Mesa seniors earned karate belts, including an 80-year-old
More than a dozen seniors at the Optum Community Center in Mesa earned orange or yellow belts in a modified karate class built for balance, strength, and mobility.
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More than a dozen seniors at the Optum Community Center in Mesa have new orange or yellow belts, AZFamily reported. The karate class is modified for balance, mobility, and strength.
Claire Charles, 80, told Good Morning Arizona she feels more confident, more flexible, and stronger, and that she likes the way the class connects mind and body. She was excited about the yellow belt and said she hugged her teacher and jumped around. Instructor Ilana Obrand called the work an honor and said Charles's balance has improved sharply. Obrand said the group trains hard and that students have gained coordination along with the belts.
For the classroom
More than a dozen older adults in Mesa, Arizona, just earned orange or yellow belts in karate. They train at the Optum Community Center in a class changed so it works on balance, strength, and moving well. Claire Charles is 80. She got a yellow belt and said she hugged her teacher and jumped around. She says karate makes her feel stronger and more flexible, and that her heart feels happy in class. Instructor Ilana Obrand said Charles's balance has improved a lot, and that the students train hard.
- Why would balance practice matter as much as a punch or a kick?
- What is something new you could start learning at any age?
- How should a class change so more people can join it?
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