I boxed for years. I am too old to now get hit like I used to. I now take classes that allow me to hit a wavemaster bag and practice footwork. Not the same but still it is something. Better than nothing.
Great advice! I started training when I was about 6 or 7 years old - I've just turned 60! I have a few dings and dents but overall, I feel great! I lift heavy weights 3 days a week and I can honestly say that I've never been as strong as I am now at any time in my life. I walk (LOTS) , do dynamic tension exercises and practice martial arts daily. "Old age"? Bring it on! ;)
I Started BJJ @ the young age of 57. Prior to that my training consisted in traditional MA like karate 🥋 and Kajukenpo. Body is sore however I am enjoying the journey
I started Kyokushin at the age of 30. I will be 33 in few months. During this time, i was shock to see how fast i learned and became strongest version of me. Prior to joining martial art, I was severely underestimating what i can achieve. I think trust in the process and trust in your Sensei is all you need.. OSU
What doesn't kill us makes us stronger, crazier, and eventually crippled if we're not careful, and mindful. Old martial artists don't die, they roll off into the sunset...to their dojos in wheelchairs to yell at other students. See you at the dojo damnit!!! 👍
am 60 years old i have been training in kali & silat for 3 years now it has help me with dealing in my movement and coronation flexibility.at level 2 now in kali
I had always wanted to learn martial arts, but life always got in the way, until my kids grew up. I started training in Japanese Jujitsu when I was 54. I am now 58 and have my brown belt. I train twice a week and have to be sure to get to the gym to work on my cardio as well. I am always amazed how I am sucking wind and sweating like a pig and the young guys are hardly out of breath. I am virtually always bruised and sore, but I love every minute of it. At my age you have to know your limits. I always roll, but don’t necessarily go 100% and I know that my knees and hips don’t bend and flex the way they once did. I hope to get my black belt and I’ll keep training as long as my body lets me.
Trained in kenpo karate uk in the 80s, alongside muay thai. Love both arts, but sometimes life gets in the way..work, kids, money time. Started training last year in karate and jujitsu, best decision I ever made. Only compete in point kumite, leave the full contact to the youngsters. Flexibility is harder to get ( I'm 53 ), but getting there. My sensei says, a black belt is a white belt who didn't quit. Hope to achieve my black belt before I'm 60 ( ish).
I started Kyokushin training at the age of 56, and I didn’t earn my brown-belt until 60. I train and spar with other black-belts and they don’t take it easy on me, and they respect that I can hold my own. I can’t do flying spin kicks and all that fancy stuff. I train within my limitations and the way i will need to defend myself in real-world scenarios. I have about two kicks that I train on everyday. Like the saying goes, don’t fear the man that has practiced ten thousand kicks, fear the man that has practiced one kick, ten thousand times!
Great video. I just started Goju Ryu karate in January and I am 46 years old. At first the body complained but now I feel amazing after class. I have some limitations from a spinal injury but the sensei Is flexible in training with me. Besides it is rewarding studying the art with my sons. Even my wife joined in!
42 years old here, together with my 7 year old son doing karate. Not only enjoying the martial arts but also enjoying sharing my love for martial arts with my son. And no, I do not consider myself old, even when my sensei and other students are much younger than myself.
I began Judo at 57 and loved it, taking an 8 year journey to Shodan. I was vigorous on the mat and did well, but had to stop due to recurring back pain- I miss it all the time. It changed the way I see the world and solving problems in my life.
I started shotokan karate at 60 at the dojo my son goes to (10years old), i used to do wado ryu up to intermediate level but gave up after three years because of work commitments. I now go 4 times a week for 2 hr sessions with much passion. I'm about to turn 64 and just achieved my black belt. I can highly recommend any form of martial arts for anyone my age but please start slowly but give it 100%.
Life is a circle. I started karate at 15 and will be 53 this year. I would train in my parents basement as a kid growing up, eventually became a Sensei and had my own Dojo for 20 years. Now I no longer teach, but still train in my own basement and my black belt is turning white. Life is a circle.
