Pansy thread extension - arthritis

[Buka]

I was reading Xue Sheng's pansy thread again, and got to thinking....

A year or so ago I went to a seminar taught by Bob Campbell. I go every year when he's in town. There are a lot of older guys there and we all exchange pleasantries after the workout. Bob Campbell was talking about arthritis. Says he doesn't have a lick of it, not even in his hands. He attributes it to not hitting things - like bags, makiwara, mitts, trees etc. (Bob's in his sixties, been training about fifty years.) I spent half my life hitting things and I have arthritis all over me. Especially my hands. It's kept in check, though, because I'm still training. I heeded the advice given me by all the older guys I knew in the arts, which was, "You'll be okay for the most part if you keep training. But if you stop you'll stiffen up so bad it ain't funny."

I know there's a lot of ways to do things in the Arts. Bill Wallace only hit air and people, he never used a bag. Joe Lewis only hit bags and people, he never punched and kicked air. (I never spoke to either of them about arthritis.)

Do you guys think there's more of a likelihood of developing arthritis from the constant pounding of bags etc? Do you think it's genetically predisposed only? And if you could, would you check with other guys our age and see what they say?
Thanks.

 

[Xue Sheng]

It can potentially cause trauma to joints so I imagine it can cause issues.

I use to train a lot of kicks (Heavy bag and in the air) and I have arthritis in my knees, shoulders and a hip. But I am not so sure that would be the case if I did not injure my knees a couple years ago which forced me to stop moving.

On the flip side of that I was having problems with my hands a few years ago until I started training Sanda and part of that training was palm strikes on trees and walls and my hands have felt grea.

I am currently doing Yoga and some strength exercises to see if I can get through these issues and it has been helping...so far

 

[Tony Dismukes]

I've done some banging on heavy bags and focus mitts over the years and I have a bit of arthritis. I'm not convinced that jiu-jitsu is any easier on my body, unfortunately.

 

[Brian R. VanCise]

I have always hit things ie. heavy bags, makiwara, wooden dummy, people. It is interesting because I have arthritis but living in the desert has taken care of it completely. The interesting thing is I know a
whole bunch of people who kicked the air more and they have all had their hips replaced including Bill Wallace. I do not think there is an easy answer regarding this. If you train hard there is a price!

 

[harlan]

Never did martial arts until 43, and 10 years later have arthritis in feet, knees, knuckles, spine. Having totally 'missed out' on the hard training I can say with certainty that there was no connection. A matter of simply aging.

 

[Balrog]

I have rheumatoid arthritis. It wasn't caused by martial arts training, that's for sure, because at the time I was diagnosed, I had been inactive in m.a. for nearly 20 years. I re-started my training at that time, and I firmly believe that I would be in a wheelchair today if it weren't for my Taekwondo training.

 

[Buka]

I have rheumatoid arthritis. It wasn't caused by martial arts training, that's for sure, because at the time I was diagnosed, I had been inactive in m.a. for nearly 20 years. I re-started my training at that time, and I firmly believe that I would be in a wheelchair today if it weren't for my Taekwondo training.

That, my friend, rocks.

 

[Balrog]

That, my friend, rocks.

Well, I gotta be honest.....I was very lucky in that I was diagnosed quickly and I responded well to all the different drugs I've been on over the years. But there were times when I was having flare-ups so bad that even my hair hurt, or so it seemed. Those were the days when I would be out on the floor, kicking about knee-high if I was lucky, with tears in my eyes from the pain. But it's all about perseverance - you never give up. I knew that if I got through it, things would get better, and they did.