Rumor has it that we get wiser as we get older. If that's true -- and, frankly, I have my doubts -- it's one of the rare benefits of the aging process. Let's face facts: the older you get, the more problems you can encounter. And one of the most troublesome is a diminished sense of balance.
You can have balance issues at any age, of course, but the potential causes seem to accumulate with age, ranging from inner-ear changes to high blood pressure to reduced feeling in the feet. The first step in countering balance issues is to see your doctor and let him or her know what's going on. If the doctor agrees that exercise can help you compensate for the balance problems, you should think seriously about the potential benefits of Taekwondo and other martial arts.
Since Taekwondo is a kicking-oriented martial art, you spend a lot of time on one foot rather than two. And this means that you get to challenge your sense of balance on a regular basis. The more you challenge, the more stable you can become.
One simple way to begin is with an ankle-loosening exercise. Place your hands on your hips, and raise one leg so that the thigh is parallel to the floor. While holding this position, gently rotate the ankle of the raised leg, first in one direction, then in the other. It's helpful to bend the knee of your supporting leg slightly, since the joint then becomes an adjustable stabilizing unit. If you wobble a bit, not to worry. With practice the warm-up exercise will become routine. After working one leg, switch to the other.
It's important to practice this exercise in a safe area, one that's free of objects that could cause injury if you fall. If you have a thick mat, you can try practicing on that. If not, try standing close to a wall so that you can use one of your hands for extra stability if you need it. Just be sure that the wall is clear of all furniture that could be hazardous should you lose your balance and fall.
After working on this ankle warm-up, work on gentle kicks. Once again raise a leg so that the thigh is parallel to the floor. Then gently extend the leg into a waist-high kick, and bring the leg back to the starting position. Do 5-10 kicks before switching to the other leg. The power of the kick is unimportant. Right now we're simply working on balance issues. The more you practice balancing on one foot while changing your upper-body position [and your center of gravity], the more "muscle memory" you build into the maneuvers.
While you're working on challenging your sense of balance in this way, you should also begin -- again with your doctor's approval -- a strength-building program. Without question, improving your leg strength is one of the most important ways to compensate for a diminished sense of balance. If you have access to a gym, try using the leg-extension, leg-curl, and leg-press machines. If you're working out at home and don't have a lot of equipment, begin with knee bends. But don't bend the old knees too far; just get low enough that you feel the muscles working. And try to keep your upper-body weight back, not forward. You don't want to be bent over your legs.
An alternate way of doing knee bends is to place a strong, stable chair behind you. Sit until your butt just touches the seat, and then stand up again. Repeat this motion until your legs begin to feel fatigued. Over a period of weeks this simple exercise can help you regain the kind of leg strength that can overcome age-related balance issues. Strong legs won't make balance issues disappear, but they can often spell the difference between staying upright and falling.
I wish I could say that practicing Taekwondo or another martial art will eliminate age-related balance problems, but that's not the case. By challenging your sense of balance religiously and by keeping your legs as strong as possible, however, you'll greatly improve your chances of compensating for what could become a life-threatening problem. If you've been "retired" from the martial arts for too long, get back on track. And if you've never enjoyed the experience, remember that it's never too late to put the power of Taekwondo to work for you.
Wednesday, October 9, 2013
Friday, September 13, 2013
Vibration-assisted stretching
I could never do a full side split, even when I was in my twenties. I could get pretty close -- a matter of a few inches -- but I just couldn't get all the way into it. It's a genes thing, apparently. And now that I'm 67, I find that my side splits are no longer just a few inches from the floor. If an elephant sat on my shoulders, maybe I'd get there. But then, of course, I'd also never walk again.
Nevertheless, working on the side split is still part of my daily Taekwondo routine, partly because it's a challenge and partly because I'm still a tournament competitor. Several of the forms, or poomsae, that I must perform in competition rely heavily on side kicks, and higher side kicks score better than side kicks that might perhaps threaten an opponent's ankles.
A couple of months ago I ran across something I had never heard of: vibration-assisted stretching. I found a reference to this stretching method at Save Yourself, an excellent health-related website published by Paul Ingraham. Paul and I traded emails, and I began to do some Internet research on the subject. Turns out there's a fair amount of scientific work being done on the subject of vibration-assisted stretching, so I began applying the concept to my own training as best I could.
