How to Get Your Health Back After Quarantine: Tips for Seniors

Due to their increased risk of illness, many seniors couldn’t get outside for exercise or go grocery shopping for healthy meal options during the coronavirus lockdown. These lifestyle changes may have led to some negative health outcomes like weight gain, muscle stiffness, or daytime fatigue. Seniors are also facing some serious emotional and mental health effects as a result of increased stress and isolation. Even as the pandemic situation improves, it is likely that these unhealthy choices will continue to affect people for years to come unless they confront them head on and make improvements.

Fortunately, lockdown restrictions are easing up and the world is taking precautions to keep our vulnerable populations safe from COVID-19. With relatively few exceptions, most older people are perfectly able to engage in healthy activities and make healthy choices that won’t put them at greater risk to COVID-19 infection. Now is the time to take back your health! We invite you to explore some great ways to lose those extra pounds and get your health on track for the summer.

Make Healthy Meal Choices

Looking to lose some of that lockdown weight? Focus on adding nutritious options to your diet rather than just taking away unhealthy foods. There are several ways to swap empty-calorie foods for tasty, nutrient-dense alternatives. For example, you can swap white bread for whole-grain bread or sugary cereal for oatmeal. If you like to eat toast with jam, try swapping the jam for avocado! Want a sandwich with mayo? Try slathering your bread with hummus instead! 

If you’re still hesitant to head to the grocery store, see what kinds of healthy meals you can make with the pantry ingredients you already have on hand. For example, Foodies Today suggests nutritious recipes like spinach tortellini soup, legume quesadillas, and breakfast for dinner. Remember, you can always order groceries online if you need to restock on healthy options and don’t feel safe venturing into a crowded supermarket. 

Seek Expert Guidance

Making these diet changes can be challenging. If you don’t know where to start or you’re having trouble sticking to your healthy eating plan, consider hiring a dietitian who can work with you to create an individualized diet plan. Job boards can help you find various wellness services that can assist with this and other aspects of your health regimen. Nearly anything you can think of is available: nutrition advice, medical consultation, skincare--even yoga for kids if you’re looking for ways to entertain your grandchildren when they’re finally able to visit again! 

Get Back Outside

Whether you’re trying to lose weight or improve your health in other ways, exercising is essential. Fortunately, it should be safe to exercise outside as long as you can avoid crowds and maintain a safe distance from others. Go for a walk in your neighborhood or take up cycling! Biking is an excellent form of physical activity for seniors because it reduces strain on the joints while providing numerous cardiovascular benefits. You might even want to give martial arts a try--it’s one of the healthiest and most enjoyable activities for people of all ages and skill levels. Anything that gets you moving and your heart rate up is bound to improve your physical and mental well-being. 

Try At-Home Exercises

Don’t let your exercise routine stop with aerobic activity. Seniors can also benefit from strength, flexibility, and balance training! Yoga and Pilates are great at-home exercise options for seniors that hit all of these marks. You can also try some senior-friendly bodyweight circuits or follow balance and flexibility training videos online. When the summer weather is nice, take your training into the backyard so you can enjoy the fresh air and soak up some beneficial vitamin D!

Consider Assisted Living

It may be that the time has come to consider options for residing outside of the home--a difficult decision to make even in the best of times, but one made much more challenging by a pandemic and its aftermath. Some seniors put off going into care facilities out of fear of catching COVID. However, a more supportive environment is often a key to maintaining wellbeing in your senior years, and these facilities are often safer for seniors than their homes. If you might benefit from making the change but have hesitated, do some looking and don't be afraid to ask questions. 

For many of us, the coronavirus lockdown meant changes in routine, limited exercise opportunities, and stress snacking, all of which have done a number on our health. Now that lockdown restrictions are lifting, make your health a priority again. Take advantage of the beautiful summer weather to get outside and get back in shape!

THE AUDIENCE

                                                                    by Yang Shuangxing

     The “audience”; in this case, observers of various martial arts demonstrations, competitions, and even (Chinese) opera, and street performers, have had a rather profound impact on the evolution (or de-evolution, depending on how you look at it) of our current martial arts.  Let me explain:

      Just after WWII, interest in the martial arts in Japan suffered terribly.  The people, who were suffering unimaginable hardships because of the war laid the blame for the whole thing at the feet of bushido – the warrior's “code”, which the leaders (who had led the nation into war in the first place) had twisted and warped to suit their ambitions.  Enrollment in martial arts classes hit an all-time low, but within a few years, judo began to recover.  Many martial arts leaders of the time figured that this was due to judo's emphasis on its sporting aspect (and personally, I think they were correct).  Kendo began to emphasize a sporting front as well.  The karate leaders, fearing or the survival of their art, looked for ways to conduct competitions that would draw large crowds.

