is it too late to learn?

[DKKC]

is it too late to learn?

It is never too late to learn!! Welcome aboard!!

[joeurgod]

you are definitely not "too old" i am 25 and i just started in august of 2007. i am a 8th kyu. when i started i had a ton of bad habits, like i would punch and juke like a boxer and kick like a muay thai fighter with no knee snap. and the funny thing is i only had taekwondo training before kyokushin training so i dont know where those bad habits came from lol. if u put your heart and soul into kyokushin, it will give back to you in ways that you can never imagine. one thing that makes me worry is that you already have a time limit set in how long you want to train. one to two years is to short and it sounds like you only want to learn to physical part. that is not a good idea. kyokushin is more than just the kicking and the punching. the kata is the mental and spiritual part of kyokushin. without the kata, you might as well just box. and the time limit is not a good idea, if you truly want to study kyokushin, you go to the dojo and train until you can't train anymore. come back the next day and do it all over again. go until u can't go anymore.

[erni64]

I trained in my fifteens quit for about 28 years and started again in my 43.
I just graded for blue belt (again) and trying to do what my body can.
Fortunately my Shijan and severals Senseis are 40+ so they could advice me
what is better for my "new" kyokushin pathway.

OSU!

[meguro]

Originally Posted by Lucy

Oh my god! I was definately not implying that 40+ is old lol! I was just thinking maybe this was a little old dude wanting to start karate and wondering how he could go about it I was just shocked to see a 19 year old asking this question. There's nothing wrong with fighting at over 40 yrs of age.... if ya still got it flaunt it Ive seen many fighters of this age and above even become champions. Its all in the heart.

Osu! I guess I'm a little touchy, it happens to us old folks. I was surprised as you that a 19 year old was having such doubts.

[Brad]

i not going to lie but ive seen guy's in their 40s and to be honest i would be foolish not to be nervious if i had to fight them because i know i am going to be sore that night and hope i wake up the next day lol.

[Olrac]

Originally Posted by Lucy

Oh my god! I was definately not implying that 40+ is old lol! I was just thinking maybe this was a little old dude wanting to start karate and wondering how he could go about it I was just shocked to see a 19 year old asking this question. There's nothing wrong with fighting at over 40 yrs of age.... if ya still got it flaunt it Ive seen many fighters of this age and above even become champions. Its all in the heart.

Thanks Lucy, Your kind words just made my day

[Lucy]

Oh Olrac you have DEFINATELY still got it

[xchrisbobisx]

thank you for all your reponses with all the positive replies i have made up my mind to start karate again. though i have bad expieriences in the past, i took karate but i think it was kind of borring, we rarely sparred and all we did was- i guess condition. horse stance and air punching, and when its belt test time just do a kata. what i want to go learn is- what do you call it 'knockdown' karate? i want to condition my body not so i can walk the beaches but so i can take damage in a kumite. and if i can do that i should have less of a problem taking punches from a guy with padded gloves on. kumite is what really intruiges me about karate and i also hope to get better balance and finesse with my kicks through karate, most of my kicks are very circular and power based (muay thai roundhouse and i also use a savatte front kick for my lead leg). but i have also made up my mind i want to try judo first, and see if i like it or not. alot of people told me i should try judo as it seems i have natural gift in taking/throwing people down judo style (hip toss/leg sweep). anyways another problem is that i live in sugar land, a place near houston TX. i cant really find a dojo to train at, there are some karate joints here but i think most of them are too americanized...so if anyone has suggestions on where to search for dojos help would be appreciated. i also thought that over summer (depending on my judo training) i might go take a look in japan, see some dojos over there, and to get a custom tamahagane katana made for moi =)

[Brad]

just get into a kyokushin dojo as soon as you can japan would be perfect. if you do have mauy thai experience thats a good foundation. I love both but for now kyokushin all the best.

[tmd]

You have plenty of time to experience many things the most important things in training are; your attitude, to do whatever it takes, but most important is finding the right dojo and Sensei, visit plenty, take a look at a few Kyokushin dojos, every club is different but I don't know of many that don't like kumite . Judo is very much a sport on its own, if this is what you are looking for OK, but if I'm picking up your thread correctly I think you'd be looking for something with a bit more bite like Jujitsu. best of luck with your training, keep in touch with the forum. Osu-EN

[Davidkyokushinstudent]

Originally Posted by xchrisbobisx

i took 'karate' class and TKD class before as a child, like almost everyone else, for about 4 years. i have been doing MMA currently but was hoping to start kyokushin karate, but i watched some videos and read some bios and have seen most people started kyokushin at a real early age. im already almost 20 years old im not sure if its too late, i know theres a old cliche "its never too late to learn" but honestly how far can one go when im already so old and i might already have a bunch of bad habbits.

I have a similar story. I started Kyokushin when I was 14yo, Trained till i was 19yo and stopped training. I am now 30yo and have only just started training again! So, youre definitely not alone and youre never too old for karate!
I remember there was a man named Barry with whom i trained. He began his training at 60yo! And hes one tough cookie!

[Deaken]

OSU,

I started Kyokushin at 21. I am now much older and a Sensei with my own dojo. It is never too late to start, especially at the young age of 20.

That being said, based on your motivations for wanting to train, I don't think that Kyokushin is what you're looking for. It has a balance of Kihon, Kata and Kumite and you are only looking for Kumite or 1/3 of Kyokushin training. I don't know many good schools that only teach 1/3 of Kyokushinkai, or many Sensei's that would be willing to only teach one aspect.

Either try and open your expectations to the full Kyokushin experience and join knowing that you will learm more than just what you primarily hope to learn, or perhaps consider something that is only Kumite focused like Muy Thai.

Of course I have my preferences, and I would try and lead you towards accepting Kyokushin training with all of its facets and keeping an open mind..., but you must do what your heart desires, not mine....

[vapor]

another problem is that i live in sugar land, a place near houston TX. i cant really find a dojo to train at, there are some karate joints here but i think most of them are too americanized...so if anyone has suggestions on where to search for dojos help would be appreciated.

I would suggest you drop a PM to one of the members here, Shokei Marcsui, as he is in the Houston area, and could probably direct you to a dojo.

vapor

[BiiggDDD]

Its never to late to learn something new ^^

[Red]

You are never too old! Your mma will see great benefits from Kyokushin but you will only get what you put in. Tran hard, be patient and you could be the next GSP! Good luck!

[xchrisbobisx]

sure ill send shokei a message once i hit post #15 =). and y ty red i very much wish to knockout gsp.