But let's back up a step. What is vibration-assisted stretching? The idea is that an athlete -- a gymnast, let's say, or a Taekwondo student -- gets into position for a side split, then applies gentle vibration to each leg while stretching. The concept, as this non-scientist understands it, is that the vibrations prompt the muscles to contract and relax rapidly, and this in turns allows the stretch to improve without pain.
So far so good. I looked online for vibration stretching machines and was able to find a number of fairly exotic items that sold for $4,000 and up. Maybe you can afford that if you're running a popular gym or a physical therapy clinic, but it's not something your average senior martial artist is going to rush out and buy.
Necessity being the mother of invention, I then thought of a simpler and much cheaper alternative: hand-held vibrating massagers, the kind that the local barber uses on your shoulders after cutting your hair.
For $28 I bought two Wahl hand-held vibrating massagers. Two-speed devices, no less! And then I began using the massagers on my legs while working on my side splits. Result: my heels are nearly a foot farther apart now than they were a month ago. That's a pretty big gain in a relatively short time. Is it really the magic of the vibration stimulation? I have no idea. But I learned a long time ago not to second-guess things that seem to work.
Here's how I do the stretching. I lie on my back and spread my legs into a V on a wall. I like to have my butt actually touching the wall to make sure I do as little cheating as possible while I stretch. I then apply one hand-held massager to each leg, concentrating on the adductor muscles -- the muscles on the inside of the leg that feel the pressure when you try a side split. Then I let gravity do the rest. I keep massaging both legs while they gradually come closer to the floor. I do this for a minute or so and stop before anything hurts.
I have no idea whether this approach will help you with your own side splits, but I'm pretty well convinced that the approach works for me. I'm gaining flexibility, and I'm walking away from the training sessions without pain. At this point in my life I don't really care how long it takes to improve. My primary goal is not to get injured, since that would cost me weeks or possibly months of training.
So there you have my poor-man's approach to vibration-assisted stretching. If you have any thoughts on vibration-assisted stretching that you would like to share with our readers, by all means send them in.
Train well; live long.
Nevertheless, working on the side split is still part of my daily Taekwondo routine, partly because it's a challenge and partly because I'm still a tournament competitor. Several of the forms, or poomsae, that I must perform in competition rely heavily on side kicks, and higher side kicks score better than side kicks that might perhaps threaten an opponent's ankles.
A couple of months ago I ran across something I had never heard of: vibration-assisted stretching. I found a reference to this stretching method at Save Yourself, an excellent health-related website published by Paul Ingraham. Paul and I traded emails, and I began to do some Internet research on the subject. Turns out there's a fair amount of scientific work being done on the subject of vibration-assisted stretching, so I began applying the concept to my own training as best I could.
But let's back up a step. What is vibration-assisted stretching? The idea is that an athlete -- a gymnast, let's say, or a Taekwondo student -- gets into position for a side split, then applies gentle vibration to each leg while stretching. The concept, as this non-scientist understands it, is that the vibrations prompt the muscles to contract and relax rapidly, and this in turns allows the stretch to improve without pain.
So far so good. I looked online for vibration stretching machines and was able to find a number of fairly exotic items that sold for $4,000 and up. Maybe you can afford that if you're running a popular gym or a physical therapy clinic, but it's not something your average senior martial artist is going to rush out and buy.
Necessity being the mother of invention, I then thought of a simpler and much cheaper alternative: hand-held vibrating massagers, the kind that the local barber uses on your shoulders after cutting your hair.
For $28 I bought two Wahl hand-held vibrating massagers. Two-speed devices, no less! And then I began using the massagers on my legs while working on my side splits. Result: my heels are nearly a foot farther apart now than they were a month ago. That's a pretty big gain in a relatively short time. Is it really the magic of the vibration stimulation? I have no idea. But I learned a long time ago not to second-guess things that seem to work.
Here's how I do the stretching. I lie on my back and spread my legs into a V on a wall. I like to have my butt actually touching the wall to make sure I do as little cheating as possible while I stretch. I then apply one hand-held massager to each leg, concentrating on the adductor muscles -- the muscles on the inside of the leg that feel the pressure when you try a side split. Then I let gravity do the rest. I keep massaging both legs while they gradually come closer to the floor. I do this for a minute or so and stop before anything hurts.