      This led to various changes being made to some of the kata – it was an attempt (and a very successful one) to make the older, traditional Okinawan kata more exciting to watch; this would lead to larger audiences and hopefully, increases in erollment.  The use of side snap kicks (which, so far as I know, do not exist in traditional Okinawan karate) replaced front kicks in many kata.  Side kicks are very infrequent in older Okinawan kata and when they are used, they utilize a side-thrust kick that rarely, if ever, travels higher than the knee.  Front kicks never go higher than the waist.

     The roundhouse kick never appears in traditional Okinawan kata.  First, it was (and still is) felt that such a movement left the groin too exposed and unprotected...and secondly, the roundhouse kick as we know it (which is correctly done with the ball of the foot) didn't exist until the late 1940's!  It was developed by a senior instructor of the Japan Karate Association for use in sparring competitions, thereby adding a new and very exciting element to the mix.  A roundhouse kick of sorts (going by various names, such as the “cutting kick”) were used in some Chinese styles (but never seen in their forms) and Muay-Thai, but it was and still is, performed differently and makes contact with the top of the instep and/or shin...and if you've ever kicked a jaw or elbow with the top of your foot, you can see why the ball of the foot was preferred by the Japanese.  Kicking with the ball of foot is also much more destructive to the target!

     When foot-pads and foam padded mitts were introduced into karate/taekwondo competitions back in the early 1970's, I warned against what would happen...cometitors quickly saw that they could easily kick with the top of the foot (or even the toes) and gain a quick point because the pad extended their reach quite a bit and before long, that's how most schools began to teach the roundhouse kick – so much so that nowadays, the original version (using the ball of the foot) has been almost completely forgotten!

     The original taekwondo forms were actually Japanese kata, since the founder and other leaders of taekwondo had studied karate in Japan (most of them did so while attending Japanese universities).  But with the passage of time the leaders of taekwondo wanted to further distinguish their art from the Japanese model and to this end, kicks in many forms became higher and higher.  This made the forms very exciting to watch; again, this was, in my opinion, done primarily to increase interest rather than improve upon the form's combative value.  And it worked!

     China is a bit of a different story.  Whereas karate, per se, is probably litle more than 400 yrs. Old and taekwondo, per se, didn't come into its own until the end of the Korean War in 1953, Chinese martial ways date back thousands of years.  To better understand all of this, we must first look into the subject of Chinese art (paintings)... 

     One type, known as gongbi (工筆, “meticulous”), seeks to render a picture-perfect replica of the subject, whether it's a flower, tree, or whatever.  The other form of painting is called xieyi (寫意, freehand style) and it aims at presenting the essence or spirit of the subject; the observer must utilize his own imagination as he looks at the painting.  The art of Japanese sumi-e is a perfect example of this.  And so it is with many Chinese forms of gong-fu... 

     Numerous gong-fu styles, forms, and movements/postures are named after certain creatures, from tigers to dragons, chickens, monkeys, the praying mantis, and so on (even drunkards).  Some of them aim at imitating, as best they can, the movements of the creature for which their particular style is named.  This would be akin to the gongbi form of painting.  It is my opinion (for whatever it's worth) that such styles imitated animal movements to a lesser degree back in the day.  But people loved watching performers make some of these movements, particularly in the opera and street performances, and so – to attract more paying customers/observers – practitioners began to enhance their forms considerably.  Nowadays, there are enthusiasts who do their level best to imitate, as realistically as possible, the animal movements.  The wiser ones know better, however, and their renditions of their forms/movements are directed more towards practicality than thrilling audiences. 

     The internal style (such as taijiquan, xingyiquan, and baguazhang) are closer to the xieyi form of painting; although they name movements (and in xingyi, even whole forms) after various animals, they make no attempt to imitate the movements of the creatures.  Rather, they seek to emulate the essence of their movements...which usually are a far cry from an accurate imitation.  In fact, they regard accurate, meticulous imitations as incorrect.

 

Affordable Ideas to Create the Ultimate Home Dojo

by Charlene Rothsafetykid.info

charlene.roth@safetykid.info

If your child has been doing martial arts for any length of time, you already know how valuable it is for their physical and mental well being. That’s why parents are worried about their children missing out on classes while we’re going through the COVID-19 pandemic. If your child is waiting for their dojo to reopen or you’re hesitant for them to attend classes, the obvious solution is to set up a martial arts space in your own home! Naturally, a home martial arts space won’t replace in-person instruction, but it will help them stay sharp. Of course, we know that parents have to be cost-conscious with your spending, which is why we have kept your budget in mind while putting these tips together.

