Hello from Carlisle, England

[LastGasp]

Hi all, from the wet and windy north of England.
I'm going to be feeling my way a little tentatively here for a while I think.

Some background and details:

I'm 52, and have a couple of disabilities collected by throwing myself off of motorcycles over the years! These disabilities are largely why I've joined this forum, to see if anyone out there can give me some quite specific advice to help me develop something in martial arts practice.
As a youngster, I tried Karate and Judo, but found I didn't click with them. Then I stumbled on a local Lau Gar club run by one Neville Wray. I loved it, but due to leaving school and joining the Royal Air Force, I didn't stick with it for long, although I had another brief flirtation with another Lau Gar club; then got posted to Germany, so couldn't attend that one anymore either.
And that was my last involvement with the martial arts, something like 30 years ago now, because then I had a very severe motorcycle accident, which left me with, among other injuries, a smashed left shoulder and arm.
I still ride motorcycles (when I can afford to!), but just thought "what's the point?" when it came to martial arts. I think my view on that has changed now though.

To cut a long story short, I have recently found myself in dire need of getting fit again (which is actually going pretty well, although I'm still in the very early stages of that), and while putting together a workout to get started with, I found myself using my memories of training with the aforementioned Neville as a kind of guide to a training philosophy. Couldn't help introducing some stretching and even basic techniques that I could remember, so I started to wonder if it was worth me trying to get back into it, disabilities and all.

Well, I think that's long-winded enough as an intro, so I'll sign out for now. Hope to get into some discussion at a later time, and will definitely have lots of questions, and be looking for some inspiration.

Bye for now

LastGasp

 

[Tony Dismukes]

Hi all, from the wet and windy north of England.
I'm going to be feeling my way a little tentatively here for a while I think.

Some background and details:

I'm 52, and have a couple of disabilities collected by throwing myself off of motorcycles over the years! These disabilities are largely why I've joined this forum, to see if anyone out there can give me some quite specific advice to help me develop something in martial arts practice.
As a youngster, I tried Karate and Judo, but found I didn't click with them. Then I stumbled on a local Lau Gar club run by one Neville Wray. I loved it, but due to leaving school and joining the Royal Air Force, I didn't stick with it for long, although I had another brief flirtation with another Lau Gar club; then got posted to Germany, so couldn't attend that one anymore either.
And that was my last involvement with the martial arts, something like 30 years ago now, because then I had a very severe motorcycle accident, which left me with, among other injuries, a smashed left shoulder and arm.
I still ride motorcycles (when I can afford to!), but just thought "what's the point?" when it came to martial arts. I think my view on that has changed now though.

To cut a long story short, I have recently found myself in dire need of getting fit again (which is actually going pretty well, although I'm still in the very early stages of that), and while putting together a workout to get started with, I found myself using my memories of training with the aforementioned Neville as a kind of guide to a training philosophy. Couldn't help introducing some stretching and even basic techniques that I could remember, so I started to wonder if it was worth me trying to get back into it, disabilities and all.

Well, I think that's long-winded enough as an intro, so I'll sign out for now. Hope to get into some discussion at a later time, and will definitely have lots of questions, and be looking for some inspiration.

Bye for now

LastGasp

Welcome to MartialTalk!

With regards to advice on getting back into some sort of martial art practice, what schools are available in your area?

 

[pdg]

A question back - why not get back into it?

You'll have restrictions, but hey. If you find something that clicks then do it.

There's been a few examples of amputees doing well in BJJ, wheelchair judo and boxing is a thing, I've met a guy who was a thalidomide baby who does TKD.

Being blunt, if you think it's not worth trying to do it because of a disability, it's really because you don't really want to do it...

 

[Headhunter]

A question back - why not get back into it?

You'll have restrictions, but hey. If you find something that clicks then do it.

There's been a few examples of amputees doing well in BJJ, wheelchair judo and boxing is a thing, I've met a guy who was a thalidomide baby who does TKD.

Being blunt, if you think it's not worth trying to do it because of a disability, it's really because you don't really want to do it...

Not really he doesn't want to start doing stuff that makes his injuries worse and causes him serious pain

 

[LastGasp]

Welcome to MartialTalk!

With regards to advice on getting back into some sort of martial art practice, what schools are available in your area?

