If I can borrow a line and a title from the great song by the band, Jethro Tull, “Too Old to Rock n’ Roll, Too Young to Die,” as I believe it ideal illustrates the reality of aging.
 
I actually saw the band during that tour. The great guitarist, Robin Trower opened for them. He put on such a great show that I thought Tull could never equal it. But, they did.
 
All this goes to the reality of aging. Right now, right where you are, who among you even knows who Jethro Tull and Robin Trower are? If you don’t, I suggest that you check them out, because they are both incredible musical acts. But, that’s not the point to all of this.
 
As someone who has been involved in the martial arts longer than most of you people who read this blog have been alive, I believe I hold a distinct understanding of the martial arts. Moreover, as someone who physically trains most days of the week, I understand the reality of training as your body ages. …This, though I feel so young. But, am I???
 
Once upon a time, aging martial art masters were revered. And, I suppose that is a good thing. As anyone out there who is a marital artist understands, when we begun our training we always looked up to those who walked the path before us. We understood that through their years of training, they knew much more than us.
 
Times change, however. Reality evolves. Now, in many cases, those who walked the traditional path of the martial arts are no longer revered simply due to their tradition or their age. In fact, some are denigrated due to said.
 
The thing is, there is not a day of my life that when I am not physically training that I do not run attack scenarios in my brain. Envisioning the best defense(s) in my mind. I believe this is a mindset that all long-trained martial artists will attest to and will claim they do the same thing. This is just something that long-term martial training instills in you.
 
But, there is a reality to age. A reality of what happens to the body. And, perhaps even more than that, a reality to what is understood by the masses.
 
I remember there was this time when I was in Thailand in the 1980s. I was at the top of my game in term of my martial art prowess. I was walking down this desolate street one day and this guy accosted me. He did what I deemed to be some sort of Monkey Style Kung Fu, as he wanted to fight. His motivation for accosting me is beyond me. Maybe just because I was a white guy in Thailand. But, when he finally lunged at me, immediately, without a thought, I hook kicked him in the head, putting him out and on the ground. That is youth. Could I instantaneously do that today? Probably not. My self-defense would be based upon a different ideology based upon where I am, and where my body is, in this current state of my life.
 
What I am talking about here is the reality of reality and the reality of where you find yourself in the evolution of your life.
 
In recent times, I have witnessed, and in a couple of cases interacted with, martial art practitioner who were several years my senior. In each case what I witnessed were individuals, (Martial Art Masters), who never evolved. They taught what they were taught. They practiced what they practiced. But, what they practiced, due to their age, was and is not only no longer a viable means of self-defense but it is locked into a time gone past. A time before everyone has encountered and been trained in systems like Brazilian Jujitsu or MMA and could take the average, non-practitioner, or traditional practitioner out in a second.
 
Times have changed. What once could be considered as viable self-defense is no longer the case. Everybody out there trains. And, some train in very effective, very hands-on systems of self-defense. No longer do the traditional forms of the martial arts guarantee self-defense supremacy. In fact, it is just the opposite. Yet, there they are, the very traditional, old-school masters, still teaching what worked once upon a time. But, is once upon a time today? No. People need to wake up and realize the reality of that.
 
The thing is, there comes a time in your life when you have to realize that what once was is no more. There is a time when you must realize that times have changed. And, this goes to all areas of life, not just self-defense. Are the traditional martial arts beautiful? Absolutely! Do they train the body and the mind in elements than many/most do not possess? For sure. Can they aid you in your self-defense if you ever need that? Hopefully. But, life is life. People get old. Times change. New evolutions take over all that was before. Keep that in mind if you hope to be on the crux of evolution. And, always be willing to say, “Good bye,” to the master of the past, as what they know and teach may not be viable for the reality of today.