Hi Karate Mum, I joined MAP a week or so ago. I'm 52 and started learning Kung Fu at 48 for similar reasons to yourself. I'm working towards my black sash grading next year now and think that age isn't so much of an issue as whether you enjoy whatever MA you are doing and are prepared to throw yourself into it. I wouldn't describe myself as having a lot going on by way of natural ability, but I think hard work makes up for a lot, if you enjoy it. Welcome!
Mitch, the answer to that is no! LOL we were just paired up and let's just say that my aim is far removed from my enthusiam! I won't try that again until I have better flexibility!
Welcome to MAP and Karate! I started M.A. almost 3 years ago. I was 40 by then. Big and uncoordinated. I started doing TaiJitsu, and then one year later I added a bit of Karate. March this year I moved only onto Kyokushin Karate (for now, but I think I'd like to add JKD or BBJ) Still very uncoordinated, as that is how I am, but with lots of work, you manage. That is a good thing about Karate, that it is quite structured, so it helps. And remember, the main thing in Karate is that it is an internal martial art, so you do it for you, not for the rest of people.
Hi Zabrus, it is good to hear from all you folks that haven't started when you were young, I think there comes an age where you wonder if you can still learn new stuff that requires physical effort; esp. when you have lost that fitness that young people seem to have at school before they get stuck in a computer chair during their working life. However, it's also amazing what regular exercise can start to do - sometimes I've seen it happen on 'Strictly' when the celebs appear to lose pounds in weigh over the weeks. I am already thinking that I might try to find time to get out on my bicycle again and maybe do some press-ups at home - I'm hopeless at press-ups, but have been told I can do 'ladies' ones until I get stronger arms. In the last few years I have gone back to riding horses - it's a costly habit and I only get an hour every two weeks, BUT prior to that I was doing exactly nothing exercise wise. When I went back my seat had gone to pot and I was extremely dissatisfied with myself - now through doing nothing other than that one session every two weeks I am better and my seat was congratulated as excellent last week :-D So I am hopeful that my fitness will improve again with the Karate. Luckily when I have done stuff in the past its been riding and dancing (20 years + ago), both of which require good coordination so I am hopeful that they will help with karate - I also do just a little skiing (but not regularly) now too and again that is a coordination thing as well. I have just got to work out the balance point for karate as all these are slightly different - with karate I've got to keep my hips under me and not lean forwards!!
Found this on FB KarateMum just for inspiration........https://www.facebook.com/jiujitsuol...3626457483237/321803687998846/?type=1&fref=nf
I started at 38 and am 49 now. One of the reasons I do it is for longevity. Our GGM is in his 80's and can move in ways I have difficulty doing. One of our other ones - that passed away - was active well into his 90's. I know lots of others who start older, although of course most students are younger. We have a couple in our school that started in their early 60's- they are in their 70's now. Tell that to your friend. I am not impressed by his or her lack of support. What does this person want? You to sit around on the couch watching reality tv? Funny how our society doesn't make fun of people doing that, but find it strange that someone does something practical and beneficial like MAs!
Use your new found skills to slap the heck out of them! Just feel sorry for them. They are probably too insecure about themselves to do something similar. Or they are jealous that you are confident enough to say, "Bugger it! I'll have a go". That's what I have found. I started a whole bunch of new hobbies a few years ago (snowboarding, longboarding, climbing) there was always someone telling me I'm too old. Says more about them than it does me.
I have decided it will take a certain amount of practice to get the hands facing the correct way up in the last couple of Pinan Nidan moves. It certainly isn't instinctive to tip the hands with the backs effectively facing each other (if not aligned) and then reverse which is on top once you have turned. Def. a case of 'first engage brain' LOL
Lol, I had that issue too. Left hand over right hand on the first, followed by the two spear hand strikes, then right hand over left hand for the second turn, followed by the two spear hand strikes to finish. Keep at it, repetition is your friend. I've been practicing WadoRyu for just over 2 years now, there is a huge amount of syllabus to take in. All the best for your training.
Hi everyone, I thought I'd report back in. Well, I'm a good few sessions into it now. I've started to do 2 hours on the first evening and for the first time did a second evening this week, but just the first hour. The 2nd evening is a tad intense, and I won't be able to make it every week, but I am going to try and do it when I can. The seniority of the second sessions means that I am being encouraged to try different things. I am obviously still working on getting Pinan Nidan more or less correct, but this week have started to learn Pinan Shodan as well. I wonder if the process of memorising these things gets easier as the brain gets more accustomed to the process, as although I'm not quite there yet, I reckon I've got about 80% of it sorted and with someone to follow I think I'm making a fair go of it for the time invested so far. Each week we do some general fitness things - this is def. what I need. We did lots of core fitness things last night :-D (I can feel a slight pull across my mid-rift this morning!) I am amazed at how much things like sparring appear to need cardiac fitness (well I get hot and knackered!!), I am pleased with this as I know my fitness requires improvement and it can only help. I still can't do a proper press-up though :-( The other thing I don't seem to have is the power of the men (even fellow newbies) to punch with. I have been told that technique will lead to that, but I still feel a bit 'weak and feeble' in that dept. at the moment. Anyhow, I think the good news is that I am enjoying it and look forward to going each week. So there you are, an update a few weeks into things. I hope if I post my progress that it will help others who might also be just starting as an older person.