Can you really set up a martial arts space on a budget?

*Shop around to find the right floor mats that fit your budget.

*This DIY wall mirror is cheap to make and is a great tool for self-correction.

*Choosing quality equipment is important for safety and your budget.

*Get estimates for affordable rubber flooring.

*Make sure you know a store’s return policy and that you’re shopping safely during the COVID- 19 pandemic.

*Look for ways to keep your home dojo ventilated, especially during warmer months. *Last but not least, a budget-minded martial arts space can help increase the overall value of your property should you decide to sell.

Want to help your child be their best?

*Set a practice schedule and make sure each session is the right amount of time.

*Use positive body language and supportive statements to help your child stay motivated. 

*Help your child set goals, then give a small reward for achievements.

*You can find family-friendly martial arts movies on your favorite streaming services for an affordable way to encourage your child’s interest.

These educational YouTube channels include awesome ideas for physical fitness.

Make sure your child cleans and disinfects equipment after working out.

Contact instructor Phillip Starr at Yiliquan Kung-Fu for expert advice and training.

With the right space and resources, you can create a home dojo for your family. And with smart shopping and online deals, setting up this space doesn’t have to be expensive. Not to mention, you’re giving your child the tools they need for an effective home practice — and this will serve them long after the pandemic is over.

As Years Go By…

by Phillip Starr

    In a conversation with an old and dear friend (who, like me, is a long-time martial arts instructor) I asked about several of our mutual martial arts friends.  I inquired about their health, their families, and whether they were still involved in practicing or teaching martial arts.  I was saddened to learn that quite a number of them no longer practice the disciplines that they once embraced; it seems that once they were no longer able to participate in the sporting aspect of the arts, they’d lost interest in them.  And since I lean towards the philosophical side of life, it got me to thinking…

     Most martial arts enthusiasts are rather young, not having yet reached what we call “middle age.”  I don’t have the demographics on this subject but I’d bet that younger children and teens make up the vast majority of today’s martial arts practitioners.  The next largest chunk would be taken up by those who have not yet reached their 35^th or 40^th birthdays.  And the numbers dwindle dramatically after that…

     The conversation with my friend got me to thinking about the different paths that martial arts enthusiasts travel.  For most, the path is very short.  They practice for a while – some as few as a week or two and others as long as several months or even years – and then they fizzle out.  For one reason or another, they lose interest.  Oh, they come up with some pretty creative excuses but what matters is that they gave up.  You know, it’s okay if you lose interest; it’s perfectly alright if you find that there are other things you’d rather do than throw punches and kicks, and gasp, and bleed.  There’s no need to make up some kind of bizarre story.  Just tell it like it is.

     But the fact is that the vast majority of martial arts devotees just fade away into the sunset, never to be heard from again.  It’s always been that way, and always will.

     For others, it was fun so long as they could enjoy the art as a sport.  They enjoyed the rush of competition, the give and take of a good match.  But life has a way of putting an end to this aspect of martial arts.  It’s called AGE.  And when these folks could no longer compete due to age or any number of other things (such as lack of tournaments in their area), they pooped out.

     Some turned to teaching but even then, for many of them it became little more than a business enterprise.  They no longer trained themselves; the almighty buck became their new sensei or sifu and their love of the martial arts turned bland and sterile.  The objective no longer had anything to do with self-development; instead, it became focused around making money.  Their art and their spirits died for the sake of better business.

     I considered all of this and decided that these people had never really been true martial arts practitioners.  They might have once thought that that was what they wanted but they couldn’t stand the gaff and they quit.

     There are few things in this world that are worse than false teachers, especially false martial arts teachers.  Certainly, age robs us of some of our youthful abilities – I can no longer kick as fast, jump as high, stand as low, or look as pretty as I could when I was a few decades younger – but what counts is that I keep trying.  If I don’t train on my own, how can I expect my students to train on their own?

     Too often I hear older martial arts enthusiasts cry about aching backs, knees, or whatever.  Actually, quite a number of them have not yet reached their 50^th birthdays…and they use excuses like aches and pains as reasons for not training.

     Get real.  Don’t you think that the martial arts masters of generations past suffered with the same problems?  Of course, they did!  The difference is that they absolutely wouldn’t give up.  Period.

     And, unlike so many of our current “older” martial arts practitioners who train (minimally) just to maintain health and stay in some semblance of good shape, the practitioners of former generations continued trying to improve their skills even into old age!

