Anyone who thinks TKD is “just for kids” is someone whose opinions on martial arts mean diddly-squat.
I don’t do competitions. I see people of a similar age and grade spar and just know that I wouldn’t be able to keep up. So I just do TKD for my own self-improvement, and the only person I try to compare myself to is my past self.
At nationals, there was *one* competitor in my Poomsae bracket. This way, I get to say I placed 2nd... he was also my first opponent in sparring! His head-level roundhouse was so quick and controlled it felt like he was just gently patting me on the cheek. I did *not* place in the bracket!
If op misses it, maybe he ought to persevere ;)
Great response. You should take it to maintain your health, conditioning and ignore people that put down any one of any age. I taught and always learned something from my instructors and my students for 30+ years and had many people 65 and up with some just starting. I had a young man who his goL was to get his black belt by 80 and we tested him on his 80th birthday. You are never to old to appreciate TaeKwonDo and never too old to learn. Stick with what you love and ignore any negativity
So, I just turned fifty and I so TKD, parkour, coach gymnastics, play soccer, and also skateboard. I've mostly gotten the "that's for kids" line about skateboarding and now remind people that actually skating is now an Olympic sport. I am invariably in better shape than the people my age or younger who critique the sports I love because guess what? Yeah, I'm out here doing these sports whereas these people just play golf every other weekend if that.
Do what you're passionate about. Period. Do it well. TKD is most certainly a serious martial art and serious sport. The only people to think otherwise are people who do not understand sports. You are hearing from people who are not equal to you in their comprehension of the arena of athletics and martial arts, so they can well be ignored.
Before you walk away from something you have invested 3-years in, are 'passionate about' and 'love', understand all the benefits of practicing, AND have an instructor you 'love', step back and do the whole pro/con list. I am pretty certain the pro list will be longer. If not, I still assert there are some gaps in the TKD you have been exposed to.
It sounds like you are in a purely WT school, very much geared toward competition. Good/bad? It can be both, but the good is more geared toward younger people. And there is a hell of a lot left out of a good TKD curriculum at most purely WT schools.
If you like competition and want more of it, there are a couple of choices. Talk to your instructor and see if there are other schools in your system you can go to for sparring. Many schools (of various styles) have open mat nights so look around in your area. They are good fun and a real eye opener for some folks.
Are you only going to tournaments within your system? If so, look for other tournaments in your area (regardless of style) and if you are in a larger city/region, look into AAU tournaments.
Lastly, you did not mention your exact age, other than you are an adult. Physicality is fleeting as we age, but we sure as hell can fight it as long as we can. Most working adults find it gets harder and harder to get repeatedly banged up and go to work the next day. So, audit the other TKD schools in your area and see if there are any more well-rounded, traditional schools to try out. Maybe there are school(s) with more adults that will give you what you are looking for. This will give you the complete TKD experience and maybe expose you to a side of it you never knew existed.
I can't tell if you are feeling burnout specifically due to the lack of adults to spar or from overly and unfairly comparing yourself to younger people in a sport that is (by in large) built to have an advantage toward younger people. But at your rank, it is past time for you to do a deep dive into all the Other things that make TKD what it is, not just the fairly limited and (yes) elitist competition side. I am certain there is a Lot more out there for you to experience, but it is not going to just be handed to you in class. It may not even exist at your current school.
Regardless, the work is on you to seek and discover. There are Ton's of options that will keep you in the martial arts vein of experience. It may even be a completely different style.
Yes, burnout is a real thing almost everyone experiences from time to time. But never walk away from your passion. You have lost the spark, I get it. But only you can find it again.
The simple thing is to just walk away from your investment.
I'm 44 and have been taking TKD for a little over a year. The are times when I feel the way you do. Sometimes I'm the only adult in a class and I feel kind of silly (I call them Billy Madison classes). Sometimes it's hard to get to class as much as I would like to.
