Beginning again late in life

[jmf552]

If your goal is to be a superhuman that is incapable of being hurt or killed, you're living in a fantasy world. In the real world, a martial art can only give you an edge if you've applied it to a variety of opponents in an atmosphere of full pressure and contact.

For contest fighting, I agree with you. For street defense, there is always the chance of getting hurt or killed, that's the point, that's the seriousness of it. And even successful professional fighters have had that happen on the street. And "full pressure and contact" always has rules that are antithetical to SD. Did you know that the UFC has 31 rules of things fighter can't do, for safety reasons? About 27 of those are exactly what a street fighter will do and what we have to do to defeat them. And in street defense, you don't have to win. You only have to survive.

 

[Hanzou]

For contest fighting, I agree with you. For street defense, there is always the chance of getting hurt or killed, that's the point, that's the seriousness of it. And even successful professional fighters have had that happen on the street. And "full pressure and contact" always has rules that are antithetical to SD. Did you know that the UFC has 31 rules of things fighter can't do, for safety reasons? About 27 of those are exactly what a street fighter will do and what we have to do to defeat them. And in street defense, you don't have to win. You only have to survive.

The thing is that you have to have rules while training or you simply won't have training partners left. Am I going to break my training partner's arm every time we roll to make sure that my arm bar is effective, or will I release them when they tap out so that we can start again? History has shown that the latter is simply the better way to go all the way around.

There is always a risk when applying self defense in a real-life context. However, we shouldn't fall for doctrines that pretend to be more "realistic" simply because they remove "rules" and common sense and instead add multiple "brutal tactics" that can't be properly practiced or trained. That quackery is just as nonsensical as the opposite end of the spectrum.

 

[jmf552]

The thing is that you have to have rules while training or you simply won't have training partners left. There is always a risk when applying self defense in a real-life context. However, we shouldn't fall for doctrines that pretend to be more "realistic" simply because they remove "rules" and common sense and instead add multiple "brutal tactics" that can't be properly practiced or trained. That quackery is just as nonsensical as the opposite end of the spectrum.

The references I mentioned recommend contact for the safe stuff, like sparring, but slow practice to build muscle memory and padded practice for the dangerous stuff. It is not perfect, but it beats completely ignoring the deadly stuff. Miller's idea is that all training needs to be limited for safety, as you rightly point out. The "art" is realizing what you are giving up for safety and find other ways to practice that. That's how he teaches correctional officers, who probably get attacked more than any group.

 

[Hanzou]

The references I mentioned recommend contact for the safe stuff, like sparring, but slow practice to build muscle memory and padded practice for the dangerous stuff. It is not perfect, but it beats completely ignoring the deadly stuff. Miller's idea is that all training needs to be limited for safety, as you rightly point out. The "art" is realizing what you are giving up for safety and find other ways to practice that. That's how he teaches correctional officers, who probably get attacked more than any group.

But we ignore the deadly stuff because we can't train the deadly stuff properly. It's like that technique where you can hit someone in the nose and supposedly it can pierce their brains and kill them. How do you train for that exactly? How many dead bodies have you stacked up to ensure that your technique is flawless when you need to apply it? What about eye gouging? How many training partners have missing eyes or wearing patches from all the eye gouges you've done?

Compare that to someone who can train a choke over and over again, and even make a few of their partners pass out before they realized what happened or could tap. This is their bread and butter choke that they have pulled off against multiple resisting opponents of multiple sizes, weights, and skill levels. Who has the better technique? Who is more likely to pull off the technique during an adrenaline dump? Who is more likely to have muscle memory to achieve the desired outcome?

Your point is noted though; Self defense situations are quite dangerous, which is why you should try to avoid them as much as possible. Additionally, correctional officers are dealing with hardened criminals, and what they do to those criminals in a violent situation have different repercussions than say, a teacher being attacked by one of their students in a classroom, or some guy grabbing your shirt and screaming at you because you accidentally hit his car outside a Walmart. In the latter situations, biting the student's nose off or snapping the guy's neck won't give you a lot of sympathy in court.

 

[Unkogami]

If your goal is to be a superhuman that is incapable of being hurt or killed, you're living in a fantasy world. In the real world, a martial art can only give you an edge if you've applied it to a variety of opponents in an atmosphere of full pressure and contact.

What have I said differently?

