TRAINING AND TESTING THE MIDDLE AGED MARTIAL ARTIST

At Super Summer Seminar 09 a discussion group addressed the issues of training and testing the middle aged martial artist.   The discussion group was composed of 17 martial artists, senior in either age or rank or both and was led by David Guccione, Canton ZDK, who authored this paper.  This paper is a result of that discussion and includes both the author’s ideas and the contributions of the group.  It is hoped that this paper will aid instructors and fellow students in effectively training and appropriately testing the middle aged warrior.

 

TRAINING ISSUES AND ADVICE

Amongst the participants self‑defense was the primary goal of their individual styles.  Most began their study for health reasons, to lose weight, to get in shape, to participate in a family activity. Other goals were also mentioned, achieving knowledge, skill and rank.  Loftier goals of self‑control and ‑awareness, calmness in adversity and inner peace were also mentioned.  But all acknowledged that self‑defense was at the core of their art and striving to master self-defense was the means to achieving all the other objectives.

A lengthy discussion ensued regarding the relationship of age to achieving the above goals and objectives.  It is general knowledge that age, per se, even with training, results in a lessening of aerobic capacity, flexibility,  endurance,  speed and raw strength and power.  Age also brings less

visible characteristics which younger students and instructors may not realize.  Virtually all the participants had accumulated chronic injuries, muscular-skeletal problems and in some cases health problems and agreed that they were more easily injured and took longer to heal as they aged.  Some acknowledged embarrassment at having to take breaks during training when younger students do not.  Middle aged students are also usually at the height of their working and earning levels and therefore may not be able to devote as much time to training as younger students.  The middle aged student in this case may take much longer to be prepared for tests.  Increasing age also requires an increase in the will to train.  Motivation may be especially difficult for an older karateka to push him/herself in training and to make the commitment needed to advance in rank.

Advancing age also has some advantages.  The middle aged martial artist is more likely to know when to stop before injuring him/herself.  This is a dilemma for those of us who have the warrior spirit and are used to disregarding pain. More mature students are more organized in their time and approach to learning.  They know what they need to do to learn new technique or knowledge.  Their life experience has required them to develop problem solving skills which they can apply to their martial arts. They may not be so easily “rattled” in a stressful situation. They may have developed ways of working around their injuries. Older students have usually achieved a modicum of success and are likely to have the money to be able to attend high level learning opportunities such as Super Summer Seminar.

 

Here are some conclusions and practical advice which resulted from the above discussions:

1.Age is not an excuse for bad technique.  There may be a physical injury which prevents a person from performing a very powerful side kick, for example, but age, by itself, does not prevent a good side kick.  It may not be as high or as powerful as some would like but it should still be done with proper technique regardless of age.

2.  A corollary to the above: anyone can learn effective self-defense.  The participants recounted their experiences of students with severe disabilities who became adept at self‑defense.  An individual may not be able to advance in rank within a certain style but can still learn effective self‑defense.

3. Older students need instructors who are aware of the problems of age and who are willing to make allowances.   It should be noted that all of the participants felt that their instructors were aware and did make allowances.  It was hoped that this paper might be a step toward helping all instructors and fellow students to understand the middle aged warrior.

4. Older students need longer warm ups and perhaps different warm ups than the rest of the class.  For example, this author can no longer perform jumping jacks due to ankle injuries.  Perhaps warm up should be left to the middle aged martial artist rather than prescribed by the instructor.

5.Older students may need more frequent rest and water breaks than the rest of the class. This should not cause embarrassment for the student.   The instructor needs to cultivate an atmosphere that allows such without embarrassment to the older student.  Perhaps allow them to line up in the back of the dojo rather than the front line so as  inconspicuously to be able to take a break.

6. The older student should have an injury kit containing instant cold packs to minimize swelling and an elastic bandage for securing it to a limb. Band aids and pain killers such as ibuprofen should be available. Any injury should be treated immediately.  A readily applied cold pack, for example, can halve recovery time

7. The older student must listen to his/her body.  Discomfort must be borne but pain is the signal to stop.  If injured in training, the student must stop before the injury becomes worse and if necessary must not be allowed to continue by the instructor.  The instructor has a duty to protect the student from him/herself.  The student also must be humble enough to acknowledge reality.

8.  All middle aged students should have an annual physical exam to detect potential problems.  This also lessens the anxiety of being severely injured thru exertion on a test.

9.  The older student should learn to monitor his/her level of exertion.  Participants were exposed to the scientific Kavornen Formula and to the more easily applied Borg Rating of Perceived Exertion.  The advantages of Interval Training were also discussed.

10. The instructor should be aware not only of the physical problems of aging but also the motivational problems and strive to encourage the middle aged martial artist toward testing and other challenges.

11. The senior martial artists, who may no longer formally test, should find informal ways to test themselves, such as demonstrations and tournament competition.  The senior martial artist may have the luxury of concentrating on a favorite activity such as mastering a weapon as well as the spiritual aspects of the martial arts.  This may add incentive to train.

 

TESTING THE MIDDLE AGED MARTIAL ARTIST

It was agreed that testing is important for many reasons which need not be discussed here. All agreed that there should be allowances for age in testing.  Testing should remain a difficult challenge for the student otherwise it becomes a ritual not a test of skill and endurance.  Below are suggestions and are subject to the decision of the instructor and may not apply to all older students.  The instructor and test board should strive to balance the goals of testing against the limitations of the student.  Liability may attach for careless testing. Specifically:

 

1.  The instructor must become aware of the aged student’s limitations and communicate them effectively to the test board.

2.  The instructor must insure that the student is completely prepared for the test.

3.  The instructor must protect the student during the test.  Ideally this would involve modifying the test ahead of time and communicating the modification to the student and the board.  This may also involve intervening during the test if an unsafe situation develops.

4.  The older student should not be tested with younger students so that the pace of the test does not exceed the capacity of the older student nor diminish the exertion expected of younger students.

5. The focus of the test should be on technical ability over speed and aerobic capacity.  If one area of a test is lessened, another area could be lengthened to maintain test integrity if the instructor deems this necessary.

6.  The older student should not be attacked with the same ferocity as younger students or taken down hard.  Mats should be available.

7.  Frequent rest and water breaks should be provided.

8.  The older warrior‑like student may have to be protected from him/herself.