Tell It to Mr. Miyagi ‘Too Old’ for Martial Arts?
Martial arts get added to the list of activities we can’t do as we age, right? Unless you’re doing tai chi or aikido, most people think there’s no place in contact sports for aging folks.
whether you’re looking at real-life martial artists (Henry Plée comes to mind, who practiced well into his 80s) or fighting school founders in medieval Japan — who often viewed karate as integral to their understanding of Zen and other spiritual matters, and thus essential as they got older. Netflix’s “Cobra Kai” carries on the tradition, showing us a much-older LaRusso who takes on the Miyagi role, opposite his longtime “frenemy” Johnny Lawrence. LaRusso and Lawrence have both returned to karate in middle age, and even Kreese reappears, now in his 70s and as formidable as ever. Is that realistic? You bet! According to one study, the average karate practitioner is 55 years old, and the average martial artist is 46. Many in both groups report regular sparring and contact practice. If you’re a martial artist, you may have to make some adjustments as you get older, but you’ll never have to give up your discipline entirely. And if you’re new to the world of martial arts, it’s never too late to start — as long as you find the right teacher and school!
Except, as it turns out, there is.
From hip shows like “Cobra Kai” (and its basis, “The Karate Kid”) to centuries of tradition, older people and martial arts actually mix quite well — and they can be a great throughline for an active life.
Martial arts took off in the United States back in the 1980s with the “Karate Kid” franchise, which continues today. The original movies showed us Pat Morita, an Okinawan expatriate and karate master who trains Ralph Macchio’s character, Daniel LaRusso. Morita’s Mr. Miyagi is no spring chicken, but he’s able to take LaRusso to new levels of karate expertise — and also beat down bad guy John Kreese in the process, despite Kreese being a much younger man.
Mr. Miyagi is based on a “stock” character, or archetype, from traditional Asian martial arts culture. But there’s a grain of truth to it,
When Tax Season Ends, Scam Season Begins! you don’t pay up, you will be arrested. The lie can vary from call to call, but it’s all a scare tactic to get people to pay. Telling someone they owe the IRS is a great way to get someone’s attention.
Another tax season has come to an end, which is a blessing for many. However, when tax season ends, another kind of season kicks into high gear: scam season. We’ve explored various scams in the past, but post-tax season is a good time to remind everyone to be on high alert. Scammers work year-round, but after tax season, they work overtime to take advantage of people receiving their returns. Scammers are also trying to take advantage of individuals and businesses that have benefited from recent government assistance programs, such as the Payroll Protection Program (PPP) and boosted unemployment assistance. With this “extra” money entering the economy, scammers will do everything they can to get a piece of it. The type of scammer going after this money generally relies on phone calls (both robocalls and personal calls). Once a scammer or scam group has your phone number in their system, they can keep calling until you answer — or block them. With so many phone numbers out there, they eventually call someone who falls for their tricks. The victim will hand over personal or financial information and the scammer will be on their way. One common scam is the “IRS scam.” The fraudster claims to be a representative or agent with the IRS. They say you owe money and if 2 • CampbellWealth.com
Always keep the following in mind:
• The IRS will never call, text, or email you. If the IRS needs to contact you, it will be by mail. If it’s really important, it will be by certified mail.
• Watch your Social Security number. The Social Security Administration will never cold-call you, either. Like the IRS, they'll contact you by mail first . If someone calls and asks for your SSN, hang up.
• Don’t answer numbers you aren’t familiar with. If you’re like most people these days, you don’t even bother to pick up the phone if you don’t recognize the number. The best thing we can do is to never give these annoyances the time of day!
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