 

[jmf552]

But we ignore the deadly stuff because we can't train the deadly stuff properly. It's like that technique where you can hit someone in the nose and supposedly it can pierce their brains and kill them. How do you train for that exactly? How many dead bodies have you stacked up to ensure that your technique is flawless when you need to apply it? What about eye gouging? How many training partners have missing eyes or wearing patches from all the eye gouges you've done?

Compare that to someone who can train a choke over and over again, and even make a few of their partners pass out before they realized what happened or could tap. This is their bread and butter choke that they have pulled off against multiple resisting opponents of multiple sizes, weights, and skill levels. Who has the better technique? Who is more likely to pull off the technique during an adrenaline dump? Who is more likely to have muscle memory to achieve the desired outcome?

Your point is noted though; Self defense situations are quite dangerous, which is why you should try to avoid them as much as possible. Additionally, correctional officers are dealing with hardened criminals, and what they do to those criminals in a violent situation have different repercussions than say, a teacher being attacked by one of their students in a classroom, or some guy grabbing your shirt and screaming at you because you accidentally hit his car outside a Walmart. In the latter situations, biting the student's nose off or snapping the guy's neck won't give you a lot of sympathy in court.

Stuff like, "A teacher being attacked by one of their students in a classroom, or some guy grabbing your shirt and screaming at you because you accidentally hit his car outside a Walmart" is not at all what I'm talking about. Those situations can usually be avoided, or if they can't, they can be handled by basic martial arts training. I am talking about true, deadly, asocial violence, the kind of violence that would legally allow you to use a gun if you have one and you can get it out in time. That is the worst case, what we all need to be ready for.

I think we can synthesize the deadly stuff and train it properly. It is just more involved. So, what is involved in a deadly strike? Let's say it is an eye gouge. Tim Larkin starts by first explaining to students why an eye gouge works and how to properly do it. He really gets into the physiology. How schools even give that explanation? Then he does slow motion practice between students, where they go right up to it, but don't actually touch the eye. Finally, you can do full contact pressure testing with someone in a padded suit. I have done this and practiced full contact eye gouges.

Now I combine this with "safe" sparring with gloves to less sensitive targets. That gives me timing, distancing and good reactions. So combining those "pieces parts" what I have been doing as a simple jab or cross that might harmlessly deliver a gloved punch to the eye can be turned into an ungloved eye jab on the street, but only because I completely understand it and I have practiced parts of it separately in a safe way.

Combat shooting courses do "pieces parts" training all the time, because you can't have students actually shooting each other. You do basic gun handling and marksmanship, punching holes in paper, then you do "draw, shoot and move" courses that gives you all the non-shooting mechanical stuff and finally you do force on force training, with airsoft or simunitions. All safe, but put them together and you have the the whole picture.

 

[Hanzou]

Stuff like, "A teacher being attacked by one of their students in a classroom, or some guy grabbing your shirt and screaming at you because you accidentally hit his car outside a Walmart" is not at all what I'm talking about. Those situations can usually be avoided, or if they can't, they can be handled by basic martial arts training. I am talking about true, deadly, asocial violence, the kind of violence that would legally allow you to use a gun if you have one and you can get it out in time. That is the worst case, what we all need to be ready for.

Those are situations you should be talking about, because they’re far more common for the typical person than the exploits of a prison guard. Further, the prison guard has protections that the teacher and the guy in Walmart don’t have.

Also any situation can potentially be avoided. That doesn’t mean that those situations don’t happen.

I think we can synthesize the deadly stuff and train it properly. It is just more involved. So, what is involved in a deadly strike? Let's say it is an eye gouge. Tim Larkin starts by first explaining to students why an eye gouge works and how to properly do it. He really gets into the physiology. How schools even give that explanation? Then he does slow motion practice between students, where they go right up to it, but don't actually touch the eye. Finally, you can do full contact pressure testing with someone in a padded suit. I have done this and practiced full contact eye gouges.

Now I combine this with "safe" sparring with gloves to less sensitive targets. That gives me timing, distancing and good reactions. So combining those "pieces parts" what I have been doing as a simple jab or cross that might harmlessly deliver a gloved punch to the eye can be turned into an ungloved eye jab on the street, but only because I completely understand it and I have practiced parts of it separately in a safe way.

