Frank Hofer 2nd Degree Black Belt

My name is Frank Hofer and I am a retired software engineer. I just turned 68 and have been practicing Kung Fu for 9 years. I have done Sanda for most of that time and just started learning Tai Chi.

On the personal side I have dogs and cats. I’m a pretty good cook and spend time checking out restaurants and local wineries.

Nine years in June. That’s how long I’ve been coming here and that says a lot about the teachers and the students here at SKZ. I have never considered myself particularly athletic or skilled in any type of sports. I would go to the gym with friends but after a few months I would get bored or make excuses to not go exercise.  I would skip it and tell myself I would do more next time. Then the skipping would be days at a time, then I would just stop. Sifu Andy has done a fantastic job of designing classes that are interesting and tailored for the students’ abilities. There are still days when I consider not going to class, but I rarely miss class and always attend a makeup session.

Being an older student has its challenges and they’re not just what you might think. My brain is positive that my body can do everything it could 45 years ago but unfortunately that is not the case. Older adults don’t bend, stretch, or move the same as when we were younger. This is especially apparent when you’re like me and hadn’t done regular exercise in decades. Even after nine years of training there are movements that I am either not allowed to do or need to be modified to fit my abilities. You will see an example of that today with the chain weapon. Sifu changed the form a bit, added some additional movements, and now I can demonstrate the new skills I have learned without getting hung up with movements that just won’t happen with me.

There are also mental aspects and attitudes that an older adult discovers then in classes with students of all ages. At the start of my training here at SKZ, Sifu Andy assigned a student - I think he was about 10 or 11 – to teach me some of the basics. I could tell by the look on his face that he wasn’t sure how to approach that. I’m not sure someone his age telling a much older adult what to do was something he had ever considered. I had to let him know that he was in charge and it was okay to tell me what to do all without explicitly saying that. It was about then that I realized that as an adult I had responsibilities to my fellow, albeit much younger fellow students to give them the confidence to lead a group, no matter who is in it. As I’ve advanced, I’ve tried to keep that attitude. If I’m in a group of students, I let the one in charge tell me what to do, and to be comfortable critiquing my forms and telling me where I can improve.  

My everyday like has improved with Kung Fu by keeping me physically active and pushing myself to my limits.  It has also allowed me to interact with people from a wide variety of backgrounds and ages, something that is vital to keep myself mentally young as I age. I definitely made the right decision when I walked through that door nine years ago. Nine years in June. That’s how long I’ve been coming here and that says a lot about the teachers and the students here at SKZ. I have never considered myself particularly athletic or skilled in any type of sports. I would go to the gym with friends but after a few months I would get bored or make excuses to not go exercise.  I would skip it and tell myself I would do more next time. Then the skipping would be days at a time, then I would just stop. Sifu Andy has done a fantastic job of designing classes that are interesting and tailored for the students’ abilities. There are still days when I consider not going to class, but I rarely miss class and always attend a makeup session.

Being an older student has its challenges and they’re not just what you might think. My brain is positive that my body can do everything it could 45 years ago but unfortunately that is not the case. Older adults don’t bend, stretch, or move the same as when we were younger. This is especially apparent when you’re like me and hadn’t done regular exercise in decades. Even after nine years of training there are movements that I am either not allowed to do or need to be modified to fit my abilities. You will see an example of that today with the chain weapon. Sifu changed the form a bit, added some additional movements, and now I can demonstrate the new skills I have learned without getting hung up with movements that just won’t happen with me.

There are also mental aspects and attitudes that an older adult discovers then in classes with students of all ages. At the start of my training here at SKZ, Sifu Andy assigned a student - I think he was about 10 or 11 – to teach me some of the basics. I could tell by the look on his face that he wasn’t sure how to approach that. I’m not sure someone his age telling a much older adult what to do was something he had ever considered. I had to let him know that he was in charge and it was okay to tell me what to do all without explicitly saying that. It was about then that I realized that as an adult I had responsibilities to my fellow, albeit much younger fellow students to give them the confidence to lead a group, no matter who is in it. As I’ve advanced, I’ve tried to keep that attitude. If I’m in a group of students, I let the one in charge tell me what to do, and to be comfortable critiquing my forms and telling me where I can improve.  

My everyday like has improved with Kung Fu by keeping me physically active and pushing myself to my limits.  It has also allowed me to interact with people from a wide variety of backgrounds and ages, something that is vital to keep myself mentally young as I age. I definitely made the right decision when I walked through that door nine years ago.