Hi all, I thought I'd come back to this first thread for another update. You never know it might be useful to someone. So I missed a few sessions what with getting that rotten flu type bug that went round and Christmas, but am now back into things following the excesses of the holiday season. I'm still finding the process of memorising things is more difficult than I thought it would be, though I know my way around Pinan Nidan quite well now - the actual forms (is that the correct word?) and directions still need a lot of work, but I can normally remember what should be following what. I didn't expect remembering things to be awkward given that I never recall having a problem when I was much younger and danced. I've come to the conclusion that it's because Karate is largely silent and there is no musical accompaniment to take any cues from. You also have learn the Japanese for each of the movements and be able to take in/comprehend several in succession as a set of actions to practice with. I had forgotten how difficult learning was! However, I believe I making some small improvement. This week I was called along with each of the others in turn to demonstrate my Kata - the first time I have been included in this exercise. Whilst I am sure that my demonstration was no-where near good enough, I did assume that being included with the others meant I had made progress and that being asked was overall a good thing. I know the fitness training is already starting to help. There are things I've been surprised to find I could do - for example, I do better than I thought I would with the tummy exercises and star jumps are fine, quads have seen better days though - lunges are def. suspect, though exercises involving leg lifts in most directions are OK and I can't even manage a single proper press-up (there must be a knack and I just don't have it). What has surprised me is how much better my balance is and only after such a short time. I can stretch a quad properly standing on either single leg now without wobbling or propped up a wall. I couldn't do that when I started. I am also learning how to kick and maintain my balance and how a slightly bent leg helps with that. I have also been learning some punches and blocks and sometimes how to make the opponents fall. I have also discovered that you have to often place a lot of trust in the partner you train with, i.e. that they won't intentionally connect hard enough to injure and conversely that they place the same trust in me! Given that most grade higher than me I think they are the ones who offer the biggest level of trust as I am still learning 'control'. To anyone learning as an adult I would say that the first time you land on the mat is the hardest - my our age it can easily be a long time since you last fell and you tend to associate falling with getting hurt. Even now I am not entirely comfortable with being put on the mat, but I am going along with it because it is clearly part of the process and I am sure I will get used to it. However, I still relish going to the sessions, I'm trying to do 4 hrs a week and it's really making me feel good and has given me something interesting and new to do which is def. good for the soul. So that's all for this update - I hope it helps someone and I will report back again in due course.
Nice progress! Pinan Nidan is a 3rd kyu or so kata at my dojo. I wish I were as good at learning them as you are. /jealous
I think a confession is in order, as well as a warning for anyone just starting out. You will feel mortified if you ever land a punch on the instructor whilst receiving some pointers during a non-sparring scenario Oh, my word, where do you put your face? In fact I think I have discovered the true purpose of a set of hand pads.
Hi KarateMum I started Shotokan when I was 26 and did it for several years then motherhood came along and I squandered 7 years of my life on them! I have just started back last month however, I waited until my eldest was 7 and we started Shotokan on her birthday It really is nice to be back but I am glad I am doing this with my daughter as we get so little time together due to work and her extreme social schedule! I am just suffering from a chest infection but hope to return next week, she is already fretting as she would have missed 3 classes and I will have delayed her grading
Hi Melanie, Thanks for your comments - on this thread it has been good to hear from others that are a similar age and are either new starters or returnees. It has been a good confidence boost. At my age I do sometimes wonder if I can still learn something new. The trouble is I'm a bit of perfectionist and I do enjoy things more when I know I'm doing them to my own satisfaction and at the moment I know I am at the consciously incompetent stage of learning. I hope you soon recover from your chest infection. I had something similar over Christmas and it knocked me out for several weeks. I must admit that I don't think I've even thought about grading one day. Maybe my son has, but at present I'm just enjoying the chance to get out the house and learn something new. What is pleasing is that I believe I am already seeing some health benefits from doing so.
Just adding on to the group of folks who started later. I enrolled my kids in TKD about a year ago and got tired of just watching them practice, so I joined up as well at the tender age of 44. I could keep up with the fitness stuff but flexibility was my main issue (I guess an art not so focused on kicking might have fit my old man hips better). It's still not great but getting better. Some of the things that were posted are very familiar, falling down during kicks, missing the pads, punching the instructor inadvertently...I've done all of those. Laugh it off and keep trying. I can definitely tell that trying hard has earned me some respect from the other students and instructors.....the skills I hope will eventually come with practice.