Yeah, but at no point do you actually place your finger inside someone's eye and gouge it. Thus you never know how to really apply it in a nasty situation, you never learn how someone is going to react after you gouge their eye, you never learn the different levels of pressure you need to apply with different eyeballs, etc. I'm not saying that gouging someone's eye is impossible, but I wouldn't exactly consider it a reliable technique that I would risk my life upon.

I should also point out that when you attempt something like that, you immediately escalate the violence, and thus the consequences. If you're rolling around on the ground with some meathead and you attempt an eye gouge and failed, or even if you successfully injure their eye, you've just given them license to do something equally horrific to you.

On the flip side, if you gouge out the eye of the student or the jerk at Walmart, you might be up for some serious assault charges.

Combat shooting courses do "pieces parts" training all the time, because you can't have students actually shooting each other. You do basic gun handling and marksmanship, punching holes in paper, then you do "draw, shoot and move" courses that gives you all the non-shooting mechanical stuff and finally you do force on force training, with airsoft or simunitions. All safe, but put them together and you have the the whole picture.

Yeah but shooting a gun is completely different than sticking your finger in someone’s eye and gouging it. A child could shoot someone and kill them as long as they have the proper aim and can handle the recoil, and they can develop those skills from shooting cans on a pole, or small game while hunting. In that case you're actually developing the skill necessary to perform the action. You're not really doing that when gouging the eyes.

 

[Alan0354]

This thread sure took a turn to something totally different. I thought OP just want to get back in some sort of shape after artificial knee and all the other aging problems!!

To be honest, at our age, just be thankful we still can punch and kick. People might be very good when they were young, but it's a PASS TENSE!!! You get old, you slow down. The key is trying not to become a vegetable. You are NOT going to be as fast as some young people even they have less training.

To OP, just start working out. Believe me, it's going to be a long road for you to get back in shape. Forget what style that is more useful, you learn so many different style. According to you, you were an expert back in the days. You already learn Jujitsu and all that, adding one more is not likely to make you a better fighter when comes to bare knuckle. Why don't you just start training on things you know first, get back to some sort of shape. Believe me, it will be harder than you expect. Then if you really worry about self defense and not carrying a gun, learn stick fight like what I've been doing in the last 6 months. That will give you a clear advantage over any unarmed people even they know MA.

Like I said before, I never stop doing bag work, for 30 years, I put in like two section a week, about 15 to 20 minutes each section as aerobic exercise. I put more time in weight training. To put it in perspective, I lost count on how many EverLast 70lbs canvas bags I broke by punching and kicking, I am on my 4th 100lbs EverLast heavy bag, two canvas, then the last two were leather. leather last longer. But now, both my bags are covered with duck tape already. So I am NOT exactly playing pussy foot with punching and kicking.

Around 2 months ago, I had my wife recorded me doing punching and kicking, IT WAS A BRUTAL AWAKENING!! How sloppy I was, how out of everything I was!!! I really took it to heart and start doing it with more heart and really work on the technique that I had and lost. Together with the stick fight, I can tell you IT IS HARD ON MY BODY, I NEVER EXPECT THAT. All the aches and pain, the joints start complaining all over. My back was screaming, my elbows, forearms and even my neck were in pain. Took me like 4 months ( from starting of stick fight) to calm everything down. I am still fighting the left elbow pain.

You have NOT been working out for so long, I think you are going to have even a harder time than me as I was still working out like 4 hours a week before the brutal awakening!!! I was never out of shape, Just adding more hours and it's a day and night difference on my body already.

Be patient, start slow, don't give up, DO NOT EXPECT too much, JUST DO IT. forget about kicking butt, just make sure you can still do what you had before. Then if you are up to it then, think about learning new stuffs. Your body will let you know, take my word on this one.

 

[dvcochran]

Ahh, the revered eye gouge.
I have had my right eye completely knocked out of socket in an auto accident. It was severely scratched. My 3 year old son unexpectedly jumped off a bar stool at our county fair holding a corndog stick (corndog finished) into my arms and scratched my left eye. I have a little experience in how painful a scratched cornea feels. So I have researched a little about this for my own perusal.
It takes about 138 psi to rupture an eyeball. A finger can be broken in a static fixed plane at about 1,485 newtons which converts to less than 1/4 of a psi. See the disparity?
Does this mean it cannot be done? No. Dexterity seldom leaves a finger in a static fixed plane. But this should be a reality check that it isn't as simple as movies make it out to be.

