What is the Point

In the following article written by Mr. Rory Miller the aging processes are how we handle them. In this article a friend of his makes the point, a very good point. 

“Growing Old in Wales” by Rory Miller

Our Brain on Aging Karate-ka and Martial Artists

Blog Article/Post Caveat (Read First Please: Click the Link)

Many of us who still actively teach karate and martial arts tend to lean toward a more demonstration type of teaching, i.e., we still feel it necessary to get on the dojo floor and mix it up with practitioners, even those many, many years younger than us. As an aging karate-ka and martial artist it might benefit our longevity to adjust our training, practice, teaching and applications toward the protection of our brains. 

Our brains are the “Matrix” of our world, our universe, and lead our bodies and spirits while encoding, programming and creating our worlds so if they are damaged we lose a lot including possibly our lives. Here is a quote from a Neurosurgeon that explains it a bit: (https://drgo.us/?p=2574Z)

“Subacute or chronic subdural hematomas, on the other hand, occur in older people, also as a result of blunt head trauma, and are very common, even after relatively minor injuries. This occurs because as we age the brain sags, the subdural space enlarges, predisposing older folks to the tearing of the bridging veins at the top of the head inside the skull. Chronic subdural hematomas can occur after relatively minor injuries or even after a vigorous struggle or simply the shaking or bumping of the head during a scuffle with an assailant.” - Miguel A. Faria, Jr., M.D. is Clinical Professor of Surgery (Neurosurgery, ret.) and Adjunct Professor of Medical History (ret.) Mercer University School of Medicine. 

As we age the above exposes us to great harm of our brains. As can be readily observed this means older karate-ka and martial artists may want to re-evaluate their teaching and practices accordingly, i.e., stay away from those activities in pair practice where one will find themselves “struggling” or “shaking” or “bumping” of their head. We spar so we are actually “scuffling” with our opponent. 

Take this a bit further in self-defense, we should therefore take the extra training and precautions to remove or at least limit our exposure to being attacked either socially, as a bar incident, or asocially, as in a predatory attack for either resources and/or processes. 

The great thing about modern times is most of us live lives where we have a lot of control over our exposure to conflict and violence that would result in the “shaking, bumping and/or struggles” that would cause our brains to bounce around in our heads. Regardless, even if we find ourselves in situations of conflict that could lead to violence we, hopefully, learned how to avoid, escape and evade an attacker. 

“Sometimes difficult to diagnose, subacute and chronic subdural hematomas may present in older victims days or weeks after an assault. Yet these hematomas can also cause severe brain damage, incapacitation, or death. In other words, a serious or mortal injury can occur when a weaker person is attacked by an assailant who is intent on injuring or incapacitating his target, men or women, to rob them or sexually assault them.” - Miguel A. Faria, Jr., M.D. is Clinical Professor of Surgery (Neurosurgery, ret.) and Adjunct Professor of Medical History (ret.) Mercer University School of Medicine. 

Yeah, I agree, aging when it comes to this type of stuff really does suck. Regardless, I look at it this way, if we want to continue teaching and practicing even into the winter years of our lives we have to consider making such adjustments for it you cause damage to your brain, even if you live, it will have grievous repercussions on your abilities to learn, teach, practice and train. It may be the type of fun you really enjoy but if you don’t adjust are you willing to pay the price of losing that ability and capability? Reading the entire article that inspired this opinion really tells us a lot about the dangers of head trauma. 

Do you want to gamble you can go the distance? Remember also, our mind-set and mind-STATE are critical to practice but even more so to self-defense. If you damage the brain you lose a lot of your capabilities and abilities to defend and protect, is it worth it to expose ourselves, myself, to those dangers?