You had mistake back then Southern chinese martial art Is way effective than karate For your health when you became old when you Start cracking and cant hold your legs high
IF YOUR BELT TURNS WHITE IT MEANS YOU ARE A TRUE MASTER I STOPED CARING ABOUT BELTS BUT THE WHITE BELT IS THE BEST ALSO I HAVE A BLUE BELT THAT ALSO HAS FROM THE SWEAT OF HARD TRAINING LOSED A LITTLE BIT OF COLOR
I started training Shotokan Karate at the age of 15. After two years I took a pause - a 35 year long pause. But I'm back, okey it takes longer time to remember the kata. But now I will not give up, I've set up a goal with my sensei that I should try for the black belt before I'm 60. I'm at 4th kyu now and have six years before I turn 60. So here we go...
Im 57 and started Jiu Jitzu at 54. I do competitions 5 to 7 times per year. It is sometimes difficult to find other competitors in my age bracket so be aware that you may have to drop several age brackets if you want to win your medals by ACTUALLY competing instead of just winning by forfeit. On the positive side, I am the OLDEST person and the ONLY person in my class who has ever won a double Gold medal! On the negative side you can expect to get beat up on a regular basis by the younger stronger guys so be ready to tap early and tap often! Or you will be spending a lot of time and money on pain products and pain procedures!
I just got my Black belt in Kenpo & I'll be 52 in October. A woman who was also up for testing with me was in her mid sixties. She didn't make past the pretest but with help and support tested and got her Black Belt on the next cycle. There is no such thing as too old if there is enough dedication and determination you can succeed at anything.
Excellent, and that's a great point you brought up. Just because you don't achieve the goal the first time, work harder, correct your mistakes, and try again. Major credit for her for keeping up with that and I love your viewpoint on this :)
Some years of TaeKwonDo in my teen age, 10 years of Kendo and Iaido in my 20s and now 42 and started Shotokan last year. I'm starting to feel strong again, Oss!! :)
I've been training Kenpo for the last year and a half (I am 46 y.o.) and I'm ready to get my next promotion to blue belt. My ultimate goal is to get my Black Belt before I turn 50, I am only taking care with previous sport injuries and a torn muscle in my chest (precisely obtained during a combat), other than that, I still feel great and I love Kenpo!
Master Dan thank you very much for this video, I did judo back in 1974 as a little kid but for a quite short time period, then in 1983 I began TKD and did it for almost 35 years with ins and outs, now at almost 52 yo I am practicing and learning Kenpo Karate Americano de Ed Parker and love it! Yes I am not a child anymore and can't kick as high as I did when I was a teen, yes I can't jump and spin as well as I did in my early days but this not pull me down a little bit. I really enjoy what I am doing today, and I keep training three nights a week.
I have been a martial artrist from my early years. I am 46 and had a total hip replacement a year ago kept me out of training healing from the surfery. I may not do so many high or spinning and flying kicks any more or as well training allot in the horse stance do to the feeling of my knees. I still train regularly whether its doing basics, shadow boxing, some grappling mat training or the fundamentals of weapons arts I don't need for street defense. some times less is more and sometimes you can still go full out. I stay moving and in action
I am 56 and train four nights a week, 2 to 3 hours a night in Shorin-Ryu karate. I have traveled to Okinawa and have trained with many gentlemen that are in their 60's, 70's and 80's. Our late grand master retired from active ("nightly") teaching at approximately 94 (there is some debate as to his actual date of birth.) Karate can be for life. You just have to adapt your karate to your changing body. I started at 36, and thought I was a little too old, boy was I ever wrong!
I'm a 36 year old white belt in Ryu Kyu Kempo, I'm taking this journey with my 7 year old son and 4 year daughter, its a great way for a family to do something together. I think it helps my children when they see me push through some of the challenges.
Update, I hold the rank of Shodan in Ryu Kyu Kempo, hoping to get my Nidan in June (2024) and my now 12 year old son is studying for his Jr. Shodan and my 9 year old daughter is a blue belt. My wife even joined us for about 2 years getting up to purple belt before she decided she didn't like getting hit. I'm now 41 years old.
Hi from Bangkok, one aspect to also keep in mind when teaching older students is their ability to memorize, the old adage "you can't teach an old dog new tricks" is not accurate but I have seen with several elderly students it takes them a little longer to remember the body mecanics of a technique than it does younger students and kids. (Oh man, kids are like sponges, you really got to watch what you teach them, or you will get complaints from parents and teachers and neighbors ect.) I always try to work with our elderly students in our dojo before class to help them polish their basics ( kihon waza) it seems to really help them when it's time to practice new movements.
