I trained JKD briefly many years ago but had to stop due to injury and the teacher moving out of the area. I have an opportunity to go back and train it again, in the same line (Jerry Poteet), under a different teacher, but being over a half century old, with arthritic knees and hip, and two retina reattachment surgeries (same eye) behind me, I am not sure it is possible. Heck, kicking above my knee is rough at times these days. I truly like JKD when I trained it and I cannot believe how much I learned about the other arts I trained (especially Xingyiquan) in my brief exposure to it. I am truly tempted, but I am not sure an old beat up martial artist like myself could actually handle it these days. I also realize it is something to run past my doctor too. But I am wondering what the opinion of other martial artists is on the, especially the JKD people.
Hannibal's teacher teaches the blind, so if they can do it so can you. To quote him directly, "break through the shackles of your self imposed limits." https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?...0911080732465.363869.612877464&type=3&theater I'd talk to the instructor and if he's happy to work around certain issues I see no reason not to go back to JKD.
We have a 54 year old guy, with arthritis in both ankles, as well as in his left hand, that trains with us. Whilst there have naturally been concessions made for his benefit, his progress over past few years has been leaps and bounds ahead what he thought himself capable of, when he first joined us. Travess
What was that about "take what is useful to you, and discard the rest" ? Only you know how much you can move which parts of your body. If the curriculum supports those limitations -- heck, I'd do it.
I have been talking to the instructor, that is what is tempting me to go back. And the quote I keep thinking about is
Thanks, a thought I have been having is when this is all over, will I regret I did not go back, or will I regret it by the end of summer
Thanks, that is pretty much something the instructor was talking about. I have the Jerry Poteet Disk one and have been given suggestions on how to work with it to see if the knees....and everything else... can handle it. And I have some time, like I said I can't do much until summer vacation.
Maybe that's a dumb thought from me now, but: In case you go back and regret it by the end of summer, you at least know after having tried. If you don't go back you will never know and might regret that even more.