Give it up to the elderly!!!!!

[GeneChing]

106-year-old in Salt Lake City still feisty, sharp in daily exercise routine

At age 106, Mary Kawakami of Salt Lake City stays sharp and feisty with a daily exercise routine designed by her 75-year-old son.

By ABC7.com staff
Tuesday, December 10, 2019 4:24PM
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah (KABC) -- So what's your excuse?

You may need to find a new reason to skip exercising after watching a feisty 106-year-old perform her workout routine with her 75-year-old son.

Mary Kawakami is a workout diva, starting every day with a routine designed by her son Paul.

He's helped her out for more than 20 years.

They absolutely adore each other and their workout is like a comedy routine.

"The reason why she lived so long is she's mean," Paul jokes.

Mary embraces her centenarian status.

"How old am I? 1-0-6. Will be 107 in two weeks. Basically I am old!" she says.

And she's not slowing down. Her lungs are still strong and her heart rate is excellent.

And Paul - who is a Tai Chi instructor - says his mom is the best. Whatever he comes up with she is willing to try.

THREADS
Give it up to the elderly!!!!!
Taijiquan's health (or longevity) benefits overrated?

[GeneChing]

Coronavirus: 103-year-old woman becomes oldest person to beat disease
Centenarian recovers after just six days of treatment at hospital in virus epicentre
Chiara Giordano
32 minutes ago

A 103-year-old woman has become the oldest person to beat coronavirus and return home.

Zhang Guangfen recovered from the disease after receiving treatment for just six days at a hospital in Wuhan – the Chinese city at the centre of the outbreak.

The centenarian’s quick recovery was down to her having no underlying health conditions apart from mild chronic bronchitis, her doctor Dr Zeng Yulan told reporters.

She was diagnosed at Liyuan Hospital, Tongji Medical College, in Wuhan on 1 March, Chutian Metropolis Daily reports.

The newspaper published a video showing the woman being escorted out of the hospital to a waiting ambulance by a group of medical workers as she was discharged on Tuesday.

Older people and those with pre-existing medical conditions are more at risk of developing severe coronavirus symptoms.

The grandmother has become the oldest person to recover from the deadly disease so far – days after a 101-year-old man also beat the virus in Wuhan.

A 100-year-old man with Alzheimer’s disease, hypertension and heart failure also recovered from the virus in Wuhan this week after being treated by military doctors.

Wuhan’s 11 million residents have been in lockdown since late January.

The disease has infected more than 80,700 people in China and killed more than 3,000.


103-year-old Zhang Guangfen has been discharged from hospital in Wuhan, China, after recovering from coronavirus. (Chutian Metropolis Daily/screen grab)

Latest figures from the National Health Commission on the spread of the virus showed 24 new cases across China, and 22 more deaths as of Tuesday.

All of the latest deaths occurred in Wuhan.

However new infections in the wider Hubei province continue to stabilise, with new cases declining for the sixth day. All 13 new cases in Hubei were recorded in Wuhan.

Additional reporting by agencies.

THREADS
Give it up to the elderly!!!!!
COVID-19

[GeneChing]

... perhaps the will emerge with some later report.

Elderly Woman, 80, Uses Her Martial Arts Skills to Fend off Two 21-Year-Old Thieves
BY REBECCA SPEARE-COLE ON 12/7/20 AT 10:18 AM EST

An 80-year-old woman fended off two 21-year-old thieves who were trying to raid her home in France by using her martial arts skills.

Two 21-year-old men appeared at the Béziers criminal court on Friday for assaulting and attempting to steal from her home in Agde in the southern region of Hérault on November 17, according to France Bleu.

It emerged that the men, both from Frontignan, had thought the woman was wealthy so planned to target her house but it was in fact a modest home on the Hérault river, the broadcaster said.

One of the men, a former legionnaire, was wearing a motorcycle helmet and was carrying a semi-automatic pistol, when he rang the doorbell. The gun has not been found, the court reportedly heard.

The woman, who is Belgian and has been described as a "master" in martial arts by French media, opened the door and was confronted by one of the two men.

Instead of retreating, she kicked him in the testicles before punching him several times, according to France Bleu.

As the man tried to contain her, she reportedly struggled as much as she could before screaming loudly to alert neighbours.

Three people came running to help and as they arrived to help, reports say the man attempted to grab the jewelry the elderly lady was wearing but to no avail.


