Not Ju-Jitsu But Very Impressive!

Looks far more like kung fu than ju-jitsu

This 84-year-old Chinese man, named Zeng Guorong, recently performed some calisthenics that could leave anyone, even most folks in their teens or younger, green with envy. Simply fantastic. Not sure how he got the term "jujitsu master" attached to him though.

The pictures, each and everyone extremely impressive leaves no traces of the art of ju-jitsu as I know it after nearly 40 years of training it. They do however leave me thinking of kung fu or tai chi poses.

I'm pretty sure it all stems from the fact that the term ju jitsu, written with Japanese/Chinese characters basically means something along the line of soft, pliable, gentle, flexible ('ju') and art ('jitsu/jutsu'). It would indicate then that this esteemed gentleman is a master in his fitness art of being flexible - which he obviously is :-)

One extremely fit 84-year-old! - Image from peopledaily.com.cn

Senior Karateka Taking Down Robbers

Here's 69-year-old Jan Eriksson, apparently a tough dude who's been around the block a time or two.

When faced with demands from three young robbers, armed with a baseball bat, the karate black belt holder told them in no uncertain term to forget about it.

He then proved they had messed with the wrong guy when they attacked him and he floored the three wanna-be gangsters. Great life lesson for these three useless punks!

Here's a Swedish media report from ltz.se.

Ninja Warrior, at 87

Australia -- "I've always said to myself I'm not going to feel old until my hair goes grey," says 87-year-old Doreen Lanning from Penrith.

The frisky senior took up ninjitsu 16 months ago and she's is now training to become a ninja warrior, in spite of her age and two hip replacements, according to smh.com.au.

"Practicing Karate"

California -- A 45-year-old man "practicing karate" in San Francisco allegedly attacked and beat an elderly man at Fisherman's Wharf, according to kgoam810.com.

The 84-year-old man was grabbed and thrown to the ground Monday afternoon when he tried to pass the "karateka" according to reports.

The assault victim was taken to hospital for treatment of his injuries, but was released soon after.

Black Belt at 85

North Carolina -- Kinston resident Bill Vandivere - 85 years old, no less -- recently passed his black belt grading in taekwondo.

Together with his wife, 85-year-old Alice, he has been training the art for six years, according to enctoday.com.

Amazing... Congrats to you both!

Lack of Karate Discipline?

UK -- A karate-trained, 17-year-old youth, reportedly used his martial arts skills against a 70-year-old man, according to thisissouthdevon.co.uk.

A courtroom in Exeter heard the teenager claimed his actions were purely self-defense while he explained how he protected himself against an attack by a the senior citizen in Torquay.

The young defendant admitted he had punched the older man and that he had used a martial arts move to stop him getting up off the ground on July 30, 2010.

The teenager told the court that he had done boxing and karate training and boxing in the past and all of them teach discipline and self-defense.

My thought is that it is one thing to be taught discipline - another thing all together is showing it. Beating down a 70-year-old man i "self-defense"... Right...

Master, at 91

UK -- He was born in 1919, yet 91-year-old Cristobal Campos is reportedly super fit and gives far younger people a run for their money, according to sunderlandecho.com.

Mr Campos who took up taekwondo at the age of 80 after watching his grandsons, said he had been practicing the martial arts for 11 years.

"I'm a fourth dan black belt. It helps me keep active and is good for self-defense. I am known as Master Campos."

The great-grandfather, who lives in West Boldon and originally hails from Spain, tops up his taekwondo training with weekly sessions at the gym.

Great going sir!

Seniors Kicking Out

Here's a nice and inspirational article about 68-year-old Jimi Hadley from Oklahoma City who is in full swing doing taekwondo and kumdo (Korean kendo).

Apart from the utter rubbish of someone being graded second dan black belt (and apparently soon testing for third) after just four years or so of training, this is a good read. It shows that you do not necessarily need to start thinking about the couch even though you're considered a senior citizen.

This is one active and inspiring woman for sure!

Jujitsu Jim

Here's a great, inspirational article about 83-year old Australian gentleman and 9. dan ju-jitsu master Jim Oliver.

The elderly gentleman has been doing the art since 1961. Mr Oliver, who also dabbles in tai chi, said he began studying the Japanese art as a way to keep fit.

"I'm very healthy for my age with lots of movement in my limbs and I think that's because of ju-jitsu," Mr Oliver said.

Car-Ate

California -- An 83-year-old man, who was pulling into his second floor parking spot at a parking garage in Glendale after a karate class, drove his car through metal guard rails and onto the pavement below - landing on its roof, according to ktla.com.

Still, the senior citizen was able to walk away from the crash with minor injuries, according to reports.

This has got to be one lucky individual. Either that, or his karate was really something else. In any case, glad he wasn't seriously hurt.

Good advertisement for the solid build of the Range Rover too - car-ate for the win :-)

But wait, here's more, from abclocal.go.com this time. Seems it may be a case of bad shoe-do...

"It appeared to me that he was driving with his shoes off, which may have contributed to the accident if his foot slipped," said a parking representative.

"(...) I understand he does karate, so maybe that's why he's not wearing his shoes today," said a police spokesman.

Grandma Kwon Do

Not bad at all... In fact, very cool :-)

Here we have someone past her teens who actually have spent some time to achieve her black belt (and no, two to three years is not some time).

