Martial-Arts List & Fake

Older martial artists sometimes write asking how they should adjust their martial arts as they get older. You’d think that telling them to avoid injury would be enough. You’d think 😉

Well …

Here’s a more concrete suggestion: Start a list (wait, it get’s better) …

Keep a running list of moves, techniques, positions, and strategies that might injure you as you get older. Also, list the moves that you can no longer perform as effectively at your age. If you don’t know how you would get back up again after a Kali-style drop-to-one-knee, then add that to the list.

Before we get to the fun stuff …

Your first martial-arts objective should be to identify the items on the list that you plan on “tweaking.” Yes, some of your listed techniques could still be used with some minor adjustments. (For example, rotating your foot might ease ankle stress in your ready stance.)

All modifiable martial-arts moves (Do you like that alliteration?) should be eliminated from the forbidden list; maybe you could create a separate list for the changed items that need to be re-perfected.

Cool Martial Arts, Finally!

Now, you have your list of don’t-do-these-moves. This is is where I had a spark of creativity, this morning:

Practice the beginning of each move on your don’t-do list. Use the move as a fake. Convince the world that you still do your full repertoire of techniques and strategies, but use the start of the move to lure your enemy.

Of course, practice the follow-up that would turn this into a true Progressive Indirect Attack.

I plan on starting my list within the next day or two.

Thoughts?

Tags: avoid injury old, martial-arts practice, older martial artists, pia, progressive indirect attack, senior martial arts, train alone