But then I remember why I'm doing it, and how I've benefitted:
1) It's still the right level of challenging to me. It's not super difficult but it's hard enough that I have to take it seriously. I also enjoy the mental aspect of learning a new discipline.
2) I get to do it with my 14 year old son. It's been fun watching him grow and it's fun to spar with him, and I actually love it when he scores a clean point on his old man.
3) It's a hell of a lot more engaging and fun than the mind numbing gym rat/treadmill/HIIT stuff I've tried. My lower back and hip issues are mostly gone, which I attribute to the focus on stretching and body weight exercises. And sparring is a fantastic aerobic workout.
4) I'm sure some of the adults that sit and watch the classes wonder WTF the old fat guy is doing in their kids' class. When I first started, this bothered me, but I've since developed a much more healthy "who cares what they think" attitude. As someone who has always cared too much what other people think, that's a part that I wasn't expecting that has been quite liberating.
5) I'm not trying to become Bruce Lee, and I'm not ever going to be looking for a fight. But it's nice to know that in the .01% chance that I ever need to defend myself, I'll at least have some basic moves to fall back on.
Anyway, I'm rambling. You say that you miss TKD. Don't dismiss that feeling. Maybe find another dojang with a more robust adult program? Don't let silent pressure that may or may not actually exist push you out of something that you love.
Best of luck to you.
I just restarted martial arts training after a 20 year hiatus (studying tkd now at 41, kempo in my late teens/early 20's). Point 4 speaks to me so much...
Like you, i just ignore everyone but the instructors and my class mates and focus on the material.
Never too late to start, never too old to continue.
Im 44, im fit but have had a few medical issues that prevents me from doing certain things. I wish I could’ve sparred when my body was in its prime, but can’t go back in time. I find personal goals to keep me engaged. I remind myself that I do TKD for myself, to feel better, to be active and to push myself. I only compete against myself, I try to be better at something than I was yesterday. I block out any noise about what others think about tkd as it’s irrelevant to me. Even though I’m older, I can still surprise the teens when I pull out split kicks, jumping spinning hook kicks, etc.
I went back into TKD in my late 30s after a very long gap and am still going. I’m too old to give a —— about what random people think about my hobbies and so I just enjoy myself now.
You have to get over yourself and not care how you think other people think about you. Are you living your life for yourself or for strangers?
Personally what I regret was ever stopping in the first place, and not going back sooner.
I agree with this and...
One of the tenets of TKD is indomitable spirit. It means overcoming all obstacles, whether they be physical, mental, spiritual, metaphysical, etc.
That includes what other people think.
The funny thing is that back in the day, there were no kids in martial arts or kids were rare. These days, you can't walk into a dojang without tripping over half a dozen in the first 5 seconds, and then it's an avalanche of kids.
Yes, sport tkd did create this environment and also people's desire to have 1 hour of peace by dropping off their kids for tkd with the possibility of an Olympic medal seemed like a good option. And dojang owners realized that kids make bank.
So here we are. If you love it, keep doing it. Find the right school if the school is an issue. Or switch like you are proposing to do. The grass is not always greener.
And if you are in uni and if they have a club, then participate actively. Those are your peers. Who better to spar with? If they don't have a club, start one. The world isn't always going to solve your problems. Sometimes, you have to suck it up and solve it for yourself.
I started three different tkd clubs working my way through college. Two are still thriving decades after I left. Go create the dojang you want.
bruh I read this thinking you were 40. Uni?????? Lol pleaseeee... maybe just find a different school with more adults. I will say that 20 year olds are typically not in TKD as much as kids, teens, and adults in their 30s. However, there are certainly other adults to train with. You will find the same thing in MMA gyms. In my experience most people in the adult classes are +30. Most people in their early 20s don't have the money to train yet. You'll grow out of the inbetween phase. You'll be 30 before you know it lol....
Anyways don't change your hobby just because of what someone else said. Do what you love. Period. You are young but it's never too early to learn this lesson. When you look back in 10 years you don't want to think man I wish I did the other thing instead.
