Why do I see overweight people with high belts/ranks ?

[SaiFightsMS]

The key to loosing weight while doing participating in karate class is to put your max effort out every class and train on your own as well. Over time you will gradually find your endurance and strenght increasing. And if you watch what you eat your weight will decrease.

[theswarm]

i think it's more of a case of making something of yourself,

 

for example an older less flexible person won't be able to do high kicks as well as a person my age but they shouldn't really be penalized for physical disability should they?

[PrideampPoise]

I'm an overweight person myself, though I have been gradually losing. I'm 5'5" and have gone from 247 to 196 in the last 9 months or so. I started training in KSW about 2 months ago. (Trained in TKD about 15 years ago, when I was around 180)

 

With respect to the original question, I think its pretty simple. Its possible for an overweight person to still perform all of the required elements, and if they do, they get the rank. I think the weight is one factor that makes acheiving better skill more difficult, but so are other factors like age, past injuries, and natural ability. If one trains hard enough, they can overcome those obstacles, within reason of course.

 

Personally, I have two goals, one is to continue improving my overall condition, and the other is to progress in my KSW training. I think progressing in each helps me with the other, but on the other hand, progressing in one does not automatically help me progress in the other.

 

Hope that makes sense...

[krunchyfrogg]

A kata is a practiced set routine in fighting imaginary people.

 

I'm overweight too (although I have lost a good amount of weight since starting karate). I'm not anything like Fat Bastard from the Austin Powers movies, I'm just a little overweight.

 

Anyway, diet is still needed, and I try to run in addition to karate. Remember: some people just have a body type where they're going to be more heavy-set than others. No matter what I do, I know I'll never be thin. But that doesn't mean I'm not fit.

[Synaesthesia]

Though not strictly overweight, I was actually suprised when I first started seeing muay thai fighters fighting.

 

Although some are killing machines of rippling muscle, many many of them have a layer of fat, and in fact look less fit (in the static view of body shape) than vastly inferior athletes.

[ZR440]

The first day of class my instructor told us "This isn't a Jane Fonda workout class". It's up to us to make the decision to exercise on our own time.

[Guy_Mendiola]

don't find this offensive or anything but how much do you weigh?

[ZR440]

I'm 6 ft, 205 lbs. I want to drop 10 lbs, but I love pizza way too much.

[three60roundhouse]

I'm 5'5 and a half, and I weigh anywhere between 129-134... My weight fluctuates quite a bit.

[angelica d]

Either I'm just dense, or Yorkshire is a bit behind the times, but no one I know uses pounds to measure weight here. We use kilos....for someone who dropped maths at school as soon aspossible its all very very confusing...