The Bezier Criminal Court in southern France.
GOOGLE MAPS
He then fled, joining the other man who was reportedly waiting on a stolen motorcycle in front of the house. They drove off without having stolen anything.

The driver of the motorcycle, a former soldier, was arrested last week after the discovery of several of his fingerprints at the scene, France Blue said.

The other man who confronted the woman has been sentenced five times in the past, including spending three years in prison for aggravated theft before being released last April, the media outlet added.

He now reportedly faces up to 20 years in prison so asked for a trial postponement in court to prepare his defense. Both men have been remanded in custody as they await trial, reports say.

Meanwhile, the 80-year-old woman sustained wounds to her hands in the attack and has now been given 30 days of Incapacité Temporaire Totale de Travail (ITT), which means time off work due to her injuries.

Newsweek has contacted the local police in Adge for comment.

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Give-it-up-to-the-elderly!!!!!

[GeneChing]

Video behind the link

Update: Elderly Asian Woman Who Clobbered Her Attacker Talks About Terrifying Assault In San Francisco
March 18, 2021 at 6:31 am


SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) — An elderly woman attacked on Market St. in San Francisco Wednesday – the latest victim in a wave of attacks on Asians in the Bay Area – spoke to KPIX 5 about turning the tables on her assailant, leaving him with injuries that required a trip to the hospital.

From her senior retirement home in San Francisco, Xiao Zhen Xie candidly talked to KPIX 5 in an exclusive interview about the attack and her injuries, with her daughter Dong-Mei Li interpreting.

“Very traumatized, very scared and this eye is still bleeding,” Li told KPIX 5. “The right eye still cannot see anything and still bleeding and we have something to absorb the bleeding.”

For the latest, real-time San Francisco Bay Area news and alerts, click to download the KPIX 5 news app

Surrounded by her family, the 76-year-old who has resided in San Francisco for 26 years said she was quite shaken up and that the attack was completely unprovoked. Her immediate instinct was to fight back.

Xiao Zhen Xie says she was just waiting at the traffic light and then the suspect punched her by her left eye.

Immediately, her instincts kicked in to defend herself. While she suffered injuries and required medical attention, it was her attacker that ended up on the stretcher. “She found the stick around the area and fought back,” said Li.

Li said her mother cannot see at all out of her left eye and hasn’t been able to eat. The hope is that time will heal the physical and emotional wounds, but her family said the incident has left her scared for her life.

“As you can see she is extremely terrified,” Xie’s grandson John Chen told KPIX 5. “She’s terrified to even step out.”

Xie’s family has set up a GoFundMe account to help with her medical expenses.

San Francisco police said they are investigating the aggravated assault. The incident happened at Market St. and Charles J. Brenham Place near McAllister St. at around 10:30 a.m.

Coming upon the scene during his morning run was KPIX Sports Director Dennis O’Donnell.

“There was a guy on a stretcher and a frustrated angry woman with a stick in her hand,” said O’Donnell.

In a video he captured on his cellphone, Xie is seen with an injury to the side of her face and eye and holding an ice pack to her face. Police said both Xie and her assailant were taken to a hospital for treatment.

Witnesses told KPIX 5 they saw Xie pummeling the assailant. In the video, the alleged assailant is handcuffed to a stretcher with his face bloodied. A sobbing Xie berates the man and waves what looks to be a wooden board at him as he’s being taken away.

“You bum, why did you hit me?” she said to the man on the stretcher in Chinese.

Xie then turned to the crowd of people who had gathered, saying, “This bum, he hit me,” as she raised the stick she held and sobbed. “He hit me, this bum,“ she repeated.

The victim added that she had been leaning against a light pole and all of a sudden, the man punched her without provocation.

“The woman said that she was hit,” O’Donnell says. “She attacked back. From what I could see, she wanted more of the guy on the stretcher and the police were holding her back.”

Police did not disclose a motive for the attack and it was not clear whether the victim’s race had anything to do with the assault.

Officers also say there was a second victim Wednesday morning, an 83-year-old Asian man. A 39-year-old man is now being investigated for both attacks, and police say they are working to determine if bias was a factor.

“We have to do our job and we have to investigate these cases with all resources brought to bear and we need to make arrests, and we’ve done that,” San Francisco Police Chief Bill Scott said Wednesday.

Both the police chief and the mayor highlighted the arrests made in connection with previous attacks in the city, promising more targeted patrols.

“We need to understand, not only what is going on, but why these attacks occur,” said Mayor London Breed. “Because in some cases they didn’t include any robbery or theft.”