Such a rich and an empowering question. I am reading everyone’s comments and can see how empowered these people are. So much more “richer” for having this martial arts experience. I myself started in my early teens and stopped several years after that to play indoor volleyball for another 10 years semi professionally. At 35 I found it hard to keep a team together for this or that. I decided to look for something I could do that only needed me to show up - martial arts. Now 45 and after finding a branch of the early grandmaster I was taught under, I now have a strong club/academy and my daughter who is 15 is now a Black Belt. With confidence and understanding I never had at that age. Being older has allowed me to see different perspectives of a technique, which is invaluable when teaching application. Of course don’t let your ego write cheque’s your body can’t cash!!!
I still question this during my training at times. I jammed my toe and thumb, thankfully those weren't bad. I always struggled with flexibility in my teens and now it's much harder to stretch then before since I'm pushing 40 (which is next year). Despite those challenges I'm already becoming leaner in my mid section. My kata's are becoming more crisp. I'm already beginning to win some of my sparring sessions causing a few 5th & 4th kyu's apply more pressure on me. The Senpai's and Sensei actually told me to start thinking about joining the tournament team classes since my promotion is around the corner. Osu!
I'm 44 and just recently started Choi Kwang Do, a derivitive of Tai kwon do, basicily the same but some of the movements are softer to not cause as much joint injury, its great for keeping fit and regaining flexibility
Excellent segment on the aging process and martial arts practice Sensei Dan. I find that as we age, as seasoned martial artists, we also calculate our movements, when sparring with younger, more energetic and more athletic opponents. We economise our movements and energy, that is to say we do not do things, that will result in waste of motion, as well as something that will use up our energy. It is true that as we age, it is harder to recover from injuries, also that our muscles begin to become worn out, at times due to the numerous years of training, as well as the heavy amount of stress that we place on our bodies, with the excessive amount of physical activity, also the falls bumps and hits that we absorve. I guess if you have been training for numerous years, starting another martial art, so long as you have been training consistently, as well as keeping regularly active, would allow you to transition into the new style, much easier than someone who has never trained before, or has stopped doing so for many years. I find that learning new arts it is confusing, as the body and mind are accustomed or conditioned to moving and doing things in a certain way. So you need to reprogram yourself. However overall with age energy levels and also injury recovery, do lessen, as we approach middle age, as well as well as onto our senior years eventually. Great topic it was definitely something, that I had not considered or contemplated thoroughly, until now. I hope all is well with you and your family Sensei Dan, along with your work and training commitments, Osu! 👍 ☺ ✌
In October I got my back belt in Tang Soo Do, I was 48. It has been one of my greatest achievements and think it has been worth every moment I have spent studding. I can touch my toes again and have better balance. I can not kick as high as the kids, but I am louder and more focused. It has been great to spend so much time with my sons as they also earned their black belts.
As a lifelong martial artist, I agree with your observations. I am lucky to be currently in a club where the Sensei and many of us senior students are in their 50's. Personal physical limitations are respected, but we do try to do a little bit better every class. After class we joke about finding an orthopedic surgeon that gives group discounts.
Ive practiced taekwondo when i was young, until mid twenties. Now, almost 20 years after i came back to a dojo. First months were tough but im glad i took that decision!
I'm 61 years old and I've been training in Kung Fu, Hung Gar style since I was 53 years old. I used to practice when I was 22 years old (6months) and when I was 30 years old (3 years). Right now; the knees are causing me trouble, also I'm slower. But, as a compensation, I analize most of the movements, applications and fights, which I didn't do when I was younger.
I started Shotokan in the early 80s I am 53 now. I have been out for about 5 or 10 years .have started back training things don't move like they used to and I look at things a lot different. now hope to start teaching again soon..
I have a student who is 64, he wanted his whole life to train. When he started he said, "But I've got no flexibility." I had him commit to only 1 stretch a day, giving it 3 mins in total. In one month he touched his toes for the 1st time in his life. Now that his belief changed (that he was not pliable ) stretching can be taught and limitations removed.
