Martial Arts after 40… What the??
You’re not as fast or flexible as the younger guys, you don’t recover from workouts as quickly, and you are bothered by various aches and pains. Time to sit on the couch and live on boring old stories of how good you used to be….
Martial Arts (Boxing, Karate, Jujitsu and others) is so much more (and less) than what people expect. It is so much more of a personal journey, a discovery of what you are capable of, a realisation that you can teach an old dog new tricks, and an understanding of how the body and mind benefit from working together.
Martial arts is also so much less than, kicking over your head, having to be the best fighter in the dojo, able to do spinning jumping kicks, or being a high ranking black belt (if the belt colour is important to you then you are missing the point completely).
Ageing is an inevitable process. It proceeds at different rates in different people. You can’t stop it but you can delay it. It is your responsibility to live your life to the fullest—or not. There is no other person or thing that can be blamed or used as an excuse…….and if in reading this you come up with an excuse, STOP and have a good hard look at yourself.
As your life unfolds you begin to realise that every choice that you have ever made so far has brought definite consequences that are either rewarding or painful. Reaching mid-life means an accumulation of wisdom. Based upon the lessons of your past choices, you now have a great opportunity to reconsider and possibly change the course of your life.
Martial Arts, and especially the concept I’ve developed as ‘Old Boys Thai Boxing’ is a gateway to this change. We’re not the be all and end all, there are many approaches but few that really focus in on this niche of men who are looking for something that provides fitness both physically and mentally, and a sense of achievement and self-confidence.
