Physical Fitness

[47MartialMan]

Does one have to be in Complete Physical Fitness, to teach or practice martial arts?

[WhiteBelt]

Teach: no, get an idiot to demonstrate the difficult techniques.

 

Practice: yes.

[47MartialMan]

So you are saying that one HAS to be COMPLETE-fit?

[WhiteBelt]

To practice MAs one has to be fit.

[Hudson]

No, in fact, I believe that a lot of martial arts are intended for those who aren't fit and need a form of defense.

 

Now, will being complete fit help you teach?

 

If my Sifu couldn't do the pushups with the class like he does, I might come to the conclusion that physical fitness isn't important.

 

Will it help you practice?

 

Yes, in some ways more than others. For example, practicing kata, forms, sequences, whatever you want to call them, you do not need a lot of fitness. For fighting in tournaments, you need great fitness.

 

The true question is: Is there a reason not to be complete fit?

[WhiteBelt]

The best defense is to run. You need to be fit. If you stay and fight, then you still need to be fit. I never said complete fit. Whatever that means.

[47MartialMan]

To practice MAs one has to be fit.

 

Not really.

 

One of my Chinese Shifus has a "Buddha Belly", in his 70's, and cannot run. But he has much skill.

 

So, that kinda defeats the complete fitness point.

[AngelaG]

Does one have to be in Complete Physical Fitness, to teach or practice martial arts?

 

It depends what Martial Art you mean but in Shotokan I don't think so. You need to be able to move relatively fast so you can strike fast enough that you can't be easily seen, and so you can avoid attacks. And you need a certain amount of strength to have an effective strike. But do you need to be a honed body builder, or a trained athlete? IMO no. Some of the greatest karateka still alive are pretty old, and yet no one would dare to suggest that they were not great karateka or that they should stop teaching. I personally don't think that competitions have much place in real karate (just my opinion, no need to flame), so I would say that fitness may give you another edge but it is not vital.

 

As I don't have much experience in other MAs I can't venture much of an opinion but I would think in arts such as kickboxing and Muay Thai that fitness is a lot more important.

 

I've found my fitness as grown as a by-product of my karate, not as a set quest for me to improve it.

[PrideampPoise]

Does one have to be in Complete Physical Fitness, to teach or practice martial arts?

I'm taking this to mean near perfectly fit. Low body fat, excellent cardiovascular shape, adequate strength...

 

To me, the answer is absolutely not. I believe fitness is one factor in how well one is able to practice and progress, but its just one. Of course you have to at least be at some minimal level of fitness, but beyond that, its a question of maximizing your potential. Improving your physical fitness (cardio, strength flexibility, etc) will help you improve.

[jos2thehua]

Haha...its kind of funny that someone would mention about how you don't have to be fit to teach MA, because our middle school wrestling coach is, well, kind of not fit. Don't tell him that Josh said that though...