Why do people still believe that a old master can beat younger fighter?

Question

I'm amazed by how many peolpe here really believe a man in 80's or older can beat a younger fighter.

If that is true then howcome we never see them in any full contact fight sport such as K-1, Muay Thai, Pride, etc...? Also howcome such legends and myth aren't common in south east asia where they mainly fight full contact?

Is it because those people watch too many cheesy chinese Kung Fu movie or something?

If age and experience matter so much then Andre botha would have never won the world bodyboard champion twice at 17 and 18. Vargas would have never won boxing champ at age of 21. Olympic athletetic would be 50 to 70 years old instead of under 35 in most case. Militaries would be in their 70's instead of 20's. Explain this to me please.

Answer 1

I don't know about cheesy Chinese Kung movies, but I have seen the master defeat the younger fighters at a school near my Guangzhou, China home. He says it is not strength, but willpower and leverage of body and thought. In five years watching them, I have seen several students who were ready to move on actually do quite well. But at the end of the day, the master still won. (72 years old)

By the way, the Chinese do not eat cheese. Also, the Kung Fu movies are choreographed. I watched some fight scenes for one of their movies; the things the fighters do are impossible, but it sells tickets in China. Oh, I forgot to mention this; the technical advisors for these movies are normally around 70 to 75 years of age.

Answer 2

Easy have you ever foughten a old master as you would say. of course theres going to be no 80 year olds in a game such as pride or ufc, why would you risk getting killed by a cheap shot by some huge moron. Most Masters arn't willing to fight any more any ways. Because enlightened people don't need to prove their the best to be better. Maybe you should quit fighting what people say and search inside of yourself. Maybe the majority wins this time. If you have ever foughten an 50 plus judo expert or 60 plus kung-fu master maybe youde understand. well assumign the 50 year old judo artist has been practicing and training for about 15-20 years at least and the 60 plus kung-fu person has been training for 30 plus years. Masters have more fighting experience than most these young bar stars who learned a few kick boxing moves and decided to train hard to get into teh ufc. and if you can show me a kung-fu or judo match where the younger less experienced person wins than go ahead but youll never find one on tape and if you to its a 1 in a million tape so your lucky.

Answer 3

People believe it because it happens. Happens the other way, too; young firebrands get their reputations by whipping old masters.

But you don't see the old guys in sporting events (K-1 or bodyboarding) because in sporting events the playing field is deliberately levelled so that strength, speed, and stamina play a huge part. These contests are designed to last awhile, often with minimal serious damage to the fighters. An 80-year-old would have to be crazy to try to take on, say, Chuck Liddell, by himself, on a forgiving surface, after they've both been patted down for weapons. But armed? My money's on the old fart with the cane-cutting knife and the 60 years of daily practice with it...

A real fight between people with some idea of what they're doing doesn't generally take very long. So stamina is much less of an issue. Good positioning trumps strength and speed, and that's what the 80-year-old master has been practicing every day of his life for the last 60 years. And he's got a few dozen 'tricks' that would never work twice, but they'll work just dandy once...and once is all it takes to get the knife in your guts.

Answer 4

A real fight between skilled martial artists should look less like a slugfest and more like a blindingly fast game of chess. There are a lot of techniques out there that require very little strength, and even very little mobility. However, they are very, very effective, especially against opponents who are unfamiliar with these techniques. Think push hands, chin na or just plain controlling. These techniques require a lot of practice, and these old guys have had more time to practice.

The reason you believe these old masters can't fight is because they want it that way. They're old. They don't want to bother with a lot of young brats challenging them. They want to keep a low profile, because after a certain age, you realize that fame and reputation are not so important.

Answer 5

Heh heh, I'm sorry, but I when I took karate our sensei was quite old, and none of the black belts (young or otherwise) in our dojo could so much as land a blow on him. The rumor was that if you beat him in sparring, you became an instant black belt... but only a few dared to try it. That said, long experience and practice makes your techniques a reflex, and provided that the martial artist didn't injure himself permanently (i.e. hyperextending the legs) those reflexes will be fast well into old age. Also, these people eat heathily and practice, like, every day. They aren't the people you see at the nursing home.

Answer 6

Because they can. My Grandmaster in his late 50's. Training since he was 5. When he rarely does a form to teach, the power is just jaw dropping. When he does Chi Na (grappling) I swear he is going to break your arm. Someone who has been practicing everyday for 50 years is going to make a young person into a humble student...

Answer 7

Yes, I believe we love the underdog story. And nobody likes seeing innocent old people get humiliated. In other words, the venerable master is much more fun to root for than the brash upcoming one. And the master is so much more badass--experience is cooler than physical talent.

Answer 8

Do you beleive that a fighters prowess lies in their physical attributes or in their skill and experience?
I would bet on skill and experience everytime.
Your form will last longer than your strength if you have trained well.

Answer 9

YUP OLD MASTERS CAN STILL BEAT YOUNGER FIGHTERS.

SOME OLD PEOPLE ARE MORE HEALTHY AND WISER THAN YOUNGER PEOPLE!