TKD hurts. Is 47 too old or am I just a wuss?

[SKL]

It hurts when I kick stuff in TKD class.  And I'm just a lowly yellow belt.  It is so uncomfortable that I don't really try to kick hard, don't do the running up stuff and all that.  I suck!  (I'm also not very coordinated and can't remember the forms, but that's a whole other issue!)  I am doing a family class and was hoping my kids and I would all get the belts together if possible, but maybe I should just watch from the sidelines.  Does anyone else around my age do this sort of thing?  Am I doing it wrong?

[KarenNC]

If you are really wanting to take a martial art, take a look at aikido, if it's available in your area. It won't help with the getting the belts together issue, but it's much gentler on the body. My husband took it up at 42 (he's now 48). 

[Erica in OR]

Not too old. :) My DH is almost 43 and has been taking TKD for a few years with our kids. He does say that if you do kicks improperly, they can hurt. He recommends you ask your instructor to specifically check your technique. I encourage you to keep going with the family class. Our family has enjoyed it so far, being able to do it together. DH has a history of hip pain, so is less flexible than many of the other students, but keeping active this way has been a big help. Further stretching and using a foam roller might also help you.

 

Erica in OR

[Truscifi]

Not too old. We don't do TKD, but we have people in their 60s in our classes. And we do full contact sparring.

 

Possibly you aren't kicking properly. What hurts?

[TKDmom]

Yes, TKD hurts.  :tongue_smilie:

Not very helpful, sorry.

 

What are you kicking when it hurts? Like when you kick a punching bag? I find that it hurts more when I'm hitting the wrong part of my foot on the punching bag. Breaking boards nearly always hurts, but the pain passes more quickly than when I slap the top of my foot on a punching bag 10 times in a row.

 

I hate to run, too. And my jumps are about 2 inches off the ground. I just raise my eyebrows at the instructor when he tells me to jump higher. I have tendinitis in one of my knees and I'm not a bouncy little rubber band anymore.

 

Physically, my kids are in way better shape than me. They can run laps and do 30 push-ups and a zillion jumping jacks. After almost 2 years, I'm getting better now. I can now do 15 push-ups (hooray!), and I like to think I do them better than my kids' 30 push-ups. ;) I also have a better sense of where my body is, so I may be getting my forms garbled up, but I can do a front stance and hold my fists tight, while my kids still need to be reminded (constantly). They have been doing TKD for a year longer than me, and we are all green belts (and high green belts) now. I currently outrank them, because I care enough to put everything I have into each class (and I'm a perfectionist). The kids are still slopping through things without a lot of internal motivation.

 

I don't know if this is at all helpful, but I enjoy doing TKD with my kids. I feel like my progress is kinda slow, but I am getting stronger, and my balance, coordination, and flexibility are much improved. If my kids cared enough to put all their effort into each class, they would progress faster than me, and I think that would be okay. I like to see my kids succeed. :)

[hillfarm]

I study a different discipline, but I would say that yes, it does hurt sometimes. However, if it hurts a lot, you probably should speak to your instructors and have them watch you carefully. Perhaps they could make corrections that would make it much easier. Make sure you are using the right striking surface on your foot and also striking the target at the correct angle.

 

I went to my classes a couple of hours ago. I started when I was 50yo. I am going to turn 54 in June. You are definitely NOT too old.

 

I recommend Tiger Balm for aches and Arniflora for bruises. I speak from personal experience. :glare:

[jenn-]

Well there is a reason we don't normally run around kicking still objects, it hurts. I agree that you need to make sure your technique is correct but after that it just takes time getting used to kicking things. You will be bruised.

 

I started with the kids a little more then a year ago. They have boundless energy but I have maturity on them. I learn a form in 2 practices. They take weeks and weeks. I can control my body and remember what the instructor said for more than 2 seconds. Both of these have led me to out rank all 3 boys (soon to be by a whole color or two testings worth). Dd started with maturity and gymnastics on her side and has kept pace with me.

 

All this to say, stick with it. It does get better as your body gets used to it.

