"Solo Training 3: 50 and Older" by Loren W. Christensen. A Review

Solo Training 3: 50 and OlderSolo Training 3: 50 and Older by Loren W. Christensen
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I started martial arts just at the end of my 40s and have recently earned my 2nd degree black belt. It has been sitting in the back of my aging noggin that the day may be soon approaching when I might need to move to something easier, lighter and more gentle on my mellowing physique. So I was quite interested when I picked up "Solo Training 3: 50 and Older" by Loren W. Christensen, 8th Dan in American Free Style Karate, retired Law Enforcement Officer (LEO), and senior citizen. This 316 page self-published paperback goes right to the heart of what I've been thinking, and gives a resounding "No!" to my question.

Christensen lays out a rationale and regimen for starting on martial arts or continuing your training even beyond 50, 60 and into the 70s. It's a motivating read with helpful practicalities and reasoned purposefulness. The book contains truck loads of descriptive information sensibly fitting for those 50 and older on ways to enhance a reader's martial arts training alone, at home, and back in the dojo. There are even training exercises for ending a fight quickly and hitting a downed attacker, with some levelheaded warnings. It's obvious that the author's LEO experiences keeps his karate real - it is a martial, or combat, art.

"Solo Training 3" has a few typos and grammatical faux pas here and there and could have used an outside editor, but none of those are show-stoppers. This is a readable, usable, employable volume good for anyone 50 and up. It would make an ideal addition to any martial art school library. But more importantly, it should be in the hands of anyone over 50 who is either beginning martial arts, or wants to keep what they've worked so hard to obtain. I highly recommend the book.


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