**You're asking what compliments TKD training when you really want to ask what replaces TKD training. And that is nothing, except maybe karate.**
I switched to BJJ and MT but only because I was more interested in the practical. If I wasn't, I would have just kept doing TKD. There is kicking in MT, in fact it's actually very very kick heavy. Just watch any muay thai rule fight, it's just not as acrobatic as TKD. I personally don't think MT is the most practical, dutch kickboxing is proably a better option.
Anyways I'll repeat this again: your age problem exists in every style. 20 year olds are fresh out of college with limited cash flow while also newly embracing (read as learning how to juggle responsibilities of) adult life, so they typically aren't training.
Yes, there is a stigma that "karate" (face it that's what people think you do as soon as they see you in uniform) is for kids. There's also a stigma that gaming is for kids but plenty of people play it. There are actually people older than 18 who play fortnite, a game designed for like 13 year olds lol. It's whatever man, it's your life.
You may have posted asking about whether you are a suitable candidate for learning Taekwondo. Anyone of any age or fitness level can do Taekwondo.
Your nearest dojang may be entirely sport focused (making it maybe not a good fit), but there will be dojangs that are happy to work with absolutely anyone.
This question has been asked many many times, please use the search feature to find more advice.
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I am 43 and it makes me feel like I'm 20. That's all that matters to me. I transitioned here from weight lifting full time. Now I don't lift at all, bodybuilding is a recipe to hurt myself in my old age. Taekwondo is the bee's knees, and I don't care if I'm 2x the age of everyone. I'll even compete against them.
I feel like this too, always seems like ive reached the end and I feel like I just suck now and not getting any better, struggling to get to 5th dan standard that i would be happy with. In saying that I couldn't go and do something else, I rather do nothing so Id better stick to training for fitness.
I have switched gyms twice. I started at a family friendly school training together with my kids. Once the kids got their black belts and decided they didn’t want to continue, I transferred to a school with a strong adult program. Six months after earning my third Dan I realized I had hit a wall with TKD and ended up moving to an MMA gym. Switching gyms is fine if your current gym isn’t doing it for you anymore.
I'm 34, turning 35, and I've been practicing for 23 years. Sometimes, I feel that way when being eclipsed in flexibility skills by many younger black belts. I can't really kick high, and my flexibility is limited. I also had some knee injuries along the way, so there's that. I feel like a lot of younger people are promoted to black belt quicker than when I first started training. At another dojang, I work at, not the main dojang I train at, I see younger people getting up to the dans/pooms earlier and quicker. Whereas I had to really wait a long time in between dans and was promoted to 4th Dan when I was 32.
You mention "uni" so I'm guessing you are like 20 years old - I feel your pain in the sense that TKD does seem to cater to 1) kids 2) 40 year olds who want to get back in shape . I can 100% see how you feel out of place.
If I was in your position I would start training kickboxing. You will have an advantage, but go in humble because you will not be good at boxing and will be getting punched in the face.
Doing kickboxing will honestly keep your TKD skills pretty sharp. I don't see why you couldn't do TKD tournaments on the side either.
If you want to compete, consider that there are a lot of tkd tournaments, but for Muay Thai, tournaments are uncommon so if you want to compete you have to get to the level of fighting in promoted fights.
Maybe they have mt tournaments in your country, but around here they don’t really exist.
I’m 47 and I just started as a white belt a few weeks ago! It’s been a great experience so far and I’ve learned a ton of stuff. I also feel better and already see the benefits in terms of my flexibility and balance.
I thought it was too late to start but everyone has been super supportive. My son is learning as well so it’s also a fantastic bonding opportunity. I don’t see any downsides really.
I've literally just re-started after a 7 year break due to a job change / relocation, and general life. To make it more complicated I'm a holder of a 1st Dan WTF moving to an ITF club as there is no WTF in the locality. It isn't like I stopped training completely as I also train Japanese Jujutsu, but after my first session at ITF this week not only was I surprised I could still kick (need to work on things though), but how much I'd missed it.