A good stretch program will make you stronger, too. i did a series of stretches that I took from 4 Yoga classes.. and did them daily. after 45 mins, I felt great.. and in the weight room, my poundages went up by a good 10%.
@@glenw-xm5zf , I am glad your strength went up and we both agree stretching has many benefits. I think just the feeling of freedom of movement is huge. Feeling free may come in a longer stride when walking, a quicker turn when moving thru a crowd, picking up trash from the ground with easy and no "effort noise" when doing so. Glen I hope like me you stay true to your stretching, you'll body will thank you. Health and Peace to you :)
I started Tang Soo Do Muk Du Kwan at 45 and earned my first Dan at 49. I have had a few injuries along the way, but I’m still in way better shape and better for it. I won’t roundhouse kick anyone to the head anytime soon. I don’t do many jump kicks in a row, but I’ll do them in training. The most important part is to go slower, and try do a little more each week. Gradual improvements are tolerable. I teach and work with other students in their 40s, and that’s how I approach them. Just don’t try to be 16 all over again. And be smart. Learning the applicability of your techniques is far more valuable. In a street applications no one is jump spinning hook kicking. If someone tried it on me, it be a bad day for them :-)
After a 30 year break from Goju Ryu Karate, i decided to get back into martial arts after watching my 4 year old son start Taekwondo back in 2017, training is going great i have just earned my Red belt at 47 years old training 4 sometimes 5 days a week. It wasn't easy to start with, i have lost a tone of weight and training hard. Love the channel keep up the great work.
I'm glad I discovered your channel!!! This video def struck a nerve...LOL. I'm 38yo and have pretty limited martial arts experience ( Shorin-Ryu Okinawan Karate @ 9-10 yo; a basic intro to Ninjitsu @ 19yo from a friend in college who studied it; and MCMAP, tan belt level @ 31yo, while in the Navy ), but am interested in studying martial arts more seriously. MMA ( Muay Thai + Wrestling//JuJutsu + BJJ ) and later incorporate Filipino Martials (Kali, Escrima, Arnis - for emphasis on training with and defending against weapons ). My main focus would be on self-defense and fitness. I don't care about competing in tournaments or collecting different colored belts. Do you think this a good combination of styles for someone starting so late in life or would I be overdoing it???
I think it's a great mixture to start with. 38 really isn't that old. I started Judo/JuJutsu at 39 with the same fear but as long as you learn to do it safely and feel comfortable with it, it's totally fine. BJJ is definitely great at a wide variety of ages, same thing with Kali. I think you have a good mix to start with and you'll feel it. You'll feel if you're pushing yourself too hard or not :)
I really love your videos Sensei, and I love American Kempo, unfortunately there are not Kenpo schools as far as I know in my home country in the Dominican Republic. Currently I am in Okinawan Goju Ryu style brown belt level. Hope some day being able to bring the Kenpo system into my country. All the Best Oss !
I actually want to take Goju Ryu around my 4th or 3rd mudansha; but where I currently live at it's not an option. That said Shorin Ryu dojos are around my area, while not the same Okinawan style it's more circular then Oyama (Kyokushin off shoot) Karate which I feel both will make me a more balance karateka. Osu!
We have people in my MMA gym and karate dojos that start at 50 to learn to effectively move themselves and for fitness.... You most likely won't be a NAGA or ADCC champion of Olympic gold medalist but you'll sure make some friends.... PS.... As a teenager I was the same.....I wanted flashy kicks but now that I'm 20 I know better
I am a 60 year old, started martial arts training in 1967. I have had six back surgeries and a major stroke three years ago, was paralysed and put in a nursing home. I am also a Godan, and so looked at it as a puzzle to work out. I concentrated with all my heart on moving my finger, finally did it a month later, then eventually moved everything else and came out if the nursing home in a wheel chair, and now three years later I am still numb on left leg and foot, but i do Kali knife solo drills and parts of kata that I can. I AM a martial artist, I will stop being one when I am dead, not before. My back is broken, my leg is dead, but I am in my master's shadow. I am my master's shadow. (Tak Kubota quote)
I am so sorry to hear about the adversity you've faced, but I am very happy and proud to read how you've overcome it. Martial arts is something we ARE, not something we DO, and you Sir are the living embodiment of thank, and thank you for setting such a strong and positive example.
