The martial arts are not often seen as a great choice for older people.  No one thinks we have it in us.  What?  You do martial arts? they ask, incredulously.

Well, believe it or not, there are a handful of us out there from middle-aged to very much older who still have an interest in being a student and mentor of the ancient art.  I’m not talking about the famous guys or the experts, just the regular everyday people who still practice.  I’m actually sort of on the young end of this spectrum (which is nice for a change) but I’d still like to think I am one day going to be a martial artist who is aged to perfection; to still be able to enjoy and practice the parts of my martial art that mean the most to me and continue to share my thoughts with the world.

I will always use my martial arts mindset, and I hope to always keep up with some of the physical aspects, too.  At this age, I am  my only opponent so it does not matter what I can do as long as I do something. It’s always great to reflect on the stories of others who help make up the aged to perfection clan.  Some I have known forever, some I have just met,  and some I’ve only read about.  From each situation I am inspired and assured that I am not the only karate crazy out there looking to live out the rest of my life with a black belt spirit.

Karate Sista

Pat practices Taekwondo.  She is a 2nd degree Black Belt working toward her 3rd degree. She describes her journey as the best, worst, most stressful, healthiest, injury prone, and happiest time of her life.  She is  not only a student but also an instructor.  She loves her martial art life and plans to be involved as long as she can.  Like me, she has used her martial art to help her cope with some extremely difficult times.  She regained her confidence and sense of self through her martial art. She has told many, many women, that it’s important to find a passion, no matter what it is, and go for it! Her message is clear:

Make your passion a part of your life and you won’t regret it! The only regret is if you never try.

Like me, she insists that pursuing and practicing any passion is worth it.  Like me, she claims she will never be the best martial artist; however, her expectation is to meet the short and long-term goals she sets for herself.  My karate sista.

Pat is a great example of pursuing passion, becoming a better person and striving to win at life.  You can all learn a great deal from her. No matter who you are or what obstacles stand in your way, following a lifelong path of passion will just simply make you better at being you. I suppose none of this information is mind-blowing, except for the fact that Pat is 59 years young and just started her martial arts journey a few years ago.

Pat read one of my blogs and she sent me an e-mail about her journey.  We found commonality in our age and gender, our martial art training and teaching.  I can’t tell you how refreshing it is to find another woman with so many similarities.  Yes! In my opinion, Pat is aging in the very best way.  She has found a martial art mindset to apply to her every day life.  In many ways, she is a better, more focused, more well-rounded person than any other time in her life.  It’s like reversing the hands of time.  Pat sounds like a great role model, and she truly is.  But, her story and my story can be topped.  There are others whose martial art journeys make me seem still like a teenager.

Reversing the Hands of Time

A friend with whom I started practicing karate twenty-six years ago is still teaching and practicing.  Back when I started he was also a student but he had years of martial arts already under his belt in another similar style.  We learned and practiced many things together, katas, one-step sparring, and point sparring.  He was older, but it never seemed that way.  He was just as good, just as strong, and just as feisty! Years went by before I saw him again. And, when we met up, he still looked the same.  He has had his difficult experiences in life, including an unsettling divorce and a bout of lung cancer. His daughter, whom I taught when she was a child, is grown and in college.  Even after a dozen years, I would have easily recognized him anywhere.

Recently, we spent some time catching up and  reviewing history, the conditions under which we practiced, the friends and fellow karate students who were so instrumental in our lives.  I was happy to hear that he still teaches at the same place where we co-taught up until about ten years ago when I moved and he took over. Years of students coming and going, reaching black belt, and growing into adults, parents, and teachers themselves.  It was quite a walk down memory lane. His reward?  At age 79 he is everything he was years ago.  Perhaps he’s lightened up on being thrown but he still has a good hand when it comes to throwing others and his instruction is strong and convincing.

Let’s see….27 more years and I will catch up to him.  I don’t see that as a bad thing.

Aikido Whiz

Recently, my mother and I went out to breakfast and to run errands.  She receives a newsletter from her Humana insurance carrier and inside was an article about a martial artist. Not just any martial artist.  A woman aptly called  “Black Belt Barbara.” Black Belt Barbara started taking Aikido when her husband passed away when she was 72. She was one of the oldest students and the only woman in the class.  She enjoyed the movement and balance in Aikido.  She worked her way through the belts until she became a black belt at age 75.  The article states that she is now 90 years old and up until last year taught Aikido.

The most inspiring part to me is that she wrote a book, Aikido for Women.  She says, in the article, that she has always wanted to write a book, so she did.  She’s a practitioner, an author, a teacher…essentially an aikido whiz! I see a book in my horizon.  Thank you, Barbara, for that!

Lessons Learned

Let’s make it simple.  Here are the lessons I’ve learned from these three amazing, life-centered martial artists:

1.  Pick a passion, any passion- writing, music, decorating, drawing, singing, gardening, driving, making things, learning languages, traveling.  Of the millions of things, what will you pick?  It is important because passion gives you purpose.  Without purpose, you struggle with self-identify and self-definition.

2.  Stick with your passion until you see results and accomplishments- Don’t let everything you do or try be temporary.  To become proficient at anything can take years.

3.   Be committed.  Be dedicated.  Focus on one important goal and pursue it faithfully.

4.  Never let age be a factor- You are never too young or too old to set goals or pursue a dream.  If that were the case, I’d give up on martial art and blogging.  Pat, Barbara and my good friend appear to agree!

5.  You don’t need to be the best- It’s very difficult to be the best at anything, if being the best means you are competing with others.  Whether or not you are aged to perfection, your only true competition is yourself.  You can be a winner every time.

I may have a good martial art mindset, but I’m just like you.  I don’t WANT to get old!  As we all know, it’s not a choice.  Our best defense against feeling old is keeping active and purposful.   When I see women starting martial arts classes in their 50’s, 60’s and 70’s, and a male friend who is still fit and actively teaching at age 79, I am renewed.  Although I’ve claimed that martial arts is a fountain of youth for some, I finally can confirm it.

Who does not want to live a healthy, smart, productive life?  Being a martial artist is just one way I’m personally going to live out the rest of my days.  When I’m up there in years, I’ll still be wearing my black belt.

Yes, growing older with passion and purpose is Winning at Life! Andrea