Goodbye Youth. . . . . .

Well, it's hard to have to admit this and make this decision, but I have decided that my days of banging around in kung fu are over.  I turned the BIG 5-0 on Monday, but that's not the reason why.  I have had arthritis in my hips, as well as in other places, for some years now, but it's just starting to become a reality.  My doctor told me about 3 years ago, to take it easy and make sure to never fall on my hips or they could break real easy.  Well, I made the choice to still go with the flow, and well, kind of ignore his warnings.  I did pretty good for a while there, until the beginning of this year.

In the months of January and Feb, we did a lot of take downs in the black belt class, and my hips and back started to bother me then.  But when we stopped, it got better, so when we did some falling and break fall stuff in the sparring class, I was all over it.  That was not a good idea.  Now, over 2 months later, I am still paying for it.  My right hip hates me and doesn't like to stay where it should.  And when it moves about, it pinches off my sciatic nerve and . . . .  .need I say more.  PAIN like none other.

I have figured out that biking is a huge help with my sciatic nerve and so I try to bike at least every second day, sometimes every day.  But depending on my activities the day before, I can still have a bad morning.  A bad morning is when my hip goes out and pinches the nerve.  A good morning, is if I can get out of the house without any pain.  If I can get through the first 20 minutes of my morning, I know I will be OK for the rest of the day.  It's just that first while when I get up.  I have to move very slow, no turning, or bending or twisting.  (Wow!  I do sound like I am old.)  Not sure what happens to my hip in the night, but it does not like mornings.

So, I have decided that it is in my best interest to just stay away from falls and banging around kind of techniques in kung fu.  I will soon have 4 grandchildren, and I really want to be able to do some fun activities with them as they grow.  I look at the younger guys in kung fu and even some of the not -so -young, doing real cool stuff, as I stand there drooling.  If only I had started kung fu when I was much younger.  Anyways, there is so much more to the arts than all the rough and tough techniques, and that is where I will put my efforts. 

I may be 50 in years, but not in age.  In age I am more like, well, maybe 39.  ha ha ha!  :)  :)