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Thread: Give it up to the elderly!!!!!

  1. #91
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    Carole Taylor

    Utah grandma, 83, receives karate black belt from Chuck Norris
    Monday, July 26th 2021, 3:36 PM EDT
    By Ashley Imlay


    SALT LAKE CITY (KSL) -- Carole Taylor may be 83, but she now has a fifth-degree black belt in karate — an honor she received from Chuck Norris himself.

    The Utah woman's passion for martial arts began 15 years ago at the age of 68, when she started taking her 11-year-old granddaughter to lessons.

    "I thought: 'Wow, this is mental and physical. This would be a good thing for someone my age to do. ... So I asked the teacher if it would be all right if I joined the class, and so that's why I did it," she recalled.

    Taylor learned karate alongside her granddaughter.

    "We both got our first-degree black belts at about the same time," she said.

    On Saturday, that granddaughter was there to watch Taylor show off her skills in front of dozens at Chuck Norris' annual United Fighting Arts Federation International Training Convention. For her demonstration, Taylor chose to show forms of karate including traditional hand techniques, stances, footwork, targeting, focusing and power.

    She performed to the Beach Boys' song "Little Old Lady from Pasadena," because that's where she grew up. Taylor fooled the crowd by using her bow as a cane to hobble onto the center of the mat, prompting laughter and smiles from Norris and the rest of the crowd, a video of the event shows. She then straightened her back and began a display of powerful stances and fierce facial expressions. Taylor received a standing ovation from Norris and many in attendance.

    Afterwards, Norris awarded her a fifth-degree black belt — an accomplishment that takes years to reach in the Chuck Norris System.

    "I was so excited. I was able to bow to him, turn around, he put (a black gi) on me, I turned back around and bowed, and then he grabbed me and hugged me so hard, he actually pulled me off the ground almost … my one foot went up," Taylor said.

    A gi is a traditional karate uniform. When someone reaches the fifth degree, their white top gets replaced with a black top, she explained.

    "(Norris) was so kind, and he's 81, and he made some comments about that he had not been exercising all that much recently and that I had inspired him to go back and to begin to train again, and that made me feel very, very good," Taylor said.

    The Layton woman also teaches karate at the dojo where she learned it. During the pandemic, she taught a student from the class at her own home because they had to social distance. Taylor had the student come to her house every day and they practiced on the patio outside, according to her daughter, Lacey Owens.

    "It helps her mind to stay calm, to be able to focus on all the forms they have to learn, and that really has kept her brain fresh, I would say. It helps her to remember things, to memorize things," Owens said. "The dedication has given her something to keep going after every day."

    Karate isn't the first talent Taylor has developed. She is also an actress who has appeared in plays and films, an artist and a calligrapher.

    But karate has been another life experience Taylor is grateful to have found.

    "It's just one of those things that makes for a more full life for me, and I absolutely love it, and it makes me feel strong, and it makes me feel confident, and it makes me feel as though I'm able to continue to learn," she said.

    When the pandemic kept her home, Owens said karate gave her mother "some purpose in such a crazy time. And now, she can't test again for five years if she wants to go for her sixth degree, but she said to me, 'Why not? Why not? Might as well keep trying."

    Owens said that she and the rest of Taylor's family are very proud of her.

    "My mom's just been through a lot. She's had a lot of things thrown her way, and she's just always found the light in everything and kept on pushing, and just inspiring other people with her love and her kindness, and everybody that meets her is impacted by her light. And I am extremely grateful to be her daughter," Owens said.
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  2. #92
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    Maryanne Thomas

    A 93-year old Vernon woman taught her final Tai Chi class before retiring
    Teaching Tai Chi at 93
    Victoria Femia - Oct 4, 2021 / 4:00 am

    Photo: Doug Geiger
    Maryanne Thomas
    At 93-years old Maryanne Thomas led her final Tai Chi class and officially retired.

    The Vernon resident has been teaching Tai Chi for 32 years and has been an instructor in a rented space at Knox Presbyterian church for the last 18 years.

    “The final class (Sept. 28) included 10 students who have been steadfast with Maryanne for the last 18 years through life’s ups, downs and challenges,” said Thomas’ son-in-law, Doug Geiger.

