[Martial Arts] Below eighty is youth!

Autor: Jeffi Chao Hui Wu

Fecha: 19-7-2025 Sábado, 7:26 a.m.

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[Martial Arts] Below eighty, you are still a youth!
Every day at dawn, before the sun rises, I am already practicing. Not for clocking in, not for showing off, but for the body's spontaneous rhythm. At this time, my whole being feels awakened by the universe; even in the 6 or 7 degrees of a morning, I still wear only a quick-dry T-shirt and thin pants, standing quietly outdoors in a stance, feeling warmth under my feet, while my hands and feet remain completely unaware of the cold.
Standing in a stance may seem like mere "standing still" to others, but for me, it is a reboot ceremony for my bones to realign and my energy and blood to flow back. The horse stance sinks like a mountain, while the Tai Chi stance is upright and relaxed; occasionally, I close my eyes and balance like a golden rooster for ten minutes, my body steady as a tree, even my breathing sinking into my feet. This is not about practicing techniques, but about awakening the deepest memories of the body.
I am accustomed to walking with my forefoot landing, relying not on shoes for cushioning but on the natural force of my arches; I do the same when hiking in the mountains on weekends. Once, I walked for three hours without feeling tired; instead, I felt more and more at ease. Many people feel knee stiffness and foot soreness after half an hour of walking, but my toes grip the ground, my feet are strong, my spine is upright, and I feel as if I am being gently pulled forward, light, stable, and effortless.
While others fear the wind, I grow warmer with practice. In the early morning, standing and practicing martial arts in thin clothing, my hands and feet heat up, and I sweat slightly on my forehead, never relying on ginger tea or hot water to ward off the cold; it is entirely my body generating heat. Even in the middle of practicing, with energy flowing through my back and my waist warm as a furnace, even if a gentle breeze blows, it feels like being enveloped in a natural protective warmth.
I have practiced for many years, not relying on medication, dietary therapy, or massage, but solely on structural adjustments and daily body awakenings, allowing my thinning hair to naturally regrow, sprouting patches of black hair. There are no miraculous remedies, only the most basic circulation of energy and blood, proper pelvic alignment, relaxed cervical vertebrae, and a sense of energy flowing through the scalp—everything is cultivated through practice, not purchased.
This is not something that happens only by "practicing until old." Many predecessors have already demonstrated what it means to be in a "youthful state." For example, Master Lin Wenhui, the chairman of the International Tai Chi Academy (Hong Kong), at 69 years old, can still do push-ups on his fingertips, with the base of his palms completely off the ground, his back arched like a bow, his muscles as strong as iron, and his fingers pressing down like they are gripping the earth. This is not "forcing it," but a manifestation of structural harmony taken to the extreme.
I do not practice to "reverse aging"; I simply have never accepted the notion of "degeneration." For me, energy and blood should flow, muscles and bones should be elastic, the pelvis should be able to return to a neutral position, and joints should be light and unsticky. Daily walking, standing still, turning, and rising and falling should not be burdensome but should be smooth instincts.
I have never "fallen." Because my body has rhythm, my gaze has focus, and my steps have structure, it is simply impossible for me to "suddenly" collapse. A body with stable structure is like a building built on a deep foundation; it will not collapse due to a little wind or waves. Those who easily sprain their ankles, fall, or get injured are not facing age issues but systemic degeneration.
The true state of the human body is not divided by age but by structure, energy and blood, muscles and bones, and autonomy. If you can practice in summer clothes at 7 degrees, if you can stand with your eyes closed for ten minutes steady as a mountain, if you can walk for three hours without fatigue, if you can naturally regrow your hair, if you can stand on the ground like a tree taking root—then you are youthful.
Our generation has grown up without a system of practice and lacks an operational manual for the body. For decades, we have thought "knee pain is normal," "being cold is a sign of weak constitution," and "white hair and hair loss are genetic issues." But the results I have verified through experience tell me: none of this is fate, but rather a default setting imposed by human deprivation.
Humans should actually possess stronger cold resistance, more stable skeletal structures, and longer-lasting cycles of energy and blood circulation—it's just that due to misuse of the system, compression of muscles and bones, and blockage of energy flow, we have mistaken "abnormality" for "normalcy." Practicing is not about seeking miracles; it is about actively returning the body to oneself, gradually clearing away these "downgrade patches."
Youth does not look at ID cards, does not look at age, but at mindset, and also—at whether you feel alive. It is not a slogan; it is a standard. It is not that I am special, but that modern people have been "downgraded for too long," thinking that "degeneration" is the norm.
So I say: below eighty, everyone is still a youth!

Source: http://www.australianwinner.com/AuWinner/viewtopic.php?t=696948