Martial arts, physical fitness, defending yourself....

When I was in 7th grade, my school had a Judo club. One of the school teachers was a black belt in Judo and held the club after school in the gym. I joined and I liked it, even competed a little, but we moved. Shortly after, I started taking Karate lessons but didn't stick with it. Later in life, in my twenties, I took some Tae Kwon Do lessons, but again, didn't stick with it. A couple of years ago, I took an introductory Krav Maga course. So, I guess that I've always had an interest in martial arts.

Recently, an incident occurred where I found myself in a spot that very possibly could have turned into a situation where I would have had to defend myself physically. Fortunately, I was able to avoid it turning into that. But, it got me thinking. At 60+ years old, hip replacement, knee replacement, heart attack with three stents (no heart damage) would I be able to defend myself if I had to?

I'm thinking the answer is no. The last time I was in a real fight was a long time ago. I'm actually thinking about taking up some type of martial arts again. Not, just for the self-defense aspect, but equally as much for the physical fitness aspect. I already belong to a health club and did have a great personal trainer, that I liked working with, but he moved on to something else.

Maybe at my age I should just stay out of bad neighborhoods and avoid places and situations where things can happen.

Situational awareness and ruthless disregard for the well-being of any attacker goes a long way. As we get older we have to be smarter, because we are no longer stronger. Remember, I am old for a reason.

Consider going this route.

I find self defense when one is to old to fight and to crippled to run leaves
me 2 choices. About a foot of 1/2 in. log chain, abusive ex SIN can attest,
and in more serious events a 240 gr. 44 special should do the job.

You might consider some training on defence with a walking stick. For starters,use your search engine to check out " la canne" and "bartitsu".

We're too old to fight or run. We'll just kill you.

Old Arkansawyer said:

I find self defense when one is to old to fight and to crippled to run leaves me 2 choices. About a foot of 1/2 in. log chain, abusive ex SIN can attest, and in more serious events a 240 gr. 44 special should do the job.

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Even though I am legally licensed to carry a handgun, I very rarely do. And, would hope that it never came down to that.

Your post reminds me of an old Woody Allen skit. It seems that every payday when he was on his way home he passed by an empty lot with a large hedge. One night as he was passing the hedge, a robber jumped out and knocked him down and took his money. A few weeks later the same thing happened. So he decided he would take karate lesson and give the robber a good beating the next time he tried to rob him. So on payday, he walked real slow by the hedge just waiting for the guy to jump out and try something. Sure enough, the guy jumps out with a pistol and says " Throw your wallet over here".

I do not go places that I think trouble will start. If it does, I tend to get separation from the problem. Be aware of what is going on around you. Carry a weapon, preferably a firearm. Sometimes I take my Son-In-Law the Deputy Sheriff.

G-Mac said:

.....

I'm actually thinking about taking up some type of martial arts again. Not, just for the self-defense aspect, but equally as much for the physical fitness aspect.....

Maybe at my age I should just stay out of bad neighborhoods and avoid places and situations where things can happen.

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While your final thought is always a good idea, “situations” have a way of happening, uninvited and in places where you don’t expect them.

Remember, you don’t have to use stuff you know, but you can’t use stuff you don’t know. It’s about more options.

And fitness is relative. No matter your state of health, acquiring and maintaining skills to whatever your limits are is never a bad thing; you’ll always have more options than some cheeto-munching couch potato at the same overall level.

"Maybe at my age I should just stay out of bad neighborhoods and avoid places and situations where things can happen."

We should all strive to do that at any age.

LoadedRound said:

"Maybe at my age I should just stay out of bad neighborhoods and avoid places and situations where things can happen."

We should all strive to do that at any age.

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I own a two family rental property in a neighborhood that wasn't awful when my new bride and I moved there in 1984. Now, it's not so great. I guess you could call it "urban sprawl". We moved out of there twenty years ago, but kept it, and have been renting both sides out ever since. I hate going down there and only do so when necessary. Selling it is high on my priority list. I've been a landlord for 30+ years. It's getting old. Time to cash in my chips.