    “Adding to the celebration were many who arrived at the end of class to give thanks and show their appreciation because this dynamic group of now seniors are more than a class.”

    Thomas said teaching her final class was an emotional one.

    “I’ve been at this for so long, with the same people that were in my class, we’ve known each other for a long time,” said Thomas.

    “They’re my family.”

    At 93-years old, Thomas credits Tai Chi for keeping her active and motivated.

    “It’s very helpful as far as your balance, you improve with each move,” said Thomas.

    “I really enjoyed it, it makes me feel good to see people improve too.”
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  3. #93
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    Meenakshi Amma

    This 78-year-old great-grandmother is keeping an Indian martial art alive

    Meenakshi Amma, practitioner and teacher of 'Kalaripayattu', has been a driving force in the revival of India's oldest martial art and in encouraging girls to take it up

    BY AFPRELAXNEWS
    2 min read
    PUBLISHED: Oct 4, 2021 04:20:27 PM IST
    UPDATED: Oct 4, 2021 04:30:39 PM IST


    Meenakshi Amma, practitioner and teacher of 'Kalaripayattu', a traditional martial art originated in Kerala, posing for pictures at her family-run Kadathanadan Kalari Sangam school in Vatakara in the Kozhikode district of the state of Kerala
    Image: Manjunath Kiran / AFP

    Deftly parrying her son with a bamboo cane, Meenakshi Amma belies her 78 years with her prowess at kalari, thought to be India's oldest martial art.

    The great-grandmother in Kerala, southern India, has been a driving force in the revival of kalaripayattu, as the ancient practice is also known, and in encouraging girls to take it up.


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    "I started kalari when I was seven years old. I am 78 now. I am still practising, learning and teaching," the matriarch of the Kadathanad Kalari Sangham school, founded by her late husband in 1949, told AFP.

    "When you open the newspapers, you only see news of violence against women," she said.

    "When women learn this martial art, they feel physically and mentally strong and it makes them confident to work and travel alone."

    Kalari, which contains elements of dance and yoga, can involve weapons such as swords, shields and staffs. Reputedly 3,000 years old, and mentioned in ancient Hindu scriptures, it remains infused with religion in the present day.

    India's British colonial rulers banned the practice in 1804 but it survived underground before a revival in the early 20th century and after independence in 1947.

    In recent decades it has come on in leaps and bounds, thanks in no small measure to Meenakshi, who won a national award in 2017.

    Now it is recognised as a sport and practised all over India.

    Inside Meenakshi's kalari hall, her bare-chested son Sanjeev Kumar, a lungi tied around his waist, puts barefoot pupilsn—boys and girls aliken—through their paces on the ochre-red earth floor.

    "There are two divisions in kalaripayattun—one is that kalaripayattu is peace and the other is kalaripayattu in war," said the "gurukkal" (master).

    "It's an art that purifies mind, body and soul, improves concentration, speed and patience, regenerates physical and mental energy.

    "When totally connected mentally and physically to kalari, then the opponent disappears, the body becomes eyes."

    "It's a form of poetry," said civil engineer Alaka S. Kumar, 29, daughter of Kumar and the mother to some of Meenakshi's many great-grandchildren.

    "I am going to teach kalari, with my brother. We have to take over. Otherwise it is gone."
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  4. #94
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    Kung-Fu Grandma

    'It wasn't a ninja move, honestly': TikTok's kung-fu grandma explains her viral reaction to Nelson anti-lockdown march
    The Project 4 days ago

    © The Project Watch: TikTok-famous 'kung-fu grandma' explains her viral ninja stance to Nelson anti-lockdown protesters.
    We've seen a diverse range of protestors out and about recently, but a few days ago a grumpy grandma caught New Zealand's attention for saying enough's enough and taking to the streets with a counter-protest of her own.

    That clip is going nuts on TikTok - so what motivated mysterious Nelson ninja Jan to unflinchingly stand her ground for the sake of public health?

    Speaking to The Project on Friday night, Jan said she had just been out shopping when she tried to cross Trafalgar St at the same time an anti-lockdown march was taking place.

    "They were just there in front of me, coming towards me, and I thought 'well, I'm gonna cross Trafalgar St'. There was a cameraman walking backward towards me, and he said something like, 'you better move lady, they're not going to stop for you'.

