Martial Arts & The Older Person
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Many of us as we get older get stuck in our ways and use age as an excuse for not doing anything new, also it's easy to feel intimidated when doing something you are not sure of. Most 40-somethings probably feel it is too late to take up a Martial Art - WRONG! The "average" person knows absolutely nothing about Martial Arts and expects it to be all acrobatic kicks and Bruce Lee squeals and needing muscles like Jean-Claude Van Damme, again WRONG! There are some very good reasons why it can be better to start some Martial Arts when you are older and I shall try to identify a few of them here.
Firstly you are more likely to be settled in your career and less likely to change geographical location as you reach middle age. Also any children you have are going to be on the way to growing up, and you are less likely to begin a new family. All this means that once you take the plunge you are less likely to give up - it will be your decision to begin training and with maturity all decision-making is easier.
Secondly if you start something new it is more likely to be because you want to, not because of being dragged along by one of your mates. When you are older your friends & colleagues are more likely to be genuinely interested in your new- found pastime instead of expecting Bruce Lee impersonations every time you go to the pub, and nicknaming you Grasshopper. Another bonus is it is something you can teach to your kids and being able to practice together can help bonding as a family unit.
There are other reasons. You are more likely to be financially secure so you don't have to miss lessons. You are less likely to be doing overtime or stressing yourself out for your career progression, so you will have more time on your hands for enjoyable activities - and you are more likely to know your own limits, which of course decreases the chance of injury.
However there is a downside. Learning something new or relearning something you did before can be confusing at first. However the way in which the student programmes are structured enable you to build on your foundations in a systematic and logical way (unlike some Wing Chun classes where the training is a bit haphazard from week to week). WingTsun is a complete Art covering all ranges, and unlike Karate and other such "hard" styles you do not have to be super fit & strong to be able to defend yourself. WingTsun relies on good technique, economy of movement, and supple footwork (not high kicks). In my opinion it is an excellent system that can be taken up by people of all ages, and it can be applied from an early stage with the special BlitzDefence Programmes, which utilise key techniques from the complete system.
- Author: Peter Quar-Sanders
- Sources: Own experience!