G-Mac said:

When I was in 7th grade, my school had a Judo club. One of the school teachers was a black belt in Judo and held the club after school in the gym. I joined and I liked it, even competed a little, but we moved. Shortly after, I started taking Karate lessons but didn't stick with it. Later in life, in my twenties, I took some Tae Kwon Do lessons, but again, didn't stick with it. A couple of years ago, I took an introductory Krav Maga course. So, I guess that I've always had an interest in martial arts.

Recently, an incident occurred where I found myself in a spot that very possibly could have turned into a situation where I would have had to defend myself physically. Fortunately, I was able to avoid it turning into that. But, it got me thinking. At 60+ years old, hip replacement, knee replacement, heart attack with three stents (no heart damage) would I be able to defend myself if I had to?

I'm thinking the answer is no. The last time I was in a real fight was a long time ago. I'm actually thinking about taking up some type of martial arts again. Not, just for the self-defense aspect, but equally as much for the physical fitness aspect. I already belong to a health club and did have a great personal trainer, that I liked working with, but he moved on to something else.

Maybe at my age I should just stay out of bad neighborhoods and avoid places and situations where things can happen.

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Similar age, but without the hip, knee, or heart attack (at least yet). I found a combatives instructor with a kempo karate and BJJ background. I'm not going for a "belt," just working on three foundational things.

1) Footwork combined with body structure/alignment. This may be the most important thing. You need it for blocking hard punches without getting knocked down.

2) A small number of basic strikes and simple blocks. Not trying "fight" anyone. Only to create distance and hit them hard enough to convince them they made a selection error.

3) Some really basic BJJ for how to escape from top or side mount. Not to wrestle anyone. Just getting up off the ground if you get knocked down with some knucklehead on top of you.

If you take that approach, you'll get a few bruises. Should check with your doc to see if they're OK with it. Need to work on fitness too. 30 seconds of all-out wrestling isn't easy.

Way back when I was young I did earn a Black Belt in karate. I let it slide, however one of my granddaughters was taking Tae Kwon Do and I went to watch her one day. One of the instructors asked me if I was interested in martial arts. One thing lead to another and I now have my Third Degree Black Belt. Of course I am getting a lot older (77) so I don’t go looking trouble and after back surgery I do need a cane once in a while so I have learned a bit of Escrima for it. I will be looking for a studio that can teach cane fighting techniques to go along with what else I know. I still am studying Tae Kwon Do, but I am slowing down a bit though.


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I've dabbled in a few different martial arts and self defense classes over the years. Can't really do it now, due to health issues, but I still try to at least do some "shadowboxing" with the simpler techniques I know.

If self defense and fitness are what you're interested, I'd suggest finding a Krav Maga school near you. They have long-term belt programs, but they also typically offer shorter seminars and such. Simple techniques based on natural human reactions, it's meant to be easily taught and remembered. A lot of them offer fitness-oriented classes based on their self-defense techniques. And most will usually offer some form of groundfighting, most commonly BJJ, if that's a concern. I've even seen some that offer weapons training, up to and including firearms.

Whatever martial art/self defense class you take, I'd also suggest mentioning your concerns about your fitness level and physical abilities. A good instructor will help you learn and develop useful skills within your limitations.

Just my opinion.

The thing about martial arts and physical altercations is this...

...and it doesn't matter what age or skill level or martial art involved.

THEY DON'T ALWAYS WORK! I've seen black belts beaten half to death by guys one on one who were no more than street fighters more than once.

At my age, a physical confrontation is out of the question. I will walk away if at all possible and I DEFINATELY trust my gut instincts. Most of the confronational people I run across are either drugged out, boozed out, or psychopathic. I deal accordingly.

In Texas, it is legal to carry things such as brass knucks...I prefer a small version of an ASP baton carried in an easily accessible pocket. Last resort is my concealed carry.

At the end of the day, I completely intend to go home to my family.

G-Mac said:

A couple of years ago, I took an introductory Krav Maga course. So, I guess that I've always had an interest in martial arts.