    "And I thought, 'actually, let's just give this a try', because I didn't really agree with their sentiments."

    What happened next was pure social media gold. Jan was filmed standing up to the crowd, striking a ninja pose, and then almost immediately being swallowed up by protesters who refused to stop for her.

    "I just stood where I was and the crowd walked past me," she said of what happened next. "It was like a parting… one woman gave me a high-five, which was interesting."

    Jan says her counter-protest came about because she's got friends who are immuno-compromised and those people need to be protected - "so I thought no, I'll make a stand here."

    Slightly disappointingly, Jan concedes the stance she took up was more to do with fears the swarm of protesters would bowl her over, rather than an actual martial arts move.

    "I planked my feet… I did cross my arms. It wasn't a ninja move, honestly… it was rather misinterpreted, I think because they put the kung-fu music over it.

    "But yes it was my point, my statement."
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  5. #95
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    Almihan Seyiti

    China’s ‘oldest living person’, a Xinjiang Uygur woman born in the 1800s during Qing dynasty, dies at reported age of 135
    An ethnic Uygur, the woman was born on June 25, 1886, according to her Chinese ID card
    Despite state claims she was the country’s oldest living person, this has long been controversial due to a lack of authentication of her age


    Mandy Zuo in Shanghai

    Published: 5:00pm, 20 Dec, 2021

    Alimihan Seyiti (left) talks with her grandson at her 134th birthday party in Shule County, northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, on June 25, 2020. Photo: Xinhua
    A supercentenarian from Xinjiang in Western China whom the Chinese government claims to be 135 years old, but was never internationally verified, died last week, state media has reported.

    Almihan Seyiti, who lived in a village in Shule county of Kashgar city and was declared China’s oldest living person in 2013, died at home on Thursday last week, the Xinjiang Daily said over the weekend.

    One of the ethnic Uygurs, she was born on June 25, 1886, under the rule of the imperial Qing dynasty, according to an ID card issued to her by Chinese authorities, but her incredible longevity has long been controversial due to her unverifiable birth records.

    Guinness World Records said it had not been invited to verify Seyiti’s age independently. If true, she could be the longest-living person in history in the world.
    Alimihan Seyiti, the oldest person in China, died at the age of 135 in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, local authorities said on Saturday. However, there are significant doubts about her real age. Photo: Xinhua
    Currently, Jeanne Calment from France, who died at 122 in 1997, holds the Guinness World Record for being the planet’s longest-living person.

    The oldest currently living person verified by the organisation is Kane Tanaka, a Japanese woman born in January 1903, who has reportedly survived cancer twice.

    Seyiti, who lived with her grandchildren, died peacefully on Thursday morning, the report quoted her family as saying.

    She was ranked at the top of China’s ten oldest living people by the China Association of Gerontology and Geriatrics in 2013 and has held the record since.

    Having altogether 43 grandchildren and great-grandchildren, the woman had lived to see her sixth generation of descendants born, the report said.

    She was married at the age of 17 in 1903 and was said to have adopted a boy and a girl with her husband, who died in 1976.

    She lived a regular life before her death, getting up before 10am and going to bed before 11pm, her family said.

    Her primary carer, grandson Kuerban Nuer, was quoted as saying that she enjoyed singing and dancing and was in the habit of listening to the radio every day. “When hearing music from the radio before sleep, her feet would move along with the rhythm,” he said.

    The Shule county government organised a grand birthday party for the woman last year when she reportedly reached 134. According to video clips and photos from the party, Seyiti, wearing a floral hoop and a paper tiara, sang along to music, cheered with a big crowd, and talked to local officials.



    Mandy Zuo

    Mandy joined the Post in 2010 and has been reporting on China news ever since. Her work covers a range including China policies, culture and society news.
    So her secret was singing and dancing?
    Gene Ching
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  6. #96
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    Sister André

    The world's oldest person is a French nun who enjoys chocolate and wine
    By Simon Bouvier, Xiaofei Xu, Camille Knight and Elias Lemercier, CNN

    Updated 3:16 PM ET, Tue April 26, 2022
    Sister André, the world's oldest person, is also the world's oldest Covid-19 survivor.