Hi, thanks for the welcome.
We have Wing Chun and Taekwondo here in Carlisle (I would have to keep it local), and this place which looks interesting (link):

http://www.beaconmartialarts.co.uk

A question back - why not get back into it?

You'll have restrictions, but hey. If you find something that clicks then do it.

There's been a few examples of amputees doing well in BJJ, wheelchair judo and boxing is a thing, I've met a guy who was a thalidomide baby who does TKD.

Being blunt, if you think it's not worth trying to do it because of a disability, it's really because you don't really want to do it...

This is what I've been thinking lately. Build on strengths, not weakness (and as a general philosophy).
I've found a few one-armed martial artists online, Nick Newell being prominent, although because of the nature of my injuries, any kind of grappling would be out. The left shoulder and arm are just too vulnerable to injury I feel, although I'd be willing to put it to controlled testing on that score perhaps.

The fact that I've incorporated some moves and techniques into my current training which aren't really about fitness (although practice of some do help) tells me I would like to do it. I love working on them too.

At the moment, I'm working hard on general fitness with some encouraging progress - I had rather let myself go! - so I'm not sure I'm ready to approach a club just yet; I don't want to be wasting their time. But things are looking more hopeful than I thought they ever would, so I'm here largely just to sound out opinions of experienced martial artists, see if i can get some advice, maybe eventually find what might actually work for me.

Thank you for your replies so far, I hope I'm not wasting your time!

 

[pdg]

Not really he doesn't want to start doing stuff that makes his injuries worse and causes him serious pain

So don't do those bits.

I never said ignore a disability, but you can work around it if it's something you really want.

 

[pdg]

So don't do those bits.

I never said ignore a disability, but you can work around it if it's something you really want.

Addendum:

'Everyone' says how important footwork is for boxing...

 

[LastGasp]

I notice my second post is awaiting forum moderation. Is this because of the link I incorporated? I'm happy to remove it if so, I have no connection with the club linked to.

 

[jobo]

Hi all, from the wet and windy north of England.
I'm going to be feeling my way a little tentatively here for a while I think.

Some background and details:

I'm 52, and have a couple of disabilities collected by throwing myself off of motorcycles over the years! These disabilities are largely why I've joined this forum, to see if anyone out there can give me some quite specific advice to help me develop something in martial arts practice.
As a youngster, I tried Karate and Judo, but found I didn't click with them. Then I stumbled on a local Lau Gar club run by one Neville Wray. I loved it, but due to leaving school and joining the Royal Air Force, I didn't stick with it for long, although I had another brief flirtation with another Lau Gar club; then got posted to Germany, so couldn't attend that one anymore either.
And that was my last involvement with the martial arts, something like 30 years ago now, because then I had a very severe motorcycle accident, which left me with, among other injuries, a smashed left shoulder and arm.
I still ride motorcycles (when I can afford to!), but just thought "what's the point?" when it came to martial arts. I think my view on that has changed now though.

To cut a long story short, I have recently found myself in dire need of getting fit again (which is actually going pretty well, although I'm still in the very early stages of that), and while putting together a workout to get started with, I found myself using my memories of training with the aforementioned Neville as a kind of guide to a training philosophy. Couldn't help introducing some stretching and even basic techniques that I could remember, so I started to wonder if it was worth me trying to get back into it, disabilities and all.

Well, I think that's long-winded enough as an intro, so I'll sign out for now. Hope to get into some discussion at a later time, and will definitely have lots of questions, and be looking for some inspiration.

Bye for now

LastGasp

Yes go for it, not many of us reach our 50s with out a war wound or three , it really depends what " disabilities " you have and if exercise will make them worse or better, it's usually better, to point you which way to go,

But really, find some think local you like the sound of and go do it for a few months, then reassess

 

[Tames D]

Welcome.

 

[Feitianwu]

I'd go with Tae Kwon Do. It's great for flexibility and endurance, and doesn't tax your shoulders much at all, and you can really get away with 90 or even 100% kicks if you want to.