As for one case that did include robbery; police have announced three arrests in connection with the violent attack caught on camera in a San Francisco laundromat. Police say the suspects, arrested in Antioch, are also tied to eight car burglaries in the city.

“Again, you have a small group of individuals,” Scott said. “All of those three that were arrested live outside the city.”

Hate crimes against Asian Americans rose 150% in 2020, even as hate crimes overall declined. In January, a 91-year-old man was shoved to the ground in Oakland’s Chinatown. An assault in San Francisco killed 94-year-old Vichar Ratanapakdee, while another assault left 75-year-old Pak Ho dead in Oakland last week.

Most recently, 59-year-old Danny Yu Chang was severely beaten on San Francisco’s Market St. on Monday, leaving him with serious injuries.

And for every crime reported, state Assemblyman David Chui (D-San Francisco) says there are more that aren’t.

“It’s not just the incredible violence in a number of incidents, but how racism has manifested itself in so many ways,” said Chiu.

Chiu and other Asian American and Pacific Islanders are proposing a statewide hotline for reporting and dealing with hate crimes, as well as legislations for restorative justice programs. They also want Governor Gavin Newsom to appoint an attorney general from the community.

The wave of incidents has sparked rallies throughout the Bay Area condemning anti-Asian violence and more than $1.4 million in state funding to track and stop the attacks.

The group Stop AAPI Hate said over the past year there have been nearly 4,000 hate incidents against Asians across the U.S. Chiu says 1,600 of those attacks were in California.

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Give-it-up-to-the-elderly!!!!!

[GeneChing]

Follow the link for the vid

98-year-old Chinese grandma stuns spectators with amazing kung fu moves
Avery Choi

Ninety-eight year old Zhang Hexian has stunned spectators with amazing kung fu moves at a martial arts competition in China’s eastern Zhejiang province. Otherwise known as “kung fu grandma”, Zhang practises Xiao Hong Quan, one of the most popular forms of Shaolin boxing, and has been training since the age of 5.

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Songshan-Shaolin-Lyrics-Xiaohongquan
Give-it-up-to-the-elderly!!!!!

[GeneChing]

More on Amma here.

Meet the Sword-Wielding Grandmother Bringing Women Back to Indian Martial Arts
Women who practiced kalaripayattu were a thing of the past—until Meenakshi Amma.
BY SHOMA ABHYANKAR
MAY 13, 2022


Meenakshi Amma, shown here at age 76, continues to teach students kalaripayattu in her “kalari,” or arena, in Kerala, India, today at age 81. ALL PHOTOS: FUTURE PUBLISHING VIA GETTY IMAGES

CLAD IN A RED SARI with a gold border, Meenakshi Raghavan wields a sword and a shield. The petite woman assumes a formidable stance and matches each strike from her opponent—twice her size and less than half her age—with an alert ferocity that reflects in her eyes. Meenakshi Amma, as her family and disciples fondly call her, is at the “kalari,” or arena, in Vadakara, a small town in northern Kerala, India, training her students the moves of the martial art of kalaripayattu. One disciple, as her students are known, swings his sword through the air but Meenakshi Amma suddenly twists on the mud floor dodging the attack and counter striking, taking her disciple by surprise.

Everything about Meenakshi Amma is a surprise. At 81 years of age, Meenakshi Amma is the oldest woman “gurukkal,” or teacher, actively practicing this ancient practice from the southern Indian state of Kerala. She is credited in popularizing the once-banned practice and with inspiring women—long excluded from the kalari—to take up the martial art as means to self-defense.

Derived from the Sanskrit word “khalurika” meaning battlefield or military training ground, kalaripayattu—or simply, payattu—dates back thousands of years and was traditionally practiced by the Nair community warriors of Kerala. Yoga postures paired with wooden sticks, metal blades and bare-hand combat techniques make it one of the more complex martial arts. “Kalaripayattu is a complete art form that has the grace of a dancer and lethal moves of a warrior. It synchronizes both mental and physical faculties and tests the extreme limits of the body and mind.’ says Meenakshi Amma.


Kalaripayattu had been a part of the culture in Kerala for centuries until it was banned under British rule in the early 19th century.
For centuries kalarippayattu was deeply ingrained in the culture of Kerala, according to the late historian and Kalaripayattu master, Chirakkal T. Sreedharan Nair. It was both a mode of warfare and a method of settling disputes between feuding families. Throughout this time, women trained along with men. Some, such as Unniyarcha, identified as a 16th-century woman warrior, became fixtures in the folklore of Kerala.

