There is no age in kendo. Bucheon Active Senior who is serious about preventing dementia X psychiatric training and kendo

Dec 11, 2024

Participants are learning kendo at the 2024 Senior Sports Class with the Korean Sports Council and the Korean Kendo Association held at Sosa Senior Welfare Center in Bucheon, Gyeonggi-do on the 27th. Bucheon = Reporter Jeong Jae-geun cjg@sportschosun.com /2024.11.27/

In the new year of 2025, Korea enters a super-aged society where the elderly are 10 million years old and 20% of the population is 65 or older. In an era when quality of life is a hot topic, not just life extension, '8899 (88 to 99 years old)'Essential element of old age is muscle strength. Muscle mass usually begins to decline in the mid-30s, plunging to 30% in the 60s and as much as 50% in the 80s. Investing in 'Muscular strength', which is directly related to physical and mental health, is the best financial technique for a happy old age. This year, the Korea Sports Association operated 'Elderly Sports Classes and Festivals'Elderly Gymnastics Classes' at 620 locations in 19 sports and 220 locations in 17 cities and provinces. At the end of the year in 2024, we will introduce the exercise methods of the seniors who are serious about 'geun-tech (muscle + financial technology)'.

A teacher Lee Hang-soo is guiding the participants at the 2024 Senior Sports Class with the Korean Sports Council and the Korean Kendo Association held at Sosa Senior Welfare Center in Bucheon, Gyeonggi-do on the 27th. Bucheon = Reporter Jeong Jae-geun cjg@sportschosun.com /2024.11.27/

"Head! Head! Head! Head!" At 10 a.m. on the 27th of last month, Bucheon Sosa Senior Welfare Center 'Adult Kendo Classroom', the shouts of 7080 members who ran through the snow were full. On this day when the first snow poured down, the worry of 'Will it be a report?' was Ki-woo. Seventeen members lined up in order, each holding a wooden sword, and focused on stretching and basic training under the lead of Chairman Oh Young-chul. After a 10-minute break, a straight training session was followed by a technical training in which the lead and the back were combined. The Korean Kendo Association 'Older Kendo Classroom', one of the 'Older Sports Classroom', was operated once to three times a week at 30 locations nationwide for 620 seniors aged 60 or older this year. The kendo class, which has been operated by teacher Lee Hang-soo (53) for 10 years, is a model 'Senior Customized' class and is well-known for its word of mouth. The early deadline for Wednesday's kendo class is basically 'Please increase the one-hour class to two hours'Please increase the number of people taking the class'

Lee, a gold medalist at the 1995 National Sports Festival, started a free senior kendo class in 2015 while running a local stamp (small officer) after retiring from the Bucheon City Hall business team and working as the secretary-general of the Gyeonggi-do kendo association. Sosa Senior Welfare Center's Taegeukgwon Classroom was not available, so it became close to the `elderly' people by lending stamps for free, and decided to share kendo at the thought of his father, who lost it early, and official classes were opened at Sosa Welfare Center from 2017. As the kendo was selected for the Korean Sports Association 'Elderly Living Sports' project, it received support for wooden swords, bamboo, and instructor fees, and 'Senior kendo' through the sincerity of the teachers and members became a popular lecture at the Sosa Senior Welfare Center. Every year, he participates in the Senior Kendo Festival held by the Korean Sports Council and the Korean Kendo Association and does not miss out on medal tickets. He also finished third in the team event this year. In 2017, a member of Yoo Soon-geum in her 90s also received the oldest participation award. 'Active seniors' who maintain muscle strength and vitality with kendo hate the title of 'Older'. The offender laughed, saying, `I just call you a member.' "People who are serious about the kendo itself, regardless of the dan or the medal." Whether it snows or rains, the attendance rate was 100% and the members' shouts were full of energy throughout the hour class.

2024 Senior Sports Class with the Korean Sports Council and the Korean Kendo Association held at Sosa Senior Welfare Center in Bucheon, Gyeonggi-do, on the 27th. Chairman Oh Young-chul is interviewing. Bucheon = Reporter Jeong Jae-geun cjg@sportschosun.com /2024.11.27/

Chairman Oh Young-chul (65), who has been training in kendo for 25 years, said, `The oldest member is 85 years old. Senior kendo is not radical. It's better because it's tailored to the body." "I'm working as a smoking cessation instructor after retirement, and it helps me improve my mental strength and physical strength", he introduced.

2024 Senior Sports Class with the Korean Sports Council and the Korean Kendo Association held at Sosa Senior Welfare Center in Bucheon, Gyeonggi-do, on the 27th. Professor Cho Ho-rae, a participant, is interviewing. Bucheon = Reporter Jeong Jae-geun cjg@sportschosun.com /2024.11.27/

Cho Ho-rae (68), a former professor of biotechnology at Korea University and running a YouTube health channel, took his first sword a year ago at the Sosa Welfare Center near the laboratory. "Kendo helps with muscle strength, balance, and above all, mental stability as you get older."Modern society has a lot of cancer and mental illness caused by stress, but it relieves stress by encouraging and hitting." he preached the efficacy. Health information that Professor Cho frequently posts in the kendo classroom group chat room is also popular. He added "The keyword for the 21st century is 'custom'. Just as kendo is right for me, it is most important to find a personalized exercise.' Song Jeong-seon (71) learned kendo from Lee in his late 30s for a while before reuniting after retirement. "I came because I heard there was a kendo program for my age"She waits every Wednesday. It can refresh your mind, digest well, and improve your joints. My back pain is gone, too"Senior programs are easy because they control the intensity.", expressing satisfaction. Choi Myung-sook, 74, who said she had grabbed the sword again after 10 years, also said, `My life changed through exercise even though I couldn't even stand up after heart surgery.' `Isn't all the members have a straight back,' he said, and soon volunteered to be a public relations ambassador. "Everyone, come to the kendo class, which is good for your health and your posture!"

Participants are taking commemorative photos at the 2024 Senior Sports Classroom with the Korean Sports Council and the Korean Kendo Association held at Sosa Senior Welfare Center in Bucheon, Gyeonggi Province on the 27th. Bucheon = Reporter Jeong Jae-geun cjg@sportschosun.com /2024.11.27/

2024 Senior Sports Class with the Korean Sports Council and the Korean Kendo Association held at Sosa Senior Welfare Center in Bucheon, Gyeonggi-do, on the 27th. Member Choi Myung-sook, Master Lee Hang-soo, and Song Jeong-sun (from left). Bucheon = Reporter Jeong Jae-geun cjg@sportschosun.com /2024.11.27/

This offender "There is no age in kendo. It is the only event that kindergarteners and people in their 80s can compete in, and it is an event that the whole family and the whole generation can learn together." Lee's wife and two sons from Yongin University are also kendo people. He said "Kendo is both a martial art and a sport. The intense kendo in his youth is also attractive, but the soft kendo in his old age is also attractive enough." On the response to the senior-customized kendo program "Repeated training will clear the body and mind. By memorizing complex movements with your body, you can concentrate and prevent dementia. As I set up the 'core', my shoulders are straightened and my back pain gets better." "It helps with flexibility, posture correction. "He relieves stress by hitting the bamboo stick, communicates online and offline, shares health information, networking, and has fun," he said.

`I am proud to see members like my parents regain their health and vitality through kendo,' Lee said. `I want to create a local senior kendo association centered on members. The path of these people is our future. In a super-aged society, I hope the government and the Korean Sports Council will provide more customized support for seniors, and more people will learn and enjoy kendo, which is 'lifelong sport'"I hoped.

Bucheon = Reporter Jeon Young-ji

sky4us@sportschosun.com