Kung fu fun
Her husband calls her “Grasshopper.”
And to the best of her ability, she might throw him a kung fu kick in their family room as the retired Spokane Valley couple practice their newfound interest.
“I really have fun,” says Anna Henderson, 56. “But you have to be willing to practice.”
Anna Henderson and her husband, Dwight, 59, are among the growing number of retirees nationwide who are turning to martial arts for strength building and exercise, mental clarity and fun. Both agree they’ve gained greater self-confidence since starting martial arts training last July.
“I’ve never had to defend myself, so it’s kind of hard for me to hear: ‘Strike with your fist.’ But I’m getting it,” says Anna Henderson, who stands 4 feet 7 1/2 inches tall.
“My husband calls me Grasshopper,” she said, explaining it’s a playful reference to the 1972 television series “Kung Fu.” “He teases me.”
But the couple are serious about the many benefits they’ve already experienced through martial arts, and they devote 10 to 12 hours a week practicing and training at home and at Kung Fu for Life martial arts studio in Spokane.
“Last week we got our yellow belts. We’re second from the bottom,” says Anna Henderson, who retired from the surgical housekeeping unit of Deaconess Medical Center three years ago.
Dwight Henderson, who retired in 2005 from the commissary at Fairchild Air Force Base and since has returned to work for Yoke’s Fresh Market, has long wanted to train in the martial arts. He researched the various styles, and the couple decided on kung fu because they found it to be less aggressive than other styles.
This led them to Kung Fu for Life and owner/chief instructor David Toutonghi.
“There’s never a wrong age to start” – or minimum skill level, says Toutonghi, who has been involved in martial arts for 20 years. His students have included those in their 80s and others with disabilities.
He says the core curriculum can be modified to meet the needs and abilities of each student.
Toutonghi says new students can expect to begin with individual training prior to joining group classes. And while the training focus is on self-defense, the aim is enhancing quality of life with good health, longevity and personal defense.
After the Hendersons’ initial training and some private lessons, they joined the advanced class and say they’ve enjoyed the camaraderie among the mixed generations of others training there.
The other day they were learning how to use fighting sticks. Later, they hope to advance to swords.
“I didn’t think I’d like the sticks,” Anna Henderson says. “But that’s my favorite part.”