Can an eye gouge at the very least be a strong distraction? Yes. Should it be taught as a valid self defense skill? Yes, with Very explained conditions and exclusions.
Should it be taught as a base skill, a primary means of contact, and taught as if it can be done with whimsical ease? NO. It is a secondary skill that should only be considered After a person it thoroughly taught to strike correctly and effectively.

A Ton of consideration must go into this strike. Both from the "will it work" side and the "holy sxxt, it worked" side.

 

[drop bear]

I think we can synthesize the deadly stuff and train it properly. It is just more involved. So, what is involved in a deadly strike? Let's say it is an eye gouge. Tim Larkin starts by first explaining to students why an eye gouge works and how to properly do it. He really gets into the physiology. How schools even give that explanation? Then he does slow motion practice between students, where they go right up to it, but don't actually touch the eye. Finally, you can do full contact pressure testing with someone in a padded suit. I have done this and practiced full contact eye gouges.

Have you been eye gouged in a fight?

I have. And it really isn't as bad as people make out. Unless they have a really dominant position.

So if I was in Mount and eye gouging you and you have no mount escapes. Then you are in trouble.

But if you can prevent them getting that position and they are flailing some hail Mary eye gouge. Then it is pretty easy to deal with. Like just doing your own eye gouge or just dropping elbows.

And all of this is to illustrate an important point.

That if you are good enough you don't necessarily need to be doing technically the right things.

But if you are technically doing the right things but are just not very good. You will have a much harder time of it.

 

[dvcochran]

I forgot to mention poking the eye was not unusual in a pile during football. But I would call it more of a rub than an outright poke.
Definitely enough to make the eye water and really piss you off. At worst, you may be out for a play or two.

Of course, you know what they say about payback.

 

[Buka]

My standard for "proficient" for a martial art is that it can be used effectively, by most students, in defense against real criminal violence. What else could it mean? As my Tai Chi instructor would say, "Studying Tai Chi without learning to fight is like going to buy shoes and returning with just the box." But he acknowledged that it was a long hard road to get there and he made no promises everyone would make it. The external arts produce a more dependable result by far.

As my Tai Chi instructor would say, "Studying Tai Chi without learning to fight is like going to buy shoes and returning with just the box."

What a great expression.!

 

[Hanzou]

Exhibit A:

Exhibit B:

Exhibit C:

Teachers in the US should be learning MMA.

 

[Hanzou]

What have I said differently?

You suggested that someone take up Tai Chi in order to learn how to defend themselves....

 

[jmf552]

This thread sure took a turn to something totally different. I thought OP just want to get back in some sort of shape after artificial knee and all the other aging problems!!

To be honest, at our age, just be thankful we still can punch and kick. People might be very good when they were young, but it's a PASS TENSE!!! You get old, you slow down. The key is trying not to become a vegetable. You are NOT going to be as fast as some young people even they have less training.

To OP, just start working out. Believe me, it's going to be a long road for you to get back in shape. Forget what style that is more useful, you learn so many different style. According to you, you were an expert back in the days. You already learn Jujitsu and all that, adding one more is not likely to make you a better fighter when comes to bare knuckle. Why don't you just start training on things you know first, get back to some sort of shape. Believe me, it will be harder than you expect. Then if you really worry about self defense and not carrying a gun, learn stick fight like what I've been doing in the last 6 months. That will give you a clear advantage over any unarmed people even they know MA.

Like I said before, I never stop doing bag work, for 30 years, I put in like two section a week, about 15 to 20 minutes each section as aerobic exercise. I put more time in weight training. To put it in perspective, I lost count on how many EverLast 70lbs canvas bags I broke by punching and kicking, I am on my 4th 100lbs EverLast heavy bag, two canvas, then the last two were leather. leather last longer. But now, both my bags are covered with duck tape already. So I am NOT exactly playing pussy foot with punching and kicking.

Around 2 months ago, I had my wife recorded me doing punching and kicking, IT WAS A BRUTAL AWAKENING!! How sloppy I was, how out of everything I was!!! I really took it to heart and start doing it with more heart and really work on the technique that I had and lost. Together with the stick fight, I can tell you IT IS HARD ON MY BODY, I NEVER EXPECT THAT. All the aches and pain, the joints start complaining all over. My back was screaming, my elbows, forearms and even my neck were in pain. Took me like 4 months ( from starting of stick fight) to calm everything down. I am still fighting the left elbow pain.

