Instructor Fitness

[SevenStar]

I train really hard and at times overdue it a bit. However genetically i am short and built more like the troll from lord of the rings with high genetic cholesterol.

I can outlast most of my fighters in several areas, ab workouts to lead the list.
but if i slow my workouts i am prone to quick weight gain esp after i turned 35.
I still do alomost 1000 punches a day and will take shots from my biggest fighters as well as give them back.

I do not think looks have anything to do with physical ability. A body builder trains for looks not strength Look at some of the greatest powerlifters they can be ugly as sin but the best at their art and lest we forget the man with the haymaker from hell
BUTTERBEAN

you have to remember what you are dealing with. you're dealing with the general public, not a crowd of people familiar with martial arts. Physically, you and I are polar opposites. I am a stocky, muscular guy. If we stood next to eachother and asked people who they thought would win a fight, they would most likely say me, just based off of looks, which is what they perceive as both fitness and fighting ability, regardless of what the actual outcome would be. I've had to bounce guys out of the club who have tried me, but I've also had several who went willingly, but said they woulda tried to kick my butt if I wasn't so big. perception is a mutha.

[SevenStar]

I think a fundamental lack of knowledge of nutrition leads to many overweight practitioners despite rigorous training.

Also, rigorous training in martial arts is very specific.
If you do not enhance your training with general conditioning, then you will be lacking in the aesthetics department.

I wouldn't say that. In a lot of schools, the training is not rigorous at all. 1 hour class, a few mins of calesthenics followed by learning techniques and running thru forms several times... while I was fortunate enough to have karate and cma instructors that were big on being in shape, I never really experienced a really rigorous workout until I started judo, bjj and muay thai.

[Raised by Swans]

I feel it's absolutely imperative for all CMA instructors to maintain a high level of fitness with regards to their own personal experiences. Who knows what shape the slovenly taichi instructor you saw in the gym is in. It could be that he use to way double what he does now and through training in taichi has wittled himself down. Perhaps for him, what you saw is his personal best or perhaps he's still striving for better and what you saw is merely one point in time on one step of his journey. Or perhaps, he's exactly what you saw, a sloppy instructor.

From an application standpoint, I feel every CMA practitioner and instructor should work to reduce excess body fat. Not for the purpose of maintaining the MA look or marketing/sales, but because CMA deals with qi and large amounts of body fat constrict qi meridians, which can lead to blockages and a decreased ability to manipulate qi and illness.

Excessive weight also contributes to posture issues which also impair qi circulation and the effectiveness of techniques (i.e. a person with a pot belly tends to lean forward, destroying the neutrality and stability of their stance).

Many instructors get around their fitness decline through superior knowledge and technique, but think about what they would be capable of if they maintained themselves.

With that being said, you don't have to down protein shakes and build 16 inch biceps. Over development of muscles can also create detrimental qi blockages, undo strain on the body and illness.

It's about finding a personal balance and maintaining it.

Best Regards

[Fuzzly]

A lot of good discussion so far in this thread. All I wanted to add is that a few times I've seen people who look way out of shape. I'll think to myself "wow, they must be out of shape." and then crank out some crazy form/workout that completely amazes me.

[47MartialMan]

What if you spend 40 years learning and teaching martial arts that suddenly you had a accident that left you with a bad limp, amputee, or other hinderance to where you cant perform....

Are you less of a teacher?

Is all of your knowledge gone?

Athletic coaches such as boxing coaches, swimming coaches, gymnastic coaches, they cant perform, yet they produce champions from their knowledge.

[YiLiQuan1]

What if you spend 40 years learning and teaching martial arts that suddenly you had a accident that left you with a bad limp, amputee, or other hinderance to where you cant perform....

Are you less of a teacher?

Is all of your knowledge gone?

The primary difference, though, is that you're talking about someone who may have been in proper condition, and physically capable, prior to the injury (something they can no longer do anything about).

If a fat martial arts teacher continues to teach while fat, he/she is going to have to expect to get called out about it at some point... You can't grow back an amputated limb, but you can lose weight. For most folks, fitness is one major draw of martial arts training. How can a fat teacher justify offering MA training for fitness, when he/she is unfit?

[cjurakpt]

to me the analogy is this: if you are a psychologist and crazy, how can you treat patients? it's not just about telling someone what to do, it's modeling it; as a physical therapist, if I was walking around in constant pain, or unable to do at least 10 good reps of anything I want someone else to do, how could I possibly act as a guide for that person?

for anyone teaching anything related to physical fitness / health, you should at least have some baseline level in either one / both; if you are walking around with a heavy gut, I don't care who you are, you are not healthy (most old "masters" I've seen who have lived to a ripe old age, do tend to be on the thin side...); while you may have good pushands ability, I'd give you a few minutes tops at your target HR before you gassed out - that's not so good...BTW, as far as Yang Cheng Fu - he wasn't always that portly - in the early set of photos of him doing the form, he is slim and trim - he only pudged up after he became successful and accepted many invites out to "tea"; incidently, he died at a very early age (for a supposed tai chi master)

as for tai chi in general - my teacher, for example, isn't built like an Olympic athlete, but he embodies the principles he espouses - when he moves, he moves with an overall sense of ease and fluidity, even when he isn't "doing" taichi; furthermore, as a Buddhist / Taoist teacher, his life is an example of how his art is applied, including on his off-time which, if one is fortunate enough to spend time with him in this capacity, enables one to see how he interracts when he and his wife disagree, or one of his kids has some issues, or whatever: he's not perfect, but he walks the walk - he is a product of what he teaches, so what you see is what you can expect to get...

walk the walk...