But the prominence of kalaripayattu had already begun its slow decline with the arrival of Europeans on the shores of Kerala around the late 15th century. Its traditional weapons were no match for the firearms of the Portuguese. The final blow came with British rule. An armed revolt between 1796 and 1805 by the combined forces of Pazhassi Raza, Nair warriors, and Kurchiya tribes of Wayanad, resulted in the British officer Lord William Bentick issuing a government order in 1804, permanently banning possession of weapons and weapons training to curb future revolts. For almost 150 years under the oppressive British rule, the young men and women could not learn and practice the traditional martial art.

The ban on the practice of kalaripayattu by the British lasted until the countrywide Swadeshi Movement, defying British rule, began in the early 1900s. The century-and-half ban had almost wiped away the tradition of systematic practice of the martial art. With the Swadeshi movement, however, began the slow revival when some of the traditionally trained gurus restarted training villagers covertly. It was only in 1958, almost a decade after independence of India that an organized effort towards the revival of martial arts started with the formation of the State Kalaripayattu Association.

Meenakshi Amma was seven, the traditional age for starting kalaripayattu training, when her father introduced her to the practice on the advice of her Bharatanatyam (Indian classical dance) teacher. She started training under her future husband, the legendary late VP Raghavan Gurukkal in 1949 at Kadathanad Kalari Sangham in Kerala. “It is so much a part of me now, just like breathing” the matriarch says now.

“It is so much a part of me now, just like breathing.”

But in the mid-20th century, it was unusual to see a woman in the kalari. Women had become homebound, and the legends of 16th century female warriors like Unniyarcha were history, cited and extolled only in ballads. “I got a lot of encouragement though,” says Meenakshi Amma. “My dance guru and most of the family supported the idea of me being trained in an activity that was predominantly a male bastion.”

While most of the small number of women who did study kalaripayattu gave up after marriage and childbirth, Meenakshi Amma, who married her kalaripayattu teacher, continued her practice. “I took a break during my pregnancies and when my children were younger, but I was always by my husband’s side every day at the kalari. I prepared the herbal oils and Ayurvedic medicines for ‘marmchikilsa’ [massage treatment for vital pressure points of the body], cuts, bruises, pains and aches, an essential part of training of kalaripayattu,” she recalls.


Meenakshi Amma’s example brought more girls and women to kalaripayattu. “Learning the martial arts makes women fearless,” she says.
Meenakshi Amma stepped into her husband’s shoes as a gurukkal after his death in 2009 and has been training young and old, men and women from across the country and abroad. In 2017, “She was like a mother to her students,” says Kunnathukuzhi Francis Thomas Gurukkal, one of her students who runs a kalaripayattu school of his own in Wayanad.

In 2017, Meenakshi Amma was awarded the Padma Shri, one of India’s highest civilian awards for her work. In her paper in Women’s Studies, A****ha Mandakathingal writes, “The massive media coverage Meenakshi received after her national recognition placed Kalaripayattu in limelight in national headlines making it popular talking point, leading to the revival of Kalaripayattu in contemporary Kerala.”

Seeing an old woman handling spears, swords and sticks effortlessly generated a desire and confidence among young women to learn kalaripayattu. “Women should take up payattu to empower themselves,” Meenakshi Amma says. “It not only makes the body stronger but also helps in improving stamina, concentration, and control over motor skills.” She adds, “Learning the martial arts makes women fearless.”

Correction: An earlier version of this story included an image that was incorrectly identified as a childhood photo of Meenakshi Raghavan.

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Give-it-up-to-the-elderly!!!!!
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[GeneChing]

83 year-old martial artist promotes Kung Fu in Hong Kong: "The heritage is very important."

Wong-Fei-Hung
Give-it-up-to-the-elderly!!!!!
Hung-Gar

[SteveLau]

Gene, the master in the video has aged much further that I almost do not recognize him. I agree with you that heritage is very important to us. Because it tells what we are learning, and how it has passed from previous generations.



Regards,

KC
Hong Kong

[GeneChing]

Legendary Judo Coach Uchida Celebrates 103rd Birthday in Style
by Rafu Reports 03/18/2023


Yosh Uchida was joined by past and present members of the San Jose State judo team. (Courtesy Robert Handa)
SAN JOSE — Judo coach Yoshihiro “Yosh” Uchida celebrated his 103rd birthday a little early with 500 of his closest friends last Saturday at Signia by Hilton (formerly the Fairmont Hotel).

