Martial Arts for Seniors Part II: The Bucket List

Taekwondo for Seniors by Russ Johnson

 


Senior Kata 70 to 79 Year Old Division

Looks like some old time Baby Boomers still got it. So if he can, you can!!!



 

Hippies Can Still Make This World Be A Better Place for You and for Me!

I just read an article about more aging Americans are using canes and walkers, about 10 percent or more between 2004 and 2012 and I thought, wow, I'm an aging American.  What does that mean?Though I’m in my 60’s, I’m doing okay in getting from point A to B.  I may not have that spring in my step like I used to, playing full court basketball, and running for long bombs thrown by strong-armed quarterbacks.  That’s how it is.  I’ve already given into the fact that “I just don’t gots what I used to gots" moving slower and careful than before.

American Recall Center Website

As part of my effort in providing Baby Boomers with information of value, I copied and pasted this email from Dr. Mario Trucillo, the Managing Editor of the American Recall Center, a service that provides key health care information to people like you and me.  Hope this helps!  Sensei Domi

Hi,

I’m Dr. Mario Trucillo, the Managing Editor at the American Recall Center, we’re a brand new site devoted to providing health and wellness news in simple, straightforward terms. Our goal is to help our readers take complete charge of their health by being fully informed. I found your blog while looking for members of the baby boomer generation to contact about a recent piece we’ve put together.

I’m hoping you’d be willing to post this on your blog for your readers to see, as we want to spread awareness for the simple, but commonly overlooked steps you can take to help keep loved ones safe.

Because baby boomers are often the primary caretakers for their aging parents, it’s important to do everything possible to keep them safe. With falls being a leading cause of severe injury, we've put together an infographic with some easy tips to help keep the home safe for our parents and elderly loved ones.

At The American Recall Center, we aim to empower individuals with relevant medical information in plain language. Our information and resources span a variety of topics and have something that can benefit everyone. With guides on joint care, to dangerous medications, we keep our readers, and their health, in mind as we cover some of the most important health topics around.

Please let me know if this something you’d be willing to help with and I genuinely appreciate your time.

Thanks,

Dr. Mario Trucillo

Video Learn Tai Chi Yang Style Long Form


By now almost everyone has heard about Tai Chi, slow motion movements that looks like a dance practiced by healthy but old Asians at a city park.  There are benefits, no doubt; thousands of years of evidence prove it.

No one should be denied the opportunities of learning it.  Though going to a certified instructor is the preferred method, other ways are available.  This video or series of videos I produced and published in this blog could be that opportunity.

Yang Style Long Form Tai Chi has about 88 sequential movements and when done correctly takes about 20 minutes. Because of its length, aside from making your body move in ways you're not used to moving, the biggest challenge is retaining or remembering. When I learned it many years ago, I mimicked my instructor’s movements for about three years till it finally set in. Through the wonders of technology and the Internet, I was able to produce this video showing the form in its entirety with step by step instructions.



Rande Scott Worcester Sound Healer Reiki Practitioner


Rande Scott Worcester recently received his certification as a Master Reiki Practitioner.

He is also an accomplished sound healer currently servicing the Salinas Monterey area.

For more information and/or appointments, Master Rande can be reached at:

randesbreath@gmail.com

or at

310 428 4156.

Copy of Master Reiki Certification

Old Dogs Actually Can Learn New Tricks

Article repost from http://seniormartialarts.blogspot.com/2012/12/old-dogs-actually-can-learn-new-tricks.html

By Russ Johnson

This 66-year-old dog recently began taking bo staff lessons after seeing some of the amazing things that can be done with this ancient weapon.  The bo staff is one of the most popular weapons used in martial-arts tournaments, and I've got to say that we've come a very long way from the old wooden staff that might have been used, say, a thousand years ago.

To begin with, competition bo staffs generally are no longer clunky, hand-carved wooden items.  Most of them are tapered so that they can generate more speed, and they come in a wide range of materials, from wood to graphite.  The more exotic lightweight staffs aren't designed for actual combat, of course; they're meant to be spun, twirled, jabbed, and whipped at imaginary opponents in a formal exercise that's judged for creativity, fluidity, and precision.

Now I should mention right up front that I'll never be a world champion with the bo staff.  In fact, so far I have countless bruises that give testimony to the difficulty of mastering the fancier bo staff techniques.  But so far I haven't broken anything -- well, no bones . . . but perhaps a few household objects and a couple of wooden bo staffs -- and I'm gradually getting my brain and body to cooperate in the venture.

This, by the way, is what my bo staff training is all about.  When you cease challenging your body and mind, they figure it's okay to slow down.  And before you know it, you've merged your atoms with those of the living room couch and the TV remote.  Not good. 

But there's something else about the bo staff that has become quite apparent as I check out my new bruises each day.  Even a lightweight competition bo staff can generate tremendous striking force, the combination of speed and a small impact surface.  Yes, those ancient warriors knew what they were doing when they first began using wooden staffs as weapons. 

What can you and I do with this information?  As we age and inevitably lose muscle strength, we can substitute a simple weapon in our self-defense arsenal.  Think cane.  Think walking stick.  Here you have two common objects that are often found in the hands of seniors anyway, so why not learn how to use them for self-defense? 

If you want to see what a simple cane can do, head to Google or your favorite search engine and look for YouTube videos on "cane self-defense," "cane fu," or anything similar.  You'll find lots of videos, some better than others, all of which demonstrate that something as basic as a cane can become a highly effective weapon when used with a bit of skill.  And listen: you don't need to become a competitive athlete to use a cane effectively, nor do you need to hold a black belt in some martial art.  What you need is some basic training and the willingness to say, "If necessary, I WILL DEFEND MYSELF." 
Seniors are all too frequently the targets of assaults of every description, and in some cases -- depending upon the strength and fierceness of the attacker -- there's not much to be done about it.  But in many cases, perhaps even most, a senior who is mentally prepared to defend himself or herself AND who has some training to back up that willingness can hold off an attack and buy enough time for help to arrive.

What's that you say?  You don't need a cane for walking?  So what?  Buy a cane, take some lessons at a local martial arts school, and begin carrying the cane whenever you're headed someplace where trouble might be waiting, especially at night.  Knowing how to disable an attacker with a swiftly applied cane or walking stick could one day save your wallet or your life.

Interested?  Check around for senior-friendly martial arts schools in your area.  You may also find that a local senior center offers a class in self-defense using a cane or walking stick. 

Be the old dog that learns a highly useful new trick.  It's not too late.

Posted by Russ Johnson at http://seniormartialarts.blogspot.com