaments and tendons may become less flexible and subject to injury. Use is an excellent way to keep them both happy, abuse, well . . Suppliments like glucosomine/chondrotin have actually done a great job on my joints, but their affects dissapate with non-use of the pill. I can't stress the benefits of some kind of daily multi-vitamin enough [yes folks-take your geritol] as well as reduced carbohydrate/fat intake and increased fiber/protein intake.

 

[TigerWoman]

After I got my 2nd dan, and now 55+ I vowed to really restrict jumping. I had to do the same stuff as a 25 yr. old had to do for my test. Actually he changed requirements after me to easier breaks. So now I do more squats-good for knee ligaments but not over 90°, lead kickboxing, do yoga-great for flexibility, teach and go to three TKD classes a week. Also for balance as that isn't so great after 40 and since I have less than no cartilage in my knees, even if I'm standing straight up with knees and feet together, I have wavering-balance issues. I take glucosamine/MSM and Advil but not together and Calcium/Magnesium, Juice Plus veg and fruit derivatives, and Shaklee multi vitamins. I teach also, so I have found I still have to show students how to do a jump spin heel etc. so once in a while I practice it. Bites to get old. But I have the heart of a 25 yr. old!!! Its not fair I found TKD late in my forties! Sigh! TW

 

[hardheadjarhead]

This morning as I was finishing doing my forms, as I do nearly every morning, I began to wonder how the elderly masters can continue to perform at the age of 70 or even 80. I know for me at the age of 57 it's becoming more and more painful to perform kicks and low stances. I continue in the hope that I can stave off some of the pain by keeping flexible and continuing to use the muscles. But I've personally seen old masters in the Philippines and Hong Kong who were at least 80 who could still perform with power and agility that was unbelievable. My own instructor is now 79 and you can still feel the power when he performs. Maybe the Asian body heals all the years of injuries better than westerners. I have always seen myself practicing martial arts until I was old, but sometimes I can feel the time coming to give it up.

The "old" masters are rare. Keep in mind that they're what is left over. Thousands trained in the martial arts and dropped out while those old guys kept plugging on.

Ask your 79 year old instructor how many of his juniors in their fifties are still practicing. Not many.

If you end up dropping out or moving to a less rigorous art, don't feel you didn't measure up to those old guys. They likely have genetic gifts and life experiences far different than yours. While it'd be nice to old and vital like them, not all of us will be.

One of the hardest things about aging, I've found, is dealing with the younger adults and teens They don't get it. They expect us to be able to do anything they do...and it simply won't happen. Part of the problem is that we might look strong and vital. We may be strong and vital for our age...but that doesn't mean we can keep up with them for any sustained length of time.

They'll have their day. If I live long enough, I will take sadistic delight in their middle-age. I'll toothlessly cackle, "It hurts now...don't it, boy?"


Regards,


Steve

 

[47MartialMan]

In age, we have wisdom and experience. We do not have to be concerned with how we "used" to do something. My older instructors cannot perform like they had also. Given this, we must continue to practice and learn. Truely we can state that we have the biggest gift of endurance....the will to train/study on these many years.