Older Martial Artists - aging and abilities

[crazydiamond]

I started at 48.5 and I just turned 52. I felt some gradual declines but not much the first two years - until this last 6 months - I feel like i have really taken a step down in general physicality. So it was not at 50 but more like 51.5 that I was like "whoa" what just happened.

Did anyone else hit a noticeable "step" as they aged at certain points - or was it mostly gradual?

 

[Gerry Seymour]

I started at 48.5 and I just turned 52. I felt some gradual declines but not much the first two years - until this last 6 months - I feel like i have really taken a step down in general physicality. So it was not at 50 but more like 51.5 that I was like "whoa" what just happened.

Did anyone else hit a noticeable "step" as they aged at certain points - or was it mostly gradual?

I had a huge step down between 41 and 42. I broke my leg that year and spent more time sitting than I ever had before. Years later, I've seen an improvement in some areas, and the expected decline in others.

 

[JP3]

I used to have a 39" vertical, could bench 245 lbs, could run a 4.5 40-yd time, could long jump about 19' and broad jump about 7.5'.... ran a 5:04 mile. I could deadlift 425 8x and squat it 15 times. All OK for an slightly-above all-around athlete with the primary weakness due to the length of my arms... can't get pressing actions powered up. That was in the 22-28 year old category/time frame.

But, that was before 30. The first thing to suddenly be... gone was the jumping ability. Have no idea where it went, as I never actually worked on it, I just played ball. But, stop playing ball and start sitting and working for a living and there you go. Martial arts wise, my kicking power diminished in linear fashion with the jumping, which makes sense. I stopped doing kicking board breaks as the folks couldn't hold enough so I couldn't break them... but after 30? Shoot, I might have been able to do a 4-board break, but I'd not bet the house on it. Before, I'd not have blinked at betting the winning Illinois PowerBall numbers (it is Illinois, right?) on it. Not at all anymore.

Good thing I put most of the kicking stuff away about 15 years ago. The arts change witht he bod.

 

[Xue Sheng]

After a broken ankle followed by a torn meniscus in one knee followed by a bruise knee joint, possible torn meniscus in the other knee followed by arthritis in one hip that went to the other and both knees, then a detached retina....twice.....yeah I had a bit of a step down, possibly an entire flight of steps down from 50 on. But I am gaining some back of late.

 

[Buka]

I was fortunate. Full time training, stumbling around despite the hours, for a decade before finding the trainers that suited what I was doing. Or trying to do.

it wasn't until my late thirties that I experienced man strength. That was interesting, I can tell you that. It was during, and shorty after, that I benefited from the right instruction from the right people.

If you're the big fish in a small pond, there's really no necessity to grow. You might, a little bit, out of sheer will or ego, but there's really no need to. It's comfortable being the big fish, and comfortable is always nice.

If you be the little fish in a big pond, life is different. Your senses are heightened just to survive another five minutes. You grow or you don't. You grow - or you be the little fish that was very briefly known as lunch.

Injuries, temporally or permanent, are part of this crazy deal we make with the devil. But they are not what determine the outcome of anything. We all know what is. Go get it, my brothers. If you think you are too old - you are. If you don't - salud.

 

[Bill Mattocks]

I'm not as fast at 56 as I was at 26; hell, I wasn't fast then, and I'm slower now.
I'm not as flexible either; and wasn't then.
I take longer to heal.

Stamina is sinking...

Weight is up, hair is gone.

So...on the bright side, here's what age gives in exchange for all it takes. It's not much, but it's something.

I hit hard. A ton. I connect bigly, you walk funny for weeks. Weeks.

Pain and I are on familiar terms now. Not pals, but we respect each other. I still feel pain, but unless it's tooth pain, I don't give much of a toss about it.

I'm willing to go all in. It's not over until I say it's over. You don't get to walk away when you realize the old dragon's got fangs. When it's game on, brother, it's on. You get it all.

And of course I pull all the birds. Why now that I'm old and don't want to, I have no idea. So yeah, I'll be leaving with your teeth in my pocket and your girl, thanks.

Also I tell bigger lies.

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

The following clip was recorded when I was 58. Between 62 to 65, One day I suddenly could not jump like that any more.

Today, I feel ashamed to do any of my forms that has jumping kicks. I then realize that why there are so many forms that don't have jumping kicks at all. Some forms you can still do when you are 80. Some forms you just can't.

If you know how to train, you should also need to know how to maintain. I just don't know how to maintain my "jumping" ability.

 

[Danny T]

44-46 speed, overall strength, and stamina drop was apparent.
55 again rather noticeable drop and many old injuries began to reemerge as well as flexibility loss. At 62 now and the aging process is constant. Though I am in excellent physical shape there are many things I could do well up until 10 years ago that I don't even attempt to do today. Sucks but that is all a part of the aging process.

 

[Bill Mattocks]

This is why technique matters. Young person can ignore technique and overcome with speed and muscle. But solid technique beats speed and muscle. Develop technique when young, practice good technique. When old, destroy young punks, go home have coffee.

