# Did I Start Too Late?

- Link: https://brianejohns.com/2025/05/26/did-i-start-too-late/
- Published: 2025-05-26T10:00:00-04:00
- Author: Brian Johns

## More specifically, what if I had started in Filipino Martial Arts/Modern Arnis before age 33? From age 18 to 33, I trained in Cooper Ryu and Kenpo Karate and dabbled in BJJ and Aikido.

Years ago, I wondered what my skill level would have been if I had started in Modern
Arnis much earlier. I now think that it’s an irrelevant exercise.

![](https://i0.wp.com/brianejohns.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Screenshot-2025-
05-23-at-2.48.39%E2%80%AFPM.png?resize=1024%2C759&ssl=1)

The above screenshot is from a post-seminar video review. My instructor at the time(
Dan McConnell) and I had attended a seminar by Chuck Gauss. We decided to review
the seminar material out in the parking lot. It was cold, but it was good times!
At that time, I had been training in Modern Arnis for just a year. Where does the
time go?

Anyway, let’s go back to why musing about the past is irrelevant. Let me explain
how a martial artist colleague got involved in Aikido in his late 40s/early 50s.
Before falling in love with Aikido, he had trained in Wing Chun, Judo, Tai Chi, 
and other martial arts. He said, “_None of those arts spoke to me until I found 
Aikido_.”

I asked him if he wished he had found Aikido earlier. He replied, ” _No._ _Aikido
is now my home art. I use my prior martial arts experience to help me teach my students.
I can see aspects of my past martial arts through the lens of Aikido._“

His description of Aikido as his “home art” stuck with me. His winding martial journey
ended with him finding a home.

## So it is with my martial journey. As noted above, I studied various martial arts until I found Modern Arnis at age 33. Modern Arnis is now my “home art.”

By the time I started in Modern Arnis, I already had a solid martial foundation 
in footwork, takedowns, and joint locks. Besides that, I didn’t know anything about
stick work!

The above video depicts Steve going through his black belt test with me as his uke
in Columbus, Ohio, in the spring of 2006. I’m unsure what device it was recorded
on, but I recall Steve’s wife playing the video on her iPod. That was the first 
time I had seen video playback on a handheld device. I was blown away.

Anyway, I was 41 years old then and was a month away from getting married!

## Circling back to the question, “Did I start too late?”

I’ve entertained this question quite a few times. It recently popped again when 
I realized that I will celebrate 30 years in Modern Arnis in February 2028. I know
that it’s two and a half years from now.

It’s fun to entertain this question and engage in counterfactuals about our martial
arts training. There is no question that my Modern Arnis skills would be further
along if I had started at age six instead of 33.

That said, I have long decided that the question is irrelevant. The more relevant
issue is whether I am in the present and training consistently. Whether it be classes,
private lessons, solo training, or analyzing videos, I am training 5 to 6 days per
week.

I ask myself, “_What am I doing today to improve __myself?” _and_ “Am I 1% better
than yesterday?” _every day.

## So the answer is “No, I did not start Modern Arnis too late. And I am quite happy with how it all turned out.”

## What do you think? Have you asked yourself this question? Let’s hear your comments!

Other Stuff I’ve Written

 * [Never Too Late!](https://brianejohns.com/2016/03/28/blog-never-too-late/)
 * [Friday Recommendation #4](https://brianejohns.com/2021/03/19/blog-friday-recommendation-4/)
 * [Friday Recommendation #11](https://brianejohns.com/2023/06/30/blog-friday-recommendation-11/)
 * [Friday Recommendation #15](https://brianejohns.com/2023/08/11/friday-recommendation-15/)

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