Training with less joint stress

Back in the late sixties and early seventies the gold standard for kick training was the 70 lb. or perhaps 100 lb. heavy bag that hung from the ceiling in the training hall.  The heavy bag certainly helped you develop powerful kicks, but it also involved a jarring "dead stop" that put significant stress on your joints -- from your ankles right on up through your hips and lower back.  This was fine when you were, say, 23, but if you're now in the ranks of Seniors in the Martial Arts you probably should take better care of those aging joints.  You'll have less pain and help avoid the cost of knee and hip replacements if you find a less jarring alternative to the heavy bag. 

What I have turned to is a relatively inexpensive free-standing bag that a) is softer than the traditional heavy bag [when you make contact, the striking surface feels more like an opponent's midsection than a concrete wall and b) flexes as you hit it, further reducing the stress on your joints.  In the photo sequence below I'm on my back deck practicing a crescent kick.  The kicking dummy offers sufficient resistance to let me know I'm generating some power, but it doesn't produce the dead stop that my aging hips really don't need.

I happen to be using Everlast's version of a free-standing bag, but there are numerous similar products on the market.  My bag cost about $130 at Dick's Sporting Goods.  If you shop online, you can probably find what you need at a reasonable price.  The reason the bag stays in place when you kick it is that the large black base is filled with water.  If I want to move the unit, I simply drain the water, move the relatively lightweight parts, and refill with water.  The manufacturer also says you can fill the base with sand, but then what?  How do you remove the sand when you want to move the whole unit?  Forget that idea.  Use water.

One major lesson I learned while using this device on my deck is that -- duh -- the deck is a really bad surface from which to be launching kicks, especially spinning kicks.  The surface is quite irregular because of all the individual boards, and this increases the likelihood of injury -- as when your pivot foot gets hung up on the half-inch difference between one board and another.  I think I need to invest in a high-quality mat.  With the mat and the new kicking dummy, I should be able to practice my kicks and build additional power without overwhelming the old bones and joints.  Listen, this is all about compromise.  If you want to stay active in the martial arts at 60, 70, or 80, you have to be willing to compromise on the training.  Do as much as you can for as long as you can.  If you push beyond your capabilities, you'll learn quickly that there is indeed a difference between 25 and 65.  Happy training!

If you're seeking some martial-arts inspiration today -- something to get you back into training or to keep you going as a 50+ practitioner -- check out this video of taekwondo Grand Master Kyu Hyung Lee demonstrating 8th Dan form Hansu.  Notice especially the gray hairs.  This Grand Master is one of us.
   Obviously this is a man who has devoted his life to taekwondo, and the rest of us mere mortals -- born with either less natural ability or less drive -- can't expect to sustain this level of proficiency when we're 60, 70, or 80.  But we don't need to.  The simple rule of thumb is "do whatever you can with whatever ability you've got."  Practicing your martial art will improve your attitude and your health, even if you have to work around arthritic hips and diminished stamina. 
   If you're just getting back to the martial arts after a long layoff, begin by seeing your family doctor.  Also consider working with a physical therapist to help get you stretching the right muscles and joints the right way.  It's quite possible that stretching techniques you learned, say, 30 years ago are no longer considered state of the art. 
   Okay, enough talk.  Let's watch Grand Master Kyu Hyung Lee in action.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u_DRKUJsNCk&feature=endscreen&NR=1

The pollen count in NJ keeps climbing, as your yellow driveway indicates.  So I'm not sure how much longer I'll be doing my forms out on the back deck.  But I've found that training outdoors is helpful.  To begin with, you kick fewer tables and lamps than you do in the living room.  Best of all, you're out there enjoying the sights and sounds of nature, all of which help to keep you focused on the training at hand. 
   Here's a backyard YouTube video of Taebaek, the 3rd Dan form required by the Kukkiwon.  If you're 50 or older and want to share a photo or video, please send it in.  All comments and attachments are reviewed before posting, just to make sure we keep "Seniors in the Martial Arts" in touch with the intended audience.
   Have a great day.  http://youtu.be/Y2WA743_KIg

Just for the heck of it I searched Google today for "seniors and martial arts."  So guess how many references I picked up in a quarter of a second.  Would you say 700, 7,000, 70,000, 700,000, or more?  If you said "more," you're right on the money.  7.6 million was the actual number. 
   No, I'll never try visiting all those pages, but here's the general theme of the articles I did check out: the martial arts can help seniors age more gracefully.  The health benefits include flexibility, balance, stamina, and muscle tone.  And unlike many fitness programs that seniors might consider, the martial arts have the added benefit of being, well, martial -- that is, they have a built-in warrior component that could very well come in handy if you're assaulted.  Although you're not likely to be assaulted, it's nice to know that you've been trained to react in some defensive manner should the unexpected happen.
   Beyond this -- and perhaps most important of all -- the martial arts represent a way of life.  The sense of well being that comes with the serious study of karate, taekwondo, kung fu, or any other martial art you care to name goes beyond the physical.  There's a strong mental component as well, and it means something slightly different to each of us.  Meditation, discipline, focus, and a sense of challenge are among some of the benefits that come to mind.  Call it what you will, it's about living a fuller and fitter lifestyle.
    My goal isn't to break cinder blocks with my forehead when I'm 80, although I would be suitably impressed by anyone who can do so and live.  I just want to live the martial-arts lifestyle and keep my mind and body tuned up.  You've probably read a great deal in recent years about the research that has been done on the mind/body connection.  But what scientific researchers are proving is something that martial artists have known for generations: a strong mind and a strong body together are better than either alone. 
    Whether you're a 75-year-old black belt or a 55-year-old white belt, you'll find something worth having in the martial arts.  Please take a moment to share your experiences with "Seniors in the Martial Arts."  If you're a New Jersey martial artist over the age of 50, this blog's for you.
     Stay well.

Today is launch day for "Seniors in the Martial Arts," a site for New Jersey martial artists who are 50 and older.  If you're a practicing "senior," you've noticed that some things don't get better with age: your stamina may not be what it was at, say, 25.  Your "high" kicks may not be as high as they once were.  And you may not choose to break as many boards and bricks as you once did.
   And yet you continue to train, and maybe you still compete.  The trick here is to choose your spots wisely.  Training with 20-year-olds may be exhilirating for a while, but eventually some of your aging body parts may rebel.  [For the record, my second home is the physical therapy clinic.]  And when it comes to tournaments, don't feel compelled to compete in the Open division unless you're truly a world-class specimen.  Hey, runners have been competing for decades in age-group events.  This makes perfect sense.  So why don't more martial-arts tournaments actively pursue older athletes?  It's great that kids 6 and over all have narrowly defined age groups for tournaments, but if you're 60, you may find yourself having to compete against folks who are 40.  And let's face it: 20 years can make a big difference in serious competition.
   So there you have a few comments to get the ball rolling.  Please share your thoughts on how to remain active in the martial arts when you're 50, 60, 70, or older.