[Martial Arts] Below eighty is youth!

Author: Jeffi Chao Hui Wu

Time: July 19, 2025, Saturday, 7:26 AM

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[Martial Arts] Below eighty, everyone is young!
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-degree morning, I still wear only a quick-dry T-shirt and thin pants, standing quietly outdoors in a stance. A warmth rises from my feet, while my hands and feet feel completely cold.
Standing still may just be "standing" for others, but for me, it is a reboot ceremony for realigning bones and restoring the flow of energy and blood. 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 used to walking with my forefoot landing, relying not on shoes for cushioning, but on the natural force of my arches. This is also true 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 cold, I grow warmer with practice. In the early morning, practicing stances and punches in thin clothing, my hands and feet heat up, and I sweat lightly on my forehead, never relying on ginger tea or hot water to ward off the cold; it is entirely my body generating heat. Even when practicing punches halfway through, my back feels warm as a furnace, and even if a gentle breeze blows, it feels like I am enveloped in a natural warm energy field.
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 regenerate, growing patches of black hair. There are no miraculous remedies, only the most fundamental 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," 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 activities like walking, standing still, turning, and rising 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 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 frequently sprain their ankles, fall, or get injured are not facing age-related issues, but systemic degeneration.
The true state of the human body is not defined 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 like a mountain, if you can walk for three hours without fatigue, if you can naturally regenerate your hair, if you can stand on the ground like a tree with roots—then you are young.
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 weakness," 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 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. This 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 young!

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