Martial Arts

[Imacho]

I have a lot of anxiety and I am scared....

That first step onto the mat is always the hardest. Once you do, the feeling gets better and you'll love it. The instructors know that it is intimidating (they were in the same shoes many years ago). They have many ways to make it less intimidating. after a few minutes, you'll be having alot of fun.

MA training is a journey of a 1000 miles, and it begins with a single step.

 

[Nameless]

I've been doing various forms of martial arts on and off at various ages in my life. Tae Kwon Do and Karate when I was 12 for about 1 and 1/2 years. I attempted judo when I was about 14. I did kendo for some time when I was 17. And now, at age 21, I am looking to do Northern Shaolin kung-fu.

To answer your question, you're as young as you feel! Don't let age be a factor when it comes to pursuing something new!

As for the particular types of martial arts, I can say that anything physical can help with anxiety and depression. I always felt much better after doing anything pertaining to martial arts. Most of them are very heavy workouts, so be prepared to be sweating, hot, and exhausted after your first go! Tae Kwon Do and Karate vary per instructor. I once had a Tae Kwon Do instructor who made us run around in circles for 10 minutes each class. That wore us out and made us dizzy moreso than it taught us the martial art. Another note on that, be careful of which instructor you choose! Some are just simply in it for the money!

One more note is make sure you find a type of martial art that's meant for you! Many martial arts are very physical and some are very aggressive. Each type has a specific teaching goal. Here's my experience:

Kendo is a Japanese swordfighting type of martial art. It involves sparring (yes, you can whack your opponent with a bamboo sword when you get to the level) and is quite fun!

Judo is extremely aggressive, as it involves you attempting to bring down an opponent larger than you by targeting their weak points. Last I remember, I ended up on the floor a few times.

Northern Shaolin is a form of kung fu. It involves a lot of leg movement and is a rather aggressive form of martial art. This is my most recent one that I hope to join after I get enough money to do so!

If you want something more relaxed, I suggest trying Tai Chi. It's supposedly a more flowing, relaxing form of martial art. Or yoga, though that's not technically a martial art



My apologies for the large amount of text! I love martial arts (if you couldn't tell, lol). I hope you find what works best for you when it comes to a sort of physical activity!

 

[v3nn3m]

No I don't think so, In my MMA class lately so many older people 35+ have been joining. and they seem to keep up. For some reason the older people are mostly cops/firemen

 

[smurfgirl]

Hi,

thank you all for the replies.

I am sorry I didn't mean to offend anyone. like I said I just have low self-esteem and that's why I am really shy and nervous about starting a class. But I will push myself to do it!

Thank you all again

 

[Glucatron]

I started training in Krav Maga back when I was 16. I trained for 4-5 years and let me tell you, it is a great martial art that doesn't like to be called that because it's less art and more about modern day combat training. We did everything from punches and kicks to defending against knives and guns as well as plenty ground work (it borrows a lot from BJJ as well as kick boxing, muay thai). It is very physically exhausting because they train you to fight from a disadvantage (exhaustion, multiple attackers). I highly recommend it. And age means nothing (especially as young as you are) unless you let it. I've trained with people in their 50s and they were doing just fine!

 

[smurfgirl]

I started training in Krav Maga back when I was 16. I trained for 4-5 years and let me tell you, it is a great martial art that doesn't like to be called that because it's less art and more about modern day combat training. We did everything from punches and kicks to defending against knives and guns as well as plenty ground work (it borrows a lot from BJJ as well as kick boxing, muay thai). It is very physically exhausting because they train you to fight from a disadvantage (exhaustion, multiple attackers). I highly recommend it. And age means nothing (especially as young as you are) unless you let it. I've trained with people in their 50s and they were doing just fine!

Hi,

Thank you everyone for your replies.

Like I said I have a lot of anxiety, and low self-esteem..so that's why I am so nervous about starting out..

Thank you

 

[Glucatron]

Hi,

Thank you everyone for your replies.

Like I said I have a lot of anxiety, and low self-esteem..so that's why I am so nervous about starting out..

Thank you

Well, your welcome! I hope you get involved, martial arts are awesome!

 

[Mariemt]

I got my black belt when I was 33

 

[Fahnrich]

I used to compete in TKD I know someone who didn't start until his 40's and was one of the best students. He always gave me a run for my money when we were sparring. I just recommend being careful I messed up my knee pretty good competing and I'm going to have to have a partial knee replacement eventually.