I have no idea whether this approach will help you with your own side splits, but I'm pretty well convinced that the approach works for me. I'm gaining flexibility, and I'm walking away from the training sessions without pain. At this point in my life I don't really care how long it takes to improve. My primary goal is not to get injured, since that would cost me weeks or possibly months of training.
So there you have my poor-man's approach to vibration-assisted stretching. If you have any thoughts on vibration-assisted stretching that you would like to share with our readers, by all means send them in.
Train well; live long.
Monday, August 19, 2013
2013 New England Open Taekwondo Championship
On Saturday, October 19th, Grandmaster Young A. Kwon will once again host one of the most important Taekwondo tournaments of the year: the 21st Annual New England Open Taekwondo Championship. And based upon last year's packed house, I'd say it's wise to register for this event as soon as possible. The tournament offers four competitions: sparring, forms, breaking, and power breaking.
Grandmaster Kwon, a 9th-degree Kukkiwon black belt, has as usual made sure there's room for the seniors among us. Top age group is 51+, so if you're closing in on 70, as I am, you won't have to compete against 18-year-olds. I found last year's tournament to be fairly judged, with scores based only upon your performance -- not upon how well you know the judges. That's a problem with some tournaments, I'm sorry to say, but definitely not this one.
This year's New England Open Taekwondo Championship will be held in the Tewksbury Memorial High School gym in Tewksbury, Massachusetts. It's an easy drive for competitors from Southern Maine, New Hampshire, Connecticut, and Massachusetts. And once again I expect to see competitors from more distant states -- New Jersey among them. For me the tournament requires an overnight stay, of course, but the event is well worth the extra effort. The competition is excellent; the judging is first-rate; and the Taekwondo camaraderie is outstanding. Grandmaster Kwon is a most gracious host. You don't need to bring home a medal in order to feel that this was a day very well spent.
If you're serious about Taekwondo -- as either a senior competitor or as a devoted spectator -- this is a tournament you'll not want to miss. For more information, including a link to the tournament's registration package, visit Kwon's Taekwondo online.
I wait all year for this tournament, so I'm truly looking forward to the 2013 version. Hope to see you there. Remember, preregistration makes a great deal of sense for this event.
All the best,
Russ Johnson
Grandmaster Kwon, a 9th-degree Kukkiwon black belt, has as usual made sure there's room for the seniors among us. Top age group is 51+, so if you're closing in on 70, as I am, you won't have to compete against 18-year-olds. I found last year's tournament to be fairly judged, with scores based only upon your performance -- not upon how well you know the judges. That's a problem with some tournaments, I'm sorry to say, but definitely not this one.
This year's New England Open Taekwondo Championship will be held in the Tewksbury Memorial High School gym in Tewksbury, Massachusetts. It's an easy drive for competitors from Southern Maine, New Hampshire, Connecticut, and Massachusetts. And once again I expect to see competitors from more distant states -- New Jersey among them. For me the tournament requires an overnight stay, of course, but the event is well worth the extra effort. The competition is excellent; the judging is first-rate; and the Taekwondo camaraderie is outstanding. Grandmaster Kwon is a most gracious host. You don't need to bring home a medal in order to feel that this was a day very well spent.
If you're serious about Taekwondo -- as either a senior competitor or as a devoted spectator -- this is a tournament you'll not want to miss. For more information, including a link to the tournament's registration package, visit Kwon's Taekwondo online.
I wait all year for this tournament, so I'm truly looking forward to the 2013 version. Hope to see you there. Remember, preregistration makes a great deal of sense for this event.
All the best,
Russ Johnson
Wednesday, July 31, 2013
Training for Baby Boomers Only
Here's a great story in the making. 57-year-old Harry Grimm, a martial-arts student for more than 30 years, spent 19 years running an extremely successful all-ages karate school in Massachusetts. Then about seven years ago, after moving to Naples, Florida, Harry decided to embark on what he calls his "semi-retirement project": operating a martial-arts school exclusively for adults 40 and over.