[Butter]

I'm only 36 and my husband is 38, but we've been doing TKD for 6 months (camo belt).  Sometimes it hurts.  Those times almost always are because I did not position correctly.  Our instructor is amazing, though, and tells us to not do anything that would hurt and helps us to get the correct positions and what not.  We practice a lot.  TKD practice is built into our daily school schedule.  I use youtube sometimes to learn the moves between classes so I can be sure I am practicing correctly in the correct order.  My range of motion and flexibility has increased significantly since we started.  I am sure my recovery from emergency gallbladder surgery last month would have been much harder had I still been a complete couch potato.  We have quite a range of ages taking TKD in our school.  We have several low ranks in the 40-60 range!

 

One thing to keep in mind is not kicking hard enough can make it hurt worse.  Especially when you are breaking a board.

 

Also, I'm not coordinated at all.  Neither is my daughter (orange belt, she started after us).  But that's okay!  There is a range of what they expect and some people have more talent and coordination than others.  You do the best you can.  Believe in yourself!

[bettyandbob]

ditto on check your technique. 

 

keep at it. If you are using correct technique the benefits in balance and strength on your body are too important to give up. Not all exercise options provide these benefits. 

[rieshy]

I'm 47 and do Goju-Shorei Karate.  Definitely not too old.  I am often sore and even bruised (after sparring) but never hurt in an injured sort of way.

 

Where does it hurt?  That makes a difference.  If it hurts in your hips you probably need to pay attention to how your planted foot is positioned and whether or not you are opening your hip up when you chamber your leg.   Also where are you making contact with the bag?- for different kicks you make contact with different parts of your leg and foot- doing it wrong can hurt.

 

I agree with everyone about talking with your instructor.  If they don't have an answer or don't want to pay attention to details of technique maybe you need to try a new school.

 

I'd encourage you to keep with it.  My kids and I all do it together- it is such a blessing for all of our relationships.

 

By the way- running and kicking something really hard with a good loud kia is especially rewarding after a lousy home school day:)

[JustEm]

Not too old at all. Dh is a kung fu instructor and he sees all ages! He has a student in his late 70's. Proper technique is key so make sure you ask an instructor for extra help with that. Even with proper technique it will hurt after learning something new and drilling it because your body isn't used to using the specific muscles being used the way they're being used. If you're kicking a bag it shouldn't hurt unless there isn't enough stuffing in it, technique is off, or your leg is already injured.

[SKL]

To the question "where does it hurt," mainly it's the repeated kicking on the same surface (esp. top of my foot) like 10x in rapid succession, and also the balls of my feet sometimes hurt from standing up on the toes of one foot a bunch of times.  It seems to be getting worse as I get older, but maybe I was just tired yesterday.  I had not had much sleep the night before.

 

Thanks for the encouragement.  We took a long break and I'm just getting back into it.  Normally I assume that things will get easier as they get more routine, but I have been noticing a lot of changes in my body generally, so I was wondering if it was age more than just inexperience.

[Butter]

After a break from any exercise program there will be soreness.  It should decrease as time goes on and your muscles strengthen and get used to various movements.  Do you wear protective gear when doing things like breaking boards?  We had to do a front kick and a round kick for our last cycle's board break.  People who did not have foot pads yet were not allowed to do the round kick (since it involves hitting with the top of the foot).  They didn't want them to get injured.  On a bag, hitting with the top of the foot shouldn't hurt, though.

 

Our instructors usually take the "if it hurts, stop" approach.  Instead of kicking 10 times rapidly, kick 5 with small breaks between.  That sort of thing.

[Snickerdoodle]

Not too old.  I study a different discipline and I am often sore and bruised up.   

[SKL]

I also have a stiff neck a lot of the time.  I also find the chest guard to be stifling.  I guess I am a whiner!

