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As I prepare to retire from the US Army, I find that I would like to get back into some type of martial arts training. I live in the greater KC metro area and I do not plan to move EVER AGAIN if possible. Back in the early 1980s I studied Okinawan Ishyinryu w/Sensei Steve Armstrong in Tacoma WA...I also studied Tang Soo Do Moo Duk Kwan w/Master Don Southerton in Newburgh, NY...finally studied Modern American Karate w/Smokey West in Fayetteville, NC. Like a lot of military types, I found myself PCSing before being able to take a Black Belt test and could not find the style I had previously studied in my new locale. Of course, field training, deployments etc did not help the situation. Bottom line, I'm almost 50 years old, but in excellent physical condition. I'm not particularly interested in studying something where I'm constantly being slammed into the mats. Any recommendations on the KC area any of you can make? At my age, I'm more interested in the PT and mental discipline than becoming a tournament fighter as that isn't a realistic expectation anyway. I do want to learn PRACTICAL ways of defending myself w/o weapons. Finally, the local dojo I visited is run by a gentleman with multiple black belts in TKD, Japanese Karate, Akido, and Ju-Jitsu. Is there a real advantage of studying w/someone with those credentials or is it best to study with someone who has concentrated in one discipline? This particular Sensei has about 30 years experience in the martial arts. I spent about an hour watching one of his classes. On the downside, he mixes kids w/adults...there was one Brown Belt present, and (IMHO) the man did not appear to possess the level of proficiency I would expect from a Brown/Red Belt...could be a bad sign. Opinions and advice are greatly appreciated!
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