     Gichin Funakoshi practiced perfecting his punch while sitting up on his deathbed just one day before he passed away!  Tatsuo Shimabuku suffered from malnutrition as a child and developed beriberi for a time.  This left one leg slightly shorter and weaker than the other.  Kicking with that leg would have been very painful.  If you watch videos of him doing kata, you can’t tell which leg was deformed!

     Bruce Lee was born with one leg shorter than the other and he frequently wore an insert in one shoe.  But you can’t tell which leg was malformed by watching films of him performing his techniques.

     These men and many others like them refused to sit back and whine about their problems.  And they weren’t content to just try to stay “fit.”  They were constantly striving to improve themselves.  And that’s what martial arts is all about.

     It’s not about trophies, making lots of money, or just doing enough exercise to maintain fairly good health.  It’s a thing of the spirit.  It’s about a continual striving towards self-perfection.

THE CRITICAL INTERVAL

by Phillip Starr

In traditional Japanese swordsmanship there is a poem that tells us,

"To strike the opponent you must have your own skin cut;

To break the opponent's bones you must be cut to the flesh;

To take the opponent's life you must have your own bones broken."

The famous Japanese swordsman, Yagyu Jubei Mitsuyoshi (first son of Yagyu Tajima No Kami Munenori, who was head swordmaster for the Tokugawa shogunate) said, "The different between victory and defeat lies within the distance of one 'sun'." A "sun" is known an Chinese as a "tsun" (or "cun", in Pinyin). It is the measurement of the body inch used by acupuncturists and is generally found by bending the middle finger and measuring the distance between the fold of the first and second knuckles.

It's pretty darned small.

A story is told of a duel in which Jubei participated. The challenger was a samurai of a daimyo whom Jubei was visiting and he asked for a lesson with bokken (wooden swords). Although such "lessons" could easily result in serious injuries, Jubei agreed. Once the swordsmen squared off, the action was quick and the two fighters seemed to strike at each other simultaneously. It was impossible for anyone to really tell who won. The challenger asked for another chance and it was provided, but with the same outcome. Members of the audience swore that the duel had ended in a "hikiwake" (a tie) but Jubei told them that they were unable to discern the true timing of his stroke.

His opponent then demanded that they have another go at it but with shinken (live swords). Jubei tried to talk him out of it but the young man would have none of it. Thereupon, they had at it one more time but this time the challenger's kimono was soaked with blood as he backed away. He collapsed, dead on the spot. Jubei's sleeve had been cut and he suffered a slight wound from his opponent's sword. It was then that he uttered his famous saying about the distance between life and death being no wider than one "sun."

Author Dave Lowry refers to this as "yuyo", which is, I think, called "yaoyan" in Chinese. It means roughly, "critical distance"...the distance between life and death, the very essence of timing and distance (which are actually the same thing). It is mastery of real technique.

If you want to see yaoyan in action, don't go to the next karate, kung-fu, or taekwondo tournament. You won't find it there. In those fiascos, one never sees truly refined, masterful technique. In fact, you'll not see it very often in today's martial arts schools (an unfortunate fact, but true).

However, if you chance upon a traditional school and observe well-trained students practicing three-step or one-step fight, you may get a chance to witness it. The attacker will fire his technique with absolute precision, aiming to just touch the receiver. However, the receiver will shift and execute a defensive maneuver or technique at the last possible moment and fire out his own counter-technique, which, although it is delivered with maximum destructive power, will stop just short of contact. It is directed at a specific target and its timing will be flawless. The attacker, putting complete trust in his training partner, will make no attempt to block or evade the counter-attack. He might blink, but he won't move because to do so might cause him to step into the blow and, even worse, it would show his partner that he doesn't trust him or have much faith in his skill.

Those who have refined this technique even further are capable of applying it during freestyle one-step and freestyle sparring practice.

This is becoming a real rarity nowadays, especially since the advent of the padded mittens and footies that are worn by many, if not most, contemporary martial arts practitioners. Wearing pads and other such protective devices not only inhibits the development of this fine skill, it encourages participants to use brute, uncontrolled technique. Since they're wearing armor they're not overly concerned with running into their partner's attack (and remember - he's wearing pads, too...). Real martial skill goes right down the stool in the name of safety.

I say, "get a grip." It should be understood from the outset that engaging in a vigorous martial arts program is likely to result in many minor injuries (split lips, black eyes, bruises, strawberries, and the like) and the very real possibility of serious ones. It's simply the nature of the beast. I have never used protective gear in my schools and I've been teaching martial arts for almost 40 years. To this day, I've never had a student seriously injured. Not once. It's simply a matter of proper training with the right attitude.