 

[thanson02]

I started at 48.5 and I just turned 52. I felt some gradual declines but not much the first two years - until this last 6 months - I feel like i have really taken a step down in general physicality. So it was not at 50 but more like 51.5 that I was like "whoa" what just happened.

Did anyone else hit a noticeable "step" as they aged at certain points - or was it mostly gradual?

I noticed a big difference between 30 and 31 (38 right now). In my twenties, I would get a little injury and I would have been back in the dojang flying around like nothing happened after a couple days. After I turned 31, suddenly what took 2 days to heal would now take almost a week. I have heard that it happens again once I am in my 40s and then my 50s and that my focus of training will have to change in a couple years whether I like it or not.

I find myself focusing more on proper nutrition, vitamin supplements, and maintenance work these days while I clean up my technique and streamline it as best as I can, while accepting my frustration when I need to take a break to heal.

 

[Xue Sheng]

I noticed a big difference between 30 and 31 (38 right now). In my twenties, I would get a little injury and I would have been back in the dojang flying around like nothing happened after a couple days. After I turned 31, suddenly what took 2 days to heal would now take almost a week. I have heard that it happens again once I am in my 40s and then my 50s and that my focus of training will have to change in a couple years whether I like it or not.

I find myself focusing more on proper nutrition, vitamin supplements, and maintenance work these days while I clean up my technique and streamline it as best as I can, while accepting my frustration when I need to take a break to heal.

In my 30s I broke my ankle doing a Changquan staff form.... I figured out how to deliver a front kick while on crutches, and I was back training in a couple months. In my late 40s, or early 50s, I broke my ankle being stupid and jumping down a flight of stairs, like I use to in my 20s and 30s, and I spent a year trying to recover from that, and I did not even try to figure out how to trwo a kick while on crutches... but I did figure out how I could use one of the crutches for a weapon.

 

[JP3]

Old age and treachery will overcome youth and skill every time.

"Leave with your teeth in my pocket and your girl..."

*snort* Awesome...

 

[Bill Mattocks]

Old age and treachery will overcome youth and skill every time.

"Leave with your teeth in my pocket and your girl..."

*snort* Awesome...

Reminds me of an old joke.

Young kid cuts off older guy with his sports car while both were angling for a remaining parking spot. Kid gets the spot, exits his expensive sports car, and tells the old man in his beat-up pickup truck, "Youth and skill, old man, youth and skill."

The old man proceeds to use his pickup truck to ram the expensive sports car repeatedly, telling the young kid "Old age and good attorneys, punk. Old age and good attorneys."

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

About 3 months ago, I wrestled with a young wrestler in the park. He was 30 lb more weight and 45 years younger than me (I'm 69 and he is 24). After I had wrestled with him, his young brother also wanted to wrestle with me. After I had barely finished 1 round with his young brother, I could not continue any more. I used to be able to wrestle 15 rounds. Old age sucks big time.

 

[Tony Dismukes]

I suppose I'm "fortunate" in that I was never a great athlete when I was younger, so I never can close to my theoretical peak. Therefore I can still theoretically, with enough hard work and intelligent training, match or exceed the level of athleticism I had when I was younger.

Realistically, I'm probably about as strong as I used to be. My cardio has faded significantly and takes more consistent work to improve or maintain. My flexibility is good, about where it was in the past, except I need to spend more time warming up. I need more recovery time after hard workouts. The biggest issue is probably accumulated injuries which force me to be aware of how I move and which occasionally give me random twinges like someone is stabbing a voodoo doll of my with a pin.

I don't think any of it happened all at once. Just a gradual development over time.

 

[Bill Mattocks]

I used to hate being sore after a workout. Now I like it. Amazing that bruises and minor injuries now seem like something to if not exactly enjoy, to savor in a way. Once I would break a toe and limp around cursing for a week. Now I'm like, toe, you ain't $#*7. I might lay off kicking with that leg, but it otherwise doesn't bother me at all.

 

[Xue Sheng]

Wow....what a bunch of geezers...of course I am calling you all this as I sit in my recliner, with my feet up, recovering from my workout

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

IMO, when you get older, it's very important to design a work out program that you can enjoy of doing it. If you used to

- bench pressing X lb, you may consider to bench pressing only X - 10 lb.
- run 12 minutes per mile, you may consider to run 14 minutes per mile, or even change into fast walking.

If you enjoy your work out, you may be able to keep your work out program into your 80.

 

[Bill Mattocks]

Wow....what a bunch of geezers...of course I am calling you all this as I sit in my recliner, with my feet up, recovering from my workout

As soon as I get done with my nap, I'm going to get all up in your grill. Or look for my TV remote. Whichever.

 

[Buka]

An old bull and a young bull stand atop the hill looking down at a herd of cows. The young bull says, "Let's run down the hill and F that pretty brown cow!'

The old bull says, "No. Let's walk down and F them all."

Don't fight old people. Old people just don't care. You're going to lose in court anyway, which means you've lost twice.
And when they get their hands on you, yeah you, Young Master Much Faster, old people don't let go. They get this particular grin. Something to do with the remembrance of having that first puppy.