Adam Cave
White Belt
If the only purpose of the instructor is be a role model for his or her class, a healthy body does seem to be required, regardless of age. However, if you are looking for a teacher who can really use their martial arts to defend themselves, this is not necessarily the case. Fitness is important in some of the more physically demanding arts but those arts are often more sport oriented than self-defense oriented. I know plenty of well respected martial artists (carrying a few extra pounds) who understand how to use their bodies to maximum advantage. They are not going to attempt kicks or attacks that they cannot do. But, god help you if they hit you with what they can do. Lack of fitness is only a disadvantage if you are still relyin on fitness to augment your skills. I stay fit, but not because it makes me a better martial artist; because it makes me a healthier person. I will add one more thing that I heard the other day that I found interesting. A veteran instructor told me that our "job" as teachers is not to show students what we can do, but to show them what they can do. Food for thought.