Cane Fu: The New Martial Discipline For The Elderly

The name Cane Fu is, to say the least, curious. Anyone who knows some English will be able to intuit its meaning, but in general it reminds us all of the name of well-known and official martial arts such as Kung Fu. And we would not be misled, because both terms are closely related.

One of the biggest problems that birthday involves is a growing fragility and defenselessness in the face of the surrounding world. With the loss of physical capabilities, as human physiology inevitably dictates, skills such as strength and speed – essential in defense situations – are substantially affected.

Therefore, it is expected that, reached a certain age, a person feels more defenseless than before and this feeling influences several of their vital dimensions. From there, an infinity of maladaptive elements can have an open ban, with the phobia of loneliness and the fear of being attacked leading the list.

What is Cane Fu ?

In recent years, and faced with the need to provide the elderly with personal defense resources, a martial discipline has been developed that, based on the techniques and approaches of recognized martial arts, is based on the use of the cane ( cane , in English) as an attack-defense weapon.

This new trend, whose birth and greatest impact are located in the United States, received its name from the media. In fact, the christening took place in the form of the front-page headline of the Wall Street Journal . And what that heading referred to is nothing other than the art of self-defense with a cane adapted to the elderly population.

But trying to avoid misunderstandings, it should not be thought that this type of self-defense technique is exclusive to the elderly; Quite the contrary, the use of a cane -or an object of forcefulness and similar characteristics- in order to protect oneself from an aggression and / or attack the aggressor is a veteran technique that has wide implantation and widespread use.

What is really new is that this type of martial techniques has been adapted to the elderly population to become a geriatric self-defense mechanism that can be instructed and practiced and, above all, that has proven to be effective.

In the so-called Anglo-Saxon country there are already certificates of Cane Fu instructor and a whole current of teaching of this art that integrates people of any age.

The helplessness of the elderly person

In more than one official report (such as the one issued a few years ago by the US Government) the true gravity of the matter is pointed out:

• Over the past decade, up to 93% of all crimes committed against the elderly were related to robbery and assault.
• The official measures implemented for the protection of the elderly have had little practical success in terms of crime prevention against them.
• In relation to other age groups, crime against the elderly has a lower incidence but, in relative terms, represents a serious problem as it is the most vulnerable group.
• The violent crime rate against the elderly population has increased 27% in the last 10 years.

In view of these overwhelming data, it is gratifying to see that there is an interest -which translates into real and practical terms- for older people to have their own defense strategies for themselves.

The advantages involved, beyond the mere avoidance of property theft and physical aggression, reach the realm of physical well-being (since practicing this art implies physical activity) and that of psychological well-being (by increasing self-confidence and reducing fears).

Some interesting facts about this practice

Cane Fu’s first instructor certification course took place about a decade ago, in the summer of 2009, in North America.

Learning this martial discipline endows the disciple with a powerful sense of empowerment and, as has been proven, many are the older people who develop a great taste for it and integrate it as part of their usual routine.

The skills acquired by learning this discipline can be life-saving and, in essence, can be acquired relatively easily and quickly. Globally, Cane Fu is based on isometric cane exercises, isotonic cane exercises, cane stretches and self-defense with this tool.

In general terms, the logistics of this kind of martial art do not differ excessively from the free hand movements and actions typical of other martial disciplines; in fact, in the instruction of this technique, transitions are usually included between similar exercises but practiced with and without a cane, alternately.

This trait facilitates the approach to discipline by young adults and even younger adults, who tend to stop perceiving the cane as a symbol of weakness to see it as a powerful weapon of attack and deterrence.

The industry of the cane as a support product for the march is in some countries receiving a new impulse due to the careful maintenance and quality control that a cane, as a defensive weapon, must receive. This care is essential to maintain the instrument in the most optimal of the states and that it does not fail in its task of defending the wearer from an aggressor who, with almost total probability, will be younger and stronger than the victim.

After reading this article, it is possible that – and we hope that – the fact of having a birthday will be a little less fearsome for everyone and it is accepted with the tranquility and optimism that any person, due to the fact of becoming older, deserves to receive fully .