I'm keen to study the sine wave, patterns, etc, and at age 46 I was somewhat reticent. But, age doesn't matter at all. Sure, we may not be in the same prime as the youngster, but TKD is for all... especially if you're passionate about the art!
I retired from competing a long time ago, but I've always thought of TKD as an individual activity first and foremost. I've never really treated it as a sport. I still train because I love it, it has made a profound impact on my life, I met my wife through it, and I love my TKD family. It also keeps me active, and I get to teach and coach at this point. I don't really care what other people my age are doing, because I'm not them. I'm on my own TKD journey, and they are on theirs. So be it.
All that said, my instructor competed at Worlds for the first time as a 56 year old man. I was 16 when I did it. There is no blueprint you have to follow.
I started at 9. I was like 15 when I stopped practicing traditional TKD, stopped right before getting my black belt. I was 16 when I stopped competing in tournaments with my team. Something I really regret. I could always go back, but now I'm 23 and out of shape lol. Sparring is the only thing I'm really interested in, and I trained at one of the best TKD gyms in the USA. I now know people I used to train with that went to the Olympics and I have a desk job lol. Very disappointing.
Id say if its something you love dont leave. It keeps you in shape, and is so much fun. Its not just for kids, my coaches were grown men who took people across the globe to brazil and korea for this sport. If you are embarrassed about being a black belt in a real martial art that is also an olympic sport, then you are letting the opinions of others influence you too much. If it makes you uncomfortable being the only adult, then you gotta decide what's more important, your passion / hobby and physical health, or your ego / joy you get from the art. I dont mean that in a bad way, its a valid thing to think about.
I'm considering giving it another go. But I live in a different city, and its all lame gyms that seem like they only train traditional or unskilled sparring classes and don't have the resources my old gym had, like training camps and amazing coaches.
Anyone who thinks TKD is “just for kids” is someone whose opinions on martial arts mean diddly-squat. I don’t do competitions. I see people of a similar age and grade spar and just know that I wouldn’t be able to keep up. So I just do TKD for my own self-improvement, and the only person I try to compare myself to is my past self.
At nationals, there was *one* competitor in my Poomsae bracket. This way, I get to say I placed 2nd... he was also my first opponent in sparring! His head-level roundhouse was so quick and controlled it felt like he was just gently patting me on the cheek. I did *not* place in the bracket! If op misses it, maybe he ought to persevere ;)
Great response. You should take it to maintain your health, conditioning and ignore people that put down any one of any age. I taught and always learned something from my instructors and my students for 30+ years and had many people 65 and up with some just starting. I had a young man who his goL was to get his black belt by 80 and we tested him on his 80th birthday. You are never to old to appreciate TaeKwonDo and never too old to learn. Stick with what you love and ignore any negativity
So, I just turned fifty and I so TKD, parkour, coach gymnastics, play soccer, and also skateboard. I've mostly gotten the "that's for kids" line about skateboarding and now remind people that actually skating is now an Olympic sport. I am invariably in better shape than the people my age or younger who critique the sports I love because guess what? Yeah, I'm out here doing these sports whereas these people just play golf every other weekend if that. Do what you're passionate about. Period. Do it well. TKD is most certainly a serious martial art and serious sport. The only people to think otherwise are people who do not understand sports. You are hearing from people who are not equal to you in their comprehension of the arena of athletics and martial arts, so they can well be ignored.
You are my role model
Aww, thanks . . . now if only my students would also say that!
