# age requirements to start karate?



## rachel (Oct 14, 2002)

I am a 42 year old female who is interested in starting karate. Any thoughts? Am I too old to start or does age not matter? All replies would be appreciated. Thanks


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## Aegis (Oct 14, 2002)

Go for it!

You're never too old to begin in the martial arts. I know of one man who started judo after retiring at about 65 who still managed to get a competetive black belt.


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## c2kenpo (Oct 14, 2002)

> _Originally posted by rachel _
> 
> *I am a 42 year old female who is interested in starting karate. Any thoughts? Am I too old to start or does age not matter? All replies would be appreciated. Thanks *



No age is too old. My instructor in in his fifties and still goes at it and his father nearing 80 is just as healthy if not more so. I think the Martial Arts (although taught for self-defense, and can be quite damaging when used effectivly) is one of the few things that a person can do for thier entire life without major injury as long as you train intelligently.

If you join the MA community good luck in your endeavours.

Dave "C2"


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## Abbax8 (Oct 14, 2002)

In the TKD club where I teach judo , there is an instructor who started TKD in his  50's. He is now 65 and 2nd. degree black belt. Go for it!

                                                                   Peace
                                                                   Dennis


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## webmasterc (Jan 7, 2003)

It was great to see your post.  I am a 42 year old man who was wondering the same thing!  Your post saved us a new thread!

Best of luck to you.....


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## jfarnsworth (Jan 7, 2003)

Well have fun and enjoy the ride.


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## arnisador (Jan 7, 2003)

You'll find others in a similar situation. Go ahead!


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## Shinzu (Jan 8, 2003)

best of luck!  you won't regret it, you are never too old


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## Yari (Jan 8, 2003)

Go for it.

We have a 70 year old in our dojo, working out each tuesday and friday. He's doen it for 3 years now, and still enjoying it.

go for it!


/Yari


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## bart (Jan 8, 2003)

Hi,

I've taught people Wing Chun that were starting in their 60's. They had no trouble. The Karate may be different physically and that you should take into account when shopping around for an art. I don't think you'll have any problems at all. 42 is still very young. 

I also once met a woman in her 80's that just earned her first degree black belt in Danzan Ryu jujitsu. The MA are for all ages. Have fun.


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## RyuShiKan (Jan 8, 2003)

> _Originally posted by rachel _
> *I am a 42 year old female who is interested in starting karate. Any thoughts? Am I too old to start or does age not matter? All replies would be appreciated. Thanks *



I agree with Aegis.

GO FOR IT!

I have seen a man in his 90's practicing Karate..........so think of it.
You're only half his age.


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## Shinzu (Jan 8, 2003)

indeed the arts are ageless and limitless


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## cali_tkdbruin (Jan 8, 2003)

> _Originally posted by Shinzu _
> *indeed the arts are ageless and limitless  *



Yup, it's my plan, as long as my bones hold out, to continue training in the MAs well into my 40s, 50s, 60s...:asian:


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## dearnis.com (Jan 8, 2003)

I teach a college group and two semi-private groups.  With the two non-college groups far and away most of my students are in their 40's; I wouldn't train them for a younger group for anything!


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## MinnieMin (Jan 8, 2003)

Today is my whole one year in Kenpo (yeah!!!) and I am 48 now.   Frankly, I don't really know how far I can get, but I just want to enjoy the fun and the ride since my body still can do most stuff that I want it to do and not worry about it too much.  
Rachel, you are much younger than me, don't worry and have fun


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## rachel (Jan 8, 2003)

I started already and just got my yellow belt. I love it! As a matter of fact, I'm on my way out the door for my class now.I'm glad I started. I love it so much. The only thing is the class size is getting too big now. Less attention for us as individuals. Oh well.:shrug:


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## jfarnsworth (Jan 8, 2003)

You'll find the class size dwindle down from the next promotion to the next. People will drop out like flies eventually.


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## rachel (Jan 8, 2003)

It's so interesting because we can go 3 times a week only and some people show up once a week or less. I don't mind. one time we had a little ice on the roads and my friend and I were the only 2 to show up. It was like getting a private lesson for free and that was right before we tested for yellow.


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## cali_tkdbruin (Jan 8, 2003)

> _Originally posted by jfarnsworth _
> *You'll find the class size dwindle down from the next promotion to the next. People will drop out like flies eventually. *



This is so true.  When I started out in the MAs some time back there must have been I believe about 10 to 12 of us in our group of newbie white belts. Only me and one another student stuck with it to reach black belt rank...:shrug:
Hopefully those that dropped out picked it up again later. Anyway, now me and my training partner are striving for our 2nd dan BBs.

If you enjoy it I encourage you to stick with it for as long as you can. You're never too old to train in the MAs. :asian:


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## jfarnsworth (Jan 9, 2003)

> _Originally posted by cali_tkdbruin _
> *This is so true.  When I started out in the MAs some time back there must have been I believe about 10 to 12 of us in our group of newbie white belts. Only me and one another student stuck with it to reach black belt rank...:shrug:
> Hopefully those that dropped out picked it up again later. Anyway, now me and my training partner are striving for our 2nd dan BBs.
> 
> If you enjoy it I encourage you to stick with it for as long as you can. You're never too old to train in the MAs. :asian: *



Yeah man, when I started kenpo there were 12 or more from what I remember. Anyway I was the only one from that group to test for black. All the others dropped out. Kind of funny looking back at it. Nowadays most people want something for nothing with as little effort as possible.   By then their weeded out. Personally I'd rather practice with the dedicated ones you know are going to stick around.


