At What Age Should We Retire From Kung Fu?

Some people say not to train after 50. I’m not one of them! I’m still training at 62. The whole point of this practice is to stay healthy into old age. Giving up would defeat the purpose entirely.

There’s a famous quote from Master Tan that I bring up often: To succeed, you have to do two things—start, and don’t give up.

My mum was still training at 85. Even my dad, in his final years, was in a care home, but he still practiced Shuang Yang. You keep practicing until the day you drop. That’s the right mindset. Do you have the mindset that says, I’ll retire at a certain age, or do you have the mindset that says, I’ll keep training to stay healthy? That’s up to you.

When I was younger, we didn’t know much about Asian practices like Tai Chi or yoga. Back then, it was just accepted that by your mid-30s, you were “past it.” You retired from sports and moved on to less strenuous activities. I didn’t like that idea at all!

At 25, I traveled to Singapore to train. I started training at 18 in London with a Chinese instructor who was one of Master Tan’s students. But I didn’t train with Master Tam himself until I went to Singapore at 25. Out there, I saw older practitioners—Master Tan himself was in his 40s, there were men in their 40s, 50s, and even 80s. They hadn’t retired. They had incredible skill, and because of that skill—not strength or fitness—they could outperform me. At 25, I was very fit, strong, and experienced in combat. But these older practitioners, who didn’t look particularly strong or fit, could still outmaneuver me. I remember one master, Quek Yong Hor, who was in his 80s and blind. He could still perform pushing hands and hold a low horse stance while someone stood on his thighs.

I decided then and there: I didn’t want to retire. I didn’t want to sit in a pub reminiscing about my youth. I wanted to stay strong, fit, and skilled my whole life.

Ageing will change your body, no matter how much kung fu you practice. You won’t move like you did when you were young. Young people have speed and stamina, but older practitioners have skill, technique, and depth. It’s not about being 50 and trying to feel 15—it’s about being an awesome 50-year-old.

Protect your body as you age. Avoid injuries, as they’ll accumulate over time and hinder your practice. The older you get, the more careful you need to be, but you also have more knowledge and experience to avoid mistakes.

If you have the willpower, you’ll keep going. If you’re weak-willed, you’ll give up. Everyone knows this—it’s no secret. One of my favorite quotes from the Tao Te Ching says, The more you talk about it, the less you understand it. The more you do it, the more you gain from it. So, just do your kung fu. Keep practicing and improving. Train! Less talking, more doing.