    Paris (CNN)A 118-year-old nun living in a nursing home in southern France has become the world's oldest living person, according to the Guinness World Records.
    Sister André is also the world's oldest living nun and the oldest nun ever, according to a statement released by the record-breaking authority on Monday.
    Born as Lucile Randon on February 11, 1904, Sister André has dedicated most of her life to religious service, the statement said. Before becoming a Catholic nun, she looked after children during World War II and then spent 28 years caring for orphans and elderly people at a hospital.
    Sister André, who lives near the French city of Toulon, is also the world's oldest Covid-19 survivor. The Guinness World Records statement said she tested positive for the virus at the beginning of 2021, but recovered fully within three weeks, just in time for her 117th birthday.
    In an interview with the French TV channel RMC Story on Tuesday, Sister André appeared to have mixed feelings about becoming the new oldest living person.
    "I feel I would be better off in heaven, but the good Lord doesn't want me yet," she said, calling the title a "sad honor."
    However, she also expressed her joy at being "pampered" by her family.
    Sister André enjoys chocolate and wine -- and drinks a glass every day -- her nursing home, Résidence Catherine Labouré, confirmed to CNN on Tuesday.
    When she turned 118 earlier this year, the elderly nun received a handwritten birthday note from French President Emmanuel Macron -- the 18th French president of her lifetime -- according to a tweet from the nursing home. There have also been 10 different Popes presiding over the Catholic Church since she was born.
    Sister André became the world's eldest following the death of Kane Tanaka, a Japanese woman previously certified as the world's oldest person, who died at the age of 119 on April 19.
    The title of oldest person ever recorded also belongs to a French woman. Born on February 21, 1875, Jeanne Louise Calment's life spanned 122 years and 164 days, according to the Guinness World Records statement.
    torch passed

    World's oldest person, Kane Tanaka, dies in Japan aged 119

    By Emiko Jozuka and Lianne Kolirin, CNN

    Updated 9:55 PM ET, Mon April 25, 2022

    Kane Tanaka was the second-oldest person ever recorded.
    (CNN)Kane Tanaka, the world's oldest person, has died in Japan aged 119, according to a statement released by the country's Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare.
    Tanaka, who was born on January 2, 1903, died on April 19, the ministry said.
    Guinness World Records said they were saddened to hear of Tanaka's passing, and said the news of her death had been confirmed by senior gerontology consultant Robert Young, who also helped confirm her record as the oldest person alive back in 2019.
    Tweeting about her death, Guinness World Records said: "She became the oldest living person in January 2019 at the age of 116 years and 28 days.
    "She is also the second oldest person ever recorded, behind only Jeanne Calment who lived to the age of 122."
    Tanaka's family said in a tweet earlier this month that she had been frequently sick recently and "in and out of hospital."
    Born in 1903, Tanaka married a rice shop owner at the age of 19, and worked in the family store until she was 103.
    She twice survived cancer and lived through a multitude of historical events, surviving two world wars and the 1918 Spanish flu -- as well as the Covid-19 pandemic.
    Kane Tanaka, aged 32 in 1935, is pictured in the center of the front row.
    CNN previously reported on Tanaka during her preparation to participate in the Olympic torch relay ahead of the postponed Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics.
    The plan had been that she would take the flame as it passed through Shime, in her home prefecture of Fukuoka, but ultimately she did not participate, because of concerns about Covid-19.
    Tanaka had been living in a nursing home in Fukuoka. Her family said she kept her mind and body engaged by doing math and remaining curious.
    Tanaka's great-granddaughter Junko Tanaka set up a Twitter account in January 2020 to celebrate the supercentenarian's life.
    She tweeted photos of her great-grandmother enjoying treats such as cake and soda pop, and shared her achievements and the exchanges she had with her relatives.
    CNN previously reported Junko as saying of her grandmother: "I might be biased because I'm related to her but I think it's kind of amazing -- I wanted to share that with the world and for people to feel inspired and to feel her joy."
    In 2020, one in every 1,565 people in Japan was over 100 years old -- more than 88% of them women. Government figures released in July 2020 showed that women have a life expectancy of 87.45 years compared with 81.4 for men.
    Announcing Tanaka's death on its website on Monday, Guinness World Records said "the titles of oldest person living and oldest person living (female) are currently being investigated" and that further details would be announced in due course.
    Blake Essig, Junko Ogura and Sana Noor Haq also contributed
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  7. #97
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    Meenakshi Amma

    More on Amma here.