As I've noted in this blog before, all across America you can find thousands of instructors teaching millions of kids. And the kids, of course, are the great future of the martial-arts. But because the kids vastly outnumber the adults who are currently training, many martial-arts seniors begin feeling that maybe they're too old, or too slow, or not limber enough . . . and consequently retire to the couch, TV remote in hand.
Enter Harry Grimm, one man who's determined to make a difference. He believes that there are an unlimited number of baby boomers who either want to resume training in an adults-only program or who would like to take up a martial art in their golden years. What better place than Florida to pursue the dream? So he started up Bucket List Martial Arts, a place where folks over 40 could master karate and perhaps even earn a black belt before, well, kicking the bucket. His research had indicated that earning a black belt was way up there on the "bucket list" of many seniors, so he began offering a way for serious students to jump in with both feet and fists.
Yes, there are plenty of senior-friendly exercise programs out there. Yes, there are plenty of seniors who join each other for the health benefits of long walks. But the martial arts offer something special: a comprehensive mind-body activity that, if you're fortunate, will become a way of life rather than a brief fling with the fitness program du jour.
Harry is still trying to reach his target audience in the Naples area, and currently teaches a number of 40+ students in either private or group lessons. Although there's no tidal wave of 40+ students yet, we think there's a good chance that it will materialize. His program has gotten excellent press in the local community, and without question there are thousands of prospective students who would benefit greatly from martial-arts training.
So you don't live in Naples, Florida? Well, maybe you know someone who does. Either way, you can contact Harry at office@bucketlistmartialarts.com. If you've had the martial arts on your mind, it's time to stop thinking and start doing.
As I've noted in this blog before, all across America you can find thousands of instructors teaching millions of kids. And the kids, of course, are the great future of the martial-arts. But because the kids vastly outnumber the adults who are currently training, many martial-arts seniors begin feeling that maybe they're too old, or too slow, or not limber enough . . . and consequently retire to the couch, TV remote in hand.
Enter Harry Grimm, one man who's determined to make a difference. He believes that there are an unlimited number of baby boomers who either want to resume training in an adults-only program or who would like to take up a martial art in their golden years. What better place than Florida to pursue the dream? So he started up Bucket List Martial Arts, a place where folks over 40 could master karate and perhaps even earn a black belt before, well, kicking the bucket. His research had indicated that earning a black belt was way up there on the "bucket list" of many seniors, so he began offering a way for serious students to jump in with both feet and fists.
Yes, there are plenty of senior-friendly exercise programs out there. Yes, there are plenty of seniors who join each other for the health benefits of long walks. But the martial arts offer something special: a comprehensive mind-body activity that, if you're fortunate, will become a way of life rather than a brief fling with the fitness program du jour.
Harry is still trying to reach his target audience in the Naples area, and currently teaches a number of 40+ students in either private or group lessons. Although there's no tidal wave of 40+ students yet, we think there's a good chance that it will materialize. His program has gotten excellent press in the local community, and without question there are thousands of prospective students who would benefit greatly from martial-arts training.
So you don't live in Naples, Florida? Well, maybe you know someone who does. Either way, you can contact Harry at office@bucketlistmartialarts.com. If you've had the martial arts on your mind, it's time to stop thinking and start doing.
If you belong to a senior-friendly school or have a compelling story about seniors in the martial arts, please send us an email. We'd like to share the story.
In the meantime, we send good wishes to Harry Grimm, who's fighting the good fight down there in Naples, Florida. All the best, Harry.
Friday, July 12, 2013
Maine Coastal Taekwondo Classic
If you live in or near New England, circle August 10th on your calendar and plan a trip to South Portland, ME. You'll definitely want to be on hand for the 3rd Annual Maine Coastal Taekwondo Classic, hosted by Master Dave Esposito of the Southern Maine Taekwondo dojang.
In addition to providing competitors of all ages with an opportunity to test their skills in forms, breaking, and sparring, this year's tournament will also be a fund-raiser for the Boston Strong Foundation. A portion of each competitor's entry fee and spectator entrance fee will go to the Foundation. But that's not all. As part of the opening ceremonies, anyone attending the tournament can purchase one or more $5 "donation boards" and do some just-for-fun breaking in support of Boston Strong. Never broken a board? Not a problem. Master Esposito and his staff will teach you a basic breaking technique to help get the job done.
