Returning To TKD at 52

[TX_BB]

Besides the drugs and supplements try walking and stairs especially up. If you can get a walking regiment to where you are walking for an hour continuously and 10 flights of stairs 3 times a week your leg worries should be minimal. Take your time working up to these milestones injuries are the toughest part of aging.

Master Lee is an excellent instructor for a returning Martial artist. I think you’ll have fun.

Good Luck

 

[IcemanSK]

I sincerely wish you all the best & welcome back to the arts.

As had been said, no need to compare yourself to anyone else. Take it slow & enjoy yourself. Give yourself permission to enjoy the new experience without saying to yourself, "I used to be able to this or that better," or "this used to be easier."

Again, welcome back!

 

[RobBnTX]

Various thoughts.

1. Try Ibuprofen 1/2 to 1 hour before workouts. MNot on an empty stomach. Many runners do this.
2. Chain Drug stores like Walgreens and CVS sell velcro wraps with pouches containing refreezeable packs. USe them ASAP after workouts if you still have discomfort. Again, you see pro Ball players do this. Good enough for millinares, should be good enough for us.
3. Take Glucosimine Chondroiton Give it at least a 30 day try. Best Prices usualy at Sam's club or Costco except when the chains have a 2 for 1 sale.
4. Unless you have a medical condition which makes running a bad idea, I would reccomend you try it anyway. Do you do any running? If not, start with .1 mile and see how you feel. If OK repeat 3 times a week. Increase distance 20% a week. In 15 weeks you will be at about a mile.

I have been taking a supplement for a couple of weeks now that contains Glucosamine, MSM, Chondroitin, Chinese Scullcap, Black Catechu, Maltodextrin, and Hyaluronic Acid. It certainly seems to help. I have noticed a difference.

I will consider your advice on running. You know anytime I register on a TKD forum and I see that Earl Weiss is a participant, I know that I have found a great forum! Thank you sir for your advice!

Master Lee is an excellent instructor for a returning Martial artist. I think you’ll have fun.

Good Luck

Do you know Master Lee? What can you tell me about him? One class runs right into another one and he teaches all classes and even when I go by there during the day he has someone he is instructing so I have not had much of a chance to sit down and try to get to know him other than the few minutes we spent together when I first signed up. I do know he was an instructor for a number of years at Yim's Taekwondo in Dallas before opening his own school in Plano in 2004 and that he was the Texas State champion several times. Last night he demonstrated a turn kick (aka roundhouse) while I was holding the target bag. Man can he generate some power! Geez, that took me my complete surprise, you know he is not the big of a person, but wow has he got some power in his legs!

Thanks to all for all the advice and words of encouragement,
Robert

 

[terryl965]

Master Lee will take the time to talk to you if you ask for it. He is very humble and is a great teacher. He will tell you the same as alot of us have said take your timeand work up the ladder, there is no need to rush the training. I know when I get adults the first thing they try and do is keep up with the childern and teenager, this is not wise. I keep telling them that most of them have been wit me for years and are use to the rigards of the workout and in a few years they will be too. Enjoy and take your time.

 

[TX_BB]

Do you know Master Lee? What can you tell me about him? One class runs right into another one and he teaches all classes and even when I go by there during the day he has someone he is instructing so I have not had much of a chance to sit down and try to get to know him other than the few minutes we spent together when I first signed up. I do know he was an instructor for a number of years at Yim's Taekwondo in Dallas before opening his own school in Plano in 2004 and that he was the Texas State champion several times. Last night he demonstrated a turn kick (aka roundhouse) while I was holding the target bag. Man can he generate some power! Geez, that took me my complete surprise, you know he is not the big of a person, but wow has he got some power in his legs!

Robert

We would be associates, basically knowing each other by working together. I have be invited to help work one of his in school tournaments. I enjoyed my time with him and his black belts.

 

[chrispillertkd]

Hi, I was in ITF Taekwon-Do about 15 years ago for a couple of years. I lived out in West TX at the time. Long story short, work schedules, projects, driving distance to class, ultimately meant I dropped out. Over the years I have worked out with a couple Taekwondo (Kukkiwon/WTF style) instructors on an informal basis, basically just sparring.

I now live in Plano in the DFW area and last year I did a little Shorin-ryu Karate but that was interrupted by having to have a hernia repair (not MA related) and when I healed from the surgery, life was busy and I just did not get back in the habit of going to class. Now however I am getting the bug to start again but in order to make it easier to stay with it, I am looking at classes that are a little closer to home than the Shorin-ryu school is.

So far I have worked out with a Tang Soo Do class at a local YMCA and a Korean Taekwondo master who has a school literally within walking distance of my house. Last week one of the Tang Soo Do instructors informed me that as part of their testing, I would be required to run a timed mile run. Ha! I do not think so, that would require me to take up running which right now I am not prepared to do and I do not think my knees would take the pounding. OTOH however the Taekwondo class is very rigorous and there is lots of bouncing, jumping, tons of kicking, etc... I am sucking wind in class like crazy but enjoying it. The good part is that the floor is covered with high quality puzzle like mats that go together. They make it easier on the joints but are still firm enough that you are not sinking into them like some I have seen.

I have been told that after the age of 40, one should not be jumping and doing spinning kicks but I seemed to be doing OK with it in the Taekwondo class but I still wonder if this is something I should be doing. I do have some minor joint pain in my hips but mostly muscular pain the next day after class but a little ibuprofen and the pain goes away. My biggest problem is just I have no wind; I need to build up my lung capacity.

I do have some inspiration though. There is a guy in the TKD class that is 67 years old and just started two years ago with no prior martial arts experience, and he seems no worse for the wear, in fact I sparred against him and he was pretty darn good!

Any thoughts?
Robert

Great to see you getting back into Taekwon-Do training after such a long hiatus. My instructor has a gentleman in his school who didn't start training until he was, IIRC, 49 or 50. He is now 76 and a V dan. He's starting to slow up a little but is still very tough. He doesn't have as much endurance as the younger guys, of course, but he's out there on the floor doing all the techniques everyone else does, including flying and spinning kicks so don't worry about that. He and some of the other oder gentlemen who train actually take ibuprofin sometimes before class and say that it helps them not be sore afterwards. I know you said you take it afterwards if needed but that might be something you want to try.

You should, of course take care not to unduly or unnecessarily strain your body. Work up to the flying reverse hooking kicks! If you strain something or pull a muscle baby it until it's no longer hurt. Make sure to stretch out before class and afterwards so you don't run undue risk of injury. Drink plenty of water during the day so you are hydrated for class.

As for building up your lung capacity, if you don't want to take up running (as you mentioned) I'd suggest doing the following:

Biking. Either the real thing or spend time on an exercise bike. Alternate between a steady pace for distance and basically riding wind sprints. This will increase your endurance without pulling your speed down to a plodding pace. Lower impact than running.

Swimming. Good endurance work as it emplys the whole body. Make sure you alternate distance and speed work outs. Very low impact on the joints.

Patterns. Use your patterns as a training tool to increase endurance. This can be done by performing patterns at near full power with a minimal break between them. You can also take a pattern and perform it in a progressive manner (i.e. one movement, back to ready, two movements, back to ready, three movements, back to ready, etc.). Even if you do a pattern with 20 some movements this is going to give you a good work out by the time you finish. (I don't see me doing So-San this way any time soon with its 72 movements ).

Shadow Boxing. Use hand and foot techniques and do a few rounds of shadow boxing. Do maybe 2 minute rounds with a one minute break in between. Light impact and, like pattern work, you're practicing techniques and increasing endurance at the same time.

Congratulations on getting back into training and good luck with it!

Pax,

Chris