Feel the need to train

[Xue Sheng107 24]

And it been awhile

Ever since I found out they teach Kobudo near me I have actually been excited about training again. Not that I didn’t train for Wing Chun or Taijiquan, it is just it was basically the same old thing.. and I could cheat. And ever since my last birthday getting out of my recliner has gotten difficult so I trained only the bare minimum to keep going.

Now, I find I need to get up and move. Probably because Kobudo is something new.

But this has also opened my eyes to the fact that I’m a geezer, and all this sitting has taken a lot more out of me than it used to.

Trained a little this morning, thinking of leaving work early to get a bit more serious training in. Or at least as serious as I am capable of at the moment. I think the 1 to 2.5 hours of training, 6 to 7 days a week (not including class time) are far behind me. But a regular schedule is better than what I was doing.

Now if I can only get my stupid shoulder to cooperate I can start Kobudo

 

[isshinryuronin4 3]

I think the 1 to 2.5 hours of training, 6 to 7 days a week (not including class time) are far behind me.

At 70 I was training 2 hrs/day, 3 days/wk. plus a little at home in my spare time. Now, it's about 1/2 hour/day at home plus 45 min, 3 times/wk at the gym. My overall endurance is the biggest victim of my getting old.

Now if I can only get my stupid shoulder to cooperate I can start Kobudo

IMO, the sai involve the most shoulder work, and that's mostly with the right arm. The key to most kobudo is in the hips and elbow position. If you use lighter weight weapons you can probably start sooner than you think. I use a 4-foot PVC pipe to practice bo kata in my apartment.

 

[Xue Sheng107 24]

IMO, the sai involve the most shoulder work, and that's mostly with the right arm. The key to most kobudo is in the hips and elbow position. If you use lighter weight weapons you can probably start sooner than you think. I use a 4-foot PVC pipe to practice bo kata in my apartment.

It’s my right shoulder. But thanks, something to think about

 

[HighKick]

I'm going to be a little vulnerable, which is hard for me. I had a lower back injury in my early 20's, mild disc rupture which, in the grand scheme has not been much of an issue my whole life (I am about to turn 63). Flared and hurt at times but no big deal.
About a year ago, I was at the gym doing my regular weight routine and went up Slightly on my overhead weight. About an hour later, I was in excruciating pain and my right butt cheek and foot went completely numb. Went to my regular doctor the next day who confirmed I had pinched the same disc. Took about 2-weeks to get my feeling back somewhat and for the pain to subside without a butt-ton of anti-inflammatories. Took a couple months before I really tested it again. Hard when you are a farmer and still working a FTJ. Have really taken it easy and honestly, it is hurting more than it is helping. It has kept the major pain at bay but atrophy is definitely setting in. I recently had a full back MRI and it is just Ugly. Major problem at L5-S1 and little disc left from about T4-T10. The irony in this is my neck has been broken twice, C2 & C3, and in comparison, it doesn't bother me too bad. The Ortho is talking a fusion and discectomy/laminectomy in one swing. I am pushing back Hard. Some of this is genetic (father & brothers have/had 'bad backs'), most of it is from sports/accident related injuries. So I can't ***** about it too much. It is what it is, but I am to the point that anti-inflammatories and low dose pain killers are not working all that great.
Has anyone else faced similar issues and found alternatives that worked?

 

[windwalker099114 144]

Interesting

At 70, some of the things I did when I was younger in the name of training are starting to show up in different ways, most of them not good

@HighKick, you might want to explore some qigong practices. They're said to have restorative effects on the body and can offer a different perspective on movement and recovery. Not a replacement for medical care, but perhaps another avenue worth looking into while weighing your options. good luck

 

[Xue Sheng107 24]

