Is it Time to Personalize Your Martial Arts Training?
As you grow older, training becomes more personal, internal, and traditional. Fumio Demura
No matter what anyone tells you, you have to modify your training as you grow older. Of course, there are some martial artists who started training as a teenager and who never stopped into their 80’s, but these masters are the exception the the rule. Most of us have had accidents, car wrecks, surgeries, or other life events which have demanded that our training become more personal, internal, and thus, more traditional.
This by no means signifies that older martial artists are incapable of defending themselves; on the contrary, they can be even more deadly as they do not have the luxury of trading blows or long, drawn out fights. When an older martial artist is left with no choice other than defending himself or others, someone is about it get severely injured.
Older martial artists personalize their martial arts to the demands of their aging, and sometimes injured bodies. Their maturity also urges them to focus on more internal training as well, such as energy work, meditation, visualization, etc. The flashy kicks and cool looking moves no longer impress the mature martial artist, nor are they a part of his arsenal. He has evolved past the stage of impressing others or wanting to look like a bad ass. He now simply focuses on what works for him personally.
Since your training is bound to become more personalized, internal, and traditional as you age, maybe it is better to not wait to modify your art to fit your personal needs. Focus on what works for you and your specific needs. Start learning the internal secrets of the arts instead of simply focusing merely on sparring, fighting or tournaments. This is how you make martial arts your lifestyle instead of your hobby. Warrior up — you will be old sooner than you think! Bohdi Sanders ~ author of the multiple award-winning book, The Art of Inner Peace, available from Amazon at: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1937884279. Signed copies are available from: https://www.the-art-of-inner-peace.com/.
