Happy Thanksgiving

To all my brothers and sisters in Martial Arts, Happy Thanksgiving!

As was the theme this week for the Dynamite classes - Appreciation: Showing gratitude for what others do for you - and returning the kindness.

Best wishes and thank you all for the support you've given Niki and I.

Mr. Dragon

Breath Control

As I transition into solo training for the time being, I am reminded how important, subtle, and elusive effective breath control can be.

Even though we stress the breathing aspect in the warmup exercises and stretching, I encourage you to continue to focus on your breath control during kicks, punching and striking drills as well as your form practice. Hapkido is no different...proper breath control can really enhance a technique.

Thoughts?

SUN!

Checking in

Well We survived the trip and are settling in here. It all seems real nice.

I have set up some strength training equipment, but have not resumed any type of training yet.

Having that class and a gym to go to every day for the past 20 years or so was a big motivator and always something to look forward to. It will be a challenge to get going on our own, but I am getting prett itchy to resume somehow.

Hope everyone is well...SUN!

The Changing of the Guard

I would like to announce that on October 20th 2011, Mr. Matt Dowds will officially take over as chief instuctor at Central WI Martial Arts. I have absolutely no doubt that he will be a total success and the program will flourish under his guidance. Please join me in extending my congratulations to him and his beautiful family.

I would also like to extend my sincere gratitude to all the wonderful people I've had the honor of calling my students over the past 15 years or so. I really had a great time.

I look forward to remaining in close contact with everyone and will be remaining in close contact with Mr. Dowds and the instructor committee.

My next goal is to establish PSR in the Southeast and I will begin to work on that within the near future.

SUN!

I recently took a group of green through red belts through a detailed analyses of Sah Dan (this was at a class time that I don't normally attend). At the end, after the bow, one of the red belts, (probably 13 yrs old), asked if I could show them some self-defense techniques. (I cringe at that term. I prefer "self-protection or self-preservation".)

"Do you mean some MORE self defense techniques?" I said.

"Huh?" he said.

I replied, "Son, we just did over 30 of them. It was called PaSaRyu Sah Dan."

TcB

Train with purpose...

"Train with purpose; the more you sweat in the gym, the less you bleed on the street."

— Dr. Jerry Beasley

Snatch the Pebble

Our lives journey is filled with many phases.
Knowing when to proceed from one phase to the next or in other words, knowing when to attempt to snatch the pebble and move forward, can often be the most challenging part of it all.

It is easy for us to remain in a state of routine and normalcy while avoiding change, never thinking about snatching the pebble. We all know however that doing so can often lead to stagnation and feelings of "what if ...".

The journey of life travels at warp speed. I believe it is very important for us to always keep an eye on the horizon, laying out our plans and dreams for our next phase. Whether it's tomorrow, next week, next month, next year, etc.

What desire do you have for your next phase? Are you prepared to pursue it? Are you willing to sacrifice to succeed in you next phase? Chose to snatch your pebble and press forward with eagerness to experience and ceis that next phase. It's certainly worth trying and at a minimum, it will help keep us infused with hope for a better tomorrow.

Sun!

Splitting a Log

Lessons learned form splitting wood.

It has been my experience that many of life's lessons have been taught to me in some of the most improbable and seemingly unconnected events. There have been many instances when laboring at some mindless and exhausting task, my thoughts have turned to something else and how what I am doing parallels another undertaking and the principles of success at one, contributes to success at the other.

EXAMPLE: We have a wood-burning furnace in our home which not only saves us money on our winter heating bill, but provides a cozy warm atmosphere which you do not get from gas or electric heat. Cutting, splitting and stacking wood is hard work but the benefits make the effort worthwhile. Aside from the obvious financial benefits there are others.....

First of all splitting logs with a 12lb splitting wedge is excellent total body exercise.

I practice my KiAi's when splitting...I swing that wedge with all my strength and when it makes contact with the log...here comes the KiAi...I can tell if they are good KiAi's when my neighbors come running out to check on the noise...where all that yelling is coming from.

When splitting a large log,(I pick the largest ones first...while I have the most energy) I KNOW it will take more than one blow to split it...The first swing is just to plant the point of the wedge as deep as I can and to let the log know I mean business...and after two or three more swings and it still remains intact.. I'm getting a little tired...I Know it is ready to split on the next swing...and I KNOW I don't want to hit it again...so I put EVERYTHING into the swing. And even if it doesn't split on that swing...I know it will on the next one...or the one after that...I know I am so close to success...the next stroke will open it up...The point is ..I KNOW it is going to split...it's just a matter of how hard I hit it...and that will determine how many times I have to hit it. This is a good mindset for everything in the Martial Arts...from learning basics to actual kicking and punching in the sparring ring.

