am 50 yrs. old and want to take a martial arts class-what style would be appropriate for my age?

Question

have been thinking about grappling or wrestling-i wrestled with i was younger -i work out at ymca but have not done so for awhile -have looked into jijitsu classes in my area -was talking with my neighbor who is in his late 50s and since we know each other pretty well and help each other i mentioned that i watch submission wrestling clips on computer -he likes wrestling also and then said he is stronger in his legs-i told him i sure want to wrestle with him for fun-it is a good workout -am i crazy or what-he is friendly and we are both straight men. any suggestions how i go about wrestling with him-any help in this or finding a martial arts that i can do at my age would be helpful

Answer 1

I'm 42 and I can recommend you don't take karate, kenpo, etc. These aren't bad for folks around our ages, but they aren't what you're looking for. Tai chi is probably too slow for you, but it is good for flexibility and overall physical health.

Wrestling, judo, ju juitsu, or aikido are probably more what you're interested in, based on what you've written. Don't let anyone convince you that BJJ is any better than any other ju juitsu. The popularity for BJJ is that the Gracies have been such good fighters, and it's the fighter not the style that makes the difference.

Answer 2

Hi,

I would suggest you visit a few different martial arts schools and see which one provides the kind of training you are looking for. If you walk into a school and no students are over the age of 30, it's pretty obvious you are in the wrong place ;)

Not meaning to be rude but 50-60 is quite old to be starting out in martial arts so it would probably be best to concentrate on an internal system rather than an external system that requires a lot of flexibility and youth fitness. Do a little research on the net to learn about the differences between internal and external systems.

You would need to find a good teacher that is capable of teaching self defense as part of the internal syllabus, if that is what you are looking for. Internal martial arts are not what they appear on the outside.

Start by visiting a few Tai Chi schools and talk to other students of a similar age to get the benefit of their experiences with the training.

Answer 3

It's awesome that you want to wrestle and do some realistic martial arts training at your age :-) We need more people like you out there to show the world that just because they're not 20 anymore, it doesn't mean they can't do any physically thing.

You can try check out Brazilian Jiu-jitsu or Judo for start. Also may if you want, you can check around at college and see if they will allows you come to work with other wrestler or something.

btw here's link to Cikatic, he's around your age and still do kickboxing and still is feared by many fighter half of his age:
http://www.bcikatic.htnet.hr/prazno-eng.htm

Here's a link to former UFC champion who was in 40's when he win it:
http://www.randycouture.tv/

If those guys can do it, you can train in rougher martial arts for fun :-) Ignore all those people who say you need to do Tai Chi or something, Tai Chi is the last thing you want. Tai Chi have almost no grappling and don't spar.

Good luck!

Answer 4

you havn't mentioned why you would want to take up a m/a-is it for fitness-self defence-something to pass the time. for fitness maybe jiujitsu/aikido-self defence-aikido/western-chinese boxing for your age although it is considered one of the more gentler fighting arts (judo isn't a martial art-its a fighting art) i would not reccomend judo for self defence because judo is only really effective against singular attackers-that is not to say it cannot be used against multiple attackers-it can and has been-but you have to be exceptionally adept at it.-gung fu (praying mantis/northern monkey/white crane etc) are all ok if you don't get too heavily into them-they can be hard on western knees-for relaxation-tai chi. the best way to wrestle with your freind is to work out first what you intend to do-this way nobody is taken by surprise and gets injured-nor does it get out of hand. alternatively you could both join a grappling/m/a club and train together under the watchful eye of a trained instructor. once this has been done for a couple of weeks and you and your freind have the confidence-lay down some mats and grapple for all the world. yours in martail arts

Answer 5

I am 43 years old and I have been doing Kempo for the last 14 months. There are other peoples in their 40's and 50's in my classes. Go to www.ussd.com to see if there is a school in your area. Most offer a free 2 week trail so you can see if you like it before you sign up. Good Luck.

Answer 6

It sounds like you are really interested in Wrestling. I would continue looking into Ju-Jitsu. Specificaly Gracie Brazilian Ju-jitsu. The Gracie brothers developed their own form of Ju-jitsu that has proven to be superior. If you can find a Gracie school around you then that would be best.
You and your neighbor should sign up together. Then you would be able to test each other.
Good luck and have fun.

Answer 7

You would more than likely get hurt wrestling, I know you feel great but no one should be on the ground unless you lose a fight. Try an internal art like Baugua, or Wing Chun. Deadly, but very good for fitness, and mind clearity too.

lr

www.wingchunassociation.com
www.wingchunassoc.com

Answer 8

You can do muay thai also. Its a good workout. There were several guys in your age range at my gym doing it. Its a pretty simple style, but a great workout. But tai chi is cool too, whatever you feel like, you should do

Answer 9

Um I would say kung fu. It is more of a flowing art and its harder to learn but the benefits are better. And if you want to know how to grapple properly talk with the Gracie brothers. They are americas best ji jitsu artists.

Answer 10

I would say Wing Tsun/ Wing Chun.
It was taught by Nuns as a defence that uses your whole body to protect yourself in a self defence situation.
Kung fu is good as well.
I wouldnt recommend wrestling with your mate unless u r both trainned in wrestling-could lead to injurys.