Has anyone ever done Karate, Judo or any other Martial Art>

[Mr Allen]

Topic.

Up to about 5 years ago I used to train twice a week traditional Chinese Karate, but was forced to give it up following a back injury and then a minor dispute with the instructor about how he used to sometimes be grumpy and shout at people.

Sadly the poor bloke died last year, he was in his late 60s and had a few health issues, a few years back he didn't train for months due to a bad bout of Pneumonia and I don't think the poor bloke was ever the same after that.

Before I trained under Sensei Nash though, I trained under a guy called Mark back when I was about 14 at a local sports centre, trained with him for a few years before I had to give up when I left Home for College, the College wouldn't let me carry on because they'd had problems with other students using Karate on their peers

Anyway to cut a really long story short, last night I went to a Taekwondo session at a local School Sports Hall, didn't actually do it, due to my age and disability there's insurance forms to fill so I'll go this coming Sunday.

So anyway, has anyone else on here done anything similar?

I think with my previous Karate experience I could do OK with Taekwondo, the moves and the Katas and that look virtually the same as I remember from old.

*edited to correct typos*

 

[AGXStarseed]

I did actually think about learning Karate when I was younger, which would probably have been of greater benefit to me. However, instead I started trying to learn Rugby (League style) and ended up in hospital for several weeks with a broken leg.

Knowing my luck, I probably would have still broken a bone if I did do karate.

 

[Ronin82]

I've loved Martial arts since I was 6 years old, but started studying for real in my early 20's. Spent 6 years learning American Karate, 5 years studying Ryukyu Kenpo, and have recently had to switch to something less physically demanding, so I'm playing with a group of Ki-Aikido practitioners. Martial arts is the only activity that gives my life any meaning, and I couldn't survive if I didn't have a group of good people to practice with. The one caveat, be VERY careful about the instructor...my Kenpo teacher is a total bully and caused me a great deal of physical and emotional harm. I love the style and still practice the kata, but I couldn't learn from him anymore.

Good luck with your class, I hope you enjoy it!

 

[Mia]

So anyway, has anyone else on here done anything similar?

I think with my previous Karate experience I could do OK with Taekwondo, the moves and the Katas and that look virtually the same as I remember from old.

Did Taekwondo (ITF Chan hong style) for many, many years, and was a first dan blue belt until my 8th dan Sayhun (Master) at the dojang eventually retired. When I moved from the area there were no Kwan dojangs, and without a (Kwan) school or Master of the art its difficult to stay focused. Although I still do the poomsae, regularly.

Katas are known as poomsae or hyung forms in taekwondo practice. Dojang's are where you practice, much like a dojo or gym, dobok's are what you wear. Depending on the type of taekwondo style you are taught, it varies a great deal from country to country and from each grandmaster school.

Some emphasize form more, others the traditional block, kick, head kick, spinning kicks. More and more I see an emphasis on kick-boxing and sparring influences from other forms. So it will depend on the school of thought, who your school follows, whether it's traditional or more influenced by karate or some of the other martial arts.

 

[Valentine]

I took karate and taekwondo lessons as a child, jeet kun do in college. Not practicing much anymore due to fibromyalgia, but I love martial arts. I watch it in movies a lot.

 

[Ronin82]

Yeah, Fibromyalgia definitely makes training much more difficult. That's why I play with Aikidoists now...less demanding, and they know I've suffered "sports injuries" from my last instructor, so if I have to sit out an exercise, they understand.

 

[Mia]

That's why I play with Aikidoists now...less demanding, and they know I've suffered "sports injuries" from my last instructor, so if I have to sit out an exercise, they understand.

What's akido like? I'm now too old for the spinning kicks of taekwondo but still do the practices. There's a (mixed martial arts) akido dojo in the area, and I'm wondering if I would benefit or find it difficult after doing taekwondo for so long. Have several injuries to my knees and a badly twisted ankle, which is much better. Feel ready to take on something that doesn't require sparring.

 

[Ronin82]

Look for an Aikido school that emphasizes balance and grounding. You shouldn't need to use ANY strength to do the techniques. Aikido uses the other person's strength and momentum against them by taking their balance and dropping them. Be prepared for joint locks (gentle ones), lots of rolling and falling, and moderate lateral movement. I have bad knees, ankles, shoulders, and a herniated disc in my lower back...I shouldn't be doing ANY practice at all, but I can't stop. Love it too much...

 

[Warmheart]

Soft and internal, t'ai chi has been my practice for 6 years.
It swept away the flashbacks of my PTSD.
Simple Yang 24 is amazingly healing.

 

[Mr Allen]

Only thing that puts me off a bit, is that as usual I'd be one of, if not THE eldest in the group at 40, apart from Dave, the instructor of course but I've been attending various group based activities for years and I've nearly always been one of the elders of the groups.

 

[Mia]

That shouldn't be a problem, if you've done some martial art already Rich Allen. I started in my twenties and was forty-eight when my Sayhun retired, my Sayhun was older than I was, and was still teaching in his sixties.

Think you should do only as much as is feasible for you, staying away from the spin kicks and head kicks and flying axe and roundhouse kicks. You can do just as well sticking to the forms such as punching and blocking and some of the kicks like the front kick, side kick, back kick.

 

[The Penguin]

I did Isshinryu Karate during my teen years. It was a lot of fun. I got up to my green belt.

 

[StephF]

I used to do Aikido back in '89, I really enjoyed it. A lot of it is based in using your opponent's speed , and momentum against themself. If you reach the higher levels you can spar with the bo and jo (long and short staffs)

Generally from 3rd kyu you can start wearing the hakama, a black skirt like garment.

Our sensei and the other black belts used to demonstrate with the katana.

I can't do anything these days because of my physical disabilities.

 

[Mr Allen]

That shouldn't be a problem, if you've done some martial art already Rich Allen. I started in my twenties and was forty-eight when my Sayhun retired, my Sayhun was older than I was, and was still teaching in his sixties.

Think you should do only as much as is feasible for you, staying away from the spin kicks and head kicks and flying axe and roundhouse kicks. You can do just as well sticking to the forms such as punching and blocking and some of the kicks like the front kick, side kick, back kick.

I reckon I could still a flying jump kick, not to Bruce Lee standard but OK.

My punches are a bit weak admittedly due to lack of physical strength but I can punch.

 

[Mia]

Look for an Aikido school that emphasizes balance and grounding. You shouldn't need to use ANY strength to do the techniques. Aikido uses the other person's strength and momentum against them by taking their balance and dropping them. Be prepared for joint locks (gentle ones), lots of rolling and falling, and moderate lateral movement. I have bad knees, ankles, shoulders, and a herniated disc in my lower back...I shouldn't be doing ANY practice at all, but I can't stop. Love it too much...

Thanks Ronin, although I'm reluctant if it involves body contact with people I don't know. And the rolling and falling is a bit of an issue for me, with the arthritis I have. Agree though about martial arts in general, once you practise, it's hard to ever forget how great it is. Probably why I still do the routine quite often on my own. Thinking maybe of Tai Chi, instead of anything more intensive.

 

[NothingToSeeHere]

I started Taekwondo when I was 8 and continued until I was 19 when I left home. I still go along to my old club and help teach childrens classes now and then. I'm a 2nd Dan black belt.