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I'll bet that was fun. I've picked up a couple of moves, but from what I read and have seen, Krav Maga doesn't really have a "practice level" as the emphasis is on crippling the attacker asap and practice sessions can leave some marks. Were I to get seriously involved in a martial art, though, that would be my choice.

At 60+ years old, hip replacement, knee replacement, heart attack with three stents (no heart damage) would I be able to defend myself if I had to?

I'm thinking the answer is no. The last time I was in a real fight was a long time ago. I'm actually thinking about taking up some type of martial arts again. Not, just for the self-defense aspect, but equally as much for the physical fitness aspect. I already belong to a health club and did have a great personal trainer, that I liked working with, but he moved on to something else.

Maybe at my age I should just stay out of bad neighborhoods and avoid places and situations where things can happen.

Click to expand...

All sage thinking; best way to defend against trouble is to stay away from it, but sometimes you aren't given that option. I do Tai Chi exercises, for flexibility and meditation. I'm 66 and have had some chronic back issues I have learned to work around, but as I get older, find harder to avoid. Since I retired a year and a half ago (36 years as a Surgical RN), I've been working with a friend of mine who does landscaping, in order to stay busy and stay in some semblance of physical condition. Nothing better for the shoulders and arms, it seems, than raking and shoveling, or for the legs than pushing a spreader, fertilizing lawns. Add in hills for a great aerobic workout.

rustythread said:

You might consider some training on defence with a walking stick. For starters,use your search engine to check out " la canne" and "bartitsu".

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Another one to look at is Arnis, or Eskrima; it's the national martial art of the Phillipines. The basic weapon is the 'baston', or stick.

G-Mac said:

Even though I am legally licensed to carry a handgun, I very rarely do. And, would hope that it never came down to that.

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I've had a CC permit for over 25 years, and usually only carried when on a trip or in circumstances where I felt the environment less safe than I'd like. Most times it was just carried in a vehicle, but as I've gotten older, and the world a bit wilder, I carry almost all the time, even when on my own property. I'm hoping it's not just paranoia starting to seep into my psyche. I'd rather avoid a confrontation than to have to respond to one, and although "stand your ground" is an accepted reaction and legal, it's an alternative I'd rather not use if others are possible. However, the mantra "it's better to have a gun and not need it, than to need a gun and not have it", is true, as is the one "just because you can do it, doesn't mean you should do it", related to the use of force.

The Last Standing Knight said:

...and it doesn't matter what age or skill level or martial art involved.

THEY DON'T ALWAYS WORK! I've seen black belts beaten half to death by guys one on one who were no more than street fighters more than once.

At my age, a physical confrontation is out of the question. I will walk away if at all possible and I DEFINATELY trust my gut instincts. Most of the confronational people I run across are either drugged out, boozed out, or psychopathic. I deal accordingly.

In Texas, it is legal to carry things such as brass knucks...I prefer a small version of an ASP baton carried in an easily accessible pocket. Last resort is my concealed carry.

At the end of the day, I completely intend to go home to my family.

Click to expand...

Distance is the key. Try to keep the adversary at about three yards distance. Many moons ago I taught a Combat Pistol course to sailors at NS Long Beach, Ca, One of the students was a karate disciple, he said his instructor would be able to take me down. Back then I was old and slow and drew out of a snapped M1916 holster in approx 0.8 of a second. The instructor was given the speed and distance that I was stating, He told his student he could not cover the 3 yards before I drew, Like I said maintain you distance. Like Mattis says "Be polite, be professional, but have a plan to kill everybody you meet." Bottom line is you go home at the end of the day.

Played hockey as a youngster and learned how to fight. At 75 I try not to anymore, but I do spend 30 minutes a day in the basement punching and kicking a 200 pound bag. Been doing that for over 50 years and when I hit someone, they stay hit. But for safety sake I still carry a 1911.

Hair Trigger said:

Another one to look at is Arnis, or Eskrima; it's the national martial art of the Phillipines. The basic weapon is the 'baston', or stick.

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An excellent, practical system, though admittedly my experience with it is limited.

You might also consider Hapkido. A fairly well-rounded Korean martial art that also has cane techniques.