Dr. Stephen Aronoff

So nowadays, most people think of martial arts as karate and karate as a kid’s activity. We all know the storefront places where kids wear multicolor uniforms, play dodgeball and have birthday parties. Bushi ain’t that place.

I’m sixty years old and count myself among the elite members of Bushi known as GG (Geezers in Gis). I came to Bushi 6 years ago because 30 plus years of distance running and weight lifting had taken its toll on my body. I wanted to stay fit but I did not want to have the knee surgery that would be required if I wanted to keep running. I had studied Tae Kwon Do in my youth and I knew that I know longer had the stretch or the flexibility for that art. I shopped around the Philadelphia area and talked to many talented martial artists who ran dojos. Some focused their programs exclusively on children and other suggested I take up yoga or another form exercise more appropriate to my age.

Then I met Byrnes sensei. After a long conversation and several joint locks (applied by him on me, but that’s another story) I decided to give it a try. I have trained on average 3 days a week for the last 6 years. Over the years I have gradually learned a couple of things. First, I will never be Bruce Lee or be able to compete with many of the fine young, accomplished martial artists who train and teach at Bushi. And that is not only fine with me but it is fine with my teachers and everyone else. At Bushi, the standard that measures you is yourself. If you have a physical limitation, fine. If you have a mental limitation, well that’s a different story. Second, I discovered that 3-4 hours a week of martial arts training easily replaced all of the running and lifting I was used to. Not only was I able to maintain my general level of fitness and tone, but I began to develop flexibility and increased movement in my hips, speed and fluidity in movement, and I maintained my weight.

Unlike the numbness of mind that causes time to drag with running, the classes at Bushi pass quickly and I’m frequently disappointed that class is over. Finally, I developed a number of close friendships with people who share the same interests and values.

So if you think you are too old for “karate” think again.
Dr. Stephen Aronoff