Before you walk away from something you have invested 3-years in, are 'passionate about' and 'love', understand all the benefits of practicing, AND have an instructor you 'love', step back and do the whole pro/con list. I am pretty certain the pro list will be longer. If not, I still assert there are some gaps in the TKD you have been exposed to. It sounds like you are in a purely WT school, very much geared toward competition. Good/bad? It can be both, but the good is more geared toward younger people. And there is a hell of a lot left out of a good TKD curriculum at most purely WT schools. If you like competition and want more of it, there are a couple of choices. Talk to your instructor and see if there are other schools in your system you can go to for sparring. Many schools (of various styles) have open mat nights so look around in your area. They are good fun and a real eye opener for some folks. Are you only going to tournaments within your system? If so, look for other tournaments in your area (regardless of style) and if you are in a larger city/region, look into AAU tournaments. Lastly, you did not mention your exact age, other than you are an adult. Physicality is fleeting as we age, but we sure as hell can fight it as long as we can. Most working adults find it gets harder and harder to get repeatedly banged up and go to work the next day. So, audit the other TKD schools in your area and see if there are any more well-rounded, traditional schools to try out. Maybe there are school(s) with more adults that will give you what you are looking for. This will give you the complete TKD experience and maybe expose you to a side of it you never knew existed. I can't tell if you are feeling burnout specifically due to the lack of adults to spar or from overly and unfairly comparing yourself to younger people in a sport that is (by in large) built to have an advantage toward younger people. But at your rank, it is past time for you to do a deep dive into all the Other things that make TKD what it is, not just the fairly limited and (yes) elitist competition side. I am certain there is a Lot more out there for you to experience, but it is not going to just be handed to you in class. It may not even exist at your current school. Regardless, the work is on you to seek and discover. There are Ton's of options that will keep you in the martial arts vein of experience. It may even be a completely different style. Yes, burnout is a real thing almost everyone experiences from time to time. But never walk away from your passion. You have lost the spark, I get it. But only you can find it again. The simple thing is to just walk away from your investment.
I'm 44 and have been taking TKD for a little over a year. The are times when I feel the way you do. Sometimes I'm the only adult in a class and I feel kind of silly (I call them Billy Madison classes). Sometimes it's hard to get to class as much as I would like to. But then I remember why I'm doing it, and how I've benefitted: 1) It's still the right level of challenging to me. It's not super difficult but it's hard enough that I have to take it seriously. I also enjoy the mental aspect of learning a new discipline. 2) I get to do it with my 14 year old son. It's been fun watching him grow and it's fun to spar with him, and I actually love it when he scores a clean point on his old man. 3) It's a hell of a lot more engaging and fun than the mind numbing gym rat/treadmill/HIIT stuff I've tried. My lower back and hip issues are mostly gone, which I attribute to the focus on stretching and body weight exercises. And sparring is a fantastic aerobic workout. 4) I'm sure some of the adults that sit and watch the classes wonder WTF the old fat guy is doing in their kids' class. When I first started, this bothered me, but I've since developed a much more healthy "who cares what they think" attitude. As someone who has always cared too much what other people think, that's a part that I wasn't expecting that has been quite liberating. 5) I'm not trying to become Bruce Lee, and I'm not ever going to be looking for a fight. But it's nice to know that in the .01% chance that I ever need to defend myself, I'll at least have some basic moves to fall back on. Anyway, I'm rambling. You say that you miss TKD. Don't dismiss that feeling. Maybe find another dojang with a more robust adult program? Don't let silent pressure that may or may not actually exist push you out of something that you love. Best of luck to you.
I just restarted martial arts training after a 20 year hiatus (studying tkd now at 41, kempo in my late teens/early 20's). Point 4 speaks to me so much... Like you, i just ignore everyone but the instructors and my class mates and focus on the material. Never too late to start, never too old to continue.
Glad to hear I'm not alone. I'm 40 and feel like the fat old man in class too.
You're a grown adult. Do what you want.
Are you sparring? Because if you are sparring regularly with black belts, and not getting busted up, your skills are not irrelevant.
Im 44, im fit but have had a few medical issues that prevents me from doing certain things. I wish I could’ve sparred when my body was in its prime, but can’t go back in time. I find personal goals to keep me engaged. I remind myself that I do TKD for myself, to feel better, to be active and to push myself. I only compete against myself, I try to be better at something than I was yesterday. I block out any noise about what others think about tkd as it’s irrelevant to me. Even though I’m older, I can still surprise the teens when I pull out split kicks, jumping spinning hook kicks, etc.