I happen to love Maine, and August is a fantastic time to be there. But there are two extremely important details about this event that have put the Maine Coastal Taekwondo Classic on my to-do list.
1. All adult black belts will compete first in each event.
2. Poomsae [or forms] competitors will compete one at a time.
Let me say a few words about each of these two key points. First, it's a rare tournament indeed that has the adult black belts compete ahead of the younger set. What normally happens is that the tournament begins with the youngest kids -- perhaps ages 4 and 5 -- and slowly works its way up by age and by belt color until finally, many hours later, the adult black belts get their chance to compete. But here's the worst part: after the kids finish competing, they and their families generally head for the door, joyously carting off their medals or trophies. And who's left in the stands to watch the adult black belts? Well, hardly anyone. In my experience, by the end of the day the few people left watching the tournament are the spouses and families of the adult black belt athletes.
Doesn't it make more sense to have the adult black belts compete first . . . so that all the kids in attendance get to see what their futures might hold? I think so. By showing off the adult black belts at the beginning of each tournament event, you help raise the bar for all the younger competitors as well as for the older competitors who have not yet earned their black belts.
And now I move on to a favorite complaint of mine: having two poomsae [forms] athletes compete at the same time. If you want to know how I really feel, scroll back to my May 15, 2013 post, "A Change I Would Love to See." Here's the short version: no judge, however experienced, can see every move of two competitors at the same time. The judge can glance back and forth between the two competitors, but he or she cannot possibly see every technique that each competitor executes. The judge is therefore certain to miss some big mistakes or some really splendid moves, and that's not a reasonable way to treat athletes who, especially in the higher ranks, have invested hundreds or thousands of hours mastering their forms.
What these two competition details tell me is that Master Esposito has thought hard about how to make the tournament a learning experience for everyone in attendance and how to treat competitors as fairly as possible. That's a rock-solid foundation upon which to build a successful tournament.
For more information about the 3rd Annual Maine Coastal Taekwondo Classic, please click over to Southern Maine Taekwondo and download the tournament packet. This is a great way to spend a Saturday in Maine.
Hope to see you there.
In addition to providing competitors of all ages with an opportunity to test their skills in forms, breaking, and sparring, this year's tournament will also be a fund-raiser for the Boston Strong Foundation. A portion of each competitor's entry fee and spectator entrance fee will go to the Foundation. But that's not all. As part of the opening ceremonies, anyone attending the tournament can purchase one or more $5 "donation boards" and do some just-for-fun breaking in support of Boston Strong. Never broken a board? Not a problem. Master Esposito and his staff will teach you a basic breaking technique to help get the job done.
I happen to love Maine, and August is a fantastic time to be there. But there are two extremely important details about this event that have put the Maine Coastal Taekwondo Classic on my to-do list.
1. All adult black belts will compete first in each event.
2. Poomsae [or forms] competitors will compete one at a time.
Let me say a few words about each of these two key points. First, it's a rare tournament indeed that has the adult black belts compete ahead of the younger set. What normally happens is that the tournament begins with the youngest kids -- perhaps ages 4 and 5 -- and slowly works its way up by age and by belt color until finally, many hours later, the adult black belts get their chance to compete. But here's the worst part: after the kids finish competing, they and their families generally head for the door, joyously carting off their medals or trophies. And who's left in the stands to watch the adult black belts? Well, hardly anyone. In my experience, by the end of the day the few people left watching the tournament are the spouses and families of the adult black belt athletes.
Doesn't it make more sense to have the adult black belts compete first . . . so that all the kids in attendance get to see what their futures might hold? I think so. By showing off the adult black belts at the beginning of each tournament event, you help raise the bar for all the younger competitors as well as for the older competitors who have not yet earned their black belts.
And now I move on to a favorite complaint of mine: having two poomsae [forms] athletes compete at the same time. If you want to know how I really feel, scroll back to my May 15, 2013 post, "A Change I Would Love to See." Here's the short version: no judge, however experienced, can see every move of two competitors at the same time. The judge can glance back and forth between the two competitors, but he or she cannot possibly see every technique that each competitor executes. The judge is therefore certain to miss some big mistakes or some really splendid moves, and that's not a reasonable way to treat athletes who, especially in the higher ranks, have invested hundreds or thousands of hours mastering their forms.