    Meet the Sword-Wielding Grandmother Bringing Women Back to Indian Martial Arts
    Women who practiced kalaripayattu were a thing of the past—until Meenakshi Amma.
    BY SHOMA ABHYANKAR
    MAY 13, 2022


    Meenakshi Amma, shown here at age 76, continues to teach students kalaripayattu in her “kalari,” or arena, in Kerala, India, today at age 81. ALL PHOTOS: FUTURE PUBLISHING VIA GETTY IMAGES

    CLAD IN A RED SARI with a gold border, Meenakshi Raghavan wields a sword and a shield. The petite woman assumes a formidable stance and matches each strike from her opponent—twice her size and less than half her age—with an alert ferocity that reflects in her eyes. Meenakshi Amma, as her family and disciples fondly call her, is at the “kalari,” or arena, in Vadakara, a small town in northern Kerala, India, training her students the moves of the martial art of kalaripayattu. One disciple, as her students are known, swings his sword through the air but Meenakshi Amma suddenly twists on the mud floor dodging the attack and counter striking, taking her disciple by surprise.

    Everything about Meenakshi Amma is a surprise. At 81 years of age, Meenakshi Amma is the oldest woman “gurukkal,” or teacher, actively practicing this ancient practice from the southern Indian state of Kerala. She is credited in popularizing the once-banned practice and with inspiring women—long excluded from the kalari—to take up the martial art as means to self-defense.

    Derived from the Sanskrit word “khalurika” meaning battlefield or military training ground, kalaripayattu—or simply, payattu—dates back thousands of years and was traditionally practiced by the Nair community warriors of Kerala. Yoga postures paired with wooden sticks, metal blades and bare-hand combat techniques make it one of the more complex martial arts. “Kalaripayattu is a complete art form that has the grace of a dancer and lethal moves of a warrior. It synchronizes both mental and physical faculties and tests the extreme limits of the body and mind.’ says Meenakshi Amma.


    Kalaripayattu had been a part of the culture in Kerala for centuries until it was banned under British rule in the early 19th century.
    For centuries kalarippayattu was deeply ingrained in the culture of Kerala, according to the late historian and Kalaripayattu master, Chirakkal T. Sreedharan Nair. It was both a mode of warfare and a method of settling disputes between feuding families. Throughout this time, women trained along with men. Some, such as Unniyarcha, identified as a 16th-century woman warrior, became fixtures in the folklore of Kerala.

    But the prominence of kalaripayattu had already begun its slow decline with the arrival of Europeans on the shores of Kerala around the late 15th century. Its traditional weapons were no match for the firearms of the Portuguese. The final blow came with British rule. An armed revolt between 1796 and 1805 by the combined forces of Pazhassi Raza, Nair warriors, and Kurchiya tribes of Wayanad, resulted in the British officer Lord William Bentick issuing a government order in 1804, permanently banning possession of weapons and weapons training to curb future revolts. For almost 150 years under the oppressive British rule, the young men and women could not learn and practice the traditional martial art.

    The ban on the practice of kalaripayattu by the British lasted until the countrywide Swadeshi Movement, defying British rule, began in the early 1900s. The century-and-half ban had almost wiped away the tradition of systematic practice of the martial art. With the Swadeshi movement, however, began the slow revival when some of the traditionally trained gurus restarted training villagers covertly. It was only in 1958, almost a decade after independence of India that an organized effort towards the revival of martial arts started with the formation of the State Kalaripayattu Association.

    Meenakshi Amma was seven, the traditional age for starting kalaripayattu training, when her father introduced her to the practice on the advice of her Bharatanatyam (Indian classical dance) teacher. She started training under her future husband, the legendary late VP Raghavan Gurukkal in 1949 at Kadathanad Kalari Sangham in Kerala. “It is so much a part of me now, just like breathing” the matriarch says now.

    “It is so much a part of me now, just like breathing.”
    But in the mid-20th century, it was unusual to see a woman in the kalari. Women had become homebound, and the legends of 16th century female warriors like Unniyarcha were history, cited and extolled only in ballads. “I got a lot of encouragement though,” says Meenakshi Amma. “My dance guru and most of the family supported the idea of me being trained in an activity that was predominantly a male bastion.”