 

It's been a while since we did any breaking, and so far I've only done it with the bottom of my feet.  It was pretty funny when I had to try 3 or 4 times at the belt test, because the 1st time the guy holding it moved, and after that my foot hurt.  :P  I was thinking of asking them to not make it so thick next time.  (They made me break 2 boards together, about 1.5" thick total.  I had never practiced that.)  Can you ask them to make it a little easier on an old lady?  :P

[Snickerdoodle]

Yes, you are a whiner.  BUT  don't be afraid to know your limits too.   Sometimes in my class they practice things that I simply cannot do.   During that time, I go to the side and practice a modified version or something that I can do.    Is your class mostly young people and are the instructors young?     I think young people often forget that when you're a bit older strength and mobility issues can be a concern and that recovery times can be longer.  

[Butter]

I also have a stiff neck a lot of the time.  I also find the chest guard to be stifling.  I guess I am a whiner!

 

It's been a while since we did any breaking, and so far I've only done it with the bottom of my feet.  It was pretty funny when I had to try 3 or 4 times at the belt test, because the 1st time the guy holding it moved, and after that my foot hurt.  :p  I was thinking of asking them to not make it so thick next time.  (They made me break 2 boards together, about 1.5" thick total.  I had never practiced that.)  Can you ask them to make it a little easier on an old lady?  :p

 

The chest guard is very stifling.  So is the head gear.  I don't think that's being a whiner.

 

There are standards that are required for board breaking so that probably can't change.  We use rebreakable boards so we can practice a lot and not worry about cutting boards properly (though this week is bring a buddy, break a board which involves breaking real wooden boards - but easy so even people who have never taken a single class can do it).  It doesn't seem very fair that they made you break the boards put together and you had never done that before.  My board is blue which is equal to a 1 1/4" thick wooden board.  My daughter does that one as well.  My oldest son's is green (equal to 1"), and then my little boys have yellow and orange boards which are progressively easier.  My husband does a brown board (1 3/4").  Eventually I'll do brown and he'll do black (when we're black belts).  Since we have so many rebreakables (the only ones we don't have is white - the easiest and black - the hardest), sometimes we'll practice starting with the easiest and move up.  In fact, when I was able to go back two weeks after my surgery, I started with my middle son's orange board and worked up because my strength was down from how I had been before the surgery.  We do forms, weapons, and boards pretty much every single lesson (twice a week usually) so we get a lot of practice in class on everything.

 

The skill of the person holding the boards does make a difference.  We have a 16 year old junior instructor (homeschooled! lol) who is amazing.  There's another (homeschool graduate! lol) who is getting better and holds great for me, but not necessarily for other people.  At belt testing last week, the other instructor was holding for my daughter and it wasn't working.  Then the 16 year old came over and double held and she got it first try.  Unfortunately, your foot might have hurt after the kick where the holder moved because the motion might have caused a minor injury or made you move in a way that your body wasn't used to.  It happens.

 

I will say, I used to be the biggest wimp about pain.  Now I'm almost proud of soreness after doing TKD.  I guess that's because it just makes me so proud of myself for getting so incredibly far out of my comfort zone to do this and that feels good mentally even when it doesn't feel good physically.

[SKL]

The instructors are all young guys.  There are often a few older men in the class (mostly higher belts), but I'm usually the only woman who looks anywhere close to 40+.

 

The other thing that was weird yesterday is that they made me spar with young kids.  I'm fine sparring with kids who have had their growth spurt, but I'm talking ~10 and under.  I can't hit them, seriously?

 

This is a new instructor at this location.  The previous guy would have sparred with us [adults] himself if there was an odd number, or gave someone a different job to do or something.

 

I wonder if I should talk to the instructor?

[jenn-]

We used to have a young guy instructor that I swear was ADHD.  He was so high energy that we dreaded going to his class.  He forgot that most of us were human and not the Energizer Bunny.  He was a fairly new instructor that was used to taking the advanced black belt classes so his expectations were too high.  We talked to the owner and she had a sit down with him.  He was still hyper as all get out, but we no longer wanted to die after every practice.

