If you’re over 40, or even over 50, you may be wondering whether you can still train in a martial art. Well the answer is an emphatic yes; particularly if you choose a martial art which is lower impact like Wing Chun. In fact the Grandmaster of the Wing Chun style, Ip Chun, has just turned 101. He puts his good health down to his years of Wing Chun practice. He was still doing Wing Chun into his late 90’s!
Wing Chun is a standing martial art. Its primary focus is striking and defending down the centreline of the body. There are no high kicks, nor grappling or ground work. Wing Chun’s advantage is close quarter strikes and defence. Its training tools include an ingenious game known as Chi sau.
See also our post on which martial art is best for older adults.
Why Wing Chun is Better For Older Adults – Chi Sau
In many other styles there is a more competitive side to training, such as sparring, which can make training less suitable for older adults who want to train, but not get injuries.
Ground grappling, throws and traps can also mean you’re more likely to get an injury, depending on the teaching style. With Wing Chun, Chi Sau allows to you to “play” a game scenario whereby you protect your centreline, attempt to land a hit or destabilise your partner, while not giving away your defence.
Chi sau is like a conversation, where you interplay with positions and techniques with your partner. It is played while standing, and so there’s no need for endlessly getting up from the ground, which can be harder for more senior students.
Why Wing Chun Is Better For Older Adults – Forms
The forms in Wing Chun are designed to help you understand movements and principles. These are similar to “patterns” in some arts, or kata’s in Karate/Japanese arts.
The first form is also known for it’s health benefits. It helps you create a calm mind while training. In the first form, you stand upright and observe your body. Part of this practice is releasing tension in the body. This practice alone can help a number of health issues as well as help keep you calm and relaxed in daily life, a known health benefit.
Principles – Economy Of Motion + Minimum Movement
The principles on which Wing Chun is based are economy of motion and minimum movement. You don’t do a large movement where a small movement will do the job. There are no long, drawn out techniques in Wing Chun, just simple self defence principles based on centreline attacks and defence.
This makes the art perfect for older adults, who are less agile. The small, efficient movements of Wing Chun can be done by anyone, young or old. Many of the training drills and exercises within Wing Chun classes help you generate greater force with less effort.
Internal Aspect Of Wing Chun
The internal aspects of the Wing Chun system are less hard than with some styles. Internal Wing Chun is often neglected but the art is designed with efficiency in mind. This makes it another perfect solution for an art that can be trained into old age. An older person cannot compete with a stronger, younger person in terms of strength. However, once you understand the internal aspects of Wing Chun, you are able to generate greater power, and outlast your opponent through efficiency and through using soft power, rather than using muscular force.
See also our post on internal Wing Chun here.
