I’m 43 years old, meaning that I was born in 1969. I did not start martial arts until I was 20, in 1989, which means I’ve been doing martial arts now for 23 years. To some people that might seem like a long time, but to others… I’m just getting started!
Others like Grand Master Emil Bautista, who has been teaching martial arts, out of the same location, since before I was born!
Even though he’s now 73 years old, Grand Master Emil Bautista still commands the same respect.
“I’m still afraid of the Grand Master,” smiles Vallejo’s Cliff Stroughter, who has trained under Bautista since 1973.
Bautista, a ninth-degree black belt, has taught the Kajukenbo Self Defense Institute of Vallejo in the same building on Benicia Road in Vallejo since 1968.
Invented in 1947 by five Hawaiian black belts, Kajukenbo is a hybrid martial art that combines Western Boxing, Judo, Jujutsu, Kenpo Karate, Eskrima, Tang Soo Do and Kung Fu.
(From an article on timesheraldonline.com)
I really do love reading articles like this. I have long thought that I will be doing martial arts of some form for the rest of my life, and seeing people like Grand Master Bautista doing just that really inspires me to carry on. I might complain about my aches and pains and all my martial arts injuries at age 43, but when I see a 73 year old still going it certainly puts things into perspective for me.
Do you have a long term goal in your martial art? Do you still want to be training and teaching in your 70s? It’s a good thing to think about, to be able to pull out of the bag when times get a little tough and maybe the thoughts of quitting creep in.
