What is a good martial art for a middle aged person with minimal arthritis in the hips?

Question

Is there one? If a really silly question, please let me know. A martial art to get into shape but not accelerate the need for a hip replacement before older age..

Answer 1

taekwondo is a good sport

Answer 2

It definitely is not a silly question

You should do tai chi

Get involved in the wudang style kungfu

Answer 3

Well, the hips are what generate all power in martial arts so you're at a bit of a loss there. As far as getting fit I would say ride a bike and swim, those are the two best physical workouts on the planet... period

Now, Tai Chi... Real Tai Chi will help you to feel better about yourself, strengthen your connective tissue or fascia and will also help build strength in an extremely subtle but surprising way. The best part about this though is it is a very effective and deadly system that will help you well into the later years of life.

Answer 4

I have been taking Kempo for seven years,but you might want to try Tia Kick Boxing or something in that area. Or if you are in good shape try Kempo or Grappling.

Answer 5

While, yes, power tends to be generated from the hips, any halfway decent martial arts instructor should be able to accommodate you in their art. As you train, you should find exercises that will help build supportive tissues around the hips to compensate for your arthritis. Any place that says, "Do it this way and only this way or get out" is not a place you want to be anyhow. Doing things that will only cause you damage during training defeats the purpose. Find something that interests you, talk to the instructors at local schools, and see if they can't help you.

Just to give you an idea, in the Bujinkan we have a number of people of Shihan (judan) level with varying disabilities which they've learned to compensate for in their training. All it's taken is care on their part and instructors not willing to give up on them.

Answer 6

As the others have mentioned, Tai Chi (from a qualified instructor, not the Y or your local gym) is perfect.  It is good for getting into physical as well as mental shape.  I know of several people with physical problems that do very well in the art.

I have to say any kicking art like TKD would be a poor choice.  It could be painful with arthritis.  I would avoid grappling arts too (Judo, BJJ).  Brazilian Jiu Jitsu requires a lot of hip movement.  Obviously MMA combines elements from BJJ, so I would avoid that too.

Answer 7

Mixed Martial Arts. It combines everything when you have a great teacher. There is so much to learn. Also jiu jitsu is great too. Good luck

Answer 8

Maybe you can find a place where they practice kenjutsu, they usually do it together with aikido but you can probably find places where they do it alone, it's really good, sword fighting with wooden swords, as long as you don't get into the part that has to do with aikido which needs you to fall a lot to the ground it's really good, let your teacher or sensei know your situation and just do the sword fighting.

Answer 9

Tai Chi I'd suggest.

Best wishes :)***

Answer 10

I don't know if I fit into middle age but I think I'm close. (47) The best thing to do is to go to several DoJo's in your area and see if they will let you attend a class.

Myself, I have been taking Tae Kwon Do for 3 1/2 years. 3 days a week. There are several people at our dojo that are over 40.

Just remember that you go at your pace until you have built yourself up. Don't expect to be as fast as the younger ones, trust me, you won't.

Last year I was at a tournament in Illinois and there was a 60 something year old man competing in forms.

I used to have severe neck pain and headaches before I started, now my neck only bothers me maybe once every 2 or 3 months.

To top this all off, 3 months after I started i had a heart attack, not at the dojo, at home. I had blocked arteries because I used to smoke (stopped). I'm still taking TKD and have not stopped.

Don't rule any out until you go and try out a few.