Being in shape

[terryl965]

Original Post:


Nothing about SELF DEFENSE here. There was no mention of SD vs sparring. "Kicking the living **** out of someone" could be either.

If you go back to page three it say SD, so lets keep this going in that direction. I mean even in sport the over wieght person could knock the condition on eout look at Kinbo slice he did.

 

[Sukerkin]

I think pehaps we should hive this off into it's own thread? It is a discourse that has value but it's just not what this thread is intended for.

 

[HM2PAC]

If you go back to page three....

The original discussion didn't get underway for 3 pages?

I think Sukerkin is right, there should be a separate thread/discussion for this topic.

Sorry if I got a little long-winded. In the ATA I have come to accept marginal performance and lax physical standards. I was hoping that it wasn't the same all around.

I personally think that fat BB's are funny, especially the ones that are younger than I am. However, even I realize that my attitude is somewhat bitter and hard to swallow.

 

[Xue Sheng]

Stress, indecision and lack of skill or will are much more crippling to a martial artist than being fat - the Japanese knew this, which is why the ideal Samurai body shape included a pot belly to lower the centre of mass.

Anyone ever hear of Yang Chengfu?

Not exactly skinny and it is likely his weight had a lot to do with shortening his life but he was a rather skilled martial artists.

Look for drawing of Dong Haichuan as well.

 

[terryl965]

The original discussion didn't get underway for 3 pages?

I think Sukerkin is right, there should be a separate thread/discussion for this topic.

Sorry if I got a little long-winded. In the ATA I have come to accept marginal performance and lax physical standards. I was hoping that it wasn't the same all around.

I personally think that fat BB's are funny, especially the ones that are younger than I am. However, even I realize that my attitude is somewhat bitter and hard to swallow.

It is Ok to say what is on your mind and you are right some BB cannot even move let alone teach. By the standard I am overwieght but I still train everyday and spar with my students. I do ground work and takedowns with them, I get tossed around. Would it be easier if I lost some wieght yes, byr since I take alot of steroids for my lungs that is just not going to happen. I know if need be I can still compete and do well and hopefully still able to defend myself if need be.

 

[Archangel M]

I think a lot of the conversation here has some "baggage". Some people are probably carrying some more than others.

:flame:

 

[jarrod]

"fitness" is a pretty broad term that covers a lot of attributes. if a fat guy has bad cardio but is very strong (like a powerlifter or a sumo wrestler) he is probably just fine for most self defense situations, especially if he trains to focus on his strength.

also, being fat does not necessarily mean unhealthy. fat can either attach itself to the organs (unhealthy) or the muscles (no problem). i for one have ran into & trained with a number of fat guys that i would want to defend myself against, especially in a short, high intensity encounter.

sport fighting is another matter.

jf

 

[Archangel M]

Anybody and everybody can "defend themselves" regardless of fitness levels, if they use their training and their heads. I would just hesitate to give anybody the impression that they shouldnt worry about fitness or delude themselves into thinking that because they study good technique that they can backburner conditioning because it "isnt necessary" to defend thmselves.

IMO you would be better served by focusing on fitness vs self defense anyway. Statistics will show you that a persons well being is threatened by being out of shape vs a street attack by a large margin. So if "self-defense" is reframed as "defending your health, functionality and well being" then IMO many people are focusing their time on the wrong issues.

 

[Archangel M]

Also IMO. Being overly developed in one fitness aspect to the detriment of others (muscular strength vs endurance) isnt my definition of being "in shape". Everybody will have varying levels of development, but "combat fitness" should be generalized instead of specialized.

CrossFit has a lot interesting to say on that issue.

 

[jarrod]

good points & i agree with you for the most part. but i don't think anyone is trying to give the impression that fitness is totally irrelevant, just that it is sometimes overestimated. as for combat fitness being generalized instead of specialized...that depends on if the aspect of combat you're training for is generalized or specialized. a soldier has much different fitness requirements than, say, a bouncer (though i wouldn't define what a bouncer does as "combat", but it is closer to what john doe civilian might have to do).

jf

 

[Archangel M]

I dont know if fitness importance can ever be "overestimated". IMO you cant be too rich, too beautiful or too fit. I think the danger lies in underestimating it vs overestimating it.

 

[jarrod]

....too beautiful...

i'm proof that you can be :uhyeah:

jf

 

[seasoned]

I think in a SD type situation adrenaline will keep someone going longer than you'd expect, trouble is that goes for the attacker as well! the will to live can be very strong which gives you that boost you need to run faster than you ever thought was possible or last out in a fight.

As they say in Yorkshire, it's not the size of the dog in the fight, it's the size of the fight in the dog!

One thing to remember is, by the time you are a participant in the attack, your attacker is already experiencing their adrenaline dump. You need to go from 0-60 pretty fast. All the MA in the world is not going to help, if you are oblivious to what is going around you. Big, small, fat, skinny, makes no differents. Your attacker in many cases, is an opportunist, and will come out of nowhere.

 

[Tez3]

One thing to remember is, by the time you are a participant in the attack, your attacker is already experiencing their adrenaline dump. You need to go from 0-60 pretty fast. All the MA in the world is not going to help, if you are oblivious to what is going around you. Big, small, fat, skinny, makes no differents. Your attacker in many cases, is an opportunist, and will come out of nowhere.

My attackers tend not to be opportunists, they tend to be either fighting already, running away or resisting arrest lol! usually the first though. Often though they will be standing talking at me then attack because I won't let them go without checking ID or I won't let them in somewhere they aren't allowed to be, usually a shove or a punch. Being aware of this and the fact they are more often than not drunk helps avoid being hit. In fact as I think of this it seems they are rarely sober,it's usually something they do only when drunk.