It’s easy to think at first glance that everyone is here for the same pick-up-and-go purpose, but look again, and you’ll see a few whose intent is clearly different. The small grouping at the back of the room, clustered near a hallway that leads to the change rooms, and beyond that, to the dojo floor – they may be a little older and greyer than a lot of people would expect, but they are in fact students as well.

You may wonder what makes a body that’s beyond a certain age want to take up something like martial arts. After all, it’s not as if these people have been training since childhood or youth. You’ll find that to the contrary, some have just started recently! Yet, their enthusiasm for it is readily apparent. I had a chance to sit down with a few members of this exclusive and eclectic group and held a round table discussion on what it means to be an adult student of the martial arts.

A bright-eyed, conspicuously-contented bunch, ranging in age from approximately 35 to “over 50”, they are Yvonne Di-Biase, Alex Raykowski, Roger Collins, Mohan Nadarajah and Ted Wessman. Besides a penchant for trying new things, the one commonality they share is that they’re all parents (some are grandparents), and just as with so many of us, finding a balance between work, family and life is a constant challenge.

Yet, they manage to attend karate, Tai Chi, and Kobudo classes two, three, and even four or five hours a week! Collins, a 43-year-old father of twin girls is the first to weigh in with an opinion on how to fit martial arts training into an already-hectic schedule.

He says, “Myself, I block the time. I said for now Mondays and Thursdays are off limits...You know, you have to commit, so I’ve made a personal commitment.”

Raykowski adds, “It’s not a matter of finding two extra hours a week, it’s a matter of getting more organized.”

The only woman in the group, Di-Biase likely logs the most class time of the lot, complementing her karate training with both Tai Chi and weapons courses. She’s able to do this because she makes her training time ‘family time’ by practicing with her children and assisting the instructor during their class times.

Admittedly, for most people on a certain career track, as well as in the midst of raising children and teens, the idea of trying to master an intricate new skill is pretty far-fetched.

Collins, who at yellow belt is still fresh to martial arts, has some advice for those of us who are on the proverbial fence. “I would personally say (to someone not ready to commit), take one day at a time. Don’t think about tomorrow; don’t think about next month, don’t think about the black belt... Think about the now, think about just going to that one class.”

Collins’ approach makes the idea of committing to training a little more palatable to a busy person, while at the same time leaving the door open to other possibilities. Like Di-Biase says, “I got involved just to test the waters and see how well I did and see how far I could get; my objective now is to be a black belt.”

But they’re all quick to concede that the purpose of taking on martial arts training isn’t just to become a black belt. Like these students, you may find there are some unexpected rewards.

For Wessman, the most senior member of the group, the move from gentle, slow-moving Tai Chi classes to karate was a leap of faith, in his words, “at my age.” Nonetheless, he’s glad he took the risk.

He says, “I’ve always been able to learn from reading books and doing things, but this verbal instruction is a whole new way to learn.”

Raykowski, an avid soccer player even at 46 years of age, found taking karate improved his skill on the soccer field! And Nadarajah, a yoga practitioner, says that he’s able to integrate a lot of what he sees in Tai Chi and Chi Gung classes into his yoga routine, enhancing the energy and vitality he derives from it.

Indeed, there’s a lot of talk around the table about the mind, body, spirit approach of a traditional martial arts curriculum. Raykowski believes it’s what separates his karate program from playing a sport. He also thinks it makes martial arts training appropriate for a more mature athlete.

“I think at this age, that it’s important to have your body and spirit balanced to feel comfort and confidence...”

Whatever your ultimate goal, the group consensus would be that if you’re up for a challenge and looking for something new, take the plunge and try it! Many dojos offer free trial classes or short-term memberships for just that purpose.