At 42 years old is karate something i can still learn?

I don%26#039;t presently exercise and i am 6%26#039;7. What are the benefits of learning karate?|||As an instructor for almost 30 years, I%26#039;d say that you%26#039;re not too old. You need to be careful though. At our age (I%26#039;m a bit older) injuries take longer to heal and are easier to gain. However, no sport can give you the benefits that martial arts can. Not just self-defense but fitness, speeding up your reactions, strength and much more. It can be (if you get the right club) a great social network too.





You need to identify what you want to gain from the class and then seek out the right art accordingly. Find a club that you are comfortable at (don%26#039;t just choose the first club) and then sit and watch. Look at the students and see how they behave as this is the main indicator to how good the club and instructor are.





Not all martial arts are the same and neither are clubs. Take your time and choose what feels right. Your age shouldn%26#039;t come into it if you have a strong enough desire. I had students ranging from 16 to over 65. It%26#039;s just a case of finding the right fit for you.|||My sensei%26#039;s oldest student is in her 60%26#039;s. She%26#039;s a green belt now. It%26#039;s never to late.|||yes! go for it. It%26#039;s worth a try, if you don%26#039;t like it do something else.|||yes you can still but i wouldnt reccomend karate. if your looking for a more practical style you can lose on the street i would reccomend muay thai. if theres no muay thai in your area then i would recommend jiu jitsu.|||I am an adult that started Taekwondo in June 07. Someone mentioned that adults look awkward to the teenagers in there... WHO CARES! It is great exercise. The kids look awkward sometimes too. I struggled at first. My knees gave me issues for a couple months, but then I gained additional strength. I have found that I am in better overall shape after just 6 months. I haven%26#039;t lost weight but that is because my eating habbits are not the best (gotta work on that!) I am dedicated to going and can%26#039;t wait to test for my next belt. I%26#039;m light green.|||Everyone that answered above me all made good points and I agree with them. The only think I can mention that you have to worry about is that you might look slightly awkward doing the moves because it%26#039;s hard to learn a whole new way of moving and doing things at 42. PLus there%26#039;s the obvious lack of flexibility that will also add to the awkward movements you might be making. I used to be in classes with adults while I was a teenager and I always noticed that the adults looked very awkward. The adults that had been into it since their youth, on the other hand, look great because the style of movements are so ingrained for them and they have all that experience.





But anyways, as long as you don%26#039;t mind looking awkward... you have nothing to worry about and there are so many positive things that can come from it.|||Of course you can still learn karate. My taekwondo instructor, a 4th, nearly 5th degree black belt, is nearly 60. Learning karate can be a great way of reducing stress, increasing fitness and flexibilty, gaining self-confidence, and so on. I know I sound a bit like a pamphlet, but it%26#039;s true. Martial arts are fun, too, and can be a good way to keep your mind working as well as your body.|||self defense and a good work out!|||I%26#039;m a 23 yr martial arts instructor, and some of my most dedicated students have been in your age range.





42 is not too old, just be very choosy about the school at which you train. Make sure you warm up before class begins, keeping in mind you may need aditional time for this. Go with a school that allows you to progress at your own pace. If you go with Karate, try to find an ISKA affiliated school, or if you go TaeKwonDo, which I prefer. (I started in Kenpo and then went to TKD) find a school that is WTF affiliated.





Good luck!|||Self-defense, fun, escape from stress, fitness, and so on. A lot of it comes from what you make of it, and of course: Finding a good school. That should be your big goal, and if you decide to specialize in one of the areas I listed or another, then you can try looking for schools that emphasize those elements too. Karate will give you some good balanced striking. Good luck.





I have to do this too:





%26quot;yes you can still but i wouldnt reccomend karate. if your looking for a more practical style you can LOSE on the street i would reccomend muay thai. if theres no muay thai in your area then i would recommend jiu jitsu.%26quot;





You just shot yourself in the foot. :p