You can find a studio that teaches the art mainly for health benefits or one like William CC Chen’s school in NYC in which both his son and daughter are full contact national champions. There are Tai Chi schools and there are Tai Chi schools. I know what you’re probably thinking: that’s only for health, it has nothing to do with martial application. Arts in which the movements are rounded and smooth would be a better match for a person of advanced age. What you’re looking for is a school in which the level of activity matches your physical conditioning. Sometimes a later-in-life injury can take you out of the martial arts forever. When something like that happens, the road to coming back can be long and slow. An elbow injury took me out for about three months. I started Brazilian Jiu-Jistsu later in my life and when I say later I mean into my thirties. If the school specializes in combat sports like MMA, or Judo, or Muay Thai, or if they put an emphasis on sparring and application, then you know the probability for injury is greater.Īs you get older, the harder it is for injuries to heal, if they heal at all. This is going to vary depending on the style and the school. If you’re slowing down a bit, then you’re going to want to avoid arts that are high impact.
Well, it depends on many things, especially your age and physical condition. What’s the best martial art to practice as I get older?
