Here is a very interesting study, discussing the relation between age and happiness. Apparently they found that happiness follows a ‘U’ shaped curve, starting out high and going down through the 20s, 30s, and 40s, before rising again when people are in their 50s and up! At the same time, people were most angry in their 30s–so watch out for them!!!
From one side, these findings dovetail with the ideas of the Boabom Arts. In the Boabom Arts you will see that in the first stages, originally developed for children, the system of movements is soft, gentle, and increases in strength when those children grow up and tend to be unhappiest, or from the perspective of Boabom, full of animal energy and physical capacity. If we were to divide Boabom into ten parts, children would be in parts 1-2, while parts 3-7 would be for teenagers, young adults, and adults. In this way Boabom tries to balance the movement of energies within the life of a human being, growing in intensity as these stronger feelings arise.
But what about parts 8-10, you may ask? These stages represent the later ages, from the late 50s on, which is the moment when the Art becomes soft again, gentler, and at the same time, happier. In these stages the goal is not to be dramatically athletic, but rather becomes about being skillfully wise, and the movements become softer and softer, more and more precise, and with this the older student begins to understand that the Art, as a defense, is not meant to impress anyone, but rather to work as a defense, nothing more, with no grand show or ornament.
Using Boabom as a way to balance the body, one does not have to be athletic, to exaggerate, or to be dramatic–more than this the Art must be light, like a leaf floating down from the branch, soft, patient, and concerned not with knowing more, but about using well what you do know. Perhaps these little details make sense with this research, and if someone understands the wisdom of the Art, and the wisdom of Life, they can discover the happiness that everyone seeks.