It would be fair to say, that there wouldn’t be many senior martial artists over 50 who haven’t had their fair share of injuries and other challenges interrupting their training. We no doubt question how long can we can continue training and this is normal. I believe we can continue until to the day we die, within the right parameters. For me, longevity in training is about a number of things: modifying what you do, listening to your body, watching and talking to other senior people doing it well, varying what you do to reactivate muscles you don’t normally use, pushing yourself to greater limits but for shorter periods (pant get out of breath) but have a longer recovery time, having more sleep, hydrating more often (as you need more water at this age to minimises headaches and cramps), fuelling your body with the right foods, fasting regularly and take supplements (more on what I take later) this all helps the body maintain optimum balance. Science proofs the main aspect is the mind in respect to your attitude in training. I will give you some examples in my next post.

The main thing is never forget you are still a student and keep learning this way you are always striving for a new goal. Many of us feel we don’t have the time to train as regularly as we would like to, I say crap, you can always find time. It just has to be YOUR PRIORITY, make work and family commitments come second / third on the list. Think about how good you feel when you have that training session (unhurried, no outside thoughts / distractions). More importantly you can give back more in all the other areas once your needs are fulfilled. You are then better prepared to tackle your daily commitments (with a good helping of endorphins). I feel it’s especially important to also seek a mentor because it’s a lot easier to get pushed by someone you trust, than push yourself.

Coaches are watching, guiding and picking up things you can’t see yourself. It’s such a luxury and privilege to have one, especially when they use their intuition to guide you rather than a fixed program. A senior coach may not demonstrate some moves in the most dynamic manner but they come with loads of experience and they can read your body more intuitively.

 I’m fortunate to have people around me with very diverse skills / knowledge (martial arts / business) some that don’t even know they are coaching me. For me it can be just watching their actions, training with them, or the way they conduct themselves (with respect, integrity, honour, courtesy, humility) that helps me strive to be better in what I do for myself and share with others. In closing today, move it or lose it, seek support and make every interaction with people an exchange of energy so all parties receive something of value and don’t feel reluctant, if this includes money.

Circle of Knowledge Training is back on the agenda at a more acceptable time for many.