We’ve been focusing on self defense for older people in the last few parts of this series about Protecting The Vulnerable. Before we move on to the next group of vulnerable people, I’d like to share some special advice for any older person who is interested in learning martial arts for self defense.
Tips For Older Adults
If you’ve never studied martial arts or taken self defense classes before, you may wonder where to begin.
- My first tip is to visit some different classes and see what they do. Talk with the instructor and students. Are there any older adults in the classes? If so, talk with them about their experience. Would they recommend the class for someone of your age and physical abilities? Does it look like students are having fun? Are they learning real self defense? Does it look like something you could do for your age and physical condition? I suggest you visit at least three different self defense schools before making your decision.
- My second tip is to attend classes with a friend or family member. They may want to participate in the class or just be there for you and watch. Either way, it’s helpful to have someone you know well in the class with you. Many older married couples have attended my T’ai Chi classes through the years and it’s wonderful to see how much they enjoyed their time in class together.
- My third tip is to prepare your body for a martial arts or self defense class. Stretch your body before and after the class. The instructor can recommend some good stretches that match the type of class you’ll be taking.
- My fourth tip is to stay hydrated before, during, and after class. Take some bottled water to class with you. Another idea is to mix amino acids with water in a sports bottle about an hour or two before going to teach a class. That gives the amino acids time to dissolve. I sip the amino water before, during, and after each class. It keeps me hydrated and the aminos help restore my body during a workout. If you prefer to purchase a sports drink, be careful that the sugar and salt levels are not too high. It’s not good for people of any age, but it’s especially harder on the elderly.
- My fifth tip is to eat healthy meals throughout the day. That’s good advice for every day, but especially on days you go to class. You can time your meals on class day based on class time. Don’t eat a big meal close to going to class. Good nutrition is important for all of us.
- My sixth tip is to learn five or six self-defense techniques that would work in most situations. We have a saying in martial arts that if an attacker can’t see or breathe, they can’t fight. Learning to disrupt the sight and breathing of an attacker will often give you time to escape to safety.
- My seventh tip is to be patient. It takes time to learn self defense. Most people can learn the basics of self protection in a few weeks, but becoming proficient at performing those basics can take months. If you enjoy the classes, you may find something you’ll want to do for years. That’s often the experience of older people who study T’ai Chi Ch’uan. It’s a martial arts you can for the rest of your life.
- My eighth tip is not to protect something that can be replaced. By that, I mean don’t try to stop someone from stealing your mobile phone, wallet or purse. I know how precious the items in them are to you, but it’s not worth you being severely injured or even killed over some things that can be replaced. About 40 years ago, a co-worker told me about his 80-year-old mother being seriously injured by a robber. She was walking downtown when a man grabbed her purse. She held on to the purse and was dragged for more than a city block. An ambulance took her to the emergency room. She spent several days in the hospital and several weeks recovering at home. My friend showed me photos of his mother’s injuries and they were bad. She was bruised from head to toe – lucky to be alive. Losing “things” is not worth losing your health or life. If someone demands you give them something that can be replaced, let them have it.
My hope and prayer for any elderly person reading this series is that you will never be attacked. However, we live in a dangerous world at a dangerous time. We all need to be ready to defend ourselves if needed. Awareness is your best defense, but also look into a few self-defense techniques that would work for you.
Free eBook
We invite you to download and share a free eBook about protecting vulnerable older people.
Next Time
The next vulnerable group we’ll focus on in this series will be people who are blind. You may be surprised at how well they can defend themselves against attack with the right kind of training.
[Join our Grace Martial Arts Facebook Community!]
© Grace Martial Arts 1990 – 2023
Grace Martial Arts 