June 11, 2022 1 year ago today I had my knee replaced And today, I am contemplating giving up taijiquan after 30 years.
Oh,man. I'm really sorry,we know you've been struggling. Was hoping someday the world would get through these variants and I'd head north and we'd have get together of sorts.Guess we'll just have to have tea and crumpets and beat our gums insteada each other.
Thanks It is still possible, I have not given up yet, just at a low point yesterday, the dang knee swelled up and I had a hard time walking. It had not done that in a long time. Spent a hour laying down with the stupid thing elevated to get it to go down Hopefully in the future when you head north it will all be good
June 24, 2022 Started working with Indian clubs, doing these exercises Also back with total gym rows seated surfer cross cable rows chest press will go to the reclining bike shortly also thinking about getting.a Y membership so I can go workout (strength trining) in their gym twice a week
July 04, 2022 Change of plans based on reality. Have to accept that the likelihood of me returning to any martial art, other than Taijiquan is highly unlikely, not impossible, but not likely. So I need to look at another way to get back into shape and maintain it. So, I joined the YMCA again, spent the morning working out there and let me tell you, at 60, after 2 knee surgeries, and a pandemic.... I'm in horrible shape, and lost a lot of strength.... I will be working on the traditional Yang long form later today
July 18, 2022 I think I ran straight into why at 60 you (or I) should not approach weight lifting like I did in my 30s. Been dealing with joint pain for a few days now. And it is in joints I did not use to have arthritis issues. Did some research and discovered, actually I knew this before but I did not think it applied to me...I'm not old. But when you are older, 60 or over, maybe you don't want to go back and start lifting heavier weights. I was not really working all that heavy, compared to what I use to do, but apparently it was heavier than I should be at over 60 and not having done much lifting in over a year. I was doing 2 sets of 10 to 12 reps, or exhaustion, whichever I could get to. Going to make all of this lighter today and do 2 to 3 sets of 6 to 8 reps and see how it goes. Monday - Sunday Taijiquan, working to get the long form back at the moment Monday and Friday At home, 1 set, 16 reps Total Gym - Pull Total Gym - Seated surfer Total Gym - Cross Cable Pull Total Gym - Chest Press At YMCA 2 to 3 sets, 6 to 8 reps Chest Press Chest Fly Deltoid Fly Lateral Raise Pull Down Biceps Curls Triceps Curls Crunches (Weight Machine) Reverse Crunch (Weight Machine) Wednesday (actually these show on any day, but Wednesday is a constant) Straight Leg Raise (on back, on side, on stomach) Yoga Bridge Crunches Reverse Crunch on floor Psoas hold Warrior 1 Warrior 2 Triangle pose Wide Leg forward bend Warrior 3 Wednesday (only) Double leg squat - total gym Single leg squat - total gym Wide leg squat holding kettlebell Dumbbell lunge Quadruped Hip Extension
August 19, 2022 Not much to say now, more later, getting over Covid..again. June 2021, had it, like a sever cold. Had it this month, like a bad cold. Started officially training Wing Chun again, but a trip to Canada and Covid put a stop to that for now. Hoping to get back next week. But in September it will become rather sporadic due to my schedule getting really tight. Been told by the shifu that it will be ok and that I can show u whenever my schedule allows Also suppose to joins class in late September that is dealing specifically with push hands and applications of taijiquan. Different form and lineage than mine (although I did once train in this line), this comes from Cheng Manching, but I know the teacher and he has told me I am more than welcome to join the class
August 22, 2022 Hurt my dang left shoulder. My wife is treating me with acupuncture and lectures about over doing it at my age....Think I over did it a bit with the shoulder exercises, don't tell her ....have to keep telling myself I'm not some 30 years old kid anymore...and yes...I do realize how old that makes me sound.. Can still do legs, taijiquan, but have to slow down parts of Siu lim tao
August 23, 2022 I have to admit, I enjoy training Wing Chun more this time than before. I need to try and get to class the last 2 weeks I have in the summer...before my schedule gets really tight. I'd have gone more but a trip to Canada and Covid curtailed things a bit. This version of Sil lum tao is different from the previous 2 versions I learned, but it has me really looking into the various parts of the form. Also the book "Wing Chun Foundations Siu Lim Tao" is helping. One of my previous versions is pretty much the same I have seen from Ip Chun. And as I train this version and work to figure it out, get more in-depth into it, I want to go back and look at the previous version as well to compare and learn I will do what I can to get to class through fall winter and spring, but I don't hold high hopes for being able to get there much. But hopefully come summer 2023 I will be able to get to class 2 to 4 times a week. I have not forgotten taijiquan, I am working my way back through the forms I trained before the knee surgeries, and I am in a push hands and applications class in September and October. And hoping to get a push hands group going again. But I am very surprised to say that I think Wing Chun may be supplanting Xingyiquan.
