Running?

[bushido_man96]

I'm kind of on the fence in regards to fitness standards and MA ranking. It has pros and cons, the cons mainly being that you will only tend to a younger, more athletic crowd.

For the record, though, I hate running, and don't really do it. I think a big part of the MAs is the personal journey, and not everyone has time to put in the extra road work to run every day. Why short them on their journey?

[ninjanurse]

A martial artist should be fit. How they get there is a personal choice-but running is certainly a useful training method as it develops cardiovascular fitness and muscle endurance...needed for fighting or running away!

Our Black Belt Candidates must pass a physical test before they are eligible to take their Black Belt test...it is based loosely on the miltary PFT with variations in score given for older students. It involves running (or biking for those with injuries that make running inadvisable), push ups, and sit ups. The Black Belt test itself is rigorous and contains another fitness element that tests their performance under extreme pressure-not so much to see if they handle it physically but mentally as well. Knowing they are in shape prior to this allows the mental aspect to take the forefront.

[RAM18]

A martial artist should be fit. How they get there is a personal choice-but running is certainly a useful training method as it develops cardiovascular fitness and muscle endurance...needed for fighting or running away!

Our Black Belt Candidates must pass a physical test before they are eligible to take their Black Belt test...it is based loosely on the miltary PFT with variations in score given for older students. It involves running (or biking for those with injuries that make running inadvisable), push ups, and sit ups. The Black Belt test itself is rigorous and contains another fitness element that tests their performance under extreme pressure-not so much to see if they handle it physically but mentally as well. Knowing they are in shape prior to this allows the mental aspect to take the forefront.

Agreed!

We have the same sort of requirements.

My Sensei wants his blackbelts to be fit and remain fit.

[hammer]

I'm kind of on the fence in regards to fitness standards and MA ranking. It has pros and cons, the cons mainly being that you will only tend to a younger, more athletic crowd.

I guess I'm more of the opinion that there should be some kind of fitness requirements...in my own experience, it's not as easy to get as much out of an MA workout if you are in not in decent physical condition.

That said, fitness is not just about cardio, and also, adjusting requirements for age seems appropriate.

For the record, though, I hate running, and don't really do it. I think a big part of the MAs is the personal journey, and not everyone has time to put in the extra road work to run every day. Why short them on their journey?

If running's not your thing then there are plenty of other ways to get in cardio conditioning, and not all of them have to take as much time as it does to run several miles.