And not only that, the grandmother correctly explains some of the the difference between Japanese karate and Korean taekwondo - more than a lot of the MacDojo so-called "karate black belt" holders out there is capable of.

North Carolina -- At the age of 59, LaVerne Tysinger from Denton began tae kwon do lessons at the age of 59 and then set a goal for herself — to attain a black belt before she turned 65, according to the-dispatch.com.

Jhoon Rhee

Here's a great article from politics.blogs.foxnews.com about legendary US/Korean taekwondo master Jhoon Rhee and his long dedication to teach martial arts and self defense to members of the US Congress.

For 45 years, the 79-year-old grand-master, who's physique belies his age,  has driven to the Capitol before sunrise three days a week to teach the Congress members at 6:30 in the morning.

70-Year-Old MMA Fighter

Canada -- 70-year-old John Williams from New Brunswick, recently became the oldest person to ever compete in a professional MMA bout when he fought a 49-year-old former pro wrestler.

On paper this may sound like a novelty act, but the fight on July 24 in Moncton was serious business, according to Williams. It was done to prove a serious point, he said.

"I was trying to bring attention to the fact that when a person becomes a senior, society kind of pushes them out of the loop. The attitude toward them is that they're dumb, they can't do anything, physically they're just vegetables, and they're sort of shunned by society," Williams told MMA Fighting.

A Well Deserved Black Belt

It really doesn't matter if you're 7 or 97 - getting handed a black belt (usually in karate or taekwondo and almost exclusively in the US) after two to three years of training is plain old rubbish.

We see way too many otherwise great and inspiring stories of senior citizens (as well as youngsters) who get the coveted black belt after such a short period of time - and it sadly ends up being a shame and a real insult to the arts - as well as the people involved.

It is in itself such a fantastic thing that these folks take up the arts and stay with it. Isn't it then a real disservice to hand out a black belt simply because you're considered young or old?

At least I know I would tell anyone to stuff it if the came to me with a grade like this prematurely. Let me earn the belt on my own merits, I don't want to buy it!

It is a real pleasure then, to report about a senior citizen from the UK (Northern Ireland), Mr Robert McCracken. This gentleman is 75 years old and he took up karate at the age of 66.

The chief instructor and technical adviser of the association, told belfasttelegraph.co.uk: "I knew he would do it. When I'm teaching he's just one of the crowd. The fact that he's 75 doesn't come into it."

That's more like it and a huge round of applause to Mr McCracken!

Ninja at 90

Australia -- News-mail.com.au reports about 87-year-old Joseph Smith who currently is a second dan black belt in traditional shotokan karate.

The Childers karateka says he is determined to become a 90-year-old ninja and that he wants to keep doing martial arts until he dies.

In one word: Impressive!

A Karate 'Rip-Off'

New York -- A 36-year-old employee at a politically connected Brooklyn nonprofit has been arrested on charges of submitting phony receipts for karate instruction, attempting to swindle the city out of $4,080, according to nypost.com.

The man allegedly submitted expense reports showing that a senior citizens center - on 59 dates in 2007 - provided classes in karate to 20 young people. This allowed the center to access an $80,000 anti-gang-violence grant from the City Council.

However, 50 sign-in sheets that were part of the expense report were altered photocopies, authorities said.

Karate at 79

Canada -- 79-year-old lawyer John Weingust has a great formula to staying fit: karate, slalom and Haagen-Daz ice cream. All good to me :-)

The elderly gentleman now celebrates his 11th year of karate, according to theglobeandmail.com

Eight years of law school had reportedly put his body in hibernation, but then he began skiing at the age of 33. At the ripe age of 39, he took up taekwondo, eventually achieving the rank of fifth-degree black belt.

The gentleman did taekwondo for 30 years before switching to karate.

Four marathons followed in his late 40s. Five years later, Mr. Weingust turned to track and field and won a seniors' pentathlon.

Impressive, to say the least!

No Karate Kid

New Zealand -- "My husband calls me his hero. I can defend myself, but they've got to catch me first," 66-year-old Elsie George says.

She is retired, and a 2. dan black belt in seido karate.The agile Aranui woman took up karate 14 years ago and trains five times a week, according to starcanterbury.co.nz.

"I've got the stamina and the will and the only thing that's holding me back is my mind, " she says.

"Rusty" Kanokogi Passes Away

USA -- "Rusty" Kanokogi - known as the "mother of women's judo" for her efforts to make the sport an Olympic event - recently passed away at a New York hospital, according to her family.

The American judo legend was 74. She had reportedly been suffering from multiple myeloma (a cancer of white blood cells), her family stated.

Judo Expert, Expertly Stupid

At times I may get a feeling of shame and despair from my involvement with martial arts. Usually it is from learning about incidents like this one here.

UK -- (Scotland) A 42-year-old judo teacher reportedly left a 74-year-old man semiconscious and covered in blood after the pensioner refused to take a drink off him, according to dailyrecord.co.uk.

The judoka claimed that the frail senior citizen started punching and pushing him - leaving him no choice but to hit back. Luckily, a jury at a Glasgow court didn't believe him.

The jury took just over two hours to convict the martial arts expert, of Glasgow's west end, of assaulting the older man outside the city's pub, November 2008.