    While most of the small number of women who did study kalaripayattu gave up after marriage and childbirth, Meenakshi Amma, who married her kalaripayattu teacher, continued her practice. “I took a break during my pregnancies and when my children were younger, but I was always by my husband’s side every day at the kalari. I prepared the herbal oils and Ayurvedic medicines for ‘marmchikilsa’ [massage treatment for vital pressure points of the body], cuts, bruises, pains and aches, an essential part of training of kalaripayattu,” she recalls.


    Meenakshi Amma’s example brought more girls and women to kalaripayattu. “Learning the martial arts makes women fearless,” she says.
    Meenakshi Amma stepped into her husband’s shoes as a gurukkal after his death in 2009 and has been training young and old, men and women from across the country and abroad. In 2017, “She was like a mother to her students,” says Kunnathukuzhi Francis Thomas Gurukkal, one of her students who runs a kalaripayattu school of his own in Wayanad.

    In 2017, Meenakshi Amma was awarded the Padma Shri, one of India’s highest civilian awards for her work. In her paper in Women’s Studies, A****ha Mandakathingal writes, “The massive media coverage Meenakshi received after her national recognition placed Kalaripayattu in limelight in national headlines making it popular talking point, leading to the revival of Kalaripayattu in contemporary Kerala.”

    Seeing an old woman handling spears, swords and sticks effortlessly generated a desire and confidence among young women to learn kalaripayattu. “Women should take up payattu to empower themselves,” Meenakshi Amma says. “It not only makes the body stronger but also helps in improving stamina, concentration, and control over motor skills.” She adds, “Learning the martial arts makes women fearless.”

    Correction: An earlier version of this story included an image that was incorrectly identified as a childhood photo of Meenakshi Raghavan.
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  8. #98
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    83 year-old martial artist promotes Kung Fu in Hong Kong


    83 year-old martial artist promotes Kung Fu in Hong Kong: "The heritage is very important."

    Wong-Fei-Hung
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  9. #99
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    Gene, the master in the video has aged much further that I almost do not recognize him. I agree with you that heritage is very important to us. Because it tells what we are learning, and how it has passed from previous generations.



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    KC
    Hong Kong

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    Judo coach Yoshihiro “Yosh” Uchida

    Legendary Judo Coach Uchida Celebrates 103rd Birthday in Style
    by Rafu Reports 03/18/2023


    Yosh Uchida was joined by past and present members of the San Jose State judo team. (Courtesy Robert Handa)
    SAN JOSE — Judo coach Yoshihiro “Yosh” Uchida celebrated his 103rd birthday a little early with 500 of his closest friends last Saturday at Signia by Hilton (formerly the Fairmont Hotel).

    Uchida, who was born on April 1, 1920, has been promoting judo in the U.S. for nearly 80 years.

    He established the judo program at San Jose State University in 1946; was instrumental in judo being sanctioned in 1952 as an official sport by the Amateur Athletic Union; helped organize the inaugural national collegiate judo championship in 1962; and was the first U.S. Olympic judo coach in 1964 at the Tokyo Games. Under his guidance, SJSU has won more than 40 men’s and 20 women’s titles.


    Yosh Uchida in 1964
    Uchida is also a community leader who built up a medical laboratory business that was sold to Unilab for $30 million in 1989 and founded the Japanese American Chamber of Commerce of Silicon Valley in 1996. With other investors, he formed the San Jose Nihonmachi Corporation, which invested millions to develop housing and businesses in San Jose’s Japantown.

    For his contributions to judo, Uchida was awarded the Order of the Sacred Treasure with Gold Rays in 1986 by Emperor Hirohito; received San Jose State’s highest honor, the Tower Award, in 1992; was inducted into the San Jose Sports Hall of Fame in 1996; and was awarded an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters in 2004. The building on campus that houses the judo dojo was renamed Yoshihiro Uchida Hall in 1997.

    Born in the Imperial Valley town of Calexico to Issei farm laborers, Uchida grew up in Garden Grove and took up judo at the age of 10. He studied biology at San Jose State, where he became a student coach in 1940. During World War II, while his family was incarcerated, he was drafted by the Army and served as a medical technician.


