If you had your time again, but still had the benefit of the knowledge of your years of training, what would you have done different?
Personally, i would have spent more time on my flexibillity and started Tae Kwon Do at a younger age (prior to Tae Kwon Do i boxed and also did a little aikido)but have always done a lot of fitness and weight training.

What would you have changed or focused on?

It may sound cliche or even dismissive, but I mean this sincerely: wouldn't change anything, because that would mean I wouldn't know the things I do now.

Instead of doing karate at the age of 19 - I wish I had started taekwondo instead and continued training.

I would have been at least a 3rd Dan by now and won a few more major titles as I started taekwondo too late at the age of 31.

Having said that, my old boss at my previous job said something that stuck in my mind. "At least you discoverd Taekwondo when you did or you would never have discovered what you had."

Some of us had to go and make all the mistakes so that those that follow can learn it properly

Looking back I wouldn't change much, except perhaps not have given up martial arts in my teenage years. Then again my outlook on martial arts may have been different if I hadn't have had that break.

I would like to be 10 years younger now as there is so much around now that I want to learn and get better at.

Trailblazer wrote:
It may sound cliche or even dismissive, but I mean this sincerely: wouldn't change anything, because that would mean I wouldn't know the things I do now.

I did say if you had the benefit of your years of training, surely you didn't get everything right all of the time? Or are you saying that the mistakes you made has helped you to be the person/martial artist you are?

Lesley Jackson wrote:
Instead of doing karate at the age of 19 - I wish I had started taekwondo instead and continued training.

I would have been at least a 3rd Dan by now and won a few more major titles as I started taekwondo too late at the age of 31.

Having said that, my old boss at my previous job said something that stuck in my mind. "At least you discoverd Taekwondo when you did or you would never have discovered what you had."

I think your old boss has got it totally right, from my perspective, i wish i had started younger also (i was 36!)but i have introduced my children to our club and have realised that it's not all about me...Still frustrated though 'cause i think i could have done better in competition if i had started younger...
Though i guess that is fairly obvious...

Here's my personal 25 signs of aging in a martial artist:

You know you’re getting old in the Martial Arts when:

1. You realize that those who taught you and many of your fellow students that you starting training with are dead.

2. You get out of bed and your first fifteen steps are like the “dawn of man” poster.

3. The other students call you “Grampa” and you realize that you are one.

4. You’re shaving your Father in the mirror.

5. “Designer stubble” makes you look homeless.

6. Your Karate belt gets shorter and training doesn’t make you slimmer or fitter just out of breath and more tired.

7. Training on a cold day your head is too hot and your feet are still numb.

8. People mistake your Karate Kata for Tai Chi.

9. You stand on one leg and the other one keeps giving way.

10. You have to wear pads to protect your varicose veins.

11. Your Martial Arts training started “B.B.L” (Before Bruce Lee).

12. You dribble (from any orifice) when you Kiai.

13. On a residential course you have to have your own room because of your frequent trips to the toilet and loud snoring.

14. Most of your traveling luggage comprises of a medical kit.

15. To identify someone’s instructor you have to go back several generations to find someone you know.

16. No company will insure you for Martial arts training.

17. You remember when Martial Arts were about using the opponents force against them and required courtesy and humility.

18. You find yourself using old fashioned words that nobody understands like “knapsack” instead of “rucksack”, LP instead of CD and misunderstand modern usage of words like “gay”.

19. You grew up in a society where boxing was the way men sorted out their differences and only girls pulled hair or kicked in a fight.

20. The “old boy” training that you’re describing is twenty years younger than you.

21. Your back goes out more than you do.

22. You’ve finally got your head together and now your body’s falling apart.

23. Your secret techniques are safe with your friends because they can’t remember them either.

24. To kick someone in the head you have to kick them in the groin first.

25. The “pause’ in a Kata becomes a “senior moment” and is followed by an uninspiring blend of everything you know until you collapse with exhaustion because you can’t think of the finishing moves.

Blimey Steve, have you been watching me train!

Well for one thing, I wouldn't have quit TKD when I was in high school. I would have stuck it out and obtained my BB there. Another thing would be in like you had mentioned earlier about maintaining flexibility. I surely wouldn't have done many of the exercise movements incorrectly which were thought of as proper back in the day! I would have also liked to have a more balanced outlook in my training than I did.

dajack9 wrote:
Trailblazer wrote:
It may sound cliche or even dismissive, but I mean this sincerely: wouldn't change anything, because that would mean I wouldn't know the things I do now.

I did say if you had the benefit of your years of training, surely you didn't get everything right all of the time? Oops! No, I got almost everything wrong the first several times--or more.

Or are you saying that the mistakes you made has helped you to be the person/martial artist you are? Yup, that one.

Thanks, Steve. Hadn't had a good belly laugh yet today.