Considering taking up karate again at 40+
As a teen, I was obsessed with martial arts movies. At one point, after having seen the movie Kickboxer 2 for the umpteenth time, I went to the local sports centre and asked if they had kickboxing lessons. They didn't, but the guy who I talked with was one of the sensei's of the local karate club. I took a few tryout lessons and was hooked.
Spent the next couple of years practising Shotokan karate 2x per week. I wasn't a natural per sé, but I took to the style easily. At some point the club wanted me to enter competition, which was not something I pursued so ultimately I ended up switching schools - and styles. Did Goju Ryu for a year and called it quits.
Aside from a brief spell of aikido in my early 20s, that was it as far as martial arts and I were concerned. Spent most of my twenties and thirties playing bass and getting fatter. When COVID hit, I somehow remembered being into sports, so I went running and walking again. Started doing yoga at some point and the teacher remarked that he had little need of guiding me in postures - likely due to the karate skills of my youth.
My 40s are probably the best shape I've been in, in years. I regularly go to the gym, practice yoga on my own or go running. Entered a 10 miles competition 1 few years ago and finished the race within the boundaries I set myself. Wrecked a knee in the process. Quit running for a while and am now back into it.
As laughable as it may sound, that's what sparked my interest in martial arts again: I'm spending time on the treadmill, watching Cobra Kai. And it reminds me how much I loved karate. And hated aikido - no offence, it's just really not my thing.
So I'm thinking, what if I started over? I'm 45, overweight but in decent shape - less flexible than I was 20 years ago but more so than 10 years ago. Don't want to enter competitions or win bouts. Just practice karate once a week and work on self-development. I also would welcome the social contacts, to be honest.
Not sure if I should pursue this or not. I've nothing to prove to anyone, including myself. But I think I'd enjoy the workouts. I get a lot of satisfaction out of yoga and gym, but it's not quite the same… So, anyone have a similar experience, restarting a martial art at 40+?