Karate - Excellent for All Ages

I recently had the good fortune to become ‘pen pals’ with Shihan Wayne Wickizer, a.k.a. ‘Grandfather Sensei’ as he is the oldest known Kenkojuku practitioner in America at age 78.

Here are excerpts of an email he sent the other day:
I see that some of your students are a bit “long in the tooth.” I don’t mean that disparagingly but with affection and respect. Some time ago and for a variety of reasons I disbanded our little Church clubs. … That left a handful of my most qualified and devoted friends and students without a home. Most of them are in their 50s and 60s these days. Many of whom are retired. They are outstanding men and women and citizens and I’d like to see them teaching their grandchildren. I’m tempted to bring them all back together and give our clubs a ‘jump start’ now that we have been folded into ASKKA and the Hombu. Would you encourage that at our age?

Here are excerpts of my response:
Ha! Yes, my students are a bit long in the tooth. Since I'm the eldest and senior rank, I guess that makes me a walrus!

I was one of the youngest when I began studying Tae Kwon Do in 1967, a month shy of my 14th birthday. Starting Shotokan 40 years ago, my sensei, Mike Hatgis, took no students under teen-age. He had a Judo instructor for students 12 and under. It would be very easy for me to slip into my rant about young children in the martial arts; I'll spare you that diatribe. A small few instructors actually produce good yonen students; most instructors do little more than babysit. I understand that my inability to teach young children is my shortcoming, so choose to stay in my wheelhouse with teens and adults.

You have something unique to offer … You can lead your devoted friends and students in their 50s and 60s and younger generations along the path of self-betterment. My family history shows that we unfortunately do not age well. While only in my early 60s, my body and mind work like a much older man. New lessons learned and passed on to my older students are how to work as effectively as possible with an aging body. Instructors who work with young children teach respect, patience, motor skills, coordination, playing nicely with others, and other 'life-long' lessons. You and I can teach 'long-life' lessons to older martial artists on leading a longer, healthier, more active, flexible, useful life. I strongly encourage your 'jump starting' clubs to pass along the benefits of Karate from your unique point of view.

‘Life-long lessons’ vs. ‘long-life lessons’ - I like that, even if I did say so myself. It shows that Karate has excellent qualities to offer at all ages.