what's your age and experience ?

[KC Elbows]

39 this coming week.

Started when I was 15 with a little tae kwon do, just a few months, but I kept practicing the basic moves diligently after that.

At seventeen, joined chung moo quan, did that to black belt. Dropped that curriculum some years after quiting, some friends demonstrated to me that kung fu was better.

Somewhere around 23 learned a basic longfist set from Zhang Hongchao in Chicago, good teacher and a nice break attitude wise from my previous school.

At twenty-eight studied six elbows under Chun Man Sit, saw the value of taixuquan, was less interested in the other parts of the curriculum. Set my sights on learning the taixuquan set and associated spear set and eliminating everything else for the most part from training time.

In 1998, learned the entire system of bjj from Gracies in Action videos.

Around 2000 started studying six elbows and taixuquan from Mike Reyes, about 2005 finished learning the basis of the taixuquan set, dropped the other practices from my training, two of us who learned the whole set began working together to more fully grasp it.

2006-7 began studying footage of a wide variety of taixuquan teachers associated with our line, specifically looking for changes over time and differences in application, and analyzing each. Adopted an approach similar to Kong Chi Wah, Chun Man Sit's teacher, with some other important influences. Studied application with the intent of then setting up a number of drills to test my understanding.

2008 studied a variant of Chen style in Henan China, the specifics of the footwork and kua work were of interest, I found them very strong in applicability, but my interest was especially strong since they seemed to match exactly the sort of postures(and the implied footwork) used in most of the older pics of people doing taixuquan. Began implementing this approach into my taixuquan, with positive results.

2009 With the help of two others who know my system, began utilizing the drills I came up with to test my observations on taixuquan's applications. The drills were meant to be non-style specific, so that others could join in and all would have more exposure to dealing with more varied approaches. At this point, a small group are attending these labs, almost all people who know at least an entire system, plus some people training for mma fights(not taixuquan students). I suspect the next few years at least will be a result of this focus.

[SIFU RON]

anyone over the age of 60 here ? If so, do you still work out and teach ? BTW thanks to all of you that posted already, nice to know there are several M/A folks on this forum.

[SPJ]

I think you know who is 61?

[Jimbo]

Turned 46 earlier this month.

Started with Judo at 10 ( under my dad, who was a 2nd dan).

Kenpo Karate (ages 13 to 20).

Judo again at 15 (1 year).

Shi-to-Ryu Karate (ages 16 & 17).

Tang Soo Do/TKD (ages 18 to 21). For several years I was cross-training with these other arts while still training Kenpo.

Tanglang Quan (ages 21 thru 31).

Trained a bit of Lung Ying, ages 23 to 25).

CLF (age 30 to present).

BJJ (last year for 1 year).

[Vajramusti]

Will be 76 this summer- never miss a day of wing chun!

joy chaudhuri

[Mr Punch]

37 yrs old.

A few boxing lessons from my old man, and only training with my bro as a kid (8? 9?). Hated it then (big bro was bigger and had very old unpadded gloves ) but learnt (and took with me) valuable experience in dodging, riding punches, basic punches and getting the snot knocked out of me.

A very little dabbling in judo as early teen from elder sister who was learning it and then from others. Remembered basic use of hips, sinking CoB etc.

Started aikido in an oldskool hardcore school at 18 (including free sparring with the school's karateka, judoka etc). Moved to a slightly less hardcore school a year later (financial reasons). Continued that for 10 years: training pretty much every day for the first five. Shodan (one of the youngest and quickest at that school). Stopped grading because the headquarters of the system was going all soft and ****e.


Moved to Uni. Tried ki-aikido for 6 mths. Not my thing. Too much floating and skipping and smiling. Tried shotokan, hung gar for 6 mths each - not my thing.

Started Yang Tai Chi (had some martial privates but essentially not a martial class) and Wing Chun under Sam Kwok. Trained and cross-trained every day for three years with more experienced people, taking lots of privates, and lots of classes, inc hard sparring.

Tried another few chun teachers: mostly crap.

Moved to Japan. 6 mths aikido with one of Ueshiba's uchi-deshi.

Tried some wing chun teachers (crap) including one for a year.

Started training informally with cross-line wing chun group of some experience inc teaching basics to some.

Kendo 3 years (shodan - no opportunity to continue yet).

MMA 3 years on/off through injury (shooto: Thai kicks, boxing, sub wrestling, BJJ) with Ryan Bow, several of Genki Sudo and Kid Yamamoto's stablemates etc.

Kobujutsu (yari, bayonet, daito-ryu aikijujutsu) based core work and basics with sparring padwork etc on/off (through injury again) since 5 or so years ago.

Taekwondo kicking basics in exchange for wing chun from quality TKD teacher friend for a coupla months.

