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Seniors Wield Canes in Martial- Arts Training

Exercise and self- defense meet in 'Cane Fu' classes

By Matt Cantor,  Newser Staff

Posted Jul 12, 2008 8:58 AM CDT

(Newser) – Call it cane fighting, combat cane or cane fu: in classes across the country, seniors are turning to a different kind of self-defense, the Wall Street Journal reports. While the practice serves as a healthy way to get exercise, it also provides comfort to elderly people interested in protecting themselves with a weapon that’s always handy—and never banned.

Martial arts trainers teach the increasingly popular classes at senior centers; one is even being offered on a cruise ship this month. “It's now the top thing they look forward to,” said one teacher at a complex for seniors. One trainee described catching a thief in his Florida home. “I popped him on the kneecap, hooked him behind the neck, and was able to guide him to the door."

A man and his cane.
A man and his cane.   (Shutterstock)
An angry man has cane in hand.
An angry man has cane in hand.   (Shutterstock)
An elderly man leans on his cane--or readies it for a fight.
An elderly man leans on his cane--or readies it for a fight.   (Shutterstock)
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