GUIDED CHAOS FOR SENIORS
by Ari Kandel
See also Guided Chaos Cane Fighting
Guided Chaos offers unique advantages for seniors. In fact, more than most martial arts training systems, Guided Chaos is practically tailor-made to the needs of senior citizens. While each individual is different, Guided Chaos students in my experience have remained healthy, spry and dangerous (to attackers!) well into their eighties, and we have many active students in their sixties and seventies.
► Guided Chaos focuses on improving four basic principles in the student: Balance, Looseness, Body Unity and Sensitivity. Beyond their martial application, these principles, properly trained, can help improve quality of life into advanced age. Balance and internal sensitivity (proprioception) often degrade due to physical changes in the body and natural neuropathy. Training to improve these has yielded excellent results in older students, slowing and even reversing the onset of age-related deficits in these areas. Improved balance reduces the likelihood of stumbles and falls, which are major risks as people age. Guided Chaos training related to looseness, sensitivity and posture may counteract age-related decline in movement, reflexes and coordination.
► Because Guided Chaos focuses on principles rather than techniques or movements, the student is never asked to do anything that is not natural and safe for his or her body. Many martial arts training systems emphasize complex athletic movements requiring prodigious flexibility and explosiveness. Guided Chaos asks the student to execute only movements that are natural and comfortable for the student’s body, and imbue that natural movement with improved balance, looseness, body unity and sensitivity. This yields a greatly reduced risk of injury and discomfort, an increasing concern with advancing age.
► Training systems that force a student to memorize lots of complex, unnatural movements necessitate a long time in training before any improved combative capabilities are realized, if they ever are. Not everyone has time for this, especially as we get older and become more attractive targets for criminals. Guided Chaos training shortens the learning curve substantially. The initial training teaches proven strategy, tactics and a few simple movements to drastically improve anyone’s combative ability. From there, Guided Chaos Contact Flow practice trains the student to spontaneously improvise in combat to adapt to changing circumstances based on the individual student’s natural capabilities and proclivities.
► Because Guided Chaos training enhances combative ability through practice and understanding of the principles, rather than through strength, speed or flexibility, it is common for older, wiser, less ego-driven individuals to actually make greater progress, faster, than younger, more athletic people. This often comes as a pleasant surprise for older students who had previously assumed that advancing age meant slower and less complete learning of new skills . . . and a rude awakening to younger people who had assumed that their youth and vigor would always give them the upper hand!
► The primary exercise in Guided Chaos, called Contact Flow, is a fun social activity that asks the student to be sensitive to and aware of himself and others while moving in a spontaneously creative, non-repetitive way. This intense social awareness and creativity can greatly improve the quality of life of seniors, while possibly improving brain function and delaying decline.
Guided Chaos offers unique advantages for seniors. In fact, more than most martial arts training systems, Guided Chaos is practically tailor-made to the needs of senior citizens. While each individual is different, Guided Chaos students in my experience have remained healthy, spry and dangerous (to attackers!) well into their eighties, and we have many active students in their sixties and seventies.
► Guided Chaos focuses on improving four basic principles in the student: Balance, Looseness, Body Unity and Sensitivity. Beyond their martial application, these principles, properly trained, can help improve quality of life into advanced age. Balance and internal sensitivity (proprioception) often degrade due to physical changes in the body and natural neuropathy. Training to improve these has yielded excellent results in older students, slowing and even reversing the onset of age-related deficits in these areas. Improved balance reduces the likelihood of stumbles and falls, which are major risks as people age. Guided Chaos training related to looseness, sensitivity and posture may counteract age-related decline in movement, reflexes and coordination.
► Because Guided Chaos focuses on principles rather than techniques or movements, the student is never asked to do anything that is not natural and safe for his or her body. Many martial arts training systems emphasize complex athletic movements requiring prodigious flexibility and explosiveness. Guided Chaos asks the student to execute only movements that are natural and comfortable for the student’s body, and imbue that natural movement with improved balance, looseness, body unity and sensitivity. This yields a greatly reduced risk of injury and discomfort, an increasing concern with advancing age.
► Training systems that force a student to memorize lots of complex, unnatural movements necessitate a long time in training before any improved combative capabilities are realized, if they ever are. Not everyone has time for this, especially as we get older and become more attractive targets for criminals. Guided Chaos training shortens the learning curve substantially. The initial training teaches proven strategy, tactics and a few simple movements to drastically improve anyone’s combative ability. From there, Guided Chaos Contact Flow practice trains the student to spontaneously improvise in combat to adapt to changing circumstances based on the individual student’s natural capabilities and proclivities.
► Because Guided Chaos training enhances combative ability through practice and understanding of the principles, rather than through strength, speed or flexibility, it is common for older, wiser, less ego-driven individuals to actually make greater progress, faster, than younger, more athletic people. This often comes as a pleasant surprise for older students who had previously assumed that advancing age meant slower and less complete learning of new skills . . . and a rude awakening to younger people who had assumed that their youth and vigor would always give them the upper hand!
► The primary exercise in Guided Chaos, called Contact Flow, is a fun social activity that asks the student to be sensitive to and aware of himself and others while moving in a spontaneously creative, non-repetitive way. This intense social awareness and creativity can greatly improve the quality of life of seniors, while possibly improving brain function and delaying decline.