    Yosh Uchida with Robert Handa, Arlene Sison-Handa and Mike Inouye. (Courtesy Robert Handa)
    The event was emceed by NBC Bay Area’s Robert Handa and Mike Inouye. The Steve Nakano Trio and Roy and PJ Hirabayashi of San Jose Taiko performed. There was a traditional kagami-wari ceremony in which a sake barrel was broken open.

    Among those taking part in the celebration were former U.S. Rep. Mike Honda, San Jose Mayor Matt Mahon, former Mayor Sam Liccardo, Santa Clara County Supervisor Cindy Chavez, Consul General of Japan in San Francisco Yasushi Noguchi, professional cheerleader Krazy George Henderson, and several past and present members of the SJSU judo team.
    I worked for Uchida Sensei for a bit as a driver for his company Laboratory Services. He was a good boss, such a gentleman.
    Gene Ching
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  11. #101
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    Linda Sim

    The Taekwondo 68 Nun
    1:46:00 PM


    Calm, serene and noble, this is how we can imagine nuns and sisters in general. This is applicable on our article guest today, except that the sister Linda Sim who is 68 years old is a martial artist and specifically practicing Taekwondo and holding the black belt the 5th Dan in the Korean martial art. The nun Linda started competing in Kyorugi in 1978 and got a bonze medal, and she said that she was beaten very hard at the time, while there was not much protection gears as we can see today.

    More than that the sister Linda competed at the World Taekwondo Poomsae championships held in Russia 2011 and won the gold medal in her division.

    The Nun Linda practiced Taekwondo for 52 years since 1971, and never gave up even if she had challenges and no support, and now we can see an amazing champion in Taekwondo.

    We do believe that Taekwondo is for everyone, it does not matter where you come from or what you do, Taekwondo is uniting us.

    Here are few videos of the nun Linda during the world championships.

    Tae-Kwon-Do
    Give-it-up-to-the-elderly!!!!!
    Gene Ching
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  12. #102
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    Michael Leigh

    90-Year-old Earns Judo Belt Level Reached By Only 6 People in the Nation
    By Andy Corbley - Jun 20, 2023


    (left) Michael Leigh the judoka stands with his ninth dan, (right) Leigh performing a foot sweep on his opponent; note the extreme flex in his right foot—needed to apply maximum force to sweep his opponent’s planted foot.

    A 90-year-old master who’s still limber enough to get on the mat every once in a while has just been awarded his ninth degree, or dan, in Judo.

    Only 6 individuals in the UK hold a ninth dan, and Michael Leigh is the oldest judoka in the country to reach what is the second-highest rank in the sport.

    Michael Leigh set up the Kin Ryu Judo Club in Crawley, West Sussex, in 1976 after taking up the martial art in 1955 in London and acting as a backup on the UK ’64 Olympic team.

    He first discovered the sport while working in the Royal Air Force, after he stumbled on a judo book in a charity shop written by the co-founder of the London Judo Society. He thought it “looked interesting”.

    He went on to become the chairman of British Judo for two terms, a national coach, and an international referee.

    “When I heard the news I couldn’t quite take it in,” Leigh wrote for his club’s news section. “Knowing that there are only five other people in the UK who have been awarded 9th dan, I find myself amongst peers I greatly admire and respect. I appreciate this recognition of my lifetime of commitment to the amazing sport of Judo and I will hold the grade with great pride and honour.”

    Leigh’s school became the largest in the UK at one point, with 520 members in three locations: Crawley, Horley, and Horsham.

    “I’ve had a very interesting life, I’ve been to about 160 countries,” he told the BBC, adding that it had been a “wonderful journey”.

    “I’m tempted to go on the mat but until my current disabilities go away I don’t think I’ll be able to,” he said. “I miss it very much, but everything has a beginning, middle, and end.”

    After obtaining the black belt, judokas move onto the ten dan levels. The last four are generally honorary, with judges at the International Judo Federation taking into consideration their lifelong accomplishments.

    Judo is a grappling martial art that involves using leverage and grips to throw opponents to the ground and can be physically punishing. Perhaps the most famous Judo practitioner in popular culture was the former UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion Rhonda Rousey.

    In one respect, Rousey and Leigh have more than just their martial skill in common—both have helped make the sport more inclusive.