What these two competition details tell me is that Master Esposito has thought hard about how to make the tournament a learning experience for everyone in attendance and how to treat competitors as fairly as possible. That's a rock-solid foundation upon which to build a successful tournament.
For more information about the 3rd Annual Maine Coastal Taekwondo Classic, please click over to Southern Maine Taekwondo and download the tournament packet. This is a great way to spend a Saturday in Maine.
Hope to see you there.
Monday, June 24, 2013
Is it muscle, or is it fat?
Here's every athlete's dream: eat all the pizza, ice cream, and chips you want, and any weight you gain will be all muscle. Sound too good to be true? Well, of course. I already said it's a dream. In the real world, if you don't eat properly, you gain fat, not muscle. And sometimes even if you do everything according to the book, you still gain weight -- maybe muscle, maybe fat.
One of the great ironies of exercise is that it causes too many people to get fatter, not thinner. This is especially true of those who are just beginning exercise programs at the local mega gym. They feel so incredibly energized by their workouts that they assume that they can eat whatever they want. So, naturally, many of them eat whatever they want, often consuming far more extra calories than they burned off during the workouts. Let's face it: consuming 500 calories is a lot easier than burning 500 calories.
Okay, so life isn't quite fair. But suppose you're a senior martial artist who trains regularly. And let's suppose further that you've incorporated strength training into your training regimen, because pumping a little iron is extremely important even to aging athletes. Finally, let's suppose you begin gaining weight. Is the new weight all muscle? Is it fat? Or is it a little of each?
There are two simple ways to decide. 1. Flip a coin, since any answer you give yourself is as accurate as another. 2. Step on a bathroom scale that measures body-fat content in addition to weight. I prefer method #2, because it gives me facts, not guesses. And out of all the body-fat measuring schemes I've examined, this one is by far the most user-friendly.
For well over 20 years now I've used a Tanita scale. The folks at Tanita aren't paying me to say good things about their scales, and they haven't given me any freebees to tout the brand. So what you're getting here is only what I believe: every athlete's bathroom or training room should include a Tanita scale.
Tanita scales measure fat using a process called Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis, or BIA. You step on the scale, and a small electrical impulse passes from one foot to the other. No, you don't feel a thing. But while the current passes through your body, it distinguishes between fat and muscle through a series of complex calculations that some scientist with a PhD might understand. Fortunately, you and I don't need to know the math. All we have to do is read the numbers. First you get total body weight, and then you get your percentage of body fat. If you buy one of the slightly more expensive scales, you also get a third statistic: your body's water content [generally above 50%, since we're built mostly of water].
How often you step on your Tanita scale is up to you. I use it every day, because I like to track the effects of certain foods on my body weight and water content. But over longer periods the scale helps me understand how my weight gain or loss is affecting my muscle mass. The more muscle mass the better, of course, because among other things more muscle means a faster metabolism, and that translates into a more efficient fat-fighting machine.
By the way, the Tanita scale comes with a useful booklet that helps you understand what your body-fat percentage should be. For a 66-year-old male like me, the average healthy range is something like 13-25%. For women of the same age the range is more like 24-35%. Some Tanita scales also have an Athlete mode for those who are into serious training, and this mode does some extra calculations to reflect the fact that athletes of any age will likely have lower body-fat readings than non-athletes.
Are the Tanita scales accurate? Since I'm not a scientist, I can't answer this question authoritatively. So I'll hedge a bit. Once you've established a baseline figure -- let's say it's 14% body fat -- you can keep that number in mind and see how it changes from week to week or month to month. All you're really after anyway is the direction of your body-fat content. Are you gaining muscle, or are you gaining fat? By the way, it's important to use the scale at roughly the same time each day, because the readings will change throughout the day as you exercise, eat, and drink.
Bottom line: training religiously is the key to peak performance in the martial arts, and part of your training program should be tracking whether your hard work is successfully keeping body fat under control.
