An old guy tkdoing

[Manny]

I've been doing some exercises for wtf tkd kyorugi tournamentes (more on this latter), because the new sabonim it's nuts about this, she wants her students to compete and I have to say the last training sessions have been about some questionable techs that are good for win points but quite franquly horrible for serius things but thta's the way it is. We had a dualmeet inhouse competition with another two dojangs this weekend where I was the only center referee, nothing fancy just put the kids to do kyorugy, no points score, etc.

I've been noticing I can not keep the peace with the kids anymore, they simple are teens, very fit and with nice cardio, easy in their kicks and I...... well a 47 years old working man father of two lovely daughther and a house to maintain, and quite frankly I am having troubles trying to keep going with the kids so I have to rely on my brains more than my physical abilities, so I have to waint till the kid make his move to counter, because other ways I have to chase the kids with a voley of kicks without scoring because when my kick goes the kid is out of reach, even this my punches in short are good.

Something completly diferent is when I do kyorugy without WTF rules set, I mean using kicks,hands,sweps,grab,takedowns, etc. this is what I really like.

Well I am an old f.....rt but I really love to do TKD.

Manny

 

[TrueJim]

I like to attend our school's "All Belt" classes in the evenings (I help the instructors with poomsae instruction) but Tuesdays and Fridays are sparring nights at our school. When I go on a Tuesday (at age 54...with a desk job) I'm always paired for sparring with 16-18 year old teenagers. Oy, I feel your pain. I can try to fight "smarter" as much as I like, but at 5'7" (170 cm) I'm invariably smaller, slower, less limber, and just generally have a lot less wind in my sails. It's brutal.

But fun.

 

[evelbug]

I feel your pain. I'm 39 and most of the people in my TKD school I get matched up with are teen and early 20's. For some reason I thought it was a good idea to do two sparring classes last Thursday. I'm still sore from that.

 

[drop bear]

Your rule set is not exactly old person friendly though. Is it?

mabye something more sanda,kudo or shoot boxing.

 

[tshadowchaser]

you said you have a new sabonim. Has the school changed hands or is there just a new order in who is doing what?
If things are moving away from what you do you may need to talk with someone in authority at the school or look for a new school.
As not keeping up with the young ones well it happens to all us us at some point.

 

[Manny]

you said you have a new sabonim. Has the school changed hands or is there just a new order in who is doing what?
If things are moving away from what you do you may need to talk with someone in authority at the school or look for a new school.
As not keeping up with the young ones well it happens to all us us at some point.

Things are this way, before my sabonim leave us I had my own class (the class I taught) that consit of two or three men with maybe one or two kids, my class was oriented to poomsae, hanbom kyorugy, self defense, basics and a little wtf kyorugy (sparring), it was a class for grown up men like me, yes we do exercise we sweat a lot but nothing fancy or flamboyant.

My sabonim returned to Mexico City and now the dojang is in the hands of an old student of my sabonim a third dan black belt woman, she is trying to maintain the dojang (the dojang is her's now) and knows the kids are the ones thay pay the bills so she focuses on this, I no longer have my class because she gave my two hours of class to a zumba instructor, and now I HAVE to 1.-Train with the kids (teens) or asist the sabonim with the pewees and sometimes she allows me to give the teen class BUT with her instructions, so basically I am an asistant to her.

Manny

 

[tshadowchaser]

First there is nothing bad or wrong with being an assistant if the school is not yours. Having to give up a class that you taught is not an easy thing to do. Have you talked with her about having a time slot for the adult class?
Zumba, yuk, just a money making activity and nothing tom do with martial arts except pay some bills.

I hate to even suggest this but if you want to continue to teach adults you may have to go to a different school or start your own.

 

[Manny]

First there is nothing bad or wrong with being an assistant if the school is not yours. Having to give up a class that you taught is not an easy thing to do. Have you talked with her about having a time slot for the adult class?
Zumba, yuk, just a money making activity and nothing tom do with martial arts except pay some bills.

I hate to even suggest this but if you want to continue to teach adults you may have to go to a different school or start your own.

Completly true my friend. Star with own dojang is not possible, sad to say it, I have bills to pay, the education of my two daughter and one of them in short time will have to go to college, I can not aford the rent of a small suitable facility to teach TKD by my own. Something I've been thinking about is to acomodate with some other martial art folk who has or rent a facility and teach twice or three times per week at nights and contribute with the rent of the facility but must to be smart because maybe my sambonim will nor allow me to do this and ask me to open my own dojang (Hwarang franchaise) and then be a partner of him in bussiness.

I am not against to assit the new boss, I like to interactuate with the peewes once in a while but in my own way, this is teaching MY class not what the boss says, because she leans to sport tkd and I to the martial art of TKD, I love the basics, kicks,punches,hand techs,blocks,parries,sweeps,trows,one steps, three steps, self defense,poomsae,kyorugy, etc,etc, and not like to hopping like rabbit doing some weird kicks to win points.

Manny

 

[Balrog]

I'm 66. I have the world's worst body type to do TKD: long torso, short legs. I have a couple of 6'2" or taller guys half my age that are turning into real good sparrers. Every once in a while, I have to put my gear on and show them that the old man still has a move or two left. They're getting good enough to where I'm realizing that I need to start sparring more and teaching the sparring classes less.

We all learn from everyone.

 

[Manny]

I'm 66. I have the world's worst body type to do TKD: long torso, short legs. I have a couple of 6'2" or taller guys half my age that are turning into real good sparrers. Every once in a while, I have to put my gear on and show them that the old man still has a move or two left. They're getting good enough to where I'm realizing that I need to start sparring more and teaching the sparring classes less.

We all learn from everyone.

Thank you Sir!! Yes this year I turn 48 and not as flexible or endurable as 20 years back, when I spar with the young people it's difficult (but not impossible), they are stronger than me, more flexible tahn me, quicker than me, more acurated BUT NOT smarther than me , so I have to be clever and not expose myself to them easily and fight in short.

Manny

 

[Flatfish]

Well, I feel your pain and raise you a "not only am I old and stiff and lack cardio but I am also a rank beginner to sparring". That means that not only can I not keep up with the young bucks but I also do not have the experience to spar smart

My only solace lies in the fact that at least I can out pushup and pullup anybody in the dojang......so I'm not dead yet.....