'Am I going to be able to kick again?' Now 44, Franklin martial artist has double hip replacement

FRANKLIN, Tenn. (WTVF) — As we get older, we don't always have to be limited in everything we do. Taking care of medical conditions early can certainly contribute to a better quality of life.

"How you practice is how you perform in life," said Mark Burns, one of the leaders at Honor Martial Arts in Franklin.

Burns started young and worked his way up to competing and now teaching.

"Two of my students, a 70-year-old got her black belt in September," he said. "And a 78-year-old got their black belt in September."

"Both of them just had their hip replacements," Burns added. "And they're coming back this summer to take classes."

They're taking classes with someone who knows that himself.

"This is too much pain, but the real precursor to all of it was when I had my son," Burns said.

Burns had a double hip replacement in 2022. He was in his early 40's, but the pain was nothing new.

"Oh I was definitely in a lot of pain," he said. " 2011 is when I first started feeling all of this. Kids were not on my mind at all."

Imagine sitting on the floor. Your legs are crossed. You have your arms out — watching your first born take their first steps.

"You know I could get away with teaching martial arts and not having to do the moves, but I couldn't get away with being a father and not being able to play with my son," he said.

"Certainly I can't do martial arts like he does," said Dr. Jeffrey Hodrick, an Orthopedic Surgeon at the Southern Joint Replacement Institute at TriStar Centennial.

Hodrick performed Burns' double hip replacement.

"It does make a difference in that first five, 10, 15, 20 years rather than wait and accumulate health problems," Hodrick said.

"I think you should do it now, especially if you want your quality of life to be better," Burns recalled hearing from Hodrick.

It's also important to note the improvements in technology to assist and treat various medical conditions.