MESA, AZ — A group of seniors at a Mesa Optum community center tested for and earned their yellow belts in adaptive shotokan karate this week, proving they still have plenty of fight left to give.
The students, all new to the sport as of April, are part of an adaptive shotokan karate program at the Optum community center in Mesa. Among them are 80-year-old Claire Charles and 70-year-old Jeanne Young.
When asked if she had ever been in a fight, Charles had a quick answer.
"Uh, verbally!" Charles said.
Young said her family was equally surprised by her new hobby.
"My family is so surprised when I tell them I'm doing karate, 'You?' And I say yeah!" Young said.
Young said the program has had a meaningful impact on her overall well-being.
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"It really helped my mind and my strength, and my balance, I love it so much, since it started, now we do three days a week. I don't believe I've missed one day," Young said who added she lost nearly 10 pounds since starting the program in the spring.
Ilana Obrand is the fitness specialist at the Mesa community center. She has been practicing karate since she was 4 years old and has competed internationally. She adapted the sport for seniors to punch, block and kick their way to better coordination, mental strength, flexibility, stress relief and self-defense.
"People thought I was nuts for wanting to start this program," Obrand said.
While adaptive sparring is part of the new curriculum, it has not yet started. Obrand said when it does, safety will be the top priority.
"Slower movements, just having more control so they focus on the balance aspect, of the sparing because I don't want to see anybody falling over," Obrand said.
Every senior who tested this past Thursday advanced to their yellow belt. Young skipped a belt and was awarded an orange belt.
Young said the physical benefits of the program have carried over into her everyday life.
"I feel stronger, and I have to do a lot of stuff around the house attacking our trees and doing gardening, and attacking the branches I go rawr!" Young said.
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