I have been in MA since 1963 and have practiced a number of martial arts, from Goju-ryu (karate), judo, aikido, taekwondo, Chen taichichuan, and tangsoodo (karate). I am a tangsoodo master instructor and I am now 62 years old. I can tell you without reservation that the modern, athletic kicking style for which taekwondo is known is fine for young people, but it will do damage to your body over an extended period of time. Incidentally, this kicking style (with the hip extension, emphasis on thrusting movement, and large hip rotation) began in Japan in the 1930s with Gigo Funakoshi (the son of Gichin Funakoshi) and influenced his many followers, including his Korean students who developed the approach to a great degree in Korea. So the damage that you see from this kind of kicking can be seen in many Japanese and Korean styles, and with anyone (including the Chinese styles) that have incorporated this athletic, power-driven style of kicking. I have been teaching this type of kicking for over 30 years and I have seen the results of it with myself and many of my peers/friends in the MA community. Many have had hip replacements, knee surgeries, etc. However, and this is very important: If you go to Okinawa, you will find dozens of old masters in their 80s and even 90s, who still practice their arts, are in incredible condition and are injury-free. Why? Because the karate they practice is less athletic in its focus. While there is a focus on mechanical (external) power, it is much less pronounced than the emphasis on mechanical, external, athletic power seen in the more modern Japanese and Korean styles. The simple fact is, doing an inside-out crescent kick thousands and thousands of times (especially if done high, done forcefully, against a bag or even in the air) may look good and may even score you a point or two at a tournament a few times, but how applicable is it really to self-defense or one's mental, emotional, spirit development?
So, these days I have to be much more careful with my body, be grateful that I can even walk, run and kick at all, and try to teach my students the right way (which means according to their age, body type, and their purpose for training at all....be it self-defense, fitness or competition). Many of my older students are taught to do good kicks at a rational height (in many cases, knee height is fine). In many cases, that might mean teaching them an older version of a form (kata, hyung, poomsae, hsing), that utilizes a kick in combination with hand techniques, even if what I am teaching them is not considered part of our style. I am very careful about having my students extend their hips far forward on front kicks, or in doing anything that could harm them in the long run. How good is a martial art that one cannot practice one's whole life?
And yes, regarding aikido: I have trained in that a lot and it is a great martial art. However, it is possible to injury oneself in there also. It is more athletic than taichichuan. There is a lot of throwing and every individual's aikido is different. Some are harder than others, and the throws can result in shoulder injuries and more.
More important than the style of martial art is the INSTRUCTOR. A good instructor is quite a bit different than just being a good martial artist or a good athlete (which is what many are). You need an instructor who CARES about you and who has the knowledge and maturity to teach you intelligently and to care for your well-being.
So, these days I have to be much more careful with my body, be grateful that I can even walk, run and kick at all, and try to teach my students the right way (which means according to their age, body type, and their purpose for training at all....be it self-defense, fitness or competition). Many of my older students are taught to do good kicks at a rational height (in many cases, knee height is fine). In many cases, that might mean teaching them an older version of a form (kata, hyung, poomsae, hsing), that utilizes a kick in combination with hand techniques, even if what I am teaching them is not considered part of our style. I am very careful about having my students extend their hips far forward on front kicks, or in doing anything that could harm them in the long run. How good is a martial art that one cannot practice one's whole life?
And yes, regarding aikido: I have trained in that a lot and it is a great martial art. However, it is possible to injury oneself in there also. It is more athletic than taichichuan. There is a lot of throwing and every individual's aikido is different. Some are harder than others, and the throws can result in shoulder injuries and more.
More important than the style of martial art is the INSTRUCTOR. A good instructor is quite a bit different than just being a good martial artist or a good athlete (which is what many are). You need an instructor who CARES about you and who has the knowledge and maturity to teach you intelligently and to care for your well-being.
