65-Year Old Black Belt "Eliminates Excuses"
By: Tyler Thomason
Updated: March 1, 2013
The feet of 65-year-old Blaine Jackson, like most, spend most of the day surrounded by socks and shoes.
But when they're bare, they can be brutal.
Just a couple months ago the sprightly senior citizen reached the coveted martial arts milestone: earning a black belt in taekwondo.
"My wife, the first time she watched board breaking, she said she didn't want to watch anymore, that just looks too painful," Jackson says after one of the three classes he attends weekly.
"I decided I needed some exercise," Jackson adds. "I was gaining too much weight."
His initial inspiration came from his 4-year-old grandson.
"Went to watch him at his taekwondo class and thought I might could do that," Jackson says.
Not only can he do it, chief instructor Jack DeSousa says he excels at it.
"He inspires me every day," DeSousa says.
Desousa actually uses Jackson as an example for some, eliminating excuses one by one.
"(Others say) 'That's a young man's game', or something," DeSousa says.
So DeSousa calls on his senior student.
" Blaine, come on over, discuss with them," DeSousa adds.
Jackson shares the mat with students of all ages, from other adults, all the way down to children such as 5-year-old Gwenyth Collins.
"The range of ages here is really enjoyable," Jackson says.
"They're dedicated to what they do and they work very hard on it."
Despite 15 knee surgeries, two torn rotator cuffs and a titanium-filled ankle -- when it comes to taekwondo, Jackson seems to keep on tickin'...and kickin'.
"I won't use the word 'old,'" Jackson says.
"The word 'senior' sounds good, I see it used a lot."
He's actually been around longer than the sport of taekwondo itself.
But he says it's taught him well, adding that if he were to come across trouble from, say a younger attacker, it's an even match in his eyes.
"It's 50-50 that I won't be the one getting hurt."
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