 

Spar gear is stifling.  Make sure they don't tie you too tight (it needs to be snug but you should be able to breathe fully still).  If the kids are a much higher rank then you, have little mercy on them.  They should be able to spar well enough to get the heck out of your reach.  Obviously you don't want to injure them so kicking to the point you fling them across the mats would be unacceptable but that is just as much about controlling your own body.  When I spar the little kids that are still really developing their sparring skills, I act more teacher-like than opponent-like making sure I stay low enough that they can get my chest guard properly and kicking at them only when I see them drop their arms or start looking away.  Heck most of the kids in there know how to beat me sparring, just bounce around enough and eventually the old lady is gasping for air and stops moving.

 

Board breaking is a set expectation at our school.  Kids over 12 are expected to get through two of the thick boards.  DD was shocked when she was handed two boards at one of her test as she had only practiced on one and she mentally psyched herself out of the break.  Luckily they dropped a board and she went through on the first try and they still passed her.  We are not a board breaking school though.  We break once between testing to teach you the skill required for the next test.  This is a bummer for me since I love breaking.

 

 

[Truscifi]

I also have a stiff neck a lot of the time.  I also find the chest guard to be stifling.  I guess I am a whiner!

 

It's been a while since we did any breaking, and so far I've only done it with the bottom of my feet.  It was pretty funny when I had to try 3 or 4 times at the belt test, because the 1st time the guy holding it moved, and after that my foot hurt.  :p  I was thinking of asking them to not make it so thick next time.  (They made me break 2 boards together, about 1.5" thick total.  I had never practiced that.)  Can you ask them to make it a little easier on an old lady?  :p

 

I don't think that's whiny - I hate the chest guard and head gear! I feel like I can't breathe in them. Adults aren't required to wear them at our school. We're also allowed to choose the type of break we do. I always choose heel strike or palm strike because we put the boards on blocks for those. I hate having to rely on someone to hold it just right.

 

I do think you can talk to your instructors if you don't feel comfortable with something. Perhaps start with breaking one board to warm up? We do rolls over people/bags and always start with a regular roll, then over one, then two, and so on. Also people who aren't as confident can always choose to do less.

[SKL]

Generally I just do what I can do and the instructor is nice about it.  Our old instructor used to say that even as I have to respect him for being the teacher / higher rank, he has to respect me for being much older / a parent.  Not exactly sure how the protocol works, but so far I haven't been kicked out ....

[jenn-]

Generally I just do what I can do and the instructor is nice about it.  Our old instructor used to say that even as I have to respect him for being the teacher / higher rank, he has to respect me for being much older / a parent.  Not exactly sure how the protocol works, but so far I haven't been kicked out ....

 

My high knees will never be the high knees of the younger kids.  Even if I can get them up there for a couple of times, I cannot maintain it.  My instructors (beyond the young guy that isn't teaching any more) realize that older bodies have their limitations.  As long as you try your best to keep up and don't look like you are just looking for an excuse to be lazy, you should be fine.  I have injured my feet twice now, once due to tripping over my own feet and rolling my big toe under and once a broken toe due to a shopping cart incident, and all instructors were okay with me modifying anything I needed to do to keep the pain down to a minimum.  With the big toe that meant I couldn't kick anything solid with that foot and pivoting was challenging so they didn't give me grief on technique.  With the little toe I had to be able to control all my landings to land squarely on the pad of my foot under my big toe (luckily this was opposite feet because the big toe injury can still easily flare up) so there were a lot of jumping exercises I just couldn't do.  I made sure I wasn't just standing around while everyone else was working out though.

[Butter]

The other thing that was weird yesterday is that they made me spar with young kids.  I'm fine sparring with kids who have had their growth spurt, but I'm talking ~10 and under.  I can't hit them, seriously?

 

I'd talk to the instructor.  The height difference alone would be a big issue for you sparring with little kids.  Our instructor (who is right about exactly my age) matches up sparring partners both with abilities and size.  A white belt isn't going to spar a black belt and an adult isn't going to spar an 8 year old.  It's not a good idea to risk injuries.  Our school also doesn't regularly spar until high ranks (camo - which means I have to spar for the first time tonight - yikes!).  You can go to specific sparring classes as a low rank - and my older two and husband did - but you don't have to and don't spar as a low rank during regular classes (eta in family and 5-12 year old beginner class - low ranks do spar in adult class).