Uchida, who was born on April 1, 1920, has been promoting judo in the U.S. for nearly 80 years.

He established the judo program at San Jose State University in 1946; was instrumental in judo being sanctioned in 1952 as an official sport by the Amateur Athletic Union; helped organize the inaugural national collegiate judo championship in 1962; and was the first U.S. Olympic judo coach in 1964 at the Tokyo Games. Under his guidance, SJSU has won more than 40 men’s and 20 women’s titles.


Yosh Uchida in 1964
Uchida is also a community leader who built up a medical laboratory business that was sold to Unilab for $30 million in 1989 and founded the Japanese American Chamber of Commerce of Silicon Valley in 1996. With other investors, he formed the San Jose Nihonmachi Corporation, which invested millions to develop housing and businesses in San Jose’s Japantown.

For his contributions to judo, Uchida was awarded the Order of the Sacred Treasure with Gold Rays in 1986 by Emperor Hirohito; received San Jose State’s highest honor, the Tower Award, in 1992; was inducted into the San Jose Sports Hall of Fame in 1996; and was awarded an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters in 2004. The building on campus that houses the judo dojo was renamed Yoshihiro Uchida Hall in 1997.

Born in the Imperial Valley town of Calexico to Issei farm laborers, Uchida grew up in Garden Grove and took up judo at the age of 10. He studied biology at San Jose State, where he became a student coach in 1940. During World War II, while his family was incarcerated, he was drafted by the Army and served as a medical technician.


Yosh Uchida with Robert Handa, Arlene Sison-Handa and Mike Inouye. (Courtesy Robert Handa)
The event was emceed by NBC Bay Area’s Robert Handa and Mike Inouye. The Steve Nakano Trio and Roy and PJ Hirabayashi of San Jose Taiko performed. There was a traditional kagami-wari ceremony in which a sake barrel was broken open.

Among those taking part in the celebration were former U.S. Rep. Mike Honda, San Jose Mayor Matt Mahon, former Mayor Sam Liccardo, Santa Clara County Supervisor Cindy Chavez, Consul General of Japan in San Francisco Yasushi Noguchi, professional cheerleader Krazy George Henderson, and several past and present members of the SJSU judo team.

I worked for Uchida Sensei for a bit as a driver for his company Laboratory Services. He was a good boss, such a gentleman.

[GeneChing]

The Taekwondo 68 Nun
1:46:00 PM


Calm, serene and noble, this is how we can imagine nuns and sisters in general. This is applicable on our article guest today, except that the sister Linda Sim who is 68 years old is a martial artist and specifically practicing Taekwondo and holding the black belt the 5th Dan in the Korean martial art. The nun Linda started competing in Kyorugi in 1978 and got a bonze medal, and she said that she was beaten very hard at the time, while there was not much protection gears as we can see today.

More than that the sister Linda competed at the World Taekwondo Poomsae championships held in Russia 2011 and won the gold medal in her division.

The Nun Linda practiced Taekwondo for 52 years since 1971, and never gave up even if she had challenges and no support, and now we can see an amazing champion in Taekwondo.

We do believe that Taekwondo is for everyone, it does not matter where you come from or what you do, Taekwondo is uniting us.

Here are few videos of the nun Linda during the world championships.

Tae-Kwon-Do
Give-it-up-to-the-elderly!!!!!

[GeneChing]

90-Year-old Earns Judo Belt Level Reached By Only 6 People in the Nation
By Andy Corbley - Jun 20, 2023


(left) Michael Leigh the judoka stands with his ninth dan, (right) Leigh performing a foot sweep on his opponent; note the extreme flex in his right foot—needed to apply maximum force to sweep his opponent’s planted foot.

A 90-year-old master who’s still limber enough to get on the mat every once in a while has just been awarded his ninth degree, or dan, in Judo.

Only 6 individuals in the UK hold a ninth dan, and Michael Leigh is the oldest judoka in the country to reach what is the second-highest rank in the sport.

Michael Leigh set up the Kin Ryu Judo Club in Crawley, West Sussex, in 1976 after taking up the martial art in 1955 in London and acting as a backup on the UK ’64 Olympic team.

He first discovered the sport while working in the Royal Air Force, after he stumbled on a judo book in a charity shop written by the co-founder of the London Judo Society. He thought it “looked interesting”.

He went on to become the chairman of British Judo for two terms, a national coach, and an international referee.