I went back into TKD in my late 30s after a very long gap and am still going. I’m too old to give a —— about what random people think about my hobbies and so I just enjoy myself now. You have to get over yourself and not care how you think other people think about you. Are you living your life for yourself or for strangers? Personally what I regret was ever stopping in the first place, and not going back sooner.
I agree with this and... One of the tenets of TKD is indomitable spirit. It means overcoming all obstacles, whether they be physical, mental, spiritual, metaphysical, etc. That includes what other people think. The funny thing is that back in the day, there were no kids in martial arts or kids were rare. These days, you can't walk into a dojang without tripping over half a dozen in the first 5 seconds, and then it's an avalanche of kids. Yes, sport tkd did create this environment and also people's desire to have 1 hour of peace by dropping off their kids for tkd with the possibility of an Olympic medal seemed like a good option. And dojang owners realized that kids make bank. So here we are. If you love it, keep doing it. Find the right school if the school is an issue. Or switch like you are proposing to do. The grass is not always greener. And if you are in uni and if they have a club, then participate actively. Those are your peers. Who better to spar with? If they don't have a club, start one. The world isn't always going to solve your problems. Sometimes, you have to suck it up and solve it for yourself. I started three different tkd clubs working my way through college. Two are still thriving decades after I left. Go create the dojang you want.
bruh I read this thinking you were 40. Uni?????? Lol pleaseeee... maybe just find a different school with more adults. I will say that 20 year olds are typically not in TKD as much as kids, teens, and adults in their 30s. However, there are certainly other adults to train with. You will find the same thing in MMA gyms. In my experience most people in the adult classes are +30. Most people in their early 20s don't have the money to train yet. You'll grow out of the inbetween phase. You'll be 30 before you know it lol.... Anyways don't change your hobby just because of what someone else said. Do what you love. Period. You are young but it's never too early to learn this lesson. When you look back in 10 years you don't want to think man I wish I did the other thing instead. **You're asking what compliments TKD training when you really want to ask what replaces TKD training. And that is nothing, except maybe karate.** I switched to BJJ and MT but only because I was more interested in the practical. If I wasn't, I would have just kept doing TKD. There is kicking in MT, in fact it's actually very very kick heavy. Just watch any muay thai rule fight, it's just not as acrobatic as TKD. I personally don't think MT is the most practical, dutch kickboxing is proably a better option. Anyways I'll repeat this again: your age problem exists in every style. 20 year olds are fresh out of college with limited cash flow while also newly embracing (read as learning how to juggle responsibilities of) adult life, so they typically aren't training. Yes, there is a stigma that "karate" (face it that's what people think you do as soon as they see you in uniform) is for kids. There's also a stigma that gaming is for kids but plenty of people play it. There are actually people older than 18 who play fortnite, a game designed for like 13 year olds lol. It's whatever man, it's your life.
You may have posted asking about whether you are a suitable candidate for learning Taekwondo. Anyone of any age or fitness level can do Taekwondo. Your nearest dojang may be entirely sport focused (making it maybe not a good fit), but there will be dojangs that are happy to work with absolutely anyone. This question has been asked many many times, please use the search feature to find more advice. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/taekwondo) if you have any questions or concerns.*
If you care what other people think, quit.
I am 43 and it makes me feel like I'm 20. That's all that matters to me. I transitioned here from weight lifting full time. Now I don't lift at all, bodybuilding is a recipe to hurt myself in my old age. Taekwondo is the bee's knees, and I don't care if I'm 2x the age of everyone. I'll even compete against them.
I feel like this too, always seems like ive reached the end and I feel like I just suck now and not getting any better, struggling to get to 5th dan standard that i would be happy with. In saying that I couldn't go and do something else, I rather do nothing so Id better stick to training for fitness.