    As a silver citizen, Leigh has organized championships in the UK for older judokas and a special needs Judo program.

    Although “more of an oracle” now, Martin Rivers who co-manages the Crawley Judo club said Leigh still gets on the mat from time to time, and certainly doesn’t look a day over 75.
    Give-it-up-to-the-elderly!!!!!
    Judo
    Gene Ching
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  13. #103
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    I try to avoid Ninja Warrior news on our ninja et.al. threads, but this was too good.

    US Woman, 71, Earns Guinness World Record Title Of Oldest Female Ninja
    World's oldest female ninja: Virginia Lenore MacColl's favourite moves include swinging on rings and climbing ropes.

    Edited by Rahul KumarUpdated: September 23, 2023 5:30 pm IST

    Virginia Lenore MacColl started ninja warrior competitions at 66.

    New Delhi: In the most recent Guinness World Records (GWR) roundup, a 71-year-old woman from the United States was recognised as the oldest female ninja, proving the adage 'Age is just a number' to be completely true. The organisation also released a video showing her navigating obstacle courses filled with a variety of challenges. In the video, she can be seen climbing, jumping, and even swinging from a bar.
    "Oldest competitive ninja athlete (female). Competed at the age of 70 years and 90 days," Guinness World Records said in a video post on Instagram. According to the organisation's blog, Virginia Lenore MacColl began her journey into ninja warrior competitions at the age of 66, inspired by her daughter's encouragement to take up sports.

    MacColl added that she was motivated to start her journey after watching her daughter, Jessie Graff, participate in American Ninja Warrior.

    Ms MacColl said, "While I cheered for my daughter Jessie Graff, I found inspiration in her strength, grace, and health."

    Earlier, she had never participated in athletics or weightlifting. She also mentioned that it took her a while to even consider herself an athlete. However, the 71-year-old found herself committing to four cardio, strength training, and obstacle training sessions each week.

    "I engage in cardio through swimming two to three times a week," she said.

    Her favourite ninja moves include swinging on rings and climbing ropes, while she considers the salmon ladder and the warped wall to be some of the trickier techniques.

    Speaking about her husband, she said he was her "biggest supporter." MacColl further mentioned, "Despite being unable to travel for medical reasons, he consistently encourages me to participate in every competition."

    Regarding her exercise routine, she explained that her primary dietary choice is a 'Mediterranean diet,' consisting primarily of fish, and vegetables, along with some chicken and turkey. However, she avoids dairy products and soda, and carefully monitors her sugar intake to keep it in check.
    Martial-Arts-World-Records-and-Stunts
    Ninjas!
    Give-it-up-to-the-elderly!!!!!
    Gene Ching
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  14. #104
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    RIP Dorothy Hoffner

    A 104-year-old woman dies before Guinness can confirm her record as oldest skydiver

    October 11, 20237:15 PM ET
    By Ayana Archie


    Dorothy Hoffner, 104, went skydiving Oct. 1 and could hold the record for the oldest person to jump from a plane. She died Monday, likely in her sleep, Brookdale Senior Living said in a statement.
    Brookdale Senior Living

    A 104-year-old woman has died a little more than a week after she potentially broke the world record for the oldest skydiver.

    Dorothy Hoffner jumped 13,500 feet from a plane with Skydive Chicago in Ottawa, Ill., on Oct. 1. She likely died in her sleep Monday at Brookdale Senior Living, the center said.

    "The associates at Brookdale Lake View are deeply saddened by the passing of our resident, Dorothy Hoffner," the statement said. " We were thrilled to see her continue to live with passion and purpose, skydiving earlier this month at 104 and ultimately proving that age is just a number. She will be greatly missed by our entire community."

    Guinness World Records is still working to confirm if Hoffner broke the record for the oldest person to jump from a plane. The current record belongs to Linnéa Ingegärd Larsson of Sweden, who was 103 when she made a jump in 2022, The Associated Press reported.

    Hoffner made her first jump at the age of 100.

    A memorial service for her will be held next month, the AP said.
    Such a bummer...

    Give-it-up-to-the-elderly!!!!!
    Martial-Arts-World-Records-and-Stunts
    Gene Ching
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  15. #105
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    "I'm an all-action grandad aged 92 - I do martial arts daily" | SWNS

    Gene Ching
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