You have NOT been working out for so long, I think you are going to have even a harder time than me as I was still working out like 4 hours a week before the brutal awakening!!! I was never out of shape, Just adding more hours and it's a day and night difference on my body already.

Be patient, start slow, don't give up, DO NOT EXPECT too much, JUST DO IT. forget about kicking butt, just make sure you can still do what you had before. Then if you are up to it then, think about learning new stuffs. Your body will let you know, take my word on this one.

Thank you for the kind words and your move to get the thread back on track. FWIW, I have already been training since April. Amazingly, it was not as bad as I thought it would be. One thing that helps is this school has Level 1-3 classes and the Level 1 are challenging, but not killer. I have tried the Level 2 and they are a bit much for me. The Level 3 are for people who compete.

I didn't have much of a problem with sore muscles, amazingly. I did have a problem with running out of wind. My long distance wind is OK, but the short sprint kind of wind is challenged. But that's what I'm there for. My main problem has been tendon inflammation and some other chronic problems flaring up. So I have had to stop and restart a couple of times. I think what I'm getting a sense of is what pains you just have to live with and which ones might be danger signs. The instructors are really chill and understanding. They push me appropriately, but they also say, "Just do what you can do."

I have to say I really like it. I get an endorphin high after every class I haven't felt in years. I am glad I am learning new stuff. It keeps me in "beginner's mind." If I had gone back to Karate' my muscle memory would be doing things my body is no longer up for.

 

[dvcochran]

Thank you for the kind words and your move to get the thread back on track. FWIW, I have already been training since April. Amazingly, it was not as bad as I thought it would be. One thing that helps is this school has Level 1-3 classes and the Level 1 are challenging, but not killer. I have tried the Level 2 and they are a bit much for me. The Level 3 are for people who compete.

I didn't have much of a problem with sore muscles, amazingly. I did have a problem with running out of wind. My long distance wind is OK, but the short sprint kind of wind is challenged. But that's what I'm there for. My main problem has been tendon inflammation and some other chronic problems flaring up. So I have had to stop and restart a couple of times. I think what I'm getting a sense of is what pains you just have to live with and which ones might be danger signs. The instructors are really chill and understanding. They push me appropriately, but they also say, "Just do what you can do."

I have to say I really like it. I get an endorphin high after every class I haven't felt in years. I am glad I am learning new stuff. It keeps me in "beginner's mind." If I had gone back to Karate' my muscle memory would be doing things my body is no longer up for.

It is great to hear that you found a place and have been working out for a while. Wonderful news.

 

[Alan0354]

Thank you for the kind words and your move to get the thread back on track. FWIW, I have already been training since April. Amazingly, it was not as bad as I thought it would be. One thing that helps is this school has Level 1-3 classes and the Level 1 are challenging, but not killer. I have tried the Level 2 and they are a bit much for me. The Level 3 are for people who compete.

I didn't have much of a problem with sore muscles, amazingly. I did have a problem with running out of wind. My long distance wind is OK, but the short sprint kind of wind is challenged. But that's what I'm there for. My main problem has been tendon inflammation and some other chronic problems flaring up. So I have had to stop and restart a couple of times. I think what I'm getting a sense of is what pains you just have to live with and which ones might be danger signs. The instructors are really chill and understanding. They push me appropriately, but they also say, "Just do what you can do."

I have to say I really like it. I get an endorphin high after every class I haven't felt in years. I am glad I am learning new stuff. It keeps me in "beginner's mind." If I had gone back to Karate' my muscle memory would be doing things my body is no longer up for.

Good!! I am glad you went through the worst stage already. I guess I didn't have to write a long piece.

Yes, learning how to distinguish what is good pain and what is bad pain is about the most important thing. One thing I want to say is doing weight training. I am sure you have orthopedic doctors you go to. Ask him to prescribe you to physical therapy WITH WEIGHT training, those that actually go to the gym and get onto weights and machines to work out. This literally saved my life.

Remember I said I only did 3 years of Tae Kwon Do( in the 80s) and I had to quit due to back injury from high kicks? I was really disabled, it was scary. I went to almost every kind of treatments short of surgery, nothing works. For over a year, I couldn't even stand for 2 minutes without tingling going all the way down my legs to the feet. Finally the doctor in St. Mary Spine Center( one that operate on Joe Montana before) put me on their weight training program with a therapist that monitor how I push the weight and what NOT to do. That was a miracle. I slowly got back and start doing bag work at home, punching and kicking both the bags and air. I have been doing it since, never stop.