The only way you WILL NOT LEARN...is if you QUIT! Keep practicing that difficult move until it becomes easy!

The first jab or kick is to make an impression...let you opponent know ...set the point of your attack...weaken the defenses...see how hard it is going to be to penetrate...see how tough he is..let him know you will not quit until the task is accomplished. Then keep attacking that weak point until you overpower him with your unrelenting commitment to success.

It is called RESOLVE!
Finish the task at hand!

SUN!

Sheep, Wolves, and Sheepdogs

A rather long post, but worth the read. Thanks to Mr. Watters for passing this along to us.

SUN!

On Sheep, Wolves, and Sheepdogs

One Vietnam veteran, an old retired colonel, once said this to me:

“Most of the people in our society are sheep. They are kind, gentle, productive creatures who can only hurt one another by accident.” This is true. Remember, the murder rate is six per 100,000 per year, and the aggravated assault rate is four per 1,000 per year. What this means is that the vast majority of Americans are not inclined to hurt one another. Some estimates say that two million Americans are victims of violent crimes every year, a tragic, staggering number, perhaps an all-time record rate of violent crime. But there are almost 300 million Americans, which means that the odds of being a victim of violent crime is considerably less than one in a hundred on any given year. Furthermore, since many violent crimes are committed by repeat offenders, the actual number of violent citizens is considerably less than two million.

Thus there is a paradox, and we must grasp both ends of the situation: We may well be in the most violent times in history, but violence is still remarkably rare. This is because most citizens are kind, decent people who are not capable of hurting each other, except by accident or under extreme provocation. They are sheep.

I mean nothing negative by calling them sheep. To me it is like the pretty, blue robin’s egg. Inside it is soft and gooey but someday it will grow into something wonderful. But the egg cannot survive without its hard blue shell. Police officers, soldiers, and other warriors are like that shell, and someday the civilization they protect will grow into something wonderful. For now, though, they need warriors to protect them from the predators.

“Then there are the wolves,” the old war veteran said, “and the wolves feed on the sheep without mercy.” Do you believe there are wolves out there who will feed on the flock without mercy? You better believe it. There are evil men in this world and they are capable of evil deeds. The moment you forget that or pretend it is not so, you become a sheep. There is no safety in denial.

“Then there are sheepdogs,” he went on, “and I’m a sheepdog. I live to protect the flock and confront the wolf.”

If you have no capacity for violence then you are a healthy productive citizen, a sheep. If you have a capacity for violence and no empathy for your fellow citizens, then you have defined an aggressive sociopath, a wolf. But what if you have a capacity for violence, and a deep love for your fellow citizens? What do you have then: A sheepdog, a warrior, someone who is walking the hero’s path. Someone who can walk into the heart of darkness, into the universal human phobia, and walk out unscathed

Let me expand on this old soldier’s excellent model of the sheep, wolves, and sheepdogs. We know that the sheep live in denial, that is what makes them sheep. They do not want to believe that there is evil in the world. They can accept the fact that fires can happen, which is why they want fire extinguishers, fire sprinklers, fire alarms and fire exits throughout their kids’ schools.

But many of them are outraged at the idea of putting an armed police officer in their kid’s school. Our children are thousands of times more likely to be killed or seriously injured by school violence than fire, but the sheep’s only response to the possibility of violence is denial. The idea of someone coming to kill or harm their child is just too hard, and so they chose the path of denial.

The sheep generally do not like the sheepdog. He looks a lot like the wolf. He has fangs and the capacity for violence. The difference, though, is that the sheepdog must not, can not and will not ever harm the sheep. Any sheep dog who intentionally harms the lowliest little lamb will be punished and removed. The world cannot work any other way, at least not in a representative democracy or a republic such as ours.

Still, the sheepdog disturbs the sheep. He is a constant reminder that there are wolves in the land. They would prefer that he didn’t tell them where to go, or give them traffic tickets, or stand at the ready in our airports in camouflage fatigues holding an M-16. The sheep would much rather have the sheepdog cash in his fangs, spray paint himself white, and go, “Baa.”

Until the wolf shows up, then the entire flock tries desperately to hide behind one lonely sheepdog.