“When I heard the news I couldn’t quite take it in,” Leigh wrote for his club’s news section. “Knowing that there are only five other people in the UK who have been awarded 9th dan, I find myself amongst peers I greatly admire and respect. I appreciate this recognition of my lifetime of commitment to the amazing sport of Judo and I will hold the grade with great pride and honour.”

Leigh’s school became the largest in the UK at one point, with 520 members in three locations: Crawley, Horley, and Horsham.

“I’ve had a very interesting life, I’ve been to about 160 countries,” he told the BBC, adding that it had been a “wonderful journey”.

“I’m tempted to go on the mat but until my current disabilities go away I don’t think I’ll be able to,” he said. “I miss it very much, but everything has a beginning, middle, and end.”

After obtaining the black belt, judokas move onto the ten dan levels. The last four are generally honorary, with judges at the International Judo Federation taking into consideration their lifelong accomplishments.

Judo is a grappling martial art that involves using leverage and grips to throw opponents to the ground and can be physically punishing. Perhaps the most famous Judo practitioner in popular culture was the former UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion Rhonda Rousey.

In one respect, Rousey and Leigh have more than just their martial skill in common—both have helped make the sport more inclusive.

As a silver citizen, Leigh has organized championships in the UK for older judokas and a special needs Judo program.

Although “more of an oracle” now, Martin Rivers who co-manages the Crawley Judo club said Leigh still gets on the mat from time to time, and certainly doesn’t look a day over 75.

Give-it-up-to-the-elderly!!!!!
Judo

[GeneChing]

US Woman, 71, Earns Guinness World Record Title Of Oldest Female Ninja
World's oldest female ninja: Virginia Lenore MacColl's favourite moves include swinging on rings and climbing ropes.

Edited by Rahul KumarUpdated: September 23, 2023 5:30 pm IST

Virginia Lenore MacColl started ninja warrior competitions at 66.

New Delhi: In the most recent Guinness World Records (GWR) roundup, a 71-year-old woman from the United States was recognised as the oldest female ninja, proving the adage 'Age is just a number' to be completely true. The organisation also released a video showing her navigating obstacle courses filled with a variety of challenges. In the video, she can be seen climbing, jumping, and even swinging from a bar.
"Oldest competitive ninja athlete (female). Competed at the age of 70 years and 90 days," Guinness World Records said in a video post on Instagram. According to the organisation's blog, Virginia Lenore MacColl began her journey into ninja warrior competitions at the age of 66, inspired by her daughter's encouragement to take up sports.

MacColl added that she was motivated to start her journey after watching her daughter, Jessie Graff, participate in American Ninja Warrior.

Ms MacColl said, "While I cheered for my daughter Jessie Graff, I found inspiration in her strength, grace, and health."

Earlier, she had never participated in athletics or weightlifting. She also mentioned that it took her a while to even consider herself an athlete. However, the 71-year-old found herself committing to four cardio, strength training, and obstacle training sessions each week.

"I engage in cardio through swimming two to three times a week," she said.

Her favourite ninja moves include swinging on rings and climbing ropes, while she considers the salmon ladder and the warped wall to be some of the trickier techniques.

Speaking about her husband, she said he was her "biggest supporter." MacColl further mentioned, "Despite being unable to travel for medical reasons, he consistently encourages me to participate in every competition."

Regarding her exercise routine, she explained that her primary dietary choice is a 'Mediterranean diet,' consisting primarily of fish, and vegetables, along with some chicken and turkey. However, she avoids dairy products and soda, and carefully monitors her sugar intake to keep it in check.

Martial-Arts-World-Records-and-Stunts
Ninjas!
Give-it-up-to-the-elderly!!!!!

[GeneChing]

Attilio Fini is my new hero.

Can Fencing Be Used for Self-Defense?
BY IGOR CHIRASHNYA ON JANUARY 29, 2024 IN MOSAIC


I recently came across an inspiring news story about self-defense that underscores the remarkable skills and courage honed by a former Italian National Fencing Team coach, Attilio Fini, who is now 93 years old. Just a month ago, he found himself in a perilous situation that required quick thinking and action.

As he was returning home one evening in Milan’s Piazza De Agostini, Fini noticed a shadow drawing too close for comfort. He soon realized that the approaching figure was pointing a gun directly at him. In that critical moment, he relied on the reflexes and instincts instilled in him during his fencing days.