Every time I injure myself, my first thing is to find a weight training exercise to reduce the pain. Believe it or not, it NEVER FAIL. I very seldom go see a doctor. So far, with exception of my knee, I always find one exercise that fixes the problem. I had shoulder, elbow, back, neck, foot and knee problem throughout the years, I fixed it all( at least manage) all these years. That's the reason even adding the stick fight and more kick boxing now, my weight training is still HALF the time of my exercise. Of cause I do it also to stay strong enough, but the most important part is to heal the injuries. Kick boxing and stick fight cause all sorts of injuries, weight lifting cure all the injuries for me!!!

Give this a try, you likely going to need it. You don't have to be like me putting half the time in it, but a little of it will go a long way. We are both old!!! This is life, everything hurts, things that you can do easily 30 years ago and cause you pain today!!! Hell, how can I pull muscle in the forearm just by swinging a 20oz stick!!!! I did!!!

Good Luck.

 

[Unkogami]

You suggested that someone take up Tai Chi in order to learn how to defend themselves....

That's not what I said.

 

[Brian King]

Thank you for the kind words and your move to get the thread back on track. FWIW, I have already been training since April. Amazingly, it was not as bad as I thought it would be. One thing that helps is this school has Level 1-3 classes and the Level 1 are challenging, but not killer. I have tried the Level 2 and they are a bit much for me. The Level 3 are for people who compete.

I didn't have much of a problem with sore muscles, amazingly. I did have a problem with running out of wind. My long distance wind is OK, but the short sprint kind of wind is challenged. But that's what I'm there for. My main problem has been tendon inflammation and some other chronic problems flaring up. So I have had to stop and restart a couple of times. I think what I'm getting a sense of is what pains you just have to live with and which ones might be danger signs. The instructors are really chill and understanding. They push me appropriately, but they also say, "Just do what you can do."

I have to say I really like it. I get an endorphin high after every class I haven't felt in years. I am glad I am learning new stuff. It keeps me in "beginner's mind." If I had gone back to Karate' my muscle memory would be doing things my body is no longer up for.

Awesome that you have indeed made it back to your training. Congratulations. Learning to listen to our bodies can be very difficult, having the grace and patience to take the time needed to internalize the 'newest' you as you better yourself. It is rare to find a school that fits so well with where you are in your journey. Enjoy the little victories and the little defeats, they both teach if willing.
Warmest Regards
Brian King

 

[KungfukennyG]

I guess I am looking for moral support and general advice, nothing specific. Back in the day, 35 years ago, I was a San Dan instructor in Shito-Ryu Karate'. I had also studied Judo, Japanese JuJitsu and Kajukenbo. Been in a couple of real fights I had no trouble with.

Now retired, in my late 60's I am overweight and out of shape. I have an artificial knee and other orthopedic problems, but I they will not keep me down! I want to get back into martial arts. I did not want to get back into Karate. Too hard on the joints and I would be re-traveling old ground. I tried boxing, which I liked, but the sparring did not seem to be a good idea at my age. Then I tried two different Krav Maga instructors. No offense to that art, but I was not impressed. Why do a five step move when I can just nail someone and put him down, even after all these years? Also, I was looking for more of a workout.

I went around and checked out about every school in town and found one that is a long drive for me and expensive, but I just took a liking to it. They teach Muay Thai and BJJ. The head instructor has been doing both arts for 24 years and teaching for 18. FWIW, he just took a vacation to climb Mt. Killamanjaro. The other two instructors are cops, who also have a lot of years in. I like it! My only issue is I have been plagued with health issues that I chalk up to getting my old body active again. I have had to stop and start over a couple of times, but always look forward to getting back to class. The advice I have gotten to be able to keep going is: warm up before class, spar light and tap early. Anyhow, that's my ramblings. If anyone has anything to say, I'd love to hear it.

I am 68, one lung and a heart issue. I've studied martial arts since 1973. My suggestion is to find a Chen Taijiquan instructor who focuses on the martial aspects. It is a deep, fascinating art and will challenge you to move differently. It is athletic but you can adapt to your own issues. It will help maintain good leg strength as you get older. And it will give you a new perspective on self-defense. With the right teacher, it is a powerful martial art. But good Chen style teachers are hard to find in person, unless you live in a big city.