The one who will always defeat us in the end

Published: Tue, 12/02/25

One of the best known stories from the Norse Mythology is known as ‘Thor’s visit to Utgard’. Thor responds to an invitation extended by a giant by the name of Utgard Loki. The event turns out to be a very strange experience where nothing is what it seems for the thunder god and his companions Loki, and Thialfi. For once even the trickster himself is outdone with illusion and trickery. All three face various tests and challenges which they seem to fail miserably. One of Thor’s games is to wrestle with an old woman who forces even the strongest of the Aesir down onto on knee before the host calls time on the bout.
Before the three guests leave his domain Utgard Loki reveals the tricks he has played. The old woman who wrestled Thor to his knees was in fact a personification of old age. An opponent no one, not even the mighty Thor, can resist for ever.
Those of us who are still practising martial arts at pensionable age will have rather different reasons for making the effort than we had when we started many decades ago. Can we fight with people half, or even an third of our age? Lets just say that it would not be a very good idea. There is a good reason why the military generally recruits soldiers under the age of 30 and retires them well before the age of 45. Any nation at war that is conscripting man in their 40s and 50s is in trouble and should be suing for peace. As we get older the body simply gets less resilient and less capable of absorbing punishment. Fighting is a young man’s game.
How about self defence? If the situation demands it then you have to do what you have to do. If you have high degree of expertise in martial arts then you might be able to neutralise an assault efficiently with minimum risk to yourself. However, if you are dealing with a Trel situation it is better to see what is developing and just don’t be there. Also, be aware of your energetic state and always aim to bring calm to a situation rather than stirring up conflict. If your practice has developed your character and energetic state as much as your physical abilities then conflict should be resolved long before it gets physical. Of course sometimes violence just seems to happen, in which case you need to be very clear on your intention to resolve the situation and just do it as effectively as possible.
If you study and practice any discipline for many years you eventually become a custodian, maybe even guardian, of knowledge and expertise. Teaching may be a way of ensuring that your knowledge doesn’t die with you. We all learned something from someone more advanced than ourselves and some responsibility falls on us to do the same for the next generation. Those of us who do teach will also know how hard it can be to find and keep students who are willing to learn all that we could teach them. Here are a few ideas to consider as we attempt to pass on some of what we know.
Firstly, we have to remember that younger students are in a different time of life and they have different needs as far as training and practice are concerned. They may want to compete with others the same age, they may have a greater need for self-defence, and they may just get bored more easily.
Secondly, not everything you know and can do is actually all that useful. Our ego will tell us that everything we know and could share must be valuable. However, applying Pareto’s law will reveal that most of the benefit in our training actually comes from a small proportion of our practice. There is always scope for simplification in what we do and what we teach.
Thirdly, a very small practice which is done daily will sustain a much greater benefit than an hour’s intensive training once in a blue moon. If we can reduce our practice down to something that can be done in a few minutes anywhere, indoors or outdoors, in very little space, and requiring little, or no, special equipment, then we have a chance of maintaining our practice. When the opportunity arises do something more ambitious by all means, but don’t be defeated when the practice has to be minimal, even for quite a long period of time.
Being selective in our practice means that we can do what is most appropriate for our age and physical condition. This is why the Chinese practice forceful fighting methods when they are young and fit, and then Tai Chi for the elderly. You could just call it growing old gracefully. If we teach we need to be selective as to what is most appropriate for our students and their time and situation in life. We must also select what is most appropriate to our time of life and lifestyle constraints.
As Thor discovered the ultimate adversary is old age and she is always going to defeat us in the end. However, with the right practice each day we can certainly give her a run for her money.
Regards
Graham
PS Our next training day in Salisbury will be on the 21st of March 2026 https://iceandfire.org.uk/salisbury210326.html
PPS If you are near enough Beverley to join our Monday night classes you would be very welcome to give it a try https://iceandfire.org.uk/selfdefence.html
Graham Butcher
21 Beaver Road
Beverley East Yorkshire HU17 0QN
UNITED KINGDOM

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