Big guys in the dojo...

[Sithlord82]

I am a big guy and it's definitely not all muscle. I've been training for about 4 months now and I've lost about 35 pounds, when I started training I weighed in around 280-285 lbs. I love training and I leave buckets of sweat on the mats every time I do. I wanted to hear from other "big" martial artist out there, maybe about how far you've come, weight you've lost or adversity you had to overcome.

[Spartacus Maximus]

Losing as much weight as you mentioned is a very good result after only 4 months. Setting a goal is a good idea to keep effort focussed. A good start would be to do some research to find the ideal weight for a fit person of your height and age.

As for me, I went from nearly 190lb to under 170 which is ideal for a fit man of my size and height. Also keep in mind that muscle is heavier than fat and this should be considered when evaluating results. Water is the best way to enhance losing fat. Drinking large volumes of water during training and throughout the day works very well.

[CDraper]

I found the lbs for you Sithlord!

[Spodo Komodo]

I was a big guy, I trained in Karate for about ten years and lost a lot of weight along the way. I got injured and stopped and now I'm a big guy starting all over again.

Moral of the story - don't stop.

In practice you just have to be a bit more careful. The racing snakes can get away with poor footwork or less than perfect rolls and breakfalls, us powerfully built chaps have to get knees in perfect position and hit the mat at the right angle if we don't want to pop a knee or shoulder. On the other hand, the harder you train now the easier it gets when you have lost the poundage. Just make sure that you get adequate nutrition and replace those fluids.

PS. I'm currently at -26lbs since getting back to Karate in May this year and it feels so much better.

[bushido_man96]

I'm a big guy, but not tall. I find that even though I'm bigger, I still can move relatively well, and I have some flexibility. As I've gotten older, I haven't had as much time to put into training as I used to, so its tougher on me now.

[sensei8]

I too, am a big guy, and I've been in the MA for over 50 years. The only thing I care about is what my Doctor says, and per my Doctor, I need to lose 15 pounds by the end of August.

What other MA and what consumers like or don't like about my size doesn't concern me at all; I'm complete in my totality as a MAist!!

I now want to lose the weight, not because of the MA and the like, but because it's healthy of me to do so. I'll be 58 this October; time to get real!!

[RAM18]

Hey

Big guy here, currently 104kgs (229 pounds). When i started a few years ago i was 110gks, My waist was 4 and a half inches bigger, had half the muscle mass i have now and i got out of breath after running for 2 minutes.

I'm now a 1st Dan, can run 8 miles. do an hour cardio class easy. I'm not fast when sparring but i try to fight smart.

As for adversity. Yeah Landing wrong and twisting ankles. Broken toes on the mats, sore knees.....plus the fact everyone hits you harder because "your a big guy and can take it".

[CTTKDKing]

I'm a big guy. Stated Taekwondo at 415lbs and cut to 290 when I was competing in 2004-2005. Stopped for several years and while I'm nowhere near 415 I gained a bit back and am still struggling to lose it again.

I train 3 times per well right now and run 3 mornings per week. Is a slow process but as long as I keep pushing I'll get there eventually. I fell good and that's what counts I think.

I have a 2nd Dan in Taekwondo and a purple belt in sho bin ju.

[sensei8]

Btw,

Welcome to KF, Sithlord82; glad that you're here!!

[LogicaLInsanity]

I'm a big guy. Stated Taekwondo at 415lbs and cut to 290 when I was competing in 2004-2005. Stopped for several years and while I'm nowhere near 415 I gained a bit back and am still struggling to lose it again.

I train 3 times per well right now and run 3 mornings per week. Is a slow process but as long as I keep pushing I'll get there eventually. I fell good and that's what counts I think.

I have a 2nd Dan in Taekwondo and a purple belt in sho bin ju.

Wow this is really inspiring. I just started Wado-Ryu Karate at 420lbs, and I've already lost 10 in my first 2 weeks. I'm also on a nutrition plan and walking a couple of miles every day. It's very cool to hear about someone else who started at my weight and got down so far. That's my goal. My motivation is to get better at martial arts. Cuz right now, I'm a 6'3" 400lb bear and I look ridiculous in that mirror compared to the scrawny folks lol.

Can I ask you something? Where did you get your Gi? I've only been in karate for 2 weeks and my Sensei is very kind about me just coming in gym shorts and a T. He says as long as I'm comfortable and can move that's what matters, but I really would love to be in the uniform of my class mates. Plus if I do a belt rank test one day, is it just going to be like "ok you passed, go find a rope at lowe's and wrap it around you"?