The students, the victims, at Columbine High School were big, tough high school students, and under ordinary circumstances they would not have had the time of day for a police officer. They were not bad kids; they just had nothing to say to a cop. When the school was under attack, however, and SWAT teams were clearing the rooms and hallways, the officers had to physically peel those clinging, sobbing kids off of them. This is how the little lambs feel about their sheepdog when the wolf is at the door.

Look at what happened after September 11, 2001 when the wolf pounded hard on the door. Remember how America, more than ever before, felt differently about their law enforcement officers and military personnel? Remember how many times you heard the word hero?

Understand that there is nothing morally superior about being a sheepdog; it is just what you choose to be. Also understand that a sheepdog is a funny critter: He is always sniffing around out on the perimeter, checking the breeze, barking at things that go bump in the night, and yearning for a righteous battle. That is, the young sheepdogs yearn for a righteous battle. The old sheepdogs are a little older and wiser, but they move to the sound of the guns when needed right along with the young ones.

Here is how the sheep and the sheepdog think differently. The sheep pretend the wolf will never come, but the sheepdog lives for that day. After the attacks on September 11, 2001, most of the sheep, that is, most citizens in America said, “Thank God I wasn’t on one of those planes.” The sheepdogs, the warriors, said, “Dear God, I wish I could have been on one of those planes. Maybe I could have made a difference.” When you are truly transformed into a warrior and have truly invested yourself into warriorhood, you want to be there. You want to be able to make a difference.

There is nothing morally superior about the sheepdog, the warrior, but he does have one real advantage. Only one. And that is that he is able to survive and thrive in an environment that destroys 98 percent of the population. There was research conducted a few years ago with individuals convicted of violent crimes. These cons were in prison for serious, predatory crimes of violence: assaults, murders and killing law enforcement officers. The vast majority said that they specifically targeted victims by body language: slumped walk, passive behavior and lack of awareness. They chose their victims like big cats do in Africa, when they select one out of the herd that is least able to protect itself.

Some people may be destined to be sheep and others might be genetically primed to be wolves or sheepdogs. But I believe that most people can choose which one they want to be, and I’m proud to say that more and more Americans are choosing to become sheepdogs.

Seven months after the attack on September 11, 2001, Todd Beamer was honored in his hometown of Cranbury, New Jersey. Todd, as you recall, was the man on Flight 93 over Pennsylvania who called on his cell phone to alert an operator from United Airlines about the hijacking. When he learned of the other three passenger planes that had been used as weapons, Todd dropped his phone and uttered the words, “Let’s roll,” which authorities believe was a signal to the other passengers to confront the terrorist hijackers. In one hour, a transformation occurred among the passengers – athletes, business people and parents. — from sheep to sheepdogs and together they fought the wolves, ultimately saving an unknown number of lives on the ground.

There is no safety for honest men except by believing all possible evil of evil men. – Edmund Burke

Here is the point I like to emphasize, especially to the thousands of police officers and soldiers I speak to each year. In nature the sheep, real sheep, are born as sheep. Sheepdogs are born that way, and so are wolves. They didn’t have a choice. But you are not a critter. As a human being, you can be whatever you want to be. It is a conscious, moral decision.

If you want to be a sheep, then you can be a sheep and that is okay, but you must understand the price you pay. When the wolf comes, you and your loved ones are going to die if there is not a sheepdog there to protect you. If you want to be a wolf, you can be one, but the sheepdogs are going to hunt you down and you will never have rest, safety, trust or love. But if you want to be a sheepdog and walk the warrior’s path, then you must make a conscious and moral decision every day to dedicate, equip and prepare yourself to thrive in that toxic, corrosive moment when the wolf comes knocking at the door.

For example, many officers carry their weapons in church. They are well concealed in ankle holsters, shoulder holsters or inside-the-belt holsters tucked into the small of their backs.? Anytime you go to some form of religious service, there is a very good chance that a police officer in your congregation is carrying. You will never know if there is such an individual in your place of worship, until the wolf appears to massacre you and your loved ones.

I was training a group of police officers in Texas, and during the break, one officer asked his friend if he carried his weapon in church. The other cop replied, “I will never be caught without my gun in church.” I asked why he felt so strongly about this, and he told me about a cop he knew who was at a church massacre in Ft. Worth, Texas in 1999. In that incident, a mentally deranged individual came into the church and opened fire, gunning down fourteen people. He said that officer believed he could have saved every life that day if he had been carrying his gun. His own son was shot, and all he could do was throw himself on the boy’s body and wait to die. That cop looked me in the eye and said, “Do you have any idea how hard it would be to live with yourself after that?”

