Which way now?

[Shoalin]

I am thirty years old and have been training since I was eight years old. I have trained in hard and soft forms of Martial Arts and I now know that I cannot carry on doing intense hard Martial Arts training forever. It is clear to me that most pro Thai boxers stop competing at about age thirty five for good reasons.

I have not competed at their level for long periods of time though have in fact mostly trained in full contact. I say five more years hard intense as that will make me thirty five. My grandad has artheritus therefore it maybe genetic. I love to train but know too much of what you love can hurt you.

I will carry on with Yoga, Tai Chi, Shaolin Yin and Yang style fighting forms and weapons training, hard sparring and heavy bag work will stop. The only thing is I will miss it like crazy. Getting old is sh1t but I guess I must grow old gracefully. If you have any positive input on such things please send it my way.

[JackSpratt]

Watch Randy Couture beat down on vitor belfort at the age of 40, thats some inspiration to carry on fighting into your late 30s!

[Shoalin]

Originally Posted by JackSpratt

Watch Randy Couture beat down on vitor belfort at the age of 40, thats some inspiration to carry on fighting into your late 30s!

Randy is a specimen, I didn't know that they had fought. I believe you though as I saw Chuck Liddel fight Vitor and Chuck in my oppinion dominated that fight some what. Vitor is good but is over powered and somewhat over skilled by these legends we speak of.

I doubt Randy and Chuck will get artheritus due to over working their bodies. Though I know that it will take it's toll on most normal human beings.

Thank you for your positive feedback.

[Revok]

Most people haven't hit their athletic peak at 30, and I'm talking guys who work like champions day in day out, Frank Shamrock and Bas Rutten for instance. Cardio doesn't even start to decrease until the age of 35-40, and a man is naturally far stronger at 30 than he was five or ten years prior.

If arthritis is a concern, consult a doctor and get yourself screened for signs of risk. Vague and unfounded fear is no kind of excuse to slow down.

Get back in the gym, susan.

Originally Posted by Revok

Most people haven't hit their athletic peak at 30, and I'm talking guys who work like champions day in day out, Frank Shamrock and Bas Rutten for instance. Cardio doesn't even start to decrease until the age of 35-40, and a man is naturally far stronger at 30 than he was five or ten years prior.

If arthritis is a concern, consult a doctor and get yourself screened for signs of risk. Vague and unfounded fear is no kind of excuse to slow down.

Get back in the gym, susan.

Yea but things like injuries, recovery time and quickness very often get worse. Even coordination, agility can. On the good side though, is that MMA is so fitness diverse, that you don't have to lose time with injuries. I'm not saying that 35+ can't be a great fighting age. But much of it is due to learning how to train by that age and jelling because of it. But purely from a physical standpoint with the same training, no way is being 35 an advantage over 25.

[Ian Coe]

You realise that the thais fight from like 5 and fight week in week out to survive.


Sorry mate, but you can't compare whatever training you've done with a thai boxer out of thailand (maybe for a few years, but not the training from 8-17 years old phase)
I'm not being insulting, but just stating a fact.

[Shoalin]

Originally Posted by Revok

Most people haven't hit their athletic peak at 30, and I'm talking guys who work like champions day in day out, Frank Shamrock and Bas Rutten for instance. Cardio doesn't even start to decrease until the age of 35-40, and a man is naturally far stronger at 30 than he was five or ten years prior.

If arthritis is a concern, consult a doctor and get yourself screened for signs of risk. Vague and unfounded fear is no kind of excuse to slow down.

Get back in the gym, susan.

You know what to write to make a weeping man smile.

[Shoalin]

Originally Posted by Ian Coe

You realise that the thais fight from like 5 and fight week in week out to survive.


Sorry mate, but you can't compare whatever training you've done with a thai boxer out of thailand (maybe for a few years, but not the training from 8-17 years old phase)
I'm not being insulting, but just stating a fact.

Yes this is a very valid point indeed. Something I often forget.