Studying Martial Arts at my age

I just found two new blogs and a book along the same themes as this blog.  I'll follow them and I just ordered the book. I'll tell you if I like it.

Michele's blog is Just a Thought. I am a student and instructor of Okinawa Kenpo and a student of Tai Chi. In April 2007, I injured my knee during a two-person bo form. I had a complete ACL tear. On May 15, 2007, I had my ACL reconstructed using a hamstring graft. This blog shares my thoughts on Karate, Tai Chi, ACL Reconstruction and the Challenges of Parenting.

BobSpar -  I'm 54 and a student at a mixed-martial-arts school in the New York area. Years ago, my school taught Shotokan karate, but the school has changed; although it still contains many of the attributes of karate, including belts and respect, the school no longer teaches kata, and instead focuses on kickboxing and grappling. As I began this blog, I was recovering from ACL reconstruction surgery.

The book is called: Martial Arts After 40.  Martial Arts After Forty is the first book ever to explore the needs and advantages of the over-forty martial artist. It takes an in-depth look at the realities of training in mid-life including:

• What type of exercises are beneficial and which ones are dangerous? 
• What are the effects of aging and what impact do they have on training? 
• How can baby boomers keep up in a class of Gen-Xers? 
• What types of injuries are common after forty and how can you prevent them? 

In addition to providing a wealth of fitness and training information, author Sang H. Kim addresses the fact that many older martial artists are looking for something more meaningful than just a good workout. 

His positive and knowledgeable approach to taking up or continuing martial arts training after 40 is inspiring, reassuring and informative. This book should be read by every adult martial artist regardless of age.

Health Issues - More and Less

I reluctantly wrote a painful email to Shihan a few weeks ago.  I had been through a few months where almost every class seemed to aggravate my back problems.  The root problem seems to be that my right hip has lost almost all of its flexibility so that any round house kick painfully wrenches my back, sometimes leading to full spasms etc.  So, until it gets a little better or I figure out how to mitigate it, I decided to take some time off from the training. Very sad for me.

It's been incredibly fun for me at the dojo over the last 8 years.  I got and stayed in shape, learned about the world of martial arts, and made friends.  Because all the kids got involved, it helped build family life.  Basically, it's been tremendously powerful.  Since I've stopped (only a few weeks), I haven't felt that great and have some trouble sleeping at night.  Really sucks.

The next step is for me to figure out what the possibilities are for my hip.  Initial doctor, not a hip specialist, says that they've replaced a lot of hips which were in better shape than mine. So I need to find myself a good specialist and start exploring.  I haven't gotten to this for a few reasons. One is that chasing around the medical world is high on my list of least favorite things to do.  The other is that I've had more urgent medical issues to deal with, albeit not mine.  Dear old Mom fell and broke a vertabra so I've been