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## webmasterc (Jan 10, 2003)

This is a little bit off of the subject but somewhat related....I have noticed that since the 1st of the year, our classes have gotten much larger.  Are martial art classes similiar to the health clubs with respect to folks making new year's "exercise" resolutions, sticking with it a month or two, and then dropping out?  This is a common theme I used to see at the health clubs when I worked out.  I'm wondering if the same thing happens in martial arts classes.  Can I expect much smaller classes by, let's say, March?

Way to go Rachel!  My son and I will be testing for our yellow belt in the next week or so....(!).

Regards,

webmasterc


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## jfarnsworth (Jan 10, 2003)

Your going to see fluxuation from month to month. My experience has been that yes in Jan. & feb. more people join the martial arts. Then they realize it's hard work and don't want to put forth the effort then start to make excuses not to go. Then you'll find the summer months bare to the bones and an instructor starving for students. You'll get the combination of classes to make more sense to keep the doors open. Once school starts again in sept. you'll find once again an increase in studetns. By the end of the year it dwindles down again. Except for the serious students that hang in through thick and thin.


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## rachel (Jan 10, 2003)

Good luck to you and your son on your test. Let us know how you do. At our school alot of kids drop out during the summer months making an ideal class size in my opinion. Then when school starts again the classes get larger. My friends daughter is in a class with 30 other kids. Not all show up but that's a lot I think.


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## Shinzu (Jan 10, 2003)

rachel, small classes are the best!!  i go to morning classes and they are very small. what a workout!!  plus you have the instructors undivided attention to go over techniques and forms in heavy detail... i love it!


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## rachel (Jan 10, 2003)

that's the whole point. the instructors undivided attention. If you aren't comfortable doing a technique and need more practice you'll get more help if 4 people are in class than 10 or 12 people .I love it when most people don't show up. I don't want to get lost in the crowd.When my friend and I were the only ones to show that night, the instructor asked us what WE wanted to work on. that was cool.


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## webmasterc (Jan 10, 2003)

I couldn't agree more----the smaller the class, the more I get out of it.  I'm using the Tracy system and they give you at least 2 private sessions per month with the head instructor who is a 4th dan.  Those sessions are fantastic!  Often in the group classes that are taught by his other black belt instructors, he will pair us off and give some individual instruction.  I've never attended a lesson yet where the head instructor/owner wasn't there working with someone.  I have been very happy with his school.

However, sometimes when I go I simply feel like getting a good workout rather than learning anything new (kicking and punching drills, flexibility drills, etc.).  In those cases, it is fun to have a larger class and hear all of the simultaneous jabbing, kicking, and chopping!


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## Eraser (Jan 10, 2003)

Hey

I think its cool when ANYONE decides to take up a MA..
Keep this in thought though..  if the first style you start to train in.. is not to your liking  (for me.. Aikido was too hard on my lower back) try others...  for me.. once the fire was lit in my soul.. I knew i was going to be in MA forever...  I love the style that I practice now (Hon Sang Mu Sa Hapkido)  I go six days a week.. i would love 7... but.. hey.. i'll take whatever they can throw at me..


Train well my MA friends..


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## webmasterc (Jan 10, 2003)

Ok, I'm really deviating now from Rachel's original post but here goes!  What does everyone feel is a reasonable time frame to earn a 1st Degree Blackbelt in Kenpo?  I know, I know, it depends on how quickly you pick up taught skills, how often you train, etc. etc.  I'm truly in no hurry because I'm primarily doing it because I enjoy it so much, it's great exercise, and it's an excellent skill to have.  And perhaps this is even a question that isn't appropriate to ask but I'm just curious....thoughts?


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## rachel (Jan 10, 2003)

Deviate away. My instructor said it's not out of the realm of possibility to have our black belts in 5 years. I thought that was pretty quick. I assumed you'd have to train alot longer for that but I'm new at this so what do I know. Good question.


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## rmcrobertson (Jan 10, 2003)

Well, it took me about seven, and I was working out six days a week. But then, I'm kind of a clunk with zero kinesthetic/spatial memory....I used to call my basic mental state, "dogs watching TV." 

However, it took my first teacher ten, and I know a couple of others who took ten years.

Mr. Tatum has been known to say that he could get someone to black belt in a year. You'd just have to train really, really hard for about ten hours or more a day, every day, no breaks no holidays, with him leaning over your shoulder all the time. 

I couldn't have done that, and not just because of the time involved. I needed quite a while to even begin to unkink, and I don't just mean physically. 

Fortunately, there's no rush. One of the nice things about taking so long to get to the rock bottom of the black belt totem pole is that it seems to have built training into my weekly (if not always daily) routine. I prefer to have taken so long, in other words, because it seems to have built kenpo into my life...now, I'm stuck with it. I'm not sure that would've happened in less time...and I've seen a few people rush to "get their belt," then quit once they've reached the Big O.


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## Mike (Jan 10, 2003)

I know one person in my class who received his black belt in just under four years. He always seems to be at the studio.  I hope that I can acheive the same.  I'm sure it differs for everyone. Some people go to class four or five times a week and some go once a week. Some practice techniques at home daily, some only practice at the studio. 

As to the original post, I just started Kenpo a few months ago at age 40, and I just turned 41.  I wish that I had started when my son began taking classes 3 + years ago.  I love it though. Kenpo also forces me to actively try to improve my flexibility. I am tall, 6'5", and my legs/hamstrings can get very tight.  (but I see long arms/legs as an advantage  in sparring).


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## webmasterc (Jan 10, 2003)

Mike:  What have you found are some of the best exercises to improve flexibily?

---From A Very Inflexible 42 Year Old Male!


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