Over 40?
He who knows when he has got enough is rich.
(Lao Tzu)
Starting anew
If you are 40 (or over) and starting a martial arts class for the first
time, be careful.
You are not as resilient as you once were.
Injuries, bumps and bruises will not heal as fast as they once did.
And getting up off the floor may be somewhat harder than it was 20 years ago.
Don't be macho.
Keeping going
Hard style martial arts have a time stamp attached.
You can do them for a certain number of years and then you really start to pay.
Adverse impact work and high kicks can damage your back and your knees.
The external arts are certainly impressive, effective and exciting - but they
usually harm your health.
Tai chi chuan is a lifetime’s work. You can start aged 40 and potentially still be
training for the rest of your life.
You do not need to quit once you are 50.
Tai chi chuan is not dependent upon conventional muscle strength.
Limitations
Tai chi chuan pays close attention to how you are using your body.
If you are feeling discomfort, it is possible to adjust what you are doing and
solve the problem.
People do suffer from injuries and illness as they age. And these limitations
cannot be ignored. Much of the deterioration is the normal and acceptable
outcome of growing older.
You are unwise to ignore your body and force it to pretend that its 20 years old
again.
A 'no pain, no gain' attitude will only lead to suffering.
Go easy on yourself. Do not put yourself under pressure or duress. What would
be the point?
Wear & tear
A 40 year old has accumulated a lifetime of bad physical habits.
The joints are often over-worked. The body is unbalanced. A person stoops or
slouches.
This is common.
Tai chi chuan work to improve your awareness, so that you can start to correct bad
habits of body usage.
The material gently re-trains your body to move differently, to use less
strength, to rely upon the physics.
There is consequently less wear and tear.
Being realistic
Facing up to your age can be a bit hard if you have an ego.
A well-balanced 40 year old usually recognises that they do not really want to
undergo violent combat.
They are looking for something milder.
Yes, they want self defence skills, but they also want more. They want to feel
fit, calm and comfortable in their own body.
A good tai chi chuan class can offer self defence without the risks associated with
the external arts.
Page created 19 August 1994