Well, my late dad’s birthday is right around the corner.  If he were alive, he’d be 102 this year.  That got me to thinking (as usual) about life and about karate, haha.

Dad was active and enjoyed a good life during his retirement years.  He had retired at 62 years old and everything went smoothly until he suffered a stroke when he was 74.  He recovered and lived, albeit at a slower pace until the ripe old age of 88.  I mention this because I recall the physical therapists and nurses who guided him through therapy would sometimes comment to me about how muscular he was for his age, especially his legs.  I guess medical professionals notice things like that.  When asked, he replied that he had spent 36 years as a milk deliveryman, carrying bottles and crates filled with milk or juice.  It’s interesting to me that so much of the muscle and strength he had built over his younger years were still visible in his 74-year-old body a dozen years after he had retired.

When I was young, Dad had often advised me to find a career using my brain and not my body if I possible.  He warned me of the cumulative damages that could result from a lifetime of manual labor.  He said that injuries incurred from a physical occupation (think professional football) could come back to haunt you in old age.  I followed his advice and spent all my 46 working years performing various forms of planning/research in office environments.  This year, I’ll be the same age that Dad was when the therapy staff were marveling at the condition of his legs (very important for therapy and recovery). I know that my legs will never match the muscularity he built through his decades of hard work.  I had a “sedentary” working career; but fortunately, the years spent practicing and teaching Karate-Do have helped me maintain strength and coordination in my body, particularly with our emphasis on the legs and hips.

Everyone knows that karate training greatly benefits your mind, spirit, and body in the present day  –  but like my dad, these accrued benefits can stay with you for many years in the future.  So, like depositing money in your IRA or encouraging your kids to do well in school – it’s never just about today is it? It is an important investment of your time and effort… for the future.  The young ones will grow bigger, stronger, and faster; while those in their 30’s-50’s will be striving to maintain their strength and increase their flexibility.  Meanwhile, us older folks will be working to keep tone and balance to combat osteoporosis and as fall protection.  For each of us, the training we do today is really preparing for a better tomorrow…and to perhaps develop muscular legs in our old age.