[SKL]

My high knees will never be the high knees of the younger kids.  Even if I can get them up there for a couple of times, I cannot maintain it.  My instructors (beyond the young guy that isn't teaching any more) realize that older bodies have their limitations.  As long as you try your best to keep up and don't look like you are just looking for an excuse to be lazy, you should be fine.  I have injured my feet twice now, once due to tripping over my own feet and rolling my big toe under and once a broken toe due to a shopping cart incident, and all instructors were okay with me modifying anything I needed to do to keep the pain down to a minimum.  With the big toe that meant I couldn't kick anything solid with that foot and pivoting was challenging so they didn't give me grief on technique.  With the little toe I had to be able to control all my landings to land squarely on the pad of my foot under my big toe (luckily this was opposite feet because the big toe injury can still easily flare up) so there were a lot of jumping exercises I just couldn't do.  I made sure I wasn't just standing around while everyone else was working out though.

 

On the day of our yellow belt test, my then-6yo had just had her foot stepped on by a horse.  There was a large bruise on her foot and she was near tears.  They were really nice about it and she did pass her belt test.  :)

[jenn-]

I'd talk to the instructor.  The height difference alone would be a big issue for you sparring with little kids.  Our instructor (who is right about exactly my age) matches up sparring partners both with abilities and size.  A white belt isn't going to spar a black belt and an adult isn't going to spar an 8 year old.  It's not a good idea to risk injuries.  Our school also doesn't regularly spar until high ranks (camo - which means I have to spar for the first time tonight - yikes!).  You can go to specific sparring classes as a low rank - and my older two and husband did - but you don't have to and don't spar as a low rank during regular classes (eta in family and 5-12 year old beginner class - low ranks do spar in adult class).

 

I do not know where the camo belt fits in the grand scheme of things as we do not use it.  Do you know what gup you are or where you fall in the order of your own belt system?  We do not spar until orange belt here which is 3 complete testing cycles in.

 

On the day of our yellow belt test, my then-6yo had just had her foot stepped on by a horse.  There was a large bruise on her foot and she was near tears.  They were really nice about it and she did pass her belt test.  :)

 

A good school would accommodate a child that age, especially at the low ranks.  It sounds like you have yourself a good dojang.

[TKDmom]

The instructors are all young guys. There are often a few older men in the class (mostly higher belts), but I'm usually the only woman who looks anywhere close to 40+.

 

The other thing that was weird yesterday is that they made me spar with young kids. I'm fine sparring with kids who have had their growth spurt, but I'm talking ~10 and under. I can't hit them, seriously?

 

 

I'm one of 3 women at our dojang. One is a college student, one is in her 50s (and way fitter than I have ever been), and I'm in the middle. I get paired with kids all the time. The instructors usually try to pair similar sizes together, but then we rotate partners, and they would rather pair me with my 8yo than let my 10yo beat him up. And to be honest, I don't like being paired with some of the adult men in my classes. Not all of them pull their punches. And I haven't learned to guard my face as well as I should. :P

 

Sometimes I feel like I'm in a wierd mentor, but still a student position when I'm paired with a kid for self-defense or sparring. If you're concerned, definitely talk to the instructor, but it may be a good opportunity for the kids to face a much larger opponent in a safe environment. One of our instructors is big on self-defense, and I think any real-life situation will have children at risk from a bigger opponent.

 

And sparring gear. Ugh. The canvas uniform is bad enough. Adding vinyl padding on top is awful. I nearly have heat exhaustion every time we spar. If it wasn't for that, I think I'd really enjoy sparring.

[Butter]

I do not know where the camo belt fits in the grand scheme of things as we do not use it.  Do you know what gup you are or where you fall in the order of your own belt system?  We do not spar until orange belt here which is 3 complete testing cycles in.

 

White, then orange, then yellow, then camo.  So we've tested three times at this point.  You've been going at least 6 months by camo.

[TKDmom]

White, then orange, then yellow, then camo. So we've tested three times at this point. You've been going at least 6 months by camo.