Now, mostly injured still, so weightlifting, yoga (every day), wing chun forms and stancework/footwork, occasional partnered WC legwork, kobujutsu core work, aikido weapons forms etc. Never forgotten the aikido, and occasionally go to dojo or teach people bits and bobs or pull it off in (lighter and lighter... thru injury ) sparring. Haven't lost it, but then I was good!

We've got some people with amazing experience on here eh?
I didn't know you were 76, Joy! I knew Dave Ross gets around tho... at least that's what his pimp told me.

[Vajramusti]

Can't complain- take care of myself quite well.
Still evolving in my understanding of martial motion..and the strengths and weaknesses of myself and others.

Hope that you rehab well. Regards.

Joy Chaudhuri

[JT1125]

17 years of age....

2 years of Wing Chun
1 year of Xingyiquan

looking to pick up Liuhebafa over the summer

[sanjuro_ronin]

Turning 40 this September...

Training since: 1977
Amateur Boxing record: 10-2 with 8 KO’S Boxing Ontario / Canadian Amateur boxing Association CABA
Semi-pro: 8-2 with 6 KO’S Canadian Boxing Federation CBF
Muay Thai : 4-2 “unsactioned”.
Vale Tudo- 3-2
Kyokushin: 15-3
ITF TKD: 3-2
Macao: 9 months in 1992.
Military: 1994-1998 Royal Canadian Regiment Petawawa
Military: Bosnia in 1997.

MA:
Energy Lake kung fu ( Hung Gar) : 1978 - 1981
Boxing : 1984 Portugal, 1990-95 Canada. ( on and off).
Okinawan Goju / kyokushin: 1981-1986 Brown Belt Goju, Portugal
Kodokan Judo : 1981-1986 Black Belt in Judo Portugal
1st Degree Judo:Canada 1991
2rd Degree Kyokushin Karate : Canada 1993
3rd Degree ITF TKD : Canada 1995
Trained in:
Muay Thai, Hung Gar, Moy Yat Wing Chun, JKD, Aikido,
Weapons:, Yagyu Shinkage ryu, Escima/Kali

Fight record:
Under 18:
Portuguese under 18 amateur lightweight boxing champion 1985
Runner-up European under 18 lightweight boxing champion 1986
Portuguese Lightweight under 18 Judo Champion ( Brown Belt) 1985
Portuguese Lightweight contact Karate Champion Under 18 (Novice Black Belt) 1986
Over 18:
All Star Kyokushin under 200lbs champion 1990
Kubota Cub Middleweight novice (Under 165lbs) Black Belt Champion 1989 IKA
North American Full Contact Karate Championship- 2nd place Black Belt Open Division 1991
Army Middleweight judo champion - 1995 ( Ontario)
Army Middleweight Boxing 2nd place 1995 ( Ontario)

[Baqualin]

Turning 40 this September...

Training since: 1977
Amateur Boxing record: 10-2 with 8 KO’S Boxing Ontario / Canadian Amateur boxing Association CABA
Semi-pro: 8-2 with 6 KO’S Canadian Boxing Federation CBF
Muay Thai : 4-2 “unsactioned”.
Vale Tudo- 3-2
Kyokushin: 15-3
ITF TKD: 3-2
Macao: 9 months in 1992.
Military: 1994-1998 Royal Canadian Regiment Petawawa
Military: Bosnia in 1997.

MA:
Energy Lake kung fu ( Hung Gar) : 1978 - 1981
Boxing : 1984 Portugal, 1990-95 Canada. ( on and off).
Okinawan Goju / kyokushin: 1981-1986 Brown Belt Goju, Portugal
Kodokan Judo : 1981-1986 Black Belt in Judo Portugal
1st Degree Judo:Canada 1991
2rd Degree Kyokushin Karate : Canada 1993
3rd Degree ITF TKD : Canada 1995
Trained in:
Muay Thai, Hung Gar, Moy Yat Wing Chun, JKD, Aikido,
Weapons:, Yagyu Shinkage ryu, Escima/Kali

Fight record:
Under 18:
Portuguese under 18 amateur lightweight boxing champion 1985
Runner-up European under 18 lightweight boxing champion 1986
Portuguese Lightweight under 18 Judo Champion ( Brown Belt) 1985
Portuguese Lightweight contact Karate Champion Under 18 (Novice Black Belt) 1986
Over 18:
All Star Kyokushin under 200lbs champion 1990
Kubota Cub Middleweight novice (Under 165lbs) Black Belt Champion 1989 IKA
North American Full Contact Karate Championship- 2nd place Black Belt Open Division 1991
Army Middleweight judo champion - 1995 ( Ontario)
Army Middleweight Boxing 2nd place 1995 ( Ontario)

You left out Chen Tai Chi

[Mr Punch]

Hope that you rehab well. Regards.

Thank you. I do too. I fully intend to be doing something every day when I'm your age: hopefully martial arts but yoga will do me fine too. You're an inspiration.