Some individuals would be horrified if they knew this police officer was carrying a weapon in church. They might call him paranoid and would probably scorn him. Yet these same individuals would be enraged and would call for “heads to roll” if they found out that the airbags in their cars were defective, or that the fire extinguisher and fire sprinklers in their kids’ school did not work. They can accept the fact that fires and traffic accidents can happen and that there must be safeguards against them.

Their only response to the wolf, though, is denial, and all too often their response to the sheepdog is scorn and disdain. But the sheepdog quietly asks himself, “Do you have and idea how hard it would be to live with yourself if your loved ones attacked and killed, and you had to stand there helplessly because you were unprepared for that day?”

It is denial that turns people into sheep. Sheep are psychologically destroyed by combat because their only defense is denial, which is counterproductive and destructive, resulting in fear, helplessness and horror when the wolf shows up.

Denial kills you twice. It kills you once, at your moment of truth when you are not physically prepared: you didn’t bring your gun, you didn’t train. Your only defense was wishful thinking. Hope is not a strategy. Denial kills you a second time because even if you do physically survive, you are psychologically shattered by your fear helplessness and horror at your moment of truth.

Gavin de Becker puts it like this in Fear Less, his superb post-9/11 book, which should be required reading for anyone trying to come to terms with our current world situation: “…denial can be seductive, but it has an insidious side effect. For all the peace of mind deniers think they get by saying it isn’t so, the fall they take when faced with new violence is all the more unsettling.”

Denial is a save-now-pay-later scheme, a contract written entirely in small print, for in the long run, the denying person knows the truth on some level.

And so the warrior must strive to confront denial in all aspects of his life, and prepare himself for the day when evil comes. If you are warrior who is legally authorized to carry a weapon and you step outside without that weapon, then you become a sheep, pretending that the bad man will not come today. No one can be “on” 24/7, for a lifetime. Everyone needs down time. But if you are authorized to carry a weapon, and you walk outside without it, just take a deep breath, and say this to yourself…

“Baa.”

This business of being a sheep or a sheep dog is not a yes-no dichotomy. It is not an all-or-nothing, either-or choice. It is a matter of degrees, a continuum. On one end is an abject, head-in-the-sand-sheep and on the other end is the ultimate warrior. Few people exist completely on one end or the other. Most of us live somewhere in between. Since 9-11 almost everyone in America took a step up that continuum, away from denial. The sheep took a few steps toward accepting and appreciating their warriors, and the warriors started taking their job more seriously. The degree to which you move up that continuum, away from sheephood and denial, is the degree to which you and your loved ones will survive, physically and psychologically at your moment of truth.

Wash the Window, Peel the Onion, Work the Mine

That's how it feels sometimes when doing any kata, but especially the basic ones that I've done uncountable times. It gets cleaner and more useful, old layers come off and reveal the inner substance, I find valuable nuggets that are often just laying there and huge veins that required more work to expose and even more to extract.

It may not be only techniques of delivery and avoidance that are brought to light. Sometimes the enlightenment may be in teaching technique. For instance, How to best convey the kata and/or purposes to a student. Sometimes it may be more philosophical.

Whichever or whatever, they all conspire to make me a better martial artist when I take time to practice kata with thoughtfulness.

Those were the results of Sahm Dan yesterday and Sah Dan today.

I love weekends and holidays!

SUN!

TcB

Water

A note forwarded to me by a friend.
I can't speak on it's level of validity but nevertheless - a good topic to be conscious of during the summer months.
Falcon-


When to Drink Water - From a Cardiac Specialist

Correct Time to Drink Water.....Very Important. This is interesting!! I knew you need your minimum water to flush the toxins out of your body, but this was news to me. Correct Time to Drink Water....Very Important From A Cardiac Specialist! Drinking water at certain time maximizes its effectiveness on the body: 2 glasses of water after waking up - helps activate internal organs 1 glass of water 30 minutes before a meal - helps digestion 1 glass of water before taking a bath - helps lower blood pressure 1 glass of water before going to bed - avoids stroke or heart attack

Dialogs

It is never easy to deal with the death of a loved one. Our lives revolve around, and we are the reflection of, the relationships we have forged with others and the ongoing dialog that ensues. That dialog can last minutes, years, or decades. Frequently there is mutual closure of the conversation and we move on with satisfaction. But then, there are those conversations that end abruptly leaving you longing for another sentence to add, even if it's just to say "goodbye, I love you, it's been fun."

