Karate is AWFUL for striking. If you want to be able to strike for real you have to train in a sport where people actually compete so they have to learn the crucial aspects of standup - protecting your face, putting your hips into strikes, footwork, drilling basics forever, combinations etc... Most Karate matches are just "point sparring".
Boxing, Mui Tai, and American or Chinese (San Chow)kickboxing. Those are the most popular competitive striking sports. In class you'll spend most of the time hitting pads and light sparring. Drilling basics over and over.
Grappling is very helpful but not always practical. MMA will cover everything you need. Good schools have specialized instructors in each discipline as well as someone who knows how to put it all together.
Forget about age. One of my instructors started in his early 40's and was competing about 6 years after that in San Chow matches at Mohegan Sun in Conn.
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