 

[LastGasp]

Yes go for it, not many of us reach our 50s with out a war wound or three , it really depends what " disabilities " you have and if exercise will make them worse or better, it's usually better, to point you which way to go,

But really, find some think local you like the sound of and go do it for a few months, then reassess

True I guess. I only wish I'd had more insight when I was younger, but I suppose we all think that at this age!
So far, exercise has been a great help, and has not aggravated things. I also cracked two vertebrae in my spine coming off a bike a couple of years ago (some of us just never learn!), and the exercise is definitely helping that (core strength development?). Although again, I might be a bit concerned with anything that would mean hard falls, Judo etc. But the arm could not handle Judo anyway, for sure.

Welcome.

Thank you.

I'd go with Tae Kwon Do. It's great for flexibility and endurance, and doesn't tax your shoulders much at all, and you can really get away with 90 or even 100% kicks if you want to.

This occurred to me. How do people in their 50s generally fare with developing the flexibility that would be required for this? I'm really at square one. I have been introducing stretching exercises into my training regime, but so far it has taught me that I have very little flexibility! Hoping I'll be able to improve, but not getting any younger.

One other thought that occurred to me was that with these limitations, as many disabled people must find it, one style may not really be the way to go, but rather to fuse together techniques I can make work from several different styles. A kind of 'JKD for the physically knackered' philosophy?! How would that work practically? How could I go about doing something like that? Or would it be better just to join a more specific club and learn what they have that I can use, and only then, if I progress well, consider finding other things?

 

[jobo]

True I guess. I only wish I'd had more insight when I was younger, but I suppose we all think that at this age!
So far, exercise has been a great help, and has not aggravated things. I also cracked two vertebrae in my spine coming off a bike a couple of years ago (some of us just never learn!), and the exercise is definitely helping that (core strength development?). Although again, I might be a bit concerned with anything that would mean hard falls, Judo etc. But the arm could not handle Judo anyway, for sure.



Thank you.



This occurred to me. How do people in their 50s generally fare with developing the flexibility that would be required for this? I'm really at square one. I have been introducing stretching exercises into my training regime, but so far it has taught me that I have very little flexibility! Hoping I'll be able to improve, but not getting any younger.

One other thought that occurred to me was that with these limitations, as many disabled people must find it, one style may not really be the way to go, but rather to fuse together techniques I can make work from several different styles. A kind of 'JKD for the physically knackered' philosophy?! How would that work practically? How could I go about doing something like that? Or would it be better just to join a more specific club and learn what they have that I can use, and only then, if I progress well, consider finding other things?

no,. That won't work very well, if you want to learn ma you need to go to a class, there's no way round that, i can see you have reservation, so my experience, i was three years older than you when i started, and every bit as knackered, lond term spinal injury, bad knees, frozen shoulders, high blood pressure, you have to accept, that at our age everything takes a lit longer to achieve than it did in your twenties. Once that's on board, just keep ticking off your improvements, in strengh, in mobility in flexability, 4years later, i have. The body of a reasonably fit 30year old, but unfortunately I've still got an old face.

just go and do it, find what your weak at and then work to improve that, inbetween classes,

 

[LastGasp]

no,. That won't work very well, if you want to learn ma you need to go to a class, there's no way round that, i can see you have reservation, so my experience, i was three years older than you when i started, and every bit as knackered, lond term spinal injury, bad knees, frozen shoulders, high blood pressure, you have to accept, that at our age everything takes a lit longer to achieve than it did in your twenties. Once that's on board, just keep ticking off your improvements, in strengh, in mobility in flexability, 4years later, i have. The body of a reasonably fit 30year old, but unfortunately I've still got an old face.

just go and do it, find what your weak at and then work to improve that, inbetween classes,

That gives me great hope jobo, thank you for that insight from your personal experience, I appreciate it. I certainly do have some reservations in approaching a club at such an early stage of thinking about this whole thing, bearing in mind the only stuff I've done requiring any level of fitness since 30 years ago has been long-distance hiking and hill walking. And even that has tailed off in the last couple of years.

But after just two months of training, I am already seeing a few smaller barriers tumbling, so I am interested to see how far I can take it. My concerns about getting into MA is another 'barrier' I would like to see tumble. I guess I'll only know if I try.

It is heartening to come here and find that no one says, "no, it's a waste of time for you, don't bother."

 

[jobo]

That gives me great hope jobo, thank you for that insight from your personal experience, I appreciate it. I certainly do have some reservations in approaching a club at such an early stage of thinking about this whole thing, bearing in mind the only stuff I've done requiring any level of fitness since 30 years ago has been long-distance hiking and hill walking. And even that has tailed off in the last couple of years.