5th dan TKD instructor 43. Been in martial arts 30 years. I had my hip replaced last year. Many of your statements sounded Very familiar. Great content. Keep up the good work
Started Karate at age 30 up to 2nd degree . After 10 years quit due to burnout. After 15 years on the couch, I got back in this time learning Kenpo as a white belt at age 56. Now at age 61, I am close to testing for a Black Belt (probably at 62) and feels good to be back in shape and learning new material. I do not jump off the mat as fast as I did 20 years ago but at least I get up!
I'm 69 70 in 3 months Started at 62 with Choi Kwang Do 68 with Tang Soo Do 68 Tae Kwon Do Type II diabetes Hypertensive high BP But, it's great. I feel great. And wife loves the muscle tone
A great master said, "You are never too old to be a bukai." Yes we are never too old to be a martial artist. Look at Masters like Chuck Norris at 82 he still kicks the heavy bag. Look at the story of the 80 year old grandma who got her black belt in Tae Kwon Do. At 58 years old I still keep striving in the martial arts. And will never quit, I will keep moving. Yes it helps keep my balance as I have history of vertigo and an equilibrium imbalance, I got slower but train in the water to build up speed, and have stenosis of the spine so stretch on the ball to help me overcome. The martial arts have been good to me. Great video. Oss.
I started shotokan karate at the age of 42. My sensei pushes the entire class at the same pace - so I'm forced to try and keep up with teenagers and younger kids. I weight 120kg and I'm 6ft tall. I am NOT the smallest person in the world. It's grueling.
I did judo as a young lad and despite being not very big did pretty well. More than that I enjoyed it. Had to give it up due to arthritic arm and work commitments. At age 59 I was asked to join a karate class. I am now 82 and have indulged in karate ,kubodo and kali. Gaining a few black belts on the way and training with many great Senseis in other disciplines.. I have never done it for belts or any kind of glory .You can do martial arts at any age enjoy it .
I started martial arts in earnest when in my mid 20's. I did a fairly wide variety of arts, including tai chi, Shaolin, wing chun, aikido, JKD, but I started in Shorin-Ryu karate. That was for roughly a period of 14 years. After that I didn't really practice much at all for about 25 years. Now I'm doing an Aikido based system, Tomiki, which has a lot of judo, but also a lot of the mother style of Daito-Ryu jiu jitsu. Which is much more realistic than Aikido alone, plus it has some Judo in it. There's also other black belts that have Philippine, JKD, Japanese martial arts, others. But I like being able to not smash somebody's face and have some more mild form of restraints and defenses if that's all it calls for. After first having tried to have a conversation. Oh, I'm 63 now, and every day I ask myself if I can do it or get better. Roger is 73 and doing Judo, so... And Sensei claims that doing the rolling and falls repeatedly is good for the back, what we all want to hear.
I started kyokushin ...OSU...at 39 now 40 and am in the best shape of my life knuckles tougher ribs tougher I feel more energy less back pain simply put this was a life changing difference
My story is... I dabbled in karate, ninjitsu and Thai boxing in my teens and twenties. This was due to my idols mainly Bruce Lee. Then from the age of 26 to 43 I did nothing. At the age of 43 I started judo, I am now 48 and I’m 20 points off my competitive Dan grading, which means I’ve won 8 fights and I need to win 2 more. There is a guy at our dojo in his 80’s and he’s still more than a handful. So never too old in my opinion 👍
I'm 53 and living in Australia and moving to Europe soon to be with my Mrs. Never studied self-defence altho always wanted to. I aim to learn Krav Maga as I am purely interested in the self-defence where I can protect myself and my wife if attacked by 1-3 ppl, altho that will be highly unlikely in where I am moving to yet one can never be too unprepared. I am also doing it for fitness, mental focus, and self-defence so I have multiple reasons for doing it. The only thing that may hinder me is that I wear glasses and I believe these days they have multi-focal contact lenses which may be better to wear instead of glasses. After that, I would like to learn Systema as that is more "natural" from what I understand. I thought of learning Aikido first just as a way of "sliding" into martial arts and then thought, Krav Maga, is quicker in terms of usefulness.