One of the great ironies of exercise is that it causes too many people to get fatter, not thinner. This is especially true of those who are just beginning exercise programs at the local mega gym. They feel so incredibly energized by their workouts that they assume that they can eat whatever they want. So, naturally, many of them eat whatever they want, often consuming far more extra calories than they burned off during the workouts. Let's face it: consuming 500 calories is a lot easier than burning 500 calories.
Okay, so life isn't quite fair. But suppose you're a senior martial artist who trains regularly. And let's suppose further that you've incorporated strength training into your training regimen, because pumping a little iron is extremely important even to aging athletes. Finally, let's suppose you begin gaining weight. Is the new weight all muscle? Is it fat? Or is it a little of each?
There are two simple ways to decide. 1. Flip a coin, since any answer you give yourself is as accurate as another. 2. Step on a bathroom scale that measures body-fat content in addition to weight. I prefer method #2, because it gives me facts, not guesses. And out of all the body-fat measuring schemes I've examined, this one is by far the most user-friendly.
For well over 20 years now I've used a Tanita scale. The folks at Tanita aren't paying me to say good things about their scales, and they haven't given me any freebees to tout the brand. So what you're getting here is only what I believe: every athlete's bathroom or training room should include a Tanita scale.
Tanita scales measure fat using a process called Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis, or BIA. You step on the scale, and a small electrical impulse passes from one foot to the other. No, you don't feel a thing. But while the current passes through your body, it distinguishes between fat and muscle through a series of complex calculations that some scientist with a PhD might understand. Fortunately, you and I don't need to know the math. All we have to do is read the numbers. First you get total body weight, and then you get your percentage of body fat. If you buy one of the slightly more expensive scales, you also get a third statistic: your body's water content [generally above 50%, since we're built mostly of water].
How often you step on your Tanita scale is up to you. I use it every day, because I like to track the effects of certain foods on my body weight and water content. But over longer periods the scale helps me understand how my weight gain or loss is affecting my muscle mass. The more muscle mass the better, of course, because among other things more muscle means a faster metabolism, and that translates into a more efficient fat-fighting machine.
By the way, the Tanita scale comes with a useful booklet that helps you understand what your body-fat percentage should be. For a 66-year-old male like me, the average healthy range is something like 13-25%. For women of the same age the range is more like 24-35%. Some Tanita scales also have an Athlete mode for those who are into serious training, and this mode does some extra calculations to reflect the fact that athletes of any age will likely have lower body-fat readings than non-athletes.
Are the Tanita scales accurate? Since I'm not a scientist, I can't answer this question authoritatively. So I'll hedge a bit. Once you've established a baseline figure -- let's say it's 14% body fat -- you can keep that number in mind and see how it changes from week to week or month to month. All you're really after anyway is the direction of your body-fat content. Are you gaining muscle, or are you gaining fat? By the way, it's important to use the scale at roughly the same time each day, because the readings will change throughout the day as you exercise, eat, and drink.
Bottom line: training religiously is the key to peak performance in the martial arts, and part of your training program should be tracking whether your hard work is successfully keeping body fat under control.
Saturday, June 1, 2013
The form is the thing
What you call it depends upon the martial art that you study: poomsae, kata, form, or any of several other names. But since most tournaments simply list it as "forms," that's what I'll do for this present discussion. A form is a meticulously choreographed set of martial-arts techniques -- punches, kicks, blocks, stances, and such -- and represents serious combat against a number of imagined opponents. In my view, the form is also the solid foundation upon which senior martial artists must build their training programs.
Since I'll be turning 67 this summer, I can no longer handle the kinds of training sessions that introduced me to Taekwondo more than 40 years ago. Yes, a few things have changed -- cardio fitness, endurance, strength, flexibility, and speed among them. And since I want to continue my training for many years to come, I would be foolish to disregard the obvious physical changes that come with age. So I continually modify my training program to respect those changes while pushing as hard as I can.
The one element of training that doesn't change, though, is my emphasis on forms. Each form that you learn from white belt through the various black-belt ranks is a masterful lesson in how to apply proper techniques in a combat setting. Look at it this way: each time you execute a form properly it's like having a master instructor guiding you through key techniques and combinations. That's because each form you learn was created by master instructors of a given style in order to standardize training throughout the world. So the Sipjin [5th Dan] form that I practice in Kukkiwon Taekwondo should look the same as the Sipjin form being practiced by someone in Korea, Chile, or Australia.
