# whats to old to start martial arts training and be a great fighter?



## DJ QUIK JR (Jun 14, 2010)

i was wondering is there a age limit thats too old to start and be serius about martial arts and be a great artist? im not 30 yet but almost there and i wanted to be a great all around fighter and i wanted to dabble in many forms and train seriously from muay tai to wing chun to krav maga etc. i box on and off for the last 3 years and i used to body build in my early twenties so athleticism is nothing just getting back in shape will be my only hurdle. i was wonder is there a age considered ''too old'' to start and become an exceptional fighter. i plan to train for the rest of my life


----------



## MJS (Jun 14, 2010)

DJ QUIK JR said:


> i was wondering is there a age limit thats too old to start and be serius about martial arts and be a great artist? im not 30 yet but almost there and i wanted to be a great all around fighter and i wanted to dabble in many forms and train seriously from muay tai to wing chun to krav maga etc. i box on and off for the last 3 years and i used to body build in my early twenties so athleticism is nothing just getting back in shape will be my only hurdle. i was wonder is there a age considered ''too old'' to start and become an exceptional fighter. i plan to train for the rest of my life


 
Welcome to the forum. 

IMO, you're never too old to start training.  While it seems that you have a desire to train and learn, one thing that I'd avoid doing, is jumping around to too much, too fast.  In other words, dont spend 3mos. doing BJJ, 2mos doing boxing, 3mos. doing Muay Thai, and honestly think that you're going to be any good.  

Training takes time and lots of it.  There're no shortcuts, so if thats what you're looking for, you're not going to find them.  

I have nothing against cross training.  I do it myself, however, I trained in 1 art, for a long time, before I took something else on.

Good luck in your journey.


----------



## d1jinx (Jun 14, 2010)

pure talent highly influences that answer.  A person with talent can quickly learn and come up to speed.  also physical condition also plays a huge part.  An obese 15 year old may take years to get to a good competitive level where a physically fit 28 year old will get there within a year.


----------



## artFling (Jun 14, 2010)

I began training in tae kwon do/ kenpo at the age of 45.  I had had about 1 year's training in Aikido 15 years previously.   This both helped and hindered my training.  But back to your question.  I'm not talented.  I'm a regular guy.  I have arthritis.  Training is tough.  At times I have to take weeks off.  But I always come back.  I love it.  I improve.   I get better.  Now I am a green belt.  I have learned a lot of self defense in two years.  I am just wrapping my mind around the idea of getting to blue belt.  I don't care how long it takes.  We do have to modify my training.  I can't do all the tae kwon do high kicks.  Also I get to work out with my kids.  I doubt that I'll ever be a great fighter.  But I am a decent stealth fighter.  Regular people have no idea what I can do.  It's been worth it to me.  A lot of that has to do with my sensei, John Tygart.  He is very patient with me.  And he and I have the same basic ideas about what the MA are about.  

So I say, do it.  Don't worry about being great.  Just do it.


----------



## Msby (Jun 14, 2010)

When you're dead

Really though, we had a guy in his 60s join our TKD place.  He may not be as fast as some of the younger students, but he has the technique and the determination!


----------



## OnlyAnEgg (Jun 14, 2010)

I'm 49 and, while I don't know if I'll ever be UFC material, anyone that might suggest I'm too old to try to excel at my given martial art (Wah Lum) will enjoy a mouthful of awesome foot!


----------



## DJ QUIK JR (Jun 14, 2010)

MJS said:


> Welcome to the forum.
> 
> IMO, you're never too old to start training.  While it seems that you have a desire to train and learn, one thing that I'd avoid doing, is jumping around to too much, too fast.  In other words, dont spend 3mos. doing BJJ, 2mos doing boxing, 3mos. doing Muay Thai, and honestly think that you're going to be any good.
> 
> ...


thanks for the info. but ju jitsu is some ********. but what arts do you train in?


----------



## DJ QUIK JR (Jun 14, 2010)

artFling said:


> I began training in tae kwon do/ kenpo at the age of 45.  I had had about 1 year's training in Aikido 15 years previously.   This both helped and hindered my training.  But back to your question.  I'm not talented.  I'm a regular guy.  I have arthritis.  Training is tough.  At times I have to take weeks off.  But I always come back.  I love it.  I improve.   I get better.  Now I am a green belt.  I have learned a lot of self defense in two years.  I am just wrapping my mind around the idea of getting to blue belt.  I don't care how long it takes.  We do have to modify my training.  I can't do all the tae kwon do high kicks.  Also I get to work out with my kids.  I doubt that I'll ever be a great fighter.  But I am a decent stealth fighter.  Regular people have no idea what I can do.  It's been worth it to me.  A lot of that has to do with my sensei, John Tygart.  He is very patient with me.  And he and I have the same basic ideas about what the MA are about.
> 
> So I say, do it.  Don't worry about being great.  Just do it.


thanks. and keep up the good work dude. and no your not a regular guy. a regular guy wouldnt get off his but and do what your doing let alone with limitations like arthritis. just like i thought thought age is silly. and only a mindset. most of the greatest martial artist are old and gray like my sifu bolo yeung!!