I agree with you there, yoga is a great idea to incorporate with your martial art or any other sport at an older age for that matter..hot yoga or bikram yoga especially
Many older people who are just beginning martial arts can benefit from training with a cane. There are programs dedicated to “just the cane.” I’ve also heard of older people deriving therapeutic benefits for their joints from training in “Jo-Do” (4-foot long staff).
BJJ is Overrated, Expensive, and Dangerous. I get a minor injury like once a year, maybe. Most of those guys are worn out, even after their Marijuana medication sessions..
I am 53 and i study Kokikai Ryu Aikido but before that i trained in Boxing and Tang Soo do and kickboxing and BaGua Zhang. Do aikido is good but you have find a great school and Teachers
GOOD TOPIC. I am 46. I am doing judo and aikido nowadays. I am glad to see your challeges over other arts as i feel like we are in the same boat. Actually this topic is one of my dilemma. My original arts were TKD and Hapkido.. Yes, i cannot do the flying kicks any more and not much flexibility left. And i am not sure how long i can do judo. it is such a shame that i couldnt maintain my skill levels as black belt. However, I need to admit i am getting old too :) i just want to keep doing martial arts ; especially without Injuries.. In between, thank you for sharing your video; i thought he crashed your nuts by the front kick. :) keep them safe :)
Gonna be 33 next month, never done any martial arts but now more than ever martial arts has been catching my interest but im still undecided of which art to choose either mma or kyokushin karate. Great video and very inspiring.
You're never too old for martial arts however you must temper your expectations and focus on realistic goals. Any decent instructor could teach MMA to a grandmother under the correct circumstances
Aren't Ralph Macchio & William Zabka of Karate Kid & Cobra Kai in their 50's & still training? Also, my Shifu is 65 and performs every demanding action he trains - it's quite amazing to see him delivering roundhouse kicks, demanding takedown routines & multiple block/punch/kick etc. routines - he performs the actions he demands with us in each 90 minute class - it's great to see & difficult to keep up with him.
Some activities are just going to be limited by injury or illness or age--I personally can't roll like I did when I was much younger and stronger--I can't kick 7' anymore...doesn't mean I can't train.
And it doesn't mean you can't deliver a devastating strike either. Sometimes the flashy stuff goes away but there is still a lot of effective methods that remain.
Reasons people learn martial arts: 1. To self defense 2. To compete in amateur/professional level 3. To doing sports 4. To improve their life quality 5. Lose weight 6. Hobby For competition and sports you're too late if you just started it in your 20, the other have no age limit, but too late doesn't mean you're out of compete too, you must try it by yourself to know your limit
I don't agree with it being too late to compete. It's down to the individual. I know a 66 year old that just fought in a tournament and did very well. He's stay active and he fights like a 30 year old.
When I trained in a dojo, I convinced two 60-year old grandfathers to join up. They brought their grandkids almost everyday for training. They were hesitant but I told them that karate for me (that was my 27th year of training) was the pursuit of self-improvement physically and mentally and that has no age limit. They became shodans 5 years later. I left the dojo a few months after their test and promotion. I hope they stayed at it. I am 67 and still training karate almost everyday. BTW, I never had to defend myself against anybody. Funakoshi Sensei said among things: 'The best way to defeat your enemy is to make him your friend'. 'Do not think of winning. Think, rather, of not losing'. I have won and lost dojo battles but had not any battles outside of it.
I am 47 i began karate shotokan 3 years ago. I feel great, helped me a lot with arthritis and my emotions. My sensei, sempai and my classmates helped me quickly to adopt a good physical level. And of course...attitude.
27 being too old? Never! You stick with it my friend, that is still plenty young enough. If you like the art, put in your all, it will only make you better and stronger regardless :)
I've started the martial arts at the age of 18, my first martial art was Aikido, done that for a few months before I started doing kempo, stopped for a while then returned to kempo, done that for about 7-8 years, stopped then left for Florida, started training in Kyokushin Karate at age 28 (still at it too)
I tested for my black belt in Tang Soo Do with a 74 year old man he is the nicest 1st degree black belt I have ever met. I was so honored to train in PKSA with that man.
