Age and Gravity

By Joel Persinger

Let's face it, we all have the same enemies… age and gravity. So, there are two facts regarding our physical condition that are simply unavoidable. First; as we grow older we will be less able to do what we could do when we were younger. Second; if we actually muster the courage to step out of our front door and live life, we are going to get injured. Of these two facts, I am experiencing both at present

First of all, I am edging up on 50 years of age. This is currently present in my mind because my birthday is coming up. Second, I injured my left leg on Saturday during a martial arts class. So here I am suddenly realizing that I’m older and limping around with a cane while I recover from what my doctor says is probably a torn calf muscle. If the mathematical formula used for calculating estimated healing time by age is correct, it will probably take me three times as long to heal as it would have when I was 18.

Why, you ask, am I telling you that I have suddenly become old and lame? Because if it hasn’t happened to you the chances are good that it’s going to. Therefore, the question is not “if” it will happen, but will you still be able to defend yourself when it does? As I have gotten older my stamina and strength have diminished somewhat and they will continue to do so over time in spite of my best efforts to the contrary. Now that I have an injury my ability to fight is diminished yet again even if only for a few weeks while I heal. So what’s the solution? Do I stop going out my front door into the world? Do I simply give up on the idea of being able to take care of myself? Neither of those possibilities seems appealing to me and since I’m not a movie star or politician hiring a personal security squad is out of the question.

Actually the answer is much easier than you might think. Here is a simple truth for you to ponder; your fighting ability is not completely dependent upon your physical ability. I’m not going to be a UFC champion, so I get to do something that they cannot do… cheat! I can tell you from first hand experience that in a real fight, cheating is the only way to go. Teddy Roosevelt once said “walk softly and carry a big stick”. The basics of this theory as it applies to the average citizen today are as follows:

1. Avoid trouble in the first place.
2. Have an equalizer. Here are some that work: A surefire flashlight (blind an attacker and then hit him with it across the bridge of the nose). A Knife (obvious, but make sure it's legal and that you have training to go with it.) A cane (you can take it anywhere and it's a great weapon, but get some training). A gun (only if you have a CCW permit or you are at home and it's legal in your area).
3. Train to fight injured. Even when you’re not injured, you may start a fight at 100%, but after taking damage you will quickly be reduce to lower percentages. You had better train to fight injured.

As for myself, I have trained to fight with a cane for years and my first martial arts instructor from whom I received my black belt forced us to practice fighting as if we were injured. So, the fact that I have to use a cane to support my injured leg when I walk for the next few weeks only diminishes my fighting ability a small percentage. While my mobility has been reduced, my base is still solid and I have a weapon with which I am very proficient in the cane. This weapon gives me more reach (distance equals time) and increases the damage I can inflict with each strike. In addition I’ve carried a knife for quite some time and train to use it.

After spending a few hours the day I received my injury with my leg elevated and ice on my calf (and my wife telling me to stay on the couch or else!) I got up and moved around a bit to see what my limitations were from a martial point of view. I found that I can still launch a devastating front thrust kick with my good leg. My injured leg limits my mobility but is still strong as a platform provided I don’t do anything that requires rotation on that foot. I also found that I can lift the bad leg to block with my shin and can launch forward to bridge distance by using my good leg for thrust. Retreating and side stepping are a little more difficult, but can be done. Both legs can be used effectively for upward knee strikes. Then I worked with the cane for a while and found that I am just as effective as I was before the injury. Some adjustments needed to be made for certain techniques, but all were manageable.

My wife and I have a home defense plan, so we talked about it for a few minutes and agreed that when we’re home the issues surrounding my injury don’t really matter as much. I will always be able to defend my family at home as long as I can point and pull a trigger. Then again with my son being an avid shotgun competitor on his school’s Trap Team and my wife an avid shooter I may be able to just lie on the couch with ice on my leg and let them defend me for a change.

By the way, having a home defense plan is a very good idea. The fire department is constantly encouraging families to have a plan in case of fire. Why not have one in case of burglary or some other intrusion. Intrusions don’t happen often and in my neighborhood they never happen quite frankly, but the old boy scout motto still applies. "Be prepared"!

But getting back to the subject at hand, here’s the bottom line. We’ve all got to face the fact that we won’t be in top physical shape forever. Even if you’re 20 and in peak shape you will get injured. Take the advice of an old fighter. Train for the days when you won’t be at the top. Remember age, experience and sneakiness often triumph over youth and exuberance.