Who wants to live forever?

[davywavy]

One of the irritating things about aging is that the witlessly energetic forms of exercise I favour become harder. Having brain surgery earlier this year seems to have been a bit of a catalyst for picking up other minor, niggling injuries which just won't go away; I've had to quit running because my knees really don't like me any more, for example, and presumably sooner or later I'll have to leave the kickboxing behind as well which will sadden me because not only do I rather like smacking stuff, but also the female:male ratio in my class is about 5:1.

So it is that I'm looking more seriously at Tai Chi as a long-term fitness solution. For as long as I've been doing martial arts, I've kept running into enthusiastic, cheerful and deceptively youthful-looking oriental men. Way back when I lived in Manchester there was Master Shin who taught me Tae Kwon Do - I was always impressed that he had been in the Korean TKD national team, but I was even more impressed that he'd been in the national team in the early 70's and he still looked about 30.
Then there's Tai Chi. I guessed Ninja Master's age once, and underestimated it by ten years. More impressive are masters Wang Hei Jun, and Lo de Xiu who are both well older than you'd think would be more than capable of kicking most people's heads in. Of course, probably the best advert for Tai Chi is the legendary Bolo Yeung. That's him in the middle. The photo was taken in 1995 when he was 57 and if Tai Chi can make me look that good when I'm 57, sign me up right now.

Comments

[tooth-fairy.livejournal.com]

Yoga

do Yoga, yoga is fab, good for a good looking bod and suppleness :)

[davywavy.livejournal.com]

Tai Chi is like Yoga with smacking thrown in.

[tooth-fairy.livejournal.com]

Tai Chi is really, really boring

[davywavy.livejournal.com]

Not the way I do it, it isn't.

[tooth-fairy.livejournal.com]

that's not Tai Chi :p

[souldier-blue.livejournal.com]

I misread that as Thai chip, which sounds nice but is probably not very healthy LOL

[tooth-fairy.livejournal.com]

lol

[karohemd.livejournal.com]

No, it isn't. You move about and work out. It might not look that way but you do. On top of that, I do a peaceful style, not this throw people through the air Dave does.
I could say the same about Yoga from the position of someone who doesn't know much about it but I don't. Next time I see you, remind me to show you some moves and then you can decide.

[(Anonymous)]

we can excahange moves :)

you're on, sounds good

[karohemd.livejournal.com]

Who's this?

[davywavy.livejournal.com]

Jeni failing to sign in, I'd guess.

I challenge you...

[lexx-uk.livejournal.com]

to a xailin show down.

Re: I challenge you...

[davywavy.livejournal.com]

I WILL CRUSH YOU!

I wager.

[lexx-uk.livejournal.com]

My Ten TON tunic against you Eye of Dashi.

GONG-YE-TEN-PI (or however its spelt)

*Locust doing doggy paddle style*

Re: I wager.

[davywavy.livejournal.com]

HadUUUUUken!

Counters with

[lexx-uk.livejournal.com]

Cunning spainel walking backwards form

[jonnyargles.livejournal.com]

So why did Mr Miyagi die so young?

[davywavy.livejournal.com]

He was a comedian, not a martial artist.

[jonnyargles.livejournal.com]

Well, he was also Nyagi 'Pat' Morita, if you're going to break the fourth wall like that.

*Posts "STOP GOGGLING LIKE A BUNCH OF ROMANTICS" in a Verfremdungseffekt stylee*

[hiromasaki.livejournal.com]

Noriyuki, not Nyagi.

And he WAS 73, and hadn't aged a day in the past 20 years. I'd say that's not bad at all.

[davywavy.livejournal.com]

What are you talking about?

[jonnyargles.livejournal.com]

It was something Brecht used to do to stop his audience becoming too emotionally involved with the characters in his play.

I was enacting a role who believed that the actor who played Arnold from Happy Days was actually a martial arts expert, and you punctured that role by stating the obvious.

Actually, we used to call that a 'Butson' at my old school.

[vulgarcriminal.livejournal.com]

All those damn kids.

[con-2002.livejournal.com]

they do tai chi classes through the pain clinic i attend. they seem to be very proactive on its benefits.
I tried but its a little difficult with my balance problems for me though (had to do most of it with back resting close to wall) but the breathing cycle is cool

Con

[karohemd.livejournal.com]

Your balance will improve a lot when you keep at it, though.
People at the TTCS (which I'm a member of) have developed a set for people with physical/motor problems and even wheelchair users.
We have a wheel chair user in our group and his progress is amazing. Obviously, Tai Chi won't repair the damage and he won't be able to walk again but it'll help keeping the rest of his body fit and supple.

[souldier-blue.livejournal.com]

You had brain surgery? Did I miss something? *boggles*

There was a guy at the weight lifting gym I used to go to in East London who was apparently in his 70s but I'm still sure they were winding me up as he didn't look a day over 50 to be honest.

[davywavy.livejournal.com]

Yes I had brian surgery: I had an operation on my groin....

John McVicar goes to the same gym as I do, and he must be in his late 1960's by now - and he's one of the fittest people I've ever seen so I know it's possible.

[karohemd.livejournal.com]

Well, it won't make you any younger but it can slow the physical aging process.
One of the high-level instructors in our branch used to be a driving instructor which meant that his spine started to fuse at the bottom due to his sitting down all day. At that time he was 25 and had the bone structure of a 30-year-old. Now, after doing TC intensely for 15 years, he's 40 and has the body of a 35-year-old.

[queenortart.livejournal.com]

I've made an NY resolution to take it up, mostly cos I can do it about 20 yards walk from my office, which makes it likely that I'll bother to go :)