I was wondering about that, too. Our school does white, then a stripe, yellow, then a stripe, green, etc, with a minimum of 3 months between rank advancements. We start sparring at high yellow or green, which means you would have been there at least 9 months to a year. Sometimes they let the lower ranks spar, but it's strictly no-contact.

[jenn-]

White, then orange, then yellow, then camo.  So we've tested three times at this point.  You've been going at least 6 months by camo.

 

That would be our orange belt level so the same point we start sparring.  It was interesting to find out recently that Korea only recognizes a couple of the belt colors (I think it was white, green, red, and black) and all the colors for the levels in between are determined by the dojang.  Makes it harder for me to compare against other schools without asking.  We go white, yellow, yellow with an orange stripe (aka yellow senior), orange, orange sr, green, green sr, blue, blue sr, red, red sr, brown, brown sr, and several different black belts before getting the solid black.  DD had to spar against a purple belt this past weekend and I had no clue what rank that was to us.  I think I figured it out to be a senior blue on our scale.

[Butter]

We do double colors as well, but they mark it with a black stripe on the right hand side of the belt.  Little kids (under about 6ish) do double belts after white.  Older kids and adults start doubles at camo.  So we're camo-recommended and next we'll be camo-decided.  Recommended has no black stripe, but decided does.  My daughter and youngest are both orange-decided right now (Adrian opted not to test this past cycle).  After camo we do green, then purple, blue, brown, red, black (two of each - of course black then goes up degrees).

[SKL]

I guess you would say it isn't really sparring with us low belts.  I am pretty hopeless and the higher belts are always careful not to hurt me - at least not on purpose.  ;)  But they put us in there to get a feel for it, I guess.

[Butter]

I guess you would say it isn't really sparring with us low belts.  I am pretty hopeless and the higher belts are always careful not to hurt me - at least not on purpose.  ;)  But they put us in there to get a feel for it, I guess.

 

That gives me hope that sparring won't be too bad.  I'm seriously terrified lol  I posted on FB about how nervous I was and my instructor responded that they'll teach me slowly and work me up to it.  I'm still nervous, though.

[jenn-]

In the lower ranks they do something called pre-sparring with us.  The student gets the fun of kicking at the chest gear of a higher ranking student (typically the black belts get to be on the receiving end) without having to worry about the other person kicking back.  Depending on how skilled the lower rank is, that could literally mean the black belt stays completely still letting the other person kick or if you show any talent they move around but still make sure you can get them to some degree.  Once they hit sparring rank the classes for sparring is closer to your rank so in our case orange and green belts typically spar so neither is seriously going to be more advanced then the other.  That's unless you are stupid like me and haul your over 12 child to the adult mixed rank class (where we are inevitably the lowest rank) and have to learn to survive quickly.  Honestly DD's boney knees have probably bruised me the most in sparring as we always end up against each other once or twice (the downside of being the exact same rank and size).

[SKL]

LOL, my kids would cream me if we sparred together.  They are ruthless!

[jenn-]

Ugh! After tonight's practice I know I will have a hamstring giving me a painful lecture on the merits of proper stretching in the morning. I might have to change my vote and just say we are too old for this craziness. This body can only laugh at the idea of a jump spin axe kick but by George I tried my best.

[hillfarm]

 And to be honest, I don't like being paired with some of the adult men in my classes. Not all of them pull their punches. And I haven't learned to guard my face as well as I should. :p

 

....

And sparring gear. Ugh. The canvas uniform is bad enough. Adding vinyl padding on top is awful. I nearly have heat exhaustion every time we spar. If it wasn't for that, I think I'd really enjoy sparring.

 

You should speak with your instructor. It is inexcusable for anyone in a martial arts class with any experience or control to harm the other students. Class is for training, not for getting hurt for no reason other than someone's lack of control or macho attitude. Yes, you certainly should learn to guard your face and head as well as you can, but this is unreasonable. My instructor would be having a very serious talk with those guys. It is ethically wrong and also, it is allowing the guys to get away without improving their targeting (assuming they are hitting too hard by accident, not by design) which smacks of poor discipline or training. If they are hitting too hard intentionally, they need to be harshly censured. I would not stay at a facility which ignores this problem. Because if they are hitting you too hard, they are also probably hitting any other women or all the children too hard.

