Youth and strength beat age and skill, or vice versa

[GJM]

If your ego is tied up in winning a national championship, you have terrible odds and have set yourself up for likely failure, since for every winner there are thousands of losers. I shoot against my own expectations. Other shooters at a match are merely markers as to how my progress is coming, but I take no pleasure in beating others. I agree with SLG that continued progress is an important component of motivating yourself to keep putting in the effort to get better. When you hit a wall, I have found it is usually the mental game though, not the physical game, that needs to get adjusted.

[Wondering Beard]

I have found it is usually the mental game though, not the physical game, that needs to get adjusted.

Yup

[Dagga Boy]

And an old guy who will cheat....

And, will likely cheat at a level most have not even fathomed at how treacherously evil some of us have found ourselves capable......which likely came from cases of "almost" losing to younger, faster, and stronger opponents.

[11B10]

To build on this -as a young guy (still in my 20's) , one thing is abundantly clear;

No matter how hard I work, or the size of my muscles, or how "dangerous" I perceive myself-there's always someone younger , faster, and more dangerous out there. Always a bigger fish, as it were.

The personal outlook I have is to be a better man then I was in the past. The rest is in the purview of chance and probability.

Now you're talking, young man!

[11B10]

Totally agree, however in the grand scheme of things I am not that old even though I've BTDT, there is still more time to go than has went for me.

It's all relative, man.

I pray you are right. Truth is - only God really knows.

[spelingmastir]

I'm not sure I explained myself very well.

My only real point was that we need to enjoy shooting for shooting's sake. No one continues to dominate past a certain point, where ever that point is. If winning is your motivation, you will eventually not win anymore. If strict self defense is your motivation, the skill needed for that (vis a vis the gun) is pretty low, and not often exercised by most, so it is hard to keep training for just that.

Accept that you will not always be able to do what you can now or what you once did, and find a reason to continue shooting. I want to shoot for my entire life. I can't let my ego be tied that strongly to it. Nor my vision, strength etc.

Back to the BJJ start of this, Helio Gracie was not going to tap out a 35 year old fighter when he was 95, regardless of his superior knowledge and mat time. No cunning or skill would make up for that difference. He could however still enjoy rolling, and would likely have done pretty well in many defensive scenarios. How many 95 years olds can say any of that? How many 65 years olds? I want to be that active and still enjoy life and shooting when I'm 95.

I participate in bjj and shooting for the same reasons: I enjoy them both as "arts" and believe they are both valuable and sustainable ways to defend yourself. While certain elements may deteriorate with age, solid technique will still help both skill sets remain viable for a long time. I hope to practice both until I die. You can't say that for many activities.

[Kimura]

I'm not sure I explained myself very well.

My only real point was that we need to enjoy shooting for shooting's sake. No one continues to dominate past a certain point, where ever that point is. If winning is your motivation, you will eventually not win anymore. If strict self defense is your motivation, the skill needed for that (vis a vis the gun) is pretty low, and not often exercised by most, so it is hard to keep training for just that.

Accept that you will not always be able to do what you can now or what you once did, and find a reason to continue shooting. I want to shoot for my entire life. I can't let my ego be tied that strongly to it. Nor my vision, strength etc.

Back to the BJJ start of this, Helio Gracie was not going to tap out a 35 year old fighter when he was 95, regardless of his superior knowledge and mat time. No cunning or skill would make up for that difference. He could however still enjoy rolling, and would likely have done pretty well in many defensive scenarios. How many 95 years olds can say any of that? How many 65 years olds? I want to be that active and still enjoy life and shooting when I'm 95.

Exactly. It's really a good time. You've done the fighting, which is probably what set you on the path to begin with. Now you get to go back and work on the things your weren't really good at to begin with meaning you get to experience learning for the sake of learning. You get to do it for pure enjoyment and you still get something out of it, but you're goal has changed and you're no longer in a hurry. Now it's a life long learning experience that you can really let yourself enjoy, if that makes any sense.

[lwt16]

If all goes well, we will all suffer age related changes as we age. The goal is to minimize those age related changes we can control, through lifestyle choices like eating a healthy diet, not smoking, maintaining a good weight, exercising, having friends, etc.

This is key.

As I approach 47, I have noticed my eyesight starting to degrade. After having 20/15 vision all those years, I took it for granted that I would be able to see pistol sights clearly for life. I've been shooting since the age of six so a good sight picture is second nature to me.

Twenty years of LE has taught me to stay in decent shape. There was a time when I was in horrible shape and after being told by my GP that I was headed towards diabetes, I got off the couch and did something about it. I was able to lose 40 pounds and maintained a workout regimen for the past seven years.

Being in decent shape helped my shooting tremendously, particularly when attending classes involving shooting on the move. I can't fight the eyesight degradation but I can fight laziness and weight gain. I can strength train, I can do cardio, etc.

So for me, it balances out nicely and affords me to maintain my skills at an acceptable level in my eyes. Others consider me advanced but I am always seeking to improve. Cutting a tenth off here, extending the range there, faster reloads, faster draws.......

I don't see that ever changing. My toughest critic is me.

[BN]

My only real point was that we need to enjoy shooting for shooting's sake.

This is where I am now.

A shooting buddy has started shooting rim fire rifle at long range and having fun. He has recently had a heart bypass and both knees replaced. He needs his shoulders done and can't shoot handgun well anymore. He says this has added years to his shooting.

[Malamute]

My only real point was that we need to enjoy shooting for shooting's sake... If strict self defense is your motivation, the skill needed for that (vis a vis the gun) is pretty low, and not often exercised by most, so it is hard to keep training for just that.

Accept that you will not always be able to do what you can now or what you once did, and find a reason to continue shooting. I want to shoot for my entire life. I can't let my ego be tied that strongly to it. Nor my vision, strength etc.

I want to be that active and still enjoy life and shooting when I'm 95.

Good post.

This is where I am now.

A shooting buddy has started shooting rim fire rifle at long range and having fun. He has recently had a heart bypass and both knees replaced. He needs his shoulders done and can't shoot handgun well anymore. He says this has added years to his shooting.

I have some different goals now than in the past. Long range rimfire is one, and great fun. Long range rifle is what I enjoy most with AR's, and since an injury, an AR is whats most comfortable to shoot. None of it has been formal, or very precise, just what I enjoy the most with regular grade stuff. I may be able to upgrade the rifle and ammo at some point, which will add satisfaction to it. A newer interest is in acquiring one of the new Winchester 1873's, and getting back to shooting stuff in the air. Would like to be able to do multiples with a lever action.