I'm going to be a little vulnerable, which is hard for me. I had a lower back injury in my early 20's, mild disc rupture which, in the grand scheme has not been much of an issue my whole life (I am about to turn 63). Flared and hurt at times but no big deal.
About a year ago, I was at the gym doing my regular weight routine and went up Slightly on my overhead weight. About an hour later, I was in excruciating pain and my right butt cheek and foot went completely numb. Went to my regular doctor the next day who confirmed I had pinched the same disc. Took about 2-weeks to get my feeling back somewhat and for the pain to subside without a butt-ton of anti-inflammatories. Took a couple months before I really tested it again. Hard when you are a farmer and still working a FTJ. Have really taken it easy and honestly, it is hurting more than it is helping. It has kept the major pain at bay but atrophy is definitely setting in. I recently had a full back MRI and it is just Ugly. Major problem at L5-S1 and little disc left from about T4-T10. The irony in this is my neck has been broken twice, C2 & C3, and in comparison, it doesn't bother me too bad. The Ortho is talking a fusion and discectomy/laminectomy in one swing. I am pushing back Hard. Some of this is genetic (father & brothers have/had 'bad backs'), most of it is from sports/accident related injuries. So I can't ***** about it too much. It is what it is, but I am to the point that anti-inflammatories and low dose pain killers are not working all that great.
Has anyone else faced similar issues and found alternatives that worked?

When I was younger, apparently I thought I knew more than my doctors did, I would train wearing knee braces, and even trained with a makeshift caste on my broken ankle, although I didn't know it was broken at the time. The second time I broke my ankle was training long fist, did I stop, nope, I held kick pads for others and jump backwards on one leg. Even figured out how to trhow a kick while on crutches..... I think I was in my 40s when I decided my doctors know more than I do... and started listening.....

I was not that sever, but I hurt my back in my 20s, about 3 times, bulging disks, last time I spent a few days in the hospital. Had a tree fall on me right around the time I started dating my wife, I was in my 40s. Felt fine after getting the tree off me, the next day I could not feel my toes on my right foot. My then girl friend treated me with acupuncture and tuina. after a coupls days I could feel my toes again. Almost every injury I have gotten since, or ache or pain, gets treated,. But then my wife is a Traditiona Chinese Medical Doctor from Beijing. It helps in most cases, however this dd not prevent me from having a detacted retina, or needing knee surgery or a knee replacement.

I have a genetic predisposition for arhtritis, and have it in many joints, that too gets treated. But your back sounds like something she would tell you she could not help much beyond temporary relief from pain. But then I am not a TCMdoc nor am I am MD so what the heck do I know.

My current shoulder issue is from a minor rotator cuff tear, that every time I think it is getting better, I do something stupid and hurt it again. This time, I am taking it real easy on my shoulder becasue I want to get back to training and I want to try Kobudo.

 

[windwalker099114 144]

But then my wife is a Traditiona Chinese Medical Doctor from Beijing. It helps in most cases, however this dd not prevent me from having a detacted retina, or needing knee surgery or a knee replacement.

Not something to be dismissed.

TCM coupled with Western medicine and modern diagnostic technologies can give a person a lot of options when dealing with illness and recovery.

I had a friend in Taiwan a "taiji teacher" who developed thyroid cancer I belive..its been awhile.
The last time I saw him he was pursuing TCM treatments. Sadly, the cancer eventually took him.

Would a different course of treatment have changed the outcome? Nobody can really know. Cancer can be unpredictable even with the best available care.

One thing Taiwan does particularly well is that many doctors are familiar with both TCM and Western medicine, allowing patients to draw from both traditions when appropriate.

 

[Xue Sheng107 24]

One thing Taiwan does particularly well is that many doctors are familiar with both TCM and Western medicine, allowing patients to draw from both traditions when appropriate.

They are in Beijing too. She had to go through some western medical training to get her degree. But then they get enough credits in their undergrad program to equal a graduate degree here, and she got her PhD in Beijing. And in the hospital she worked in, both side worked together. She is the berst diagnostitian I have ever known.

 

[HighKick]

When I was younger, apparently I thought I knew more than my doctors did, I would train wearing knee braces, and even trained with a makeshift caste on my broken ankle, although I didn't know it was broken at the time. The second time I broke my ankle was training long fist, did I stop, nope, I held kick pads for others and jump backwards on one leg. Even figured out how to trhow a kick while on crutches..... I think I was in my 40s when I decided my doctors know more than I do... and started listening.....

I was not that sever, but I hurt my back in my 20s, about 3 times, bulging disks, last time I spent a few days in the hospital. Had a tree fall on me right around the time I started dating my wife, I was in my 40s. Felt fine after getting the tree off me, the next day I could not feel my toes on my right foot. My then girl friend treated me with acupuncture and tuina. after a coupls days I could feel my toes again. Almost every injury I have gotten since, or ache or pain, gets treated,. But then my wife is a Traditiona Chinese Medical Doctor from Beijing. It helps in most cases, however this dd not prevent me from having a detacted retina, or needing knee surgery or a knee replacement.

