How a 49-Yr. Old Mom Kicks Buht

Dear Matt,

I wanted to thank you, both for your great exercises (Combat Conditioning and Combat Stretching) and for the way you present that "anyone" can do them, no matter what shape they're in.

I'm 49 years old (that makes me pre-Title 9 in high school) and the mother of 8 and 10-year olds.

I've done a little running on and off over the years but I've never been a jock (I do like to keep moving, though). Anyway, last summer, my husband and I decided to sign up at our son's karate school - it looked like fun and I thought, I'll do the classes but I won't spar and I won't be trying to learn any of those spinning or jumping kicks and the like.

Well...... I discovered that I REALLY liked it.

So I started looking for some additional training to help get in better shape, and discovered the Matt Furey website. When I started, I could only do about 10 Hindu squats and NO Hindu pushups.

You said to just keep trying, and I did.

Now I'm up to 100 squats, 50 pushups, and my goal is to be able to do a couple of handstand pushups (I'm not there yet but I can hold the handstand for a minute now so I think it will come).

I actually beat a 20-something woman in sparring at a tournament recently.

I'm using your Magnetic Mind Power as well, and it is awesome, too. It's really helped me develop the focus to just go in and fight, even when my opponents are younger or taller or higher belts (gee, that's just about all of them).

This is so awesome for me - I'm still short, and I'm still 49, but I don't think of myself as fat or slow anymore - I'm tough and strong.

Thanks for the inspiration and the tools.

Jean Jarvis,
Minnesota