Sixty and silver

In my June 29th post I introduced you to 60-year-old Dennis Schaefer, a taekwondo black belt who was preparing to compete in the U.S.A. Taekwondo Championships in Dallas, TX.  So it's time to wrap up this story with the results of his most recent Olympic Sparring contest. 
   Dennis came home to Dayton, OH, with a silver medal after finishing second to a 51-year-old competitor.  Although he gave up nine years to the eventual winner, Dennis stood tall in what he had told us might be his final competition.  And if he does indeed retire after this year's major event, Dennis leaves the competitive arena with two important victories: a silver medal in USAT's most prestigious tournament; and the knowledge that he competed with honor while most guys his age were home flopped on the couch in front of a TV.
  The martial spirit doesn't need to fade because of age.  And you don't need to be a championship competitor in order to exhibit that spirit in the martial art of your choice.  All you need to do is take up a martial art for the first time -- and, no, it's never too late -- or come out of "retirement" and begin training again.  Whether you're 50, 60, 70, or older, all it takes is the willingness to commit yourself to the discipline of a senior-friendly school in your area.
   Look, those of us who are in our mid-sixties know that we're not 25.  And if your brain doesn't get it, your body sure does.  Perhaps you tire sooner than you once did.  And maybe your high kicks aren't as high as they once were.  And it's entirely possible that your sense of balance isn't as sharp as before.  All of this would matter greatly if the goal was to win an Olympic medal.  But that's not what this is all about.  The goal is to be as fully alive as possible, and the martial arts represent one of the most powerful mind-and-body training programs ever created.
   So in today's blog I offer three messages straight from my heart:
      -- A rousing "two thumbs up" to Dennis Schaefer for taking silver at 60.
      -- A glad salute to all seniors who are still practicing the martial arts to the best of their ability.
      -- And to everyone else a warm invitation to get in the game by visiting a senior-friendly martial-arts school in your hometown.
   Are you already training at a senior-friendly school?  Please send me the name so that I can tell readers about it here on "Seniors in the Martial Arts."  Don't keep the good news to yourself.