 

We had a guy who started to get like this in my class. The instructor spoke with him after the first incident. The guy was contrite but not able to control himself enough to keep it from happening a second time. After that, the instructor refused to allow him to spar with anyone other than the black belts who knew how to defend themselves from him and would not allow him to hurt them. After a third time, when the guy got mad during a sparring session and really tried to take someone's head off, the instructor asked him to leave the dojo, due to his lack of self control. My instructor had refused to allow this guy to spar with any of the females or children after the first offense. He will not tolerate anyone being injured unnecessarily. We all know that some bumps and bruises are inevitable, but those due to uncontrolled aggression or carelessness are unacceptable in a training facility.

 

When we are sparring, my instructor will ask me if it is alright to have my opponents go harder at me. And I know I can count on him to stop them immediately if he sees it getting out of hand or beyond my defensive skills. I also know that when I am working with a less experienced opponent (age being less relevant than experience), that I should always pull my punches and not go beyond their level of experience regardless of my prowess.

 

Regarding sparring gear - ugh. With the vast number of females in martial arts, you would have though that someone would make comfortable chest protectors for women. Or gis that fit a female chest decently without gaping open or being way too long. Or pants that fit in both length and width. I know, too much to ask.,,

[Snickerdoodle]

Or pants that fit in both length and width. I know, too much to ask.,,

 

Please, can we talk?   LOL

It's atrocious.  

[Butter]

Maybe you should design them.  There'd be a huge market, I am sure!

 

After all my stress over having to spar now that we're high ranks, we didn't spar last night lol

[dbmamaz]

I did TKD with my kids for a year and a half.  It was very hard for me, exhausting, but i stuck with it and it did get a bit easier.  Until I fell and couldnt really walk right for 18 mo, including a surgery.  I wonder in retrospect if I should have known better?  I was never very athletic.  I think I was about 45 when I started.  

 

but lack of sleep definitely makes everything hurt more

[jenn-]

Please, can we talk?   LOL

It's atrocious.  

 

 

Maybe you should design them.  There'd be a huge market, I am sure!

 

After all my stress over having to spar now that we're high ranks, we didn't spar last night lol

 

I wonder if the instructors would notice if I took my DD's pants apart and took out some of the extra width?  She is the height of a size 4 uniform and the weight of a size 2.  This has been the story of her life.  It would be great if I could just find a top that wasn't as low cut as the standard ones.  I wouldn't care if it was cut for the female body.  As it stands, I cannot go to practice without a t-shirt underneath. 

[Truscifi]

I wonder if the instructors would notice if I took my DD's pants apart and took out some of the extra width?  She is the height of a size 4 uniform and the weight of a size 2.  This has been the story of her life.  It would be great if I could just find a top that wasn't as low cut as the standard ones.  I wouldn't care if it was cut for the female body.  As it stands, I cannot go to practice without a t-shirt underneath. 

 

We always wear a t shirt underneath gis, men and women alike. With grappling and whatnot you can never be sure the gi will stay in place!

[hillfarm]

We wear t's under our gi tops also, which I hate because I get hot easily. But I would hate exposing all those teenaged boys in my class to my private charms even more. (They'd probably go blind for a time, and I'd hate to be responsible...) I periodically go to the local Goodwill and buy 3 or 4 black t's (we wear black gis), then we wear them until they get torn or otherwise unwearable and then pitch them.

 

Regarding the pants, I am medium to short and dd is definitely tall and thin, so I order pants that fit both of us at the waist and then I take off the extra from the bottom of mine and add it to the bottom of hers. I guess it doesn't look too bad, because I've had several other students and parents ask me where I was able to find her pants that fit so well!

[SKL]

Speaking of old people pains.  Yesterday I attended a professional lunch meeting where I had several men shake my hand.  Call me weird, but it now hurts for me to have my hand shaken (by a man, at least).  My goodness.  This is scary.