Good evening, I have participated in various disciplines of martial arts over the last 40 years or so. Some of them I got into, some I could not, however , I now find that all of the sudden ,especially the last three years or so, I am getting all sorts of injuries that I always said would never happen! Knee problems, calf injury problems, shoulder problems, hand/fist injuries, etc, etc, is this what happens to people who practice martial arts for decades or is it simply old age rearing it's ugly head? It is annoying to say the least and hard to come to terms with.
I've been at this for almost 50 years.....and although there were injuries along the way...it was at 40 years in martial arts all sorts of aches and pains started to show up and and injuries got much more serious...arthritis in multiple joints, multiple cortisone shots (knees - to many to count, shoulder, elbow, hip) torn meniscus x3, detached retina x2...and now a a knee replacement with another one very likely in my future and possibly a hip..or two as well...
I would look at a programme to work on your overall movement and mobility. Lots of minor imbalances in posture, alignment, strength etc can become problematic as we age, and very active MA training can exacerbate this. As I went through my 40s and into my 50s I had lots of niggles that became more problematic, especially lower back problems. Starting a programme to help my overall movement has certainly helped. There are lots out there, so google or look around youtube/facebook, but the one I've used and had success with is Tom Morrison's Simplistic Mobility Method. It's helped me with back pain, some tendonitis and a few other issues. You can find a load of Tom's videos on Youtube, so you can try a few things before you spend any cash. I hope you can find something that helps
I am 69. I practiced martial arts intensively for about 25 years back in the day, got out of it for a long time and now I am getting back into it with Muay Thai and BJJ. Age is a factor in injuries and the older you get, the longer it may take injuries to heal. But when I was studying "hard" martial arts back in the day, I think I spent about the same amount of time with injuries. It is my opinion that in training, people who get injured cause the injuries to themselves by trying too hard, rather than the art or training partners being to blame. Competition is a different deal. I recently read a book that dealt with injuries in late age BJJ. The advice for old people there was: Make sure you warm up and stretch before each class. Some intermediate classes don't start with warmups, so it may be up to you to get there early and do it on your own. Wear proper protective gear. If you have a bad joint, have some kind of pad or tape on it. Wear a cup. Use a mouthguard when you roll. Tape your fingers and toes when you need to. Younger people may or may not do that, but older people should. In grappling, tap early. If you see your training partner has you, don't wait until you have to tap. In contact striking sparring, tell your partner, you want to "go light." Also, no school should make you spar or roll, and it is OK to sit out. If you don't feel up to it, if you are nursing an injury, feel free to give yourself a break. Our head instructor has been studying Muay Thai and BJJ for 24 years and teaching for 18. He is in his 40's. He told me he has to sit out rolling due to injuries a lot and it increases every year. Try to spar or roll with the most experienced people you can. You will learn more and they generally have more control and are less likely to hurt you. Sparring beginners is actually more dangerous. Don't try to muscle your way to make techniques work. Concentrate on skill.
Sound advice. Even for younger martial artists. These habits such as sitting out when your injured and knowing when to tap will go a long way in protecting your body from injuries that can have lasting effects. Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should. It’s a good benefit to younger martial artists to learn this.
Every ten years or so you need to actively change the way that you train. Hard external arts like karate and kung fu contain a lot of internal mechanics too. the benefit of the internal approach is that it relies on the skeletal system much more. which means it is less affected by age ( in men)
This is solid advice, I have been following these rules moreso recently, but I still find myself slipping back into that old mentality. It is certainly an ongoing process after decades in martial arts.
After years of doing things certain ways it’s hard to not get caught up in practice. Heat of the moment often sets in and it’s normal to think you can always push yourself a little bit more. Catching yourself is good and should be trained from a younger age in the MA in my opinion. Injuries that you’re able to shrug off in your 20’s could lead to long term issues if left unaddressed in your later years.
So true. And I think there is another benefit. Real proficiency in martial arts is not about being the fastest or strongest. It is about technique. I like that both Muay Thai and BJJ, as well as other arts I have studied, emphasize technique overcoming strength, conservation of motion and energy, and staying calm in the "heat of the moment." Age tends to force you to depend on the art and science of fighting, not strength. I really amazed myself last Friday in my Muay Thai clinch class. We were learning ways of breaking out of a clinch. I was paired up with a young, strong guy who competes. He could mop up the floor with me generally, but he was slow to pick up techniques where his strength was nulled out by positioning. On the other hand, stuff I learned in Judo and Japanese Jiu Jitsu decades ago came out of nowhere for me. No matter how hard he would press on me in the clinch, without thinking I could throw him off easily and could have had him in a standing arm lock or thrown him easily if I had wanted, but arm locks and only the most basic throws are allowed in Muay Thai. I thought, "Whoa, where did that come from? I don't even remember learning that it's been so long." If I had relied on my lesser strength, I would not have done well and opened myself up to injury. Just as an aside, I am coming to understand that the clinch is a whole realm of martial art that should not be overlooked. It is in that realm between striking and grappling, kind of a mixture of both and even a lot of Muay Thai people are not good at. But it can be devastating.
That reminds me of a quote I seen a few times recently from Chris Haueter "It's not who's good, it's who's left."
Very true. When I think how many people I’ve seen join and leave over the past 15 years it definitely makes you realize you stick out. I was never the best but I’m still here and still practicing/training.
Yeah and that's why it's important to train right, including warming up right and cooling down right especially as your body gets older. Most of my own injuries have come from starting to cold, or pushing things when my body's hit its limit (usually as you age, in the form of inflamed tissue). I hurt my ankle Monday hopping down the stairs at the gym, happy that I had just fit in an hour session of interlaced running and jump rope. The ankle was swollen, made it easier to twist a little the wrong way. All because forgot the importance of cooling down and taking it slow for the landing. That adrenal rush that a lot of people seek is great as you get older, feel so alive, but man you kick yourself when you try to fly down a flight of stairs like a kid again right after. A quick wince, and then the wisdom you ignored ringing in the head. It'll heal pretty fast because I'm in good shape and keep going back. The Tai Chi definitely helps a lot. It's easy on my poor old ankles.
Injury free consistency is really the secret to martial arts (and anything really). It may be a cliche (tortoise and the hare) but it still very much applies.
The older you are, the higher your risk of injury. we all know. I really admire people who are over 60 years old and still agile and resilient
Definitely, the head instructor of my system is in his late 60’s and in incredible shape. Some people are blessed with good genetics others get it from hard work.
Aches and pains are now a part of post training for 2 days ...it used to be the first day ... Old age gets us all .. As mentioned change your training to suit your age and body frailities. Smurf
Old age can have a factor, but I have seen that many times it is because of the way one was taught and/or practice. Weight lifters have a saying, "no pain, no gain" that is true to a point. Many times a person exceeds the point that they should, or the method, and this is when start to feel it in our old age lol. There are many standard practices that do not consider the long term effect, but keep in mind, we live longer then those that first started teaching. Take in point, you have professionals that still practice their trade the same way they were taught, ignoring or considering an alternative way, or long term effect.
