what's your age and experience ?

[Reverend Tap]

I'm 24 now, just a few weeks out from hitting a quarter-century.

Started training in 2002, 4 years of Wing Chun then about 2.5 years and counting of Pai Lum.

[bawang]

hi i am 19 i learned northern no name long fist five techniques , and yang taijiquan 15 techniques, i been training for about 5 years

[jmd161]

I'm 43

Wrestled and Boxed a bit as a kid

Started Nisei Go Ju Ryu at about 14 yrs old did 4 yrs

Did Bak Sil Lum off and on for a number of yrs

Trained a little in Eagle Claw, Hung Fut, Fut Gar, Hung Gar, Chen Taiji

In 2002 while expecting to start Choy Lay Fut came across Master C. Kuen Woo of Hak Fu Mun and been hooked ever since!


Jeff

[Shaolin]

I'm 32

Been training Shaolin 12years, and Chen Tai Chi for 11.

[PlumDragon]

Pretty good turnout in this thread...OK, Ill bite:

30 years old.
- TKD/TSD as a child. Northern Mantis on and off through High School.
- Shaolin Long Fist in college (1998-2000)
- Pai Lum in college (2000-2002)
- Dabbled in Ngo Cho, Wing Chun, and Xing Yi, and spent a short time at Straight Blast Gym (2003-2005)
- Jook Lum SPM (2005-2008)

And presently:
- Jeet Kune Do--strong focus on Inosanto Kali (2004-present)
- Balintawak Arnis (2008-present)

Ive found myself in Balintawak. It will hopefully be the last art I ever study.

[SIFU RON]

Anyone that has spent their lives training , teaching, and practicing M/A deserves great respect. It's a "Joy" to read about you at 76 Vajramusti. In fact , it's nice to read these posts from all of you, all of us share mutual respect for our fellow M/A.

[shaolinboxer]

I remember Yan Ming used to joke, "I've been training 2000 years!"

He thought it was funny everyone asked him his age and "how long" he was training.

My current teacher celebrated 50 years in the arts a week ago.

So....

33 yrs old (with kid and house and wife and career....that counts )
Training since 1993
Then: the stuff we all did before "MMA", Wu Mei, Shaolin, Sanda
Now: Nidan, Aikido (Shizuo Imaizumi); beginner Baguazhang (Frank Allen, Tina Zhang)

[Yum Cha]

I'm 51,
Started slowly in '72 at 14, so around 37 years in MA.


Started with Ko Du Sho (kenpo) Karate (on and off since then, brother is an early blackbelt of Fred Abshere and I still play some forms.)

Tae Kwon Do, Frankfurt a.m Germany - 4 years
1975 American Military Europe Grand champion, coloured belts, under 150lbs.


University of Oregon "Karate Club" 2 years

Yau Kung Mun Sifu Cheung Leung 4 years
1987 NSW State runner up, NSW Chinese Martial Arts Association Full Contact Kickboxing (San Da rules) 80kg.

Pak Mei, Sifu Leung Yuk Seng 20 years, and still counting.

Parker Kenpo - Training mate's style, some cross training.

BJJ - 3 months - cross training

[David Jamieson]

well, it seems that some of us are still crapping yellow while others are farting dust.

[SIFU RON]

here is a great piece of work, from Kung Fu Tai Chi magazine, and it fits right in on this thread.

[NorthernShaolin]

Sifu Ron,

I'm 60 and still working out and teaching.

[jdhowland]

I'll be 55 in a couple of weeks.
Started in jujitsu and shuai jiao in 1963 under William Reed.
Tried to broaden my scope in my teens with Shorin (Kobayashi) Ryu, Okinawa Goju and Hawaiian Kenpo. Then the bug bit me hard. The following list implies no real skill, just a fanatic's interest:

Tibetan White Crane
Chan Ga Hung Sing Choy Lei Fat
Bak Sing Choy Lei Fat
Hop Ga
Chen Jia Taijiquan
Yi Quan
Hsing-i
Cha Quan
7 Star PM
Derobio Eskrima
Danzan Ryu Jujitsu
Jikishinkage Ryu Naginata, Kusarigama, tanto jutsu, etc.
Ryukyu Kobudo (Shinken Taira style)
Shinto Muso Ryu (jo, kenjutsu and associated arts)
Kukishin Ryu
Malaysian Silat
European epee, sabre and singlestick fencing

Still practicing and teaching. Nowadays my TCMA is focused on the Mongolian wrestling arts found within the so-called Tibetan styles ( I suppose I'm too old to outbox a younger man--might as well try to outmaneuver him,) CLF and Yi Quan.

Be well.

[SIFU RON]

Sifu Ron,

I'm 60 and still working out and teaching.

Martial Art " lifers" are hard to find, we are few and far between, this forum has a great " congregation of lifers" and being " birds of the feathers " this is the best forum to "get together".

Thanks

[golden arhat]

do you hear football players talking about how longtheyve been playing
or how WELL they are playing

why do you get kudos for the amount of time spent as opposed to how good you are?

[David Jamieson]

do you hear football players talking about how longtheyve been playing
or how WELL they are playing

why do you get kudos for the amount of time spent as opposed to how good you are?

on the first, yes! You do hear about it. In Canada it's older hockey players that are revered for still being in the game and still doing well.

why get kudos for anything? If you do well and someone admires that, then you are bound to get a compliment or two eventually.

in my opinion, anyone who carries on with fetching wood and carrying water into their autumn years is worthy of respect. Most people wither up and fade away.

tenacity is an admirable trait, especially in older folks.