[sanjuro_ronin]

You left out Chen Tai Chi

True that....

[Kansuke]

39 years old (for a few more months), started wrestling at age 7. Been doing that ever since, wherever I've gone.

I think for the first 7 years or so I never won a single match, then things started to pick up.

Wrestled Div.1 in college and in 1991 was the NCAA Div.1 New England champion at my weight class.

After college I decided to head out and see a little of the world. I moved to China and worked there for two years while training taichiquan with Chen Quanzhong and kungfu at a little school in the Muslim quarter of the city. I got hooked up with the Shaanxi Provincial wrestling team in Xi'an and worked out with them a couple of times a week.

After that I moved to Japan, where I would stay off and on for about three years. I trained kendo, Japanese Kempo, Aikido, and worked out fairly regularly with folks training in a variety of things from Muay Thai to Ninjutsu. I also worked out with a local wrestling club.

When I got back to the states I moved around a bit for some years so I ended up dabbling in a bunch of things as a matter of course if not design. American Kempo, TKD, Boxing, San Shou, MMA. Not to any significant extent but enough to get a taste if you will. Throughout, wrestling has always remained the main focus of training time. I still get in to wrestle at least three times a week no matter what else I'm up to. More recently I started to get into iaido (I had done a little in Japan while training Aikido), but that has been interrupted in recent months by the expansion of my family.

Lifting and running remain a must as the body cooperates less than it used to.

That's about it unless I've forgotten something.

[Jimbo]

37 yrs old.

A few boxing lessons from my old man, and only training with my bro as a kid (8? 9?). Hated it then (big bro was bigger and had very old unpadded gloves ) but learnt (and took with me) valuable experience in dodging, riding punches, basic punches and getting the snot knocked out of me.

A very little dabbling in judo as early teen from elder sister who was learning it and then from others. Remembered basic use of hips, sinking CoB etc.

Started aikido in an oldskool hardcore school at 18 (including free sparring with the school's karateka, judoka etc). Moved to a slightly less hardcore school a year later (financial reasons). Continued that for 10 years: training pretty much every day for the first five. Shodan (one of the youngest and quickest at that school). Stopped grading because the headquarters of the system was going all soft and ****e.


Moved to Uni. Tried ki-aikido for 6 mths. Not my thing. Too much floating and skipping and smiling. Tried shotokan, hung gar for 6 mths each - not my thing.

Started Yang Tai Chi (had some martial privates but essentially not a martial class) and Wing Chun under Sam Kwok. Trained and cross-trained every day for three years with more experienced people, taking lots of privates, and lots of classes, inc hard sparring.

Tried another few chun teachers: mostly crap.

Moved to Japan. 6 mths aikido with one of Ueshiba's uchi-deshi.

Tried some wing chun teachers (crap) including one for a year.

Started training informally with cross-line wing chun group of some experience inc teaching basics to some.

Kendo 3 years (shodan - no opportunity to continue yet).

MMA 3 years on/off through injury (shooto: Thai kicks, boxing, sub wrestling, BJJ) with Ryan Bow, several of Genki Sudo and Kid Yamamoto's stablemates etc.

Kobujutsu (yari, bayonet, daito-ryu aikijujutsu) based core work and basics with sparring padwork etc on/off (through injury again) since 5 or so years ago.

Taekwondo kicking basics in exchange for wing chun from quality TKD teacher friend for a coupla months.

Now, mostly injured still, so weightlifting, yoga (every day), wing chun forms and stancework/footwork, occasional partnered WC legwork, kobujutsu core work, aikido weapons forms etc. Never forgotten the aikido, and occasionally go to dojo or teach people bits and bobs or pull it off in (lighter and lighter... thru injury ) sparring. Haven't lost it, but then I was good!

We've got some people with amazing experience on here eh?
I didn't know you were 76, Joy! I knew Dave Ross gets around tho... at least that's what his pimp told me.

Mr. Punch:
I feel ya on the injury thing. I was injured in 2005 and again in '07 (mostly non-MA-related). One of the reasons I took up BJJ last year, to train my body differently and get in some sparring again, in some form (which I absolutely loved, even though it's completely different to CLF). Though I went in injured, I did very well, but eventually, due to my worsening low back I decided it was best to back off.

I'm still doing what I can almost every day, and my vision for the future is a full recovery and a return to training more completely in CLF, maybe see if there's any good Chen Taiji around as well. I've recently been training only on my own, and have had to modify some of the torque out of many moves and greatly lessen power generation, at least for now. In the meantime, these injuries have taught me a very real appreciation of having one's health and well-being in a way that I might not have learned otherwise. Such challenges are often great teachers in themselves.

[Yung Apprentice]

Will be 27 in August.


4 years of TKD
6 months BJJ
6 months JKD
Been involved in boxing as well.

Oh and I started learning monkey kung fu, by watching my nine month old son.