FRANKLIN, Tenn. (WTVF) — As we get older, we don't necessarily have to be limited in what we do. Early treatment of the disease certainly contributes to improving the quality of life.
“How you practice affects how you perform in life,” said Mark Burns, one of the leaders of Honor Martial Arts in Franklin.
Burns started young, grew as a competitor, and is now active as a coach.
“Two of my students, 70-year-old women, earned their black belts in September,” he said. “And in September, a 78-year-old man earned his black belt.”
“They both just had hip replacements,” Burns added. “And they will be coming back for classes this summer.”
They are taking classes from people who know it themselves.
“This is so painful, but what really started it all was when I had my son,” Burns said.
Barnes underwent double hip replacement surgery in 2022. He was in his early 40s, but his pain was nothing new.
“Oh, it certainly hurt a lot,” he said. “I first started feeling all of this in 2011. I wasn’t thinking about kids at all.”
Imagine you are sitting on the floor. My legs are crossed. With open arms, you watch your first-born baby take his first steps.
“You know you can teach martial arts and not have to do the moves, but being a father and not being able to play with my son was inevitable,” he said.
“Certainly, I can't do martial arts like him,” said Dr. Jeffrey Hodrick, an orthopedic surgeon at TriStar Centennial's Southern Joint Replacement Institute.
Hodrick performed a double hip replacement on Barnes.
“Rather than waiting and accumulating health problems, those first five, 10, 15, 20 years make a difference,” Hodrick says.
“I think you should do it now, especially if you want to improve your quality of life,” Burns recalled hearing from Hodrick.
It is also important to note advances in technology to assist and treat various medical conditions.
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“This is another example of a small nonprofit organization doing great good in our community. Forrest Sanders is helping adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities express themselves through the arts. Introducing Friends Life Community, a group that provides opportunities. If this happens, it will be an original stage performance! Registered drama therapist Sarah Edwards guides the cast, including Mary Margaret, to express themselves through writing and dance movements. The original show is on tour, with dates set for her TPAC this September!”
-Lori Johnston