Fini’s fencing background proved to be invaluable. Without hesitation, he disarmed the armed robber, striking his hand and causing the weapon to fall to the ground. He didn’t stop there; with a swift push and punch, he further incapacitated the assailant, sending him tumbling amidst parked scooters. Two brave bystanders joined in, helping to immobilize the attacker until the police arrived.

The assailant, as it turns out, was wanted for murder in Algeria, his home country, and faced charges for multiple robberies. Fini’s remarkable response to this dangerous encounter can be attributed to the fearless mindset and quick reflexes fostered by his fencing training.

While fencing is not typically associated with self-defense, it undeniably played a pivotal role in Fini’s ability to respond effectively to a life-threatening situation. His story serves as a powerful reminder of the transferable skills and attributes developed through sports, which can unexpectedly prove crucial in real-life scenarios. But also, it raises an interesting question – can fencing be used for self-defense?

Fencing is a combat sport. Much like karate or ju-jitsu, fencing is the act of facing an opponent and coming into physical contact with them in order to gain the advantage. That connection to the combat sports arena gives a lot of people the idea that maybe fencing teaches self-defense skills.

So it’s a good question! We’re going to explore this idea, but we want to start off by being very, very clear: sport fencing is not meant for self-defense. That is not what we’re training for. We are training to get points against our opponent in a controlled situation. Period.

With that as our foundational point, we can start to explore how fencing has a legacy of self-defense and the ways that fencing could help in a combat situation. Though every kind of physical fitness activity would be beneficial for someone facing a dangerous situation, fencing does is a special case.

Dueling vs. sport fencing

We all know that fencing has its roots in dueling. Centuries ago, there was significant training in fencing for people who were in the military or needed to know how to take on an opponent for a duel or some other kind of battle.

Our sport originated from life and death, mortal combat encounters. Dueling meant protecting your life from the opponent, and these duels were to the death. The danger was serious, and so was the need to protect yourself. Swords were sharp, and the risk of getting injured was massive. Even in training. Schools of swordsmanship across Europe taught their pupils rigorously about how they could protect themselves. The parry and riposte were developed to prevent real injuries!

The moves that we do in sport fencing today are legacy movements that are related to avoiding being struck by an opponent or actually striking and opponent. The piste is actually not that different from the narrow streets on which those classical European sword duels took place. It’s important to understand that what we do today in sports fencing has a clear track back to the wound-making realities of dueling.

That’s another important point that differentiates sport fencing from dueling – wounds. Though sport fencing causes the occasional bruise or a stray small cut here and there, injuries are incredibly minor. Competitive fencers especially learn to push past these minor injuries to keep on going, but they are so minor.

Sport fencing is not made for self-defense

The use of weapons in fencing is particularly important, and weapons have a clear advantage in a self defense situation. That being said, is anyone really going to have their epee out with them when they run into trouble and need to use self-defense? The answer here is a resounding “no.” There is almost no chance that a fencer would ever have to use self-defense when they actually have their weapon with them.

Beyond that, there is a reason it’s called “the sport of fencing”. Whereas sport judo or sport taekwondo is still effective in a real world situation, sport fencing is much further from its original form. The techniques that we use have their history in real combat techniques, but the gear that we use and the weapons that we choose are so very different. This is why fenciing has such a low rate of injury, even though it is a combat sport.

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[GeneChing]

Focus and attention

The best way to keep from getting hurt in a fight is to avoid it. This is the backbone of almost every self-defense class and seminar.

The basic idea here is that if you don’t ever go walking down a dark alley at night, you can never get mugged in a dark alley at night. There are all kinds of techniques here to prevent becoming a victim of a crime. Think about parking your car under a light, not going into a parking deck alone late at night, making sure you have your keys ready when you get to your car so you’re not fumbling with them.

Something that goes hand in hand with all of that is being aware of your surroundings. This is a skill that fencing teaches pretty wonderfully, because in fencing we have to be so keyed into our surroundings. Focus is a transferable skill. When you’re focusing on your fencing, you’re teaching your brain how to focus in the future.

The essential thing here in terms of self-defense is that fencing teaches you to split your attention effectively. Listening to the ref and the coach and then also paying attention to your opponent and their constantly changing attacks and counter-attacks helps the brain deal with the cacophony of stimuli. If a fencer was to find themselves in a situation where they needed to use self-defense, either to avoid something happening or to face something that’s happening, that fencing training in focus and attention would help.

