Should someone be allow

[searcher]

Does extra weight hamper your knowledge or transmission of said knowledge? No. I am not seeing an issue here.

Does extra weight make demonstration of technique impossible? No. It may make it more difficult, but not impossible.



Do you see where I am going with this? Yeah, I thought so. I am not saying that it is OK to be out of shape or overweight. But weight is not what makes you a good or bad instructor.

 

[chungdokwan123]

The ability to transmit knowledge is what makes a great teacher. There will come a point in all of our lives where our bodies will not be physically able to do the more athletic techniques (540 kicks, flying kicks, etc.). If you are working out and doing what you can to maintain a good condition and 257 is your personal best, then 257 is your personal best. One other question is what is your muscle to fat ratio? I mean, are you built like a chunky Franco Columbu?


I don't really find anything in the tenets that addresses this. I think he's (she's?) using them to support a personal opinion.

Daniel

"Personal best" is of great importance here. My take is that if you are doing your "personal best" to maintain your health and appearance....then you are good to go. My instructor teaches us that only through doing our "personal best" will be continue to grow.

I believe that....and I think that's what Tae Kwon Do is all about.

I realize the problems that steroids can cause....but the issue of weight control is all about carbohydrate intake. Approach this as a diabetic....which is where you may be going anyway.....and cut out the carbs and you will drop weight and inches like no one's business.

 

[Gwai Lo Dan]

end thread.

I was thinking of Sammo too! But Sammo is very agile. Some of the posters are talking about being big and not agile.

I see fat and flexibility being independent - just because you are fat, doesn't mean you cannot be flexible. If the instructor was stiff and could not kick above the waist, I would wonder whether he stretches diligently, and whether TKD is the art for him. I do have one master who is overweight and not flexible, and comes from a judo background. His expertise is self-defense and holds and he is very good at it. He certainly has my respect but I don't look to him to learn fancy kicks - I ask the teenagers!

 

[bluewaveschool]

I was thinking of someone fat yet still a good martial artist.

 

[Gorilla]

Not in the least judgemental. I gave factual information about obesity, and expressed my personal opinion that it has nothing whatsoever to do with ones ability to teach. Where's the judgement?

At 5'9 & 257lbs, you're not 'considered obese in today world'; medically, you're considered not just obese, but morbidly obese. Your weight will (if it is not already) lead directly to significant health problems. Obviously, you'd do well to lose a bunch of weight. Equally obviously, if it were easy, you'd not be posting this message, and all the internet advise in the world won't drop a single pound. In fact, you might gain weight while you're sitting at the desk with your cookies & Dr Pepper reading. Certainly, steroids are known to cause weight gain, but it is possible to control that, at least to some extent. I don't know why you're taking them, but you really ought to talk to your PCP about your options.
Dirty Dog

If not judgmental...Then Poorly put and of no help to anyone!

 

[Daniel Sullivan]

At 5'9 & 257lbs, you're not 'considered obese in today world'; medically, you're considered not just obese, but morbidly obese.

Depends. How much of the weight is muscle? Terry has made it pretty clear that his weight is problematic, so I think we can rule out him being a Columbu like wall of muscle. On the other hand, I've known some obese guys who were packing some serious muscle beneath the surface. Enough muscle to skew their BMI considerably. One guy I knew was 6'1 and about 300, but without the fat, he would still have been close to 230