This week my honorable, industrious father had successful surgery to place a stint in a neck vein. That evening he laid back to take a nap and suffered a cerebral hemorrhage and went into a coma from which he never awoke.

The next day, after receiving the report that Dad would not survive more than a few days, my sweet, frail, courageous mom suffered a broken heart and died two days later surrounded by family who desperately wanted the conversation to continue just a little while longer. Dad followed her into Paradise 3 days later as I held his hand and spoke but he could not hear. They had been married 68 years.

Take from this what you will. We are all just one breath from eternity. It would sound trite to recommend you treat every goodbye as the final one. But I will tell you this, a conversation abruptly ended when your cell phone drops is annoying but will soon be continued. A dialog interrupted by death leaves you empty. My only comfort, and it is considerable, is that Christ conquered death and the relationship will continue in the future.

I said "goodbye, I love you, it's been fun", to both of my parents yesterday. There was no reply this time.

TcB

Condolences

I want to express my deepest sympathies to Master Crane on the recent loss of both his parents. The unusual circumstances and dealing with it all have to be overwhelming.
I hope you can eventually find some relief and peace my friend.

Take a Break

Master Hawk,

You have hosted many "Break Nights" where students, even white belts if I'm not mistaken, take part in the study and application of breaking bricks.

Would you please describe the technique involved, including weight, control, penetration, focus and the physics behind it all?

I am always amazed at what you pull out of your students and the results that follow.

SUN!

TcB

Jang Kwon Kong Keock

Andy Osborne "Mr. Snake"

I regret to inform you that on April 12th, our Mr. Snake, Andy Osborne passed away.
His Mother emailed me with the news yesterday. He was 32 years old. She expressed that his Martial Arts training was a high point in his life. They are planning a memorial get together on May 14. Please let me know if you would like more details about that.
Andy and I had kept in touch after he moved to Madison to pursue writing and acting. He also had continued martial arts, studying Chinese Kempo.
Those of us who trained with him remember what a character he was and how serious and sincere he was about training. He was always right there with an enthusiastic "SUN!" I really liked him and wish somehow I could have done more for him.

Reiki

Has anyone ever heard of, or used, Reiki (ray-key)? What did you think? SUN!

Way to Go Guys!

I would like to extend another congratulations to a few of our blog guys: Mr. Dragon and Fox, Matt and Hunter Dowds - 1st dan Mr. Cline and Mr Watters - Red Belts.... (I know there were others, but I don't think they follow this blog) You guys really put on a great demonstration and always bring a high level of professionalism with you every time you come to class. I want you to know it is greatly appreciated by everyone involved, especially myself. SUN!

PSR Rank Requirements

I recieved a updated rank requirement sheet from PSR headquarters today. I was wondering if there were always minimum age requirements for BB ranks in PSR? Example: 5th Dan minimum age 34, 6th age 39, 8th age 54, etc. I don't have any problem with any of this, I just never was aware of it. SUN!

A Nice Visit

One of the many benefits of doing a kata every day is visiting with every kata at least once a month. "Visiting" is the key word here. "Focusing" might have applied just as well but "visiting" to me connotes an enjoyable time spent somewhere you like to be.

When all you have on the agenda is just one form, then you can get to know every nook and cranny of it. And in the process, deficiencies in technique can be noted and corrected or questions about efficacy and function can be answered.

Now, I realize that we frequently do every form in the course of one or more classes even in just one week. But, while the perfunctory performing of forms may have its place in laying down a path in the brain and muscle memory in the body, not to mention the aerobic benefits, it is not the same as a thoughtful examination of a single form done in a private space.

For me, some of the katas are more like an annoying uncle coming to visit rather than a close friend. That's fine. Visit with them too and you may be surprised at the treasures they hold.

We just don't want ANY of the katas to become long lost relatives or friends. Stay in touch!

For those of you who do not yet have 30 katas in your repertoire it may be useful to incorporate the yahk soak deta (promise sparing) sets, broken up as necessary, to fill in the days.

And no one says that the kata of the day can only be visited once that day. Or that the whole kata must be done during the visit. I generally try to stretch at least twice a day and I do the forms after my stretching. See what works for you.

SUN!