Footwork and agility

The footwork and agility that fencers work hard to hone in practice is potentially helpful in dangerous situations. Most dangerous situations that people are in require fast reflexes. It’s not only for self-defense: a crazy road situation can be such too. Fencers by nature train to improve their reflexes so that they can have faster reaction times. It’s part of the DNA of fencing.

Bruce Lee did take some techniques from fencing, particularly footwork and stance, when he developed his Jeet Kune Do style of martial arts. His style is meant to be used for self defense in the real world, not for sport. From that standpoint, we can assume that fencing does offer some foundational techniques that can help in a real world scenario.

The real world isn’t the movies

Speaking of Bruce Lee, let’s talk about fencing on film. Fencing in the movies, when we sometimes see superheroes pull out a foil or sabre and go toe-to-toe with an opponent in a life or death match is not accurate to real world self defense. It’s sad to realize that this is the case, but it doesn’t make fencing any less exciting.

We often see someone in a movie or a TV show pick up some long object, like a broom handle or a piece of pipe, and they use it as a sword. This looks really cool and it’s fun onscreen, but that isn’t what it would look like in real life.

Conditioning vs. expertise

The bottom line here is that the conditioning that fencing provides is definitely going to give a fencer some skill in a self-defense situation. Both mental conditioning and physical conditioning.

Improved awareness, agility, mental toughness, physical stamina, etc. won’t guarantee a win if someone is in a street fight, but they definitely contribute and offer some advantage. Something is better than nothing in this case.

What fencing does teach us is how to stay present in our bodies and how to move swiftly. While we don’t carry around swords to defend ourselves, we can at least use some of the skills that we have built in fencing to make some headway in a tough situation.

While fencing can offer some advantages in terms of physical and mental attributes that may be beneficial for self-defense, it is not a complete substitute for specialized self-defense training. Self-defense programs often include techniques for escaping grabs, dealing with multiple attackers, and using everyday objects as improvised weapons, which are not part of traditional fencing training.

In the case of Attilio Fini, his background in fencing definitely contributed to his ability to react quickly and disarm the attacker, but it’s essential to remember that each self-defense situation is unique, and success depends on a combination of skills, awareness, and decision-making. If someone is specifically interested in self-defense, it’s advisable to seek out dedicated self-defense training programs that address real-life threats and scenarios.

Photo by Flickr user roanokecollege

Give-it-up-to-the-elderly!!!!!
Fencing
Successful-Street-Applications

[GeneChing]

Donna Jean Wilde, 58, set the record for the longest time in an abdominal plank position by a female. Wilde beat the record by planking for an impressive four hours, 30 minutes and 11 seconds. (Photo: Guinness Book of World Records)
By Christian Oldale
Alberta grandmother Donna Jean Wilde sets world planking record
Apr 2, 2024 | 4:47 PM

MAGRATH, AB – An Alberta woman has set a Guinness World Record for an impressive feat of fitness.

Donna Jean Wilde, 58, set the record for the longest time in an abdominal plank position by a female. Wilde beat the record by planking for an impressive four hours, 30 minutes and 11 seconds.

Wilde spoke on her journey to becoming the plank champion, which started with an injury 12 years ago.

From then on, Wilde said she kept pushing herself further and getting longer times on her planks, and it helped that she could multi-task while she did it.

“I just loved having that as part of my exercise routine, but I could also do my reading and things at the same time. I just kind of lost track of time as I read.”

Wilde’s family saw her progress and set up a family goal, and when she beat it, that’s when she began moving to push on the record.

When she was ready to attempt the world record plank, Wilde contacted the Guinness Book of World Records and set up the event in January of 2024.

The event was held in March in the theatre at Magrath High School, where Wilde was formerly a teacher, and where her son Ray now teaches. Wilde also spent time as a vice principal at the school. A judge was sent to watch over the attempt, and a film crew from Calgary was also on scene.


(Photo: Guinness Book of World Records)
She said, “It was fun to have it at the theatre, because the students came in, the elementary teachers brought their classes in, we had rugs on the floor so they could plank on the floor.”

Wilde’s family, including her 12 grandchildren were all in attendance to cheer her on, which she said meant a lot to her.

Wilde also provided some advice for those who are looking to improve on their planking, or any other skills:


Wilde’s time of four hours, 30 minutes and 11 seconds beat the record set by fellow Canadian Dana Glowacka in 2019 by over 10 minutes.

Planking
Give-it-up-to-the-elderly!!!!! At 58, Wilde is actually younger than me but she's a grandparent and I'm no where near that yet.