BABY STEPS

by Phillip Starr

Although the term, "kung-fu" (also, "gongfu"), serves as a generic term for Chinese martial arts, use of the term in that regard is actually a misnomer. As most of you already know, "kung-fu" refers to a fine, high level of skill that is developed over a period of time through hard work. Thus, "kung-fu" can actually be applied to any martial discipline as well as many other activities that require rigorous and regular practice over a period of time.

Throughout the Orient it is understood by most persons who endeavor to train in any martial form that substantial skill cannot be acquired quickly and any teacher who promises otherwise is nothing more than a charlatan whose main interest (and skill) lies in separating a student's money from his wallet. At the same time, there are those who come from the other end of the spectrum and insist that students must practice this or that training routine (and pay for it every month, of course) for an extraordinarily long period of time if he or she hopes to acquire a high level of skill.

The truth, of course, lies somewhere in the middle and students must be careful about selecting a good teacher.

In the West we are accustomed to things being accomplished fairly quickly. We have microwaveable meals (which aren't really food....), instant entertainment (just turn on the television), quick diets (which don't work), and so on. When we want something, we want it NOW. When martial arts were first introduced to the West, a number of enterprising instructors realized that a great deal of money could be made by short-cutting training routines and providing forms of "instant martial arts." My own teacher envisioned this happening although his young pupil (moi) just couldn't see it coming down the pike. But it arrived like a thunderbolt and it's here to stay.

No doubt, some of the old, traditional training routines were extremely tedious but they were necessary for the development of genuine martial skill (as opposed to what is presented nowadays as being martial skill). Westerners, being the way they are, sought to find short-cuts through much of what they regarded as "unnecessary, old-fashioned, unrealistic" training. Many honestly believed that they had found ways to shorten the training process but the truth is much different.

My teacher likened the process to making tea. To make tea the old way takes time and any attempt at hurrying the process will only ruin the drink. To be sure, we now have "instant tea" but my teacher couldn't stand the taste of it. There's tea and then there's tea.

Even so, most of those who have undertaken the study of a traditional martial discipline with the understanding that it's going to take time to develop real skill will still often catch themselves "shaving corners" and trying to take "big steps." Such attempts at hurrying the training process and the evolution of genuine skill almost always result in frustration and/or injury.

I knew one young man who wanted to develop large callouses of his punching knuckles. He beat the living bejeezus out of his striking post (which was incorrectly made and was akin to hitting a tree) and mangled his hands...he didn't realize that hardening the hands is NOT the primary objective of training with this particular device, and he finally had to give it up. Of course, he then argued that training with the post was "old-fashioned", unnecessary, and unrealistic.

Another fellow dreamed of being able to execute his form with the same precision, grace, and power as his teacher. He trained his form for 2-3 hours every day, suffering pulled muscles as well as numerous other minor injuries. He ultimately gave up, insisting that forms were "old-fashioned", unnecessary, and unrealistic.

And yet another student envied the uncanny fighting skill of his seniors. He dreamed of becoming an invincible warrior and practiced shadow-boxing and sparring incessantly. When he engaged in sparring practice he often went at it with a bit too much power and the wrong mind-set (he was determined to "win"), so, of course, he often went home with bruises, cracked ribs, black eyes, and many other booboos. He finally gave up, saying that traditional training was "old-fashioned", unnecessary, and unrealistic.

Progress in real martial arts comes in what I call "baby steps"; little steps that are sometimes too small to even measure or notice right away. Regular practice is essential. After all, a toddler will never learn to walk if he or she only tries to do it once in a while. So, if you train (at home) just every now and then, you can be assured that you're getting nowhere. On the other hand, if you're training at home 3 days a week or more and you're taking your time (taking "baby steps"), you can be confident that you're developing genuine skill - and if you keep at it long enough you'll develop real "kung-fu."

MY TEACHER AND ME

by Phillip “Pete” Starr

Many years ago, I used to write articles about various aspects of the martial arts and send them out to my senior students. Along with those articles, I included a number of anecdotes involving my teacher and me. After some time, one of my students suggested that I collect such anecdotes and put them into book form.

I considered his suggestion; I remembered so many stories and valuable lessons about both martial arts and life from my teacher! Maybe, just maybe...people nowadays would enjoy learning these same lessons! They could actually learn from my teacher!!! I thought that would certainly be a great opportunity, so I set about writing my first book, THE MAKING OF A BUTTERFLY.

Memories flooded my mind. I tried to select anecdotes with a special lesson(s) included. In this way, my teacher could still speak to those willing to listen and learn. Of the five books I've authored, it's still my favorite!

*Available on Amazon.com and fine bookstores.