Aikido and the ageing sensei!

My mind thinks I'm 20. My body, alas, knows I am not! So why on earth do I persist in doing a very energetic and physically demanding martial art 'at my time of life'? In the words of Lewis Carroll...

"You are old, Father William," the young man said,
"And your hair has become very white;
And yet you incessantly stand on your head—
Do you think, at your age, it is right?"

Well, not such much standing on my head. But rolling, maybe...?

Some people prepare for old age in their youth. They do everything they can to avoid risk. An activity such as Aikido necessarily entails risk. Risk of injury - twists, turns, strains and sprains. I got my first Aikido injury some time back in the 1980s when I was still (relatively speaking) quite young. I remember asking my physiotherapist if it would be wise to give up Aikido all together. After all, if I hadn't been doing Aikido, I wouldn't have injured myself. His answer surprised me. If you want to find out what he said and why I am still doing Aikido, read my latest column in The Bideford Buzz magazine.