Bibliography (Click the link)

Note: I learned over the years that, “Small Circle Jujitsu” was a solid discipline suited well to self-defense, at least as an additional discipline so I found a dojo in my local area well-suited and respected. My intent was to start out there to gain that knowledge and experience but then as an aging karate-ka and martial artists I did a self-assessment both physical and mental. Mentally, I was more than capable but as I assessed myself physically I found that some issues were present that would mean I would expose myself to grave physical harm as to health and fitness, i.e., I have both shoulders with minor tears to the rotator cuffs. The tears are minor and didn’t require surgery to get back normal movement and capabilities but jujitsu as with any other discipline that uses the joints for control and manipulation would mean exposing the minor tears to possible greater tears requiring surgery. I assessed that if I exposed myself to the possibility that the surgery would be a huge set-back and could, like the brain above, lead to very long recuperation and possibly even a state of health resulting in discontinuance in training. I realized that I can still practice and train my karate with adjustments but the overall goal and related obstacles with possible repercussions meant changing my plans. The long terms considerations with the aging process and the possible limitations a new injury might incur when properly weighed said, “Not a good idea.” I also took into consideration what I would need to do to learn and study the system, the discipline, and found that to sacrifice those needs for training are also not acceptable overall. It should be noted one of the reasons I no longer train actively with others in the dojo and practice and train solo are due to the aging considerations. It is just me, these types of decisions are individual in nature that MUST be made by each person so this article as with the other aging articles are about information to make appropriate decisions. 

Cognitive Skills and Aging

Blog Article/Post Caveat (Read First Please: Click the Link)

See the link at the end to read the entire article. What I want to express is the consistent message that we, as in self, have control over how aging effects us physically and mentally. There is a constant that transcends any one discipline but the principles this article mentions really can be achieved regardless of what we use to reach that goal. 

Lets begin with “Memory,” i.e., remote memory or recall of past events tends to remain regardless of age. I theorize that this includes procedural memory, the memory that we most often use to take actions such as in self-defense, i.e., the type of memory trained in to come from what many term as instinctive actions. As long as all other factors are taken into consideration this one should be available even in aging. 

Next is our attention: Our focus or simple attention also tends to remain. One aspect to consider is what they term as “Divided attention” that tends to suffer as we age. Trying to focus on one thing and simultaneously talk to someone or on the phone - tends to be more difficult in aging processes. Our attentive abilities toward the various forms of awareness can keep this issue from becoming too problematic, i.e., keeping up the practice through training as is often done in karate and martial arts for defense. 

Ok, what about reasoning and problem solving? Those more “Traditional approaches” to solving problems are maintained as we age. New issues and problems simply take a bit longer than you might be used to experiencing tend to crop up in our winter years. Another reason why our appropriate and effective training and practice of karate and martial arts in principles such as those developing and conditioning our minds, our bodies and therefore our spirits tend to excel in combating the aging process.

There are other health issues and factors that would exacerbate the aging process and its effects. The recommendations toward combating those are:

Reduce Stress

Maintain Good Health

Mentally Stimulate Yourself Regularly

Use memory cues and methods to facilitate memory and use routines

Stress is a bad thing - but it is also a good thing too. Yin-yang concepts from the principle of theory and philosophy found in karate and martial arts fundamental principles foster cognitive maintenance for keeping our skills effective and efficient even into our winter years. The combination of physical and mental activities found promote good heath, i.e., what is best is that this type of activity is adjusted as we age so it can be practiced even in the higher age ranges. 

The fun one can find in practice and training makes learning easier and that also provides the aged a means to remain motivated even when the aging process throws is those curve balls such as my recent bout with vertigo. My karate and martial arts resulted in faster healing and promoted a more “Stable (pun intended)” ability to train, etc.

Karate and martial arts are all about using methods to encode both conscious and procedural/unconscious memory activity. It brings together a physical, mental and tactile like teaching and practice model best suited to trigger and stimulate those very cognitive skills necessary for a better aging process. 

http://alzheimers.emory.edu/healthy_aging/cognitive-skills-normal-aging.html

Bibliography (Click the link)