Essentially forms represent a comprehensive curriculum for each martial art. Once you have learned a variety of techniques from your master, you learn how to execute them properly in forms. You begin with simple forms that rely on basic techniques, and you slowly move on to more complex forms that require a far greater understanding of how advanced techniques can be used in combination against multiple opponents. Along the way, forms deliver two important lessons:
-- Discipline: a form isn't worth doing if it's lazy, sloppy, or casual. You must master each movement and deliver each technique as though your life depends on it. After all, the techniques of the form could very well become a matter of life and death in actual combat.
-- The power of meditation: in order to execute a form seriously, you must close your mind to the clutter of noises, actions, and intrusive thoughts that surround your inner self. In my view, practicing forms is an elegant form of meditation that empowers you to forget about "stuff" and to focus on the present moment.
Since I'm on the topic, I should tell you what a form IS NOT. It is not an item on a checklist to get you from white belt to black belt in, let's say, two years. Yes, some schools crank out black belts at an alarming rate, and many of those black belts haven't reached adolescence yet. But a serious martial-arts school doesn't rely on a checklist in order to advance students from one rank to the next. Instead, it relies on the student's willingness to push himself or herself to the limit and upon his or her ability to master the necessary techniques. Knowing all the forms required to reach 1st Dan doesn't mean a student is ready to wear a black belt. But mastering forms is an important step toward a lifetime of success in the martial arts.
Do you know of senior-friendly schools in your area? If so, let me know about them, and I'll be happy to mention them in this blog. In the meantime, enjoy practicing those forms.
Since I'll be turning 67 this summer, I can no longer handle the kinds of training sessions that introduced me to Taekwondo more than 40 years ago. Yes, a few things have changed -- cardio fitness, endurance, strength, flexibility, and speed among them. And since I want to continue my training for many years to come, I would be foolish to disregard the obvious physical changes that come with age. So I continually modify my training program to respect those changes while pushing as hard as I can.
The one element of training that doesn't change, though, is my emphasis on forms. Each form that you learn from white belt through the various black-belt ranks is a masterful lesson in how to apply proper techniques in a combat setting. Look at it this way: each time you execute a form properly it's like having a master instructor guiding you through key techniques and combinations. That's because each form you learn was created by master instructors of a given style in order to standardize training throughout the world. So the Sipjin [5th Dan] form that I practice in Kukkiwon Taekwondo should look the same as the Sipjin form being practiced by someone in Korea, Chile, or Australia.
Essentially forms represent a comprehensive curriculum for each martial art. Once you have learned a variety of techniques from your master, you learn how to execute them properly in forms. You begin with simple forms that rely on basic techniques, and you slowly move on to more complex forms that require a far greater understanding of how advanced techniques can be used in combination against multiple opponents. Along the way, forms deliver two important lessons:
-- Discipline: a form isn't worth doing if it's lazy, sloppy, or casual. You must master each movement and deliver each technique as though your life depends on it. After all, the techniques of the form could very well become a matter of life and death in actual combat.
-- The power of meditation: in order to execute a form seriously, you must close your mind to the clutter of noises, actions, and intrusive thoughts that surround your inner self. In my view, practicing forms is an elegant form of meditation that empowers you to forget about "stuff" and to focus on the present moment.
Since I'm on the topic, I should tell you what a form IS NOT. It is not an item on a checklist to get you from white belt to black belt in, let's say, two years. Yes, some schools crank out black belts at an alarming rate, and many of those black belts haven't reached adolescence yet. But a serious martial-arts school doesn't rely on a checklist in order to advance students from one rank to the next. Instead, it relies on the student's willingness to push himself or herself to the limit and upon his or her ability to master the necessary techniques. Knowing all the forms required to reach 1st Dan doesn't mean a student is ready to wear a black belt. But mastering forms is an important step toward a lifetime of success in the martial arts.
Do you know of senior-friendly schools in your area? If so, let me know about them, and I'll be happy to mention them in this blog. In the meantime, enjoy practicing those forms.
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