I have a genetic predisposition for arhtritis, and have it in many joints, that too gets treated. But your back sounds like something she would tell you she could not help much beyond temporary relief from pain. But then I am not a TCMdoc nor am I am MD so what the heck do I know.

My current shoulder issue is from a minor rotator cuff tear, that every time I think it is getting better, I do something stupid and hurt it again. This time, I am taking it real easy on my shoulder becasue I want to get back to training and I want to try Kobudo.

Yeah, the 'itis' brothers are real bastards. I think I forgot to mention my impending shoulder replacement. Getting old is rough sometimes.

I would not change anything about my hard country upbringing or my time in multiple sports, even all the injuries except one (broken neck in football). But the things that were out of my control were/are rough. Sometimes, you just have to roll with the punches.

 

[Xue Sheng107 24]

Yeah, the 'itis' brothers are real bastards. I think I forgot to mention my impending shoulder replacement. Getting old is rough sometimes.

I would not change anything about my hard country upbringing or my time in multiple sports, even all the injuries except one (broken neck in football). But the things that were out of my control were/are rough. Sometimes, you just have to roll with the punches.

Get old ain’t for sissies

For me, it was martial arts and dirt bikes (Harley sxt125) when i was young. And i wouldn’t change that. However i might change the auto mechanic days of my youth, thosr got me hurt abd took me in a bad direction. But i can’t change the past just have to deal with what i have now

 

[HighKick]

Get old ain’t for sissies

For me, it was martial arts and dirt bikes (Harley sxt125) when i was young. And i wouldn’t change that. However i might change the auto mechanic days of my youth, thosr got me hurt abd took me in a bad direction. But i can’t change the past just have to deal with what i have now

We have ran in similar circle. I raced Enduro for Yamaha for 3-years in my young years and I pulled wrenches while in college. I mainly raced in the 250 class but also got talked into slinging a leg over a 465 for one spring season. That bike was awful. Heavy and underpowered.

 

[Xue Sheng107 24]

We have ran in similar circle. I raced Enduro for Yamaha for 3-years in my young years and I pulled wrenches while in college. I mainly raced in the 250 class but also got talked into slinging a leg over a 465 for one spring season. That bike was awful. Heavy and underpowered.

I did mainly hill climbs as far as races go. That Harley was a beast in a hill climb, that and/or I was just plain crazy...beat a Kawasaki 250 on a hill climb with that 125. Knew a guy that raced for Team Yamaha, motocross, he had a YZ125. I took that for a ride one day, dang thing scared the living daylights out of me. It was incredibly fast and powerful, but then it was a YZ set up for motocross,

 

[HighKick]

I did mainly hill climbs as far as races go. That Harley was a beast in a hill climb, that and/or I was just plain crazy...beat a Kawasaki 250 on a hill climb with that 125. Knew a guy that raced for Team Yamaha, motocross, he had a YZ125. I took that for a ride one day, dang thing scared the living daylights out of me. It was incredibly fast and powerful, but then it was a YZ set up for motocross,

I raced on a modified IT. Very similar engine to the YZ's but banded differently so that you have a wider powerband for running in the woods and rocks. I had three sponsors, one being E.C. Birt engines. He could really pump that engine up. In Enduro, you run in classes based on your skillset and points rating, A through E. I was an A rider so got to ride with the best of the best (like Dick Burleson). You don't really race against each other, instead you race against the clock. Since some of the races were as long as 275 miles, conditioning was a real issue.
Hills and deep water was part and parcel of some races. But not the kind of hills where you need an extended swingarm just to have a chance.

 

[Xue Sheng107 24]

I raced on a modified IT. Very similar engine to the YZ's but banded differently so that you have a wider powerband for running in the woods and rocks. I had three sponsors, one being E.C. Birt engines. He could really pump that engine up. In Enduro, you run in classes based on your skillset and points rating, A through E. I was an A rider so got to ride with the best of the best (like Dick Burleson). You don't really race against each other, instead you race against the clock. Since some of the races were as long as 275 miles, conditioning was a real issue.
Hills and deep water was part and parcel of some races. But not the kind of hills where you need an extended swingarm just to have a chance.

All i did was unofficial hill climbs with a standard bike. Mostly started by the words “want to race “ i lost a lot of flat out races, but not hill climbs.