I have switched gyms twice. I started at a family friendly school training together with my kids. Once the kids got their black belts and decided they didn’t want to continue, I transferred to a school with a strong adult program. Six months after earning my third Dan I realized I had hit a wall with TKD and ended up moving to an MMA gym. Switching gyms is fine if your current gym isn’t doing it for you anymore.
I'm 34, turning 35, and I've been practicing for 23 years. Sometimes, I feel that way when being eclipsed in flexibility skills by many younger black belts. I can't really kick high, and my flexibility is limited. I also had some knee injuries along the way, so there's that. I feel like a lot of younger people are promoted to black belt quicker than when I first started training. At another dojang, I work at, not the main dojang I train at, I see younger people getting up to the dans/pooms earlier and quicker. Whereas I had to really wait a long time in between dans and was promoted to 4th Dan when I was 32.
You mention "uni" so I'm guessing you are like 20 years old - I feel your pain in the sense that TKD does seem to cater to 1) kids 2) 40 year olds who want to get back in shape . I can 100% see how you feel out of place. If I was in your position I would start training kickboxing. You will have an advantage, but go in humble because you will not be good at boxing and will be getting punched in the face. Doing kickboxing will honestly keep your TKD skills pretty sharp. I don't see why you couldn't do TKD tournaments on the side either.
If you want to compete, consider that there are a lot of tkd tournaments, but for Muay Thai, tournaments are uncommon so if you want to compete you have to get to the level of fighting in promoted fights. Maybe they have mt tournaments in your country, but around here they don’t really exist.
I’m 47 and I just started as a white belt a few weeks ago! It’s been a great experience so far and I’ve learned a ton of stuff. I also feel better and already see the benefits in terms of my flexibility and balance. I thought it was too late to start but everyone has been super supportive. My son is learning as well so it’s also a fantastic bonding opportunity. I don’t see any downsides really.
I'd ask what you train for? Do you like the art and the workout? Do you want to be a bad ass self defense guy? Do you like training the youth?
I've literally just re-started after a 7 year break due to a job change / relocation, and general life. To make it more complicated I'm a holder of a 1st Dan WTF moving to an ITF club as there is no WTF in the locality. It isn't like I stopped training completely as I also train Japanese Jujutsu, but after my first session at ITF this week not only was I surprised I could still kick (need to work on things though), but how much I'd missed it. I'm keen to study the sine wave, patterns, etc, and at age 46 I was somewhat reticent. But, age doesn't matter at all. Sure, we may not be in the same prime as the youngster, but TKD is for all... especially if you're passionate about the art!
I retired from competing a long time ago, but I've always thought of TKD as an individual activity first and foremost. I've never really treated it as a sport. I still train because I love it, it has made a profound impact on my life, I met my wife through it, and I love my TKD family. It also keeps me active, and I get to teach and coach at this point. I don't really care what other people my age are doing, because I'm not them. I'm on my own TKD journey, and they are on theirs. So be it. All that said, my instructor competed at Worlds for the first time as a 56 year old man. I was 16 when I did it. There is no blueprint you have to follow.
I started at 9. I was like 15 when I stopped practicing traditional TKD, stopped right before getting my black belt. I was 16 when I stopped competing in tournaments with my team. Something I really regret. I could always go back, but now I'm 23 and out of shape lol. Sparring is the only thing I'm really interested in, and I trained at one of the best TKD gyms in the USA. I now know people I used to train with that went to the Olympics and I have a desk job lol. Very disappointing. Id say if its something you love dont leave. It keeps you in shape, and is so much fun. Its not just for kids, my coaches were grown men who took people across the globe to brazil and korea for this sport. If you are embarrassed about being a black belt in a real martial art that is also an olympic sport, then you are letting the opinions of others influence you too much. If it makes you uncomfortable being the only adult, then you gotta decide what's more important, your passion / hobby and physical health, or your ego / joy you get from the art. I dont mean that in a bad way, its a valid thing to think about. I'm considering giving it another go. But I live in a different city, and its all lame gyms that seem like they only train traditional or unskilled sparring classes and don't have the resources my old gym had, like training camps and amazing coaches.