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The benefits of a holistic practice like traditional martial arts for the brain and body are clear. Previous research has focused on athletic activity, sports, competition In adults, recent research has expanded to include adolescents, young adults, and older adults. An important aspect of traditional martial arts training, beyond just “karate,” is practicing with equipment. Tools are ancient weapons. However, little research has been conducted on this aspect so far.
Tai Chi and the Grand Ultimate Stick
Longfei Cao, Xiaoxiao Dong, Kai Qi, Chunhui Chou and Aiguo Chen, representing universities in Poland and China, wanted to know whether the health benefits of tai chi training extended to the martial art’s functional extension, namely the stick. In their recent research, Frontiers of public health“Effects of Tai Chi Stick Exercises on Muscle Strength, Balance, and Activities of Daily Living in Older Adults: A Randomized Controlled Trial” states that “older adults experience an accelerated decline in physical function,” but that “studies show that participation in health qigong and tai chi exercises contributes to improved physical function and facilitates the completion of daily life tasks in older adults.”
To answer this question, a group of 35 older adults in their mid-80s, both women and men, were “randomly assigned to either an intervention group or a control group. The intervention group participated in an 11-week tai chi stick exercise program, with each session lasting 45 minutes and performed three times a week.”
Continued use will help in daily life
The researchers note that the tai chi stick exercise used a wooden cane weighing approximately 0.42 kg. “Each training session for the intervention group was scheduled from 9:00 to 9:45 a.m. every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Each session lasted 45 minutes and consisted of the following: 5 minutes of warm-up, 10 minutes of tai chi stick practice, 2.5 minutes of rest. Then another 10 minutes of tai chi stick practice and a second 2.5 minute break. And a third 10 minute tai chi stick practice.” Do a 5-minute relaxation activity. End your session… Exercise intensity is defined as 40% to 60% of your maximum heart rate. (I would like to point out here how admirable the detail in the training content is, something that is often lacking in martial arts research publications.)
They also point out that training with a tai chi stick “emphasizes integrating whole-body movements centered around the lower back (e.g., twisting, turning, bending, stretching) and internal activities (e.g., breathing, movement).” Mindfulnessmental) allows practitioners to achieve physical and mental relaxation during dynamic exercise, thereby reducing the impact of negative emotions. ”
After the intervention, the martial arts training group “demonstrated significant improvements in lower extremity muscle strength, dynamic balance, and daily living abilities.” The results led to a strong conclusion that the 11-week traditional martial arts staff training “effectively strengthens lower extremity muscle strength and dynamic balance, maintains upper extremity muscle strength, reduces fall-related risks, and shows potential to improve daily living abilities in older adults.”
Move beyond the pointing stick
My own martial arts history includes extensive training in the bare-handed and armed traditions. For this reason, I read this particular study with great interest. But also because when I started training martial arts only for seniors, I also included Okinawan long cane weapon training. Such training has many anecdotal and measurable benefits for brain and body fitness. Including neuroplasticity of the sensorimotor system. Furthermore, in the following context: resilience and self-efficacythe tool is an amplifier of functionality. Therefore, the ability to train empty-handed can be further enhanced with the use of equipment such as sticks and canes.
In this context, most studies rightly focus on health benefits, but there are also benefits from application to martial arts training. The walking stick is the most common weapon found in all traditions of the world and can still be easily found around us. It may not be the official Tai Chi walking stick or Okinawan stick staff, but every home usually has a stick in the closet, and walking sticks, hiking poles, and umbrellas are often at hand.
Taken together, the above findings are important evidence of the benefits of martial arts training in older adults, which can be further supplemented by the use of traditional weapon tools.
(c) E. Paul Zehr (2025)
