is 35 too old to start a hard martial art like Taekwondo or Kyokushin Karate?

I keep on being told by family and friends I'm too old to start doing these MAs since they involve a lot of punishment to the body and that my body is no longer that of a young person and that i risk serious damage!!

Is this true or are they being over-cautious?
I AM a bit overweight and very inflexible at present so should I start or not?

 

I suggest you find a class and either phone or go along and speak with the instructor. Any good school will give a free taster lesson which would give you the opportunity to see what is involved and you will get some idea of your fitness ability. Also, you should be given advice on suitability for you or a suggestion of a differnt MA to try.

I hope you find what you need.

And no, you are not too old. You may need to take it slowly whilst you get fit and in shape.

 

What RedKite said.

 

I would say 35 is not too old.. but MA's like TKD require alot of leg stretching because of high kicks that they use in their system. and at 35 Leg stretching becomes harder than lets say if you were 20...

 

Never too old mate! I'm just short of 32 and only started a couple of weeks ago. Sure, you ache a lot more than the younger guys do, and for a couple of days extra afterwards, but it's worth it! I'm really enjoying it and finding reserves of strength, stamina and attitude I never knew I had! Like everyone above said, just take it easy and make sure your instructor doesn't push you too hard to begin with. I found Jujitsu very good to do and most kicks are kept to waist height or below for realism purposes. Have a scout around the MA schools in your area and see what they can offer you.

 

You're asking because by family and friends that your body is too old to take punishment at 35? That's rubbish.
It's not like you're gonna be thrown in the deep end. You shouldn't be allowed to participate in any full contact sparring before you and the instructer believe that you are able to take it. Certain martial arts aren't meant for a certain type of people, they're meant for everybody. If you work hard you'll adapt to it in no time. But still, go for a trial lesson and see if you feel like you're up to it.
If you don't feel fit enough, either find something else or get yourself into better shape before signing up for class. Eventhough you will benefit from the training, there is no point in starting something that will annihilate you from the beginning. You'll just lose motivation.

 

As my instructor always reminds us, you can only do what you can do. Fortunately, as you continue to practise martial arts, you will find that what you can do will steadily increase as you get fitter over time. Good luck with whatever art you choose to take up.

 

it depends on how active you have been previously to this? if this is the first exercise you have done since PE lessons in school then it will be harder on you then if you had been doing regular exercise.

Other then that, there is no reason that it would be any harder for you, at that age your body doesn't heal as fast as at 20, but not by much. Just work into it gradually.

 

While it can be statistically proven that there is a higher risk of injury for persons beginning an MA at an older age, you are NEVER too old to start!!! There is a 67 year old sa bom nim (4th degree Dan member) at my dojang that began training when he was 45. We have many members well past their 50's that move like they're 18.

I'm also 35 and began training in MDK about 8 months ago, when I was 34. I wasn't overweight, but I hadn't really been doing much physical activity and personally considered myself greatly out of shape (I used to be very physically active and also boxed for a bit in my younger years).

Getting started was definitely the hardest part (most MA practictioners I know say the same). The stances and many of the moves felt completely alien at first, but after a few months they began to feel comfortable and I eventually developed enough of a repertoire that the various elements of the system all began to come together and I was able to start learning more from every class.

As for the initial soreness... Let's just say that after the first week or two you will know the EXACT location of your gluts, hamstrings, and adductors. But you'll also notice an increase in strength and toning of practically every muscle in your body in almost no-time. I noticed that my triceps in particular tripled in size in the first 3-4 months.

Beyond the soreness I do get a few pulled/strained muscles here and there, but I also push myself extremely hard because I'm in love with the art (I train in the dojang about 5 hours a week and train at home another 5-10). I've noticed that muscle pulls do take longer to heal at this age, but as my strength and technique have improved I've found that these sorts of injuries tend to come fewer and farther between.

Take the time to research the arts and schools available in your area and pick the one that's exactly right for YOU. And keep in mind that the instructor should be the primary selling point when choosing a school. If you're not instantly smitten after meeting them for the first time, then keep looking.

Don't be afraid of your age and don't be afraid of the intensity of training. Leaving the dojang after a heavy training session is one of the best clear-headed "highs" you'll ever get. You'll feel better, you'll move better, you'll look better, and you'll even begin to reverse the effects of aging - if there truly is a "fountain of youth", MA is it.

-Lance

 

you never to old to start anything.

 

Don't let anyone tell you you can't until you have tried... I started some judo recently to get me ready for the rugby season.... take some incredible beatings in randori but it is a laugh!!

At 51 it was a shock to the system but after the initial shock things have improved (although further judo will have to wait until the end of rugby season now as I cant close my hands if I do both LOL)

Start slow, use the appropriate meds/heat/cold/liniment etc and see how you are doing after a couple of months.. do stretching etc daily on your own and remember that your fitness/flexibility is your responsibility. Take that approach and you will get through long enough to see if the arts you want to try suit you!!

powchoy

 

No way is 35 too late to start training, you will feel it the next day more than the youngsters but the more you train the more your body adapts and you will become more flexible and used to the punishment!!!

 

of course you're too old,you're practically an antique....heh,heh......i started studying karate at forty-two , now i am a forty-eight year old shodan ...seriously,though,if you do find an art you enjoy and you go at it hard you may find you get injured more often than the young pups do ...pulled/torn muscles and the like.....or maybe it's just me ...anyway the benefits far outweigh the drawbacks and you'll get used to limping all the time (especially first thing in the morning!)

 

Would definatly recommend it, people have started at much later ages. Good luck!

 

You're never too old to try and you're always too young to give up. If you want to take martial arts, go for it! If you're really out of shape, join a gym or take up running if you think it will help.

Conditioning your body is as much a part of martial arts as is learning fancy techniques or learning how to wield a weapon or disarm someone. It's not all about being flash harry and hurting people. Though sometimes that is fun.

 

35 is young

I don't know about Kyokushin ... I think it's "harder" that TKD (imo the ITF TKD as it now is has got "softer" than it was).

I started TDK in my early 20s, gave it up after about 3 years & then did very little indeed for the next 20 years, restarted it aged 43.

I'm as flexible still as most, fitter than many, & (so far) keeping ahead of the injuries ... the old thing about not healing up as quick as when younger hasn't been a factor.

If anything, I'm tougher with age ... I remember that it used to be me wincing when doing arm to arm blocks, now it's the youngsters wincing.

Get yourself fit, if not already, outside of class - I think it's better to be fit for TKD than rely on TKD making you so - & enjoy.

Aged 35, you've plenty of years training ahead of you.

 

If everyone who asked this question ono map by now gave me a penny, I would be rich and retired at age 23.

I think that's the question you need to answer for yourself: do you feel old at 35?

 

I'm 33 years old and I get busy in class just like the teenagers. The only difference is that I sometimes have to go home pop some advil, rub on some ointment and apply the heating pad. Only you know what you are capable of. Stay active as much as possible, cause when you stop or never try then you will be old. Give it a try, you will become an inspiration to all the nay-sayers. Good luck!!!