August 31, 2022 Quick entry I am enjoying training Wing Chun more than Taijiquan, and I don't seem to be thinking about Xingyiquan
September 07, 2022 I'm beginning to feel that the Wing Chun training is having a positive effect on my taijiquan in the form of intent
September 09, 2022 Finally a post that actually talks about a workout. After a month of dealing with Covid and then a shoulder issue I finally returned to a working today at the gym. But I have done a lot of thinking about my workouts over the last month and I have come to the conclusion that I am old, in my 60s I have known this for a while now and I thought I was adjusting my workouts based on age. That meaning I was not trying to use the workout I had from my 20s, 30s, or 40s, but the one I had in my early 50s, before arthritis hit me. From my early 50s to about now I have not really workout much. I started but would gt shut down my knee issues, shoulder issues and other arthritis related issues. But after the knee replacement I lost 23 pounds and my joints seemed to like it, so I went back to my early 50s workout. Which resulted in joint pain and a shoulder injury. So during August, while dealing with Covid and shoulder pain I read a lot about exercise for old guys and I came to the similar conclusion I did when looking for a Yoga routine for arthritis. Many of these folks telling me how an old guy or an old out of shape guy should workout were in their 20s 0r 30s and in top shape. So my thought was, they have no idea what it is like to work our while dealing with age related issues. I came across a few however that seemed to know what was going on, so I decided to try this type of workout today. This is nothing new, nothing earth shattering, I knew about this before, but I just could not get myself to do it…it was just to wimpy, I need to lift heavy weight…I ain’t no wimp…. well I apparently also needed joint pain…so today I changed, also had to omit a few due to them irritating my shoulder All weights are very light with high repetitions, 20 to 30, with 2 or 3 sets, with a 10 to 30 second break between sets. The goal is to do 3 sets for all except crunches and reverse crunches on the machine, those are 1 set with 50 reps with a goal of 100 reps 10 minutes stationary bike the following are all done on weight machines Chest press machine, stopped due to shoulder pain Military press machine, stopped due to shoulder pain Chest flies, stopped due to shoulder pain Preacher Curls, 20 reps, 2 sets at 30 lbs Tricep pushdown machine 20 reps, 2 sets at 30 lbs Crunches, 50 reps at 50lbs Reverse crunches 50 reps at 50lbs Pull downs, stopped due to shoulder pain Leg press, 20 reps, 2 sets at 30 lbs Leg extensions, 20 reps, 2 sets at 30 lbs Leg curls, 20 reps, 2 sets at 30 lbs Rows palms vertical, 20 reps, 3 sets, 45lbs Rows palms horizontal, 20 reps, 3 sets, 45lbs Stretching Sil Lim Tao Felt like a good workout, shoulders were tired, but no shoulder or other joint pain And now I'm off to do some taijiquan and more Wing Chun
September 12. 2022 This morning 10 minutes stationary bike the following are all done on weight machine Rows palms vertical, 20 reps, 3 sets, 45lbs Rows palms horizontal, 20 reps, 3 sets, 45lbs Preacher Curls, 20 reps, 2 sets at 30lbs Triceps pushdown machine 20 reps, 2 sets at 45lbs Crunches, 80 reps at 50lbs Reverse crunches 80 reps at 50lbs Leg press, 20 reps, 2 sets at 30lbs (This is likely going away, the knee that is still mine , does not like it at all, nor does the right hip. The next joint on the replacement hit parade)) Leg extensions, 20 reps, 2 sets at 30lbs Leg curls, 20 reps, 2 sets at 30lbs Glutes - Machine, 2 sets at 40lbs Stretching Sil Lim Tao This afternoon Worked on Wing Chun foot work. Realized DANG I'm slow went for a walk Will be doing the Sil Lim Tao (again) and the Yang Long form later this evening
It's great you have found a workout that could work for you! Undoubtedly, it is hard coming to terms that health restricts things you used to do. I don't know about how this work, but I think even young people can't afford to start lifting heavy right away. One should probably work towards it. I hope you will be able to keep some kind of routine that your knees and shoulders allow. It is actually amazing you haven't given up despite all the difficulties.
Thank You I would like to say "I'll never give up" but in all honesty it has been a thought more than once. I even posted here once that I was giving up taijiquan....But, I didn't and so far I have been able to push through.
September 15, 2022 Just found out today, my closest (geographically) Xingyiquan Shifu might be starting a class again in November.....no I said I was done with Xingyiquan...but this is similar to putting a case of Whiskey in front of a recovering alcoholic. I guess I'll have to see what November brings. Monday I start going to a taijiquan push hands and applications class
September 19, 2022 Went to the Taijiquan application class, and it was awesome. It was nice to be back in familiar territory, which is rarely trained, or taught, these days. Did not cover a lot, only the first couple postures of the form, but that speed is great for remembering what you learned. Also, it was nice to hear the teacher say, what I knew going in, every taijiquan posture has numerous applications, but he was only going to go over a couple for each posture. But if the class continues, he would get into more of the rougher stuff. If he has the class, and my schedule allows, I will go. This teacher also has me thinking about revisiting the CMC form as it is done by William CC Chen too. And I am also still thinking about the Xingyiquan in about 2 months
September 27, 2022 Last night's class was great, got together with a friend this morning and worked on the applications and did some push hands