TcB

This week's katas

Saturday, the 12th was Chul Kee Il Dan; 13th, ShipSoo; 14, Dan Kwon Cong Keeock; 15, Dan Kwon Bahng Auh; 16th, Chul Kee Ee Dan, 17th, Yun Bee.

Tomorrow will be Kong Sahn Kuhn

Is anyone else following this order?

SUN!

Am Hak received my undivided attention today. Yesterday was Chil Bo, and Wednesday was Il Soo.

It is nice not rushing in order to complete several kata. I spend 10-15 min. on the one. Techniques get repeated and improved (hopefully). Applications are tried.

I am particularly enamored with Il Soo. I am looking forward to the next class when I can have a live opponent. My imaginary opponents don't stand a chance (although one got a lucky shot in today!)

Tomorrow, the 12th,....Chul Kee Il Dan

SUN!

TcB

What's your lineup?

Today, as I type this, it is the 8th day of the month. For me that means Bal Sae So. I mined it deep. I thought I had exhausted this vein, but no, there were nuggets everywhere. Perhaps I'm just a better miner now. Whatever the case, I have much to work on. I feel like a beginner.

Tomorrow is Il Soo.

SUN!

TcB

A Kata a Day

Hmmm. 30 forms in our system (depending on how you count the two-person katas) and 30 days in a month. I'm just saying..... a form a day keeps the mediocrity away. If you are not up to 30 katas yet in your PaSaRyu journey then toss in the Yahk Soak Detas or Master Hawks Hapkido sets.

I personally like them in the a.m. after the stretch. Slow and deliberate, like a meditation.

SUN!

Something for sore joints and muscles

I've had good luck applying a product called Biofreeze to joint and muscle problem areas. I first bought a tube of the gel from my local Chiropractor.

You can purchase it on-line at sites such as Amazon.com.

Here's a blurb about it that I found on-line. http://www.ehow.com/how-does_4679702_biofreeze-work.html

What is Biofreeze?
1. Biofreeze is a cold therapy treatment gel used as a therapeutic aid for sore or damaged muscles. Manufactured by Performance Health in Pennsylvania, Biofreeze is prescribed and used in the U.K. and the United States for quick relief of pain associated with muscle tissues.
Cold Therapy
2. Biofreeze is mostly used in cold therapy pain management. Biofreeze has the same impact on the body as an ice pack except it has the ability to infiltrate deeper into the muscle. Cold therapy is the process in which the area of an injury is cooled below the average body temperature. Since heat is known to increase blood flow to the area in which it is applied, cold does the opposite and reduces the blood flow to the affected area. This process, also referred to as cryotherapy, reduces the ability of your nerves to receive and send pain stimuli. The cold also works as a way to decrease the swelling in the affected area.
What Is it Made of?
3. Biofreeze uses an herb called Ilex. This herb is extracted from a holly plant in South America and then shipped to Pennsylvania to be made into Biofreeze. Ilex acts as an instant cold application and also helps the gel sink deeper through the skin's layers.
Applications and Availability
4. Biofreeze can be used for physical therapy, massage therapy, arthritis pains, strained muscles, sports injuries, exercise training and patient care. Biofreeze is not available through pharmacies or drugstores. Only licensed health care providers can sell Biofreeze. However, you do not need a prescription to buy or use the product.


Read more: How Does Biofreeze Work? | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how-does_4679702_biofreeze-work.html#ixzz1E368icNO

Best of Health,
Falcon

What is your favorite strength training program?

What type of strength training is your favorite and what do you feel is most helpful for your martial arts training?

Weights training, Isometric training, or Resistance training - or something else???
Please share what you do.

I enjoy weight training.
Approaching mid 40's, I still enjoy free weights and like the 10 to 20 rep range.
I find that my joints and tendons get sore and take longer to recover with lower reps (photo is not of me) - so I stick with the higher reps per set. Keeping movements very basic, I focus on slower rep speed and correct form. I have found Nautilus to be easier on the joints however and hope to use them more in coming years.

I've found that training 2 times per week has helped me considerably. I try to keep the sessions fast paced and can get a decent workout in - in 35 to 40 minutes. I'll change it up at times and do a split routine 3 days per week - training each body part only 1x per week in that case.

The biggest challenge I find is being consistent.

Always open for new ideas and suggestion.
Look forward to reading about what your favorite system is.
Sun!

In my experience:

Stretching = Hurt/Feel Good, Hurt/Feel Good, Huuurt/Feel Good, Feel Good, Feel Good, Hurt.

SUN!