But after just two months of training, I am already seeing a few smaller barriers tumbling, so I am interested to see how far I can take it. My concerns about getting into MA is another 'barrier' I would like to see tumble. I guess I'll only know if I try.

It is heartening to come here and find that no one says, "no, it's a waste of time for you, don't bother."

a lit if it is in the mind, its all about long time scales and incremental improvements, aim to finish this year fitter than you finished. Last year, if you do that your in a very small % of 50year olds and then again the year after and again.

my friends and family spent a lit if time laughing at me, as i spent my evenings with hot water bottles on various. Muscle pulls, now they roll their,eyes like I'm some sort of freak, when i tell them I've been playing 5aside with 18yo or that I've bought some gymnastic rings .

 

[LastGasp]

my friends and family spent a lit if time laughing at me, as i spent my evenings with hot water bottles on various. Muscle pulls

I hear that! Staying away from heavy work on my right arm today, as I have earned a nice little muscular twinge there, and calves are hurting from too much yesterday, lol.
So today, it'll be stomach work and left arm, which will always need to play catch-up.

 

[dvcochran]

Hi all, from the wet and windy north of England.
I'm going to be feeling my way a little tentatively here for a while I think.

Some background and details:

I'm 52, and have a couple of disabilities collected by throwing myself off of motorcycles over the years! These disabilities are largely why I've joined this forum, to see if anyone out there can give me some quite specific advice to help me develop something in martial arts practice.
As a youngster, I tried Karate and Judo, but found I didn't click with them. Then I stumbled on a local Lau Gar club run by one Neville Wray. I loved it, but due to leaving school and joining the Royal Air Force, I didn't stick with it for long, although I had another brief flirtation with another Lau Gar club; then got posted to Germany, so couldn't attend that one anymore either.
And that was my last involvement with the martial arts, something like 30 years ago now, because then I had a very severe motorcycle accident, which left me with, among other injuries, a smashed left shoulder and arm.
I still ride motorcycles (when I can afford to!), but just thought "what's the point?" when it came to martial arts. I think my view on that has changed now though.

To cut a long story short, I have recently found myself in dire need of getting fit again (which is actually going pretty well, although I'm still in the very early stages of that), and while putting together a workout to get started with, I found myself using my memories of training with the aforementioned Neville as a kind of guide to a training philosophy. Couldn't help introducing some stretching and even basic techniques that I could remember, so I started to wonder if it was worth me trying to get back into it, disabilities and all.

Well, I think that's long-winded enough as an intro, so I'll sign out for now. Hope to get into some discussion at a later time, and will definitely have lots of questions, and be looking for some inspiration.

Bye for now

LastGasp

Welcome! Hope you enjoy the Forum.

 

[pdg]

Regarding TKD

This occurred to me. How do people in their 50s generally fare with developing the flexibility that would be required for this? I'm really at square one. I have been introducing stretching exercises into my training regime, but so far it has taught me that I have very little flexibility! Hoping I'll be able to improve, but not getting any younger.

I started TKD just over 2 years ago. Younger admittedly, but at 39 not exactly in the first flush of youth. Never done any MA before, so wasn't going in with any old memories of movement either.

Another guy at the school I attend started in his 60s and recently got 1st dan. There's stuff he can't do due to physical limitations, but any instructor worthy of the name can work with or around that.

I'd recommend TKD, but I'm biased (and yes, I'm aware it's certainly not for everyone, but if it's a notion and you can get a couple of free intro sessions it's worth a look).

 

[oftheherd1]

Go visit some schools in your area. See what you like and think you can handle with your injuries. Talk the the teachers in those schools for what accommodations they think would be able to offer. Then talk to your doctor to get his opinion on the different schools you think you would like.

Then come back and talk to us.

 

[LastGasp]

Go visit some schools in your area. See what you like and think you can handle with your injuries. Talk the the teachers in those schools for what accommodations they think would be able to offer. Then talk to your doctor to get his opinion on the different schools you think you would like.

Then come back and talk to us.

Yep, I know that's what I've got to do before committing to anywhere. Just thought I'd sound some experienced people out about whether it was worth me considering MA at all. I have been very reassured here, thank you all.