----------



## DJ QUIK JR (Jun 14, 2010)

Msby said:


> When you're dead
> 
> Really though, we had a guy in his 60s join our TKD place.  He may not be as fast as some of the younger students, but he has the technique and the determination!


thats beautiful. real talk.


----------



## DJ QUIK JR (Jun 14, 2010)

OnlyAnEgg said:


> I'm 49 and, while I don't know if I'll ever be UFC material, anyone that might suggest I'm too old to try to excel at my given martial art (Wah Lum) will enjoy a mouthful of awesome foot!


lol. good dude. thats awesome. ufc is overratted anyways. i like pure martial arts with skill not bar brawling and man sex aka ju jitsu


----------



## Mark Jordan (Jun 14, 2010)

The age you start really isn't an issue.  If you are interested and committed go for it.

How you train is what sets you apart from all of the others.

Cross training can be very helpful but it can be confusing too. Every art is different and all have their strengths and weaknesses. As MJS said her trained in 1 art for a long time first before he took something else. So, master one art first and become proficient in the other arts after.


----------



## OnlyAnEgg (Jun 14, 2010)

DJ QUIK JR said:


> ufc is overratted anyways.


 
I was only using UFC as a reference point.


----------



## ap Oweyn (Jun 14, 2010)

DJ QUIK JR said:


> lol. good dude. thats awesome. ufc is overratted anyways. i like pure martial arts with skill not bar brawling and man sex aka ju jitsu


 
Disparaging other people's martial arts isn't really a very good way to kick off a lifelong study of the stuff.  There are a lot of people here who could be very helpful to you, and don't really deserve this kind of disrespect.


----------



## DJ QUIK JR (Jun 15, 2010)

ap Oweyn said:


> Disparaging other people's martial arts isn't really a very good way to kick off a lifelong study of the stuff.  There are a lot of people here who could be very helpful to you, and don't really deserve this kind of disrespect.


i will listen to you wise one.


----------



## Cirdan (Jun 15, 2010)

You are never to old to start training.

If you want to compete it is another matter, at least in some arts.

I will forgive you for calling Ju Jutsu "man sex" this time only. :angry:


----------



## Chris Parker (Jun 15, 2010)

Well, you're off to a good start here....

Let's see if we can't bring it back a bit here. You want to be "a great all round fighter" and "dabble in many forms" as well as "train seriously from muay thai to wing chun to krav maga etc". Hmm.

If you want to be good, don't dabble. If you want to be great, pick one thing, and dedicate to it. If you want to be an all-round fighter, but not UFC, define what you mean. Do you mean self defence? Weaponry? Groups? Weapon defence? Competition? What is an "all-round fighter" to you?

From the way you're posting here it comes across to me that you don't quite get how martial arts training actually works, or indeed what it's about. I've said this type of thing quite a bit here, but here we go again:

Martial arts are not their physical techniques. The physical techniques are expressions of what the martial arts (individually) actually are. BJJ is not BJJ because it goes to ground, BJJ goes to ground because it is BJJ. Tae Kwon Do isn't Tae Kwon Do because it kicks, Tae Kwon Do kicks because it's Tae Kwon Do. So the way a martial art works is to train (ingrain) it's particular philosophy through the medium of it's technical skill set via large numbers of repetition.

If you only do a bit of this, and a bit of that, you may get an intellectual (conscious) understanding, however that is not going to give you any real skills whatsoever. If you train multiple systems (with their own inherrant philosophy and by extension power source, movement, footwork, prefered weapons etc), then they will contradict each other, leaving you less skilled in all of them, and taking you further and further from your goals.

In order to be skillful in these arts, they must be ingrained (unconsciously), during which you are basically "teaching" your unconscious that what you are learning is strong, powerful, and effective. If you give it mixed messages (train one art as a "defensive" art, another for "aggressive" actions etc), then under the stress of a real engagement you will always go for whatever your unconscious believes is the most powerful, and that could be none of the arts you've trained, as you've basically told your unconscious that none of them are powerful. Worst case scenario you end up doing nothing (freezing) because there is nothing programmed in with sufficient importance.

As to age, it really doesn't matter, except to your goals. If you want to be a well-rounded fighter in the competitive sense, then earlier is better. If it's more generic "understanding of combat", any time is fine. But pick one system (or better yet, one teacher), and stick with them for at least a few years (I would typically suggest between 5 and 10 at least) before even considering more than one system.


----------



## DJ QUIK JR (Jun 15, 2010)

Cirdan said:


> You are never to old to start training.
> 
> If you want to compete it is another matter, at least in some arts.
> 
> . :angry:



:barf:


----------



## Cirdan (Jun 15, 2010)

Relax, I said i won`t hold that statement against you... much


----------



## ap Oweyn (Jun 15, 2010)

DJ QUIK JR said:


> i will listen to you wise one.


 
Time'll tell


----------



## blink13 (Jun 15, 2010)

DJ QUIK JR said:


> :barf:



It doesn't appear to me that you're too _OLD_ to start training.  It requires some maturity, and the willingness to accept - or at least tolerate - what more experienced people say - especially when you have asked them to help you.

Food for thought.  If your barfing emoticon is to be believed, you are now an empty vessel in need of sustenance.


----------



## MJS (Jun 15, 2010)

DJ QUIK JR said:


> i was wondering is there a age limit thats too old to start and be serius about martial arts and be a great artist?* im not 30 *yet but almost there and i wanted to be a great all around fighter and i wanted to dabble in many forms and train seriously from muay tai to wing chun to krav maga etc. i box on and off for the last 3 years and i used to body build in my early twenties so athleticism is nothing just getting back in shape will be my only hurdle. i was wonder is there a age considered ''too old'' to start and become an exceptional fighter. i plan to train for the rest of my life


 
Are you sure about that?


----------



## MJS (Jun 15, 2010)

DJ QUIK JR said:


> thanks for the info. but ju jitsu is some ********. but what arts do you train in?


 
Kenpo, Arnis, BJJ.  Not sure why you're looking down on JJ.


----------



## Blade96 (Jun 16, 2010)

I have a newspaper article about a guy who started shotokan karate-do at the age of 74 or so and got his BB at the age of 80.


----------



## Xue Sheng (Jun 16, 2010)

Almost 30 huh....

I have leather jackets older than you.

Stop asking silly questions and train, you will get out of it what you put in.


----------



## Hand Sword (Jun 19, 2010)

DJ QUIK JR said:


> i was wondering is there a age limit thats too old to start and be serius about martial arts and be a great artist? im not 30 yet but almost there and *i wanted to be a great all around fighter and i wanted to dabble in many forms and train seriously from muay tai to wing chun to krav maga etc. **i box on and off for the last 3 years and i used to body build* in my early twenties so athleticism is nothing just getting back in shape will be my only hurdle. i was wonder is there a age considered ''too old'' to start and become an exceptional fighter. *i plan to train for the rest of my life*




There is the answer to your question. If that is truly your intent and plan of action that you will follow for that long. You'll become the best person you can be.
Train hard and long! Good luck!


----------



## Olde Phart (Jul 1, 2022)

Chris Parker said:


> If you want to be good, don't dabble. If you want to be great, pick one thing, and dedicate to it.


Sorry for the late response, but I'm new to the site.  Maybe It'll help in the future.

Totally agree with Chris.  Started when I was 64, now I'm 67.  You're never too old, but if you can't overcome your own limitations, you'll never get far.  What I mean is: we each have our own preconceptions about what we can do and then when we "get in the ring" we find out we fall short of that pedestal we had ourselves on.  The whole concept of "dabbling" implies that there is no commitment to any one of those disciplines.  I've met many martial artists that are at a certain "dan" in one style, and then a lesser degree in others.  They became proficient, maybe even mastered, one style and then went to another to broaden their horizons.  I'm just now a first dan black belt in the style I have chosen.  I'm 67, as I said.  I might be able to achieve 2nd in a few years, but only with a few modifications to account for my "old man body."  That'll probably be it for me as far as advancement is concerned.  There are some things I cannot physically do at this stage in my life and, in my mind at least, it wouldn't be fair to accept a rank for which I don't merit it.

To sum it all up I'll defer to Master Yoda:  There is no try.  Only do.


----------



## Hyoho (Jul 8, 2022)

DJ QUIK JR said:


> i was wondering is there a age limit thats too old to start and be serius about martial arts and be a great artist? im not 30 yet but almost there and i wanted to be a great all around fighter and i wanted to dabble in many forms and train seriously from muay tai to wing chun to krav maga etc. i box on and off for the last 3 years and i used to body build in my early twenties so athleticism is nothing just getting back in shape will be my only hurdle. i was wonder is there a age considered ''too old'' to start and become an exceptional fighter. i plan to train for the rest of my life


It's has little to do with age. You need to be natural fighter to be good. In some ways maturity is a good thing. The brain has the body economizing on wasted movement. Young people tend to blast away with they have got and make lots of mistakes.


----------



## Dirty Dog (Jul 8, 2022)

The OP was 30 when they asked the question. So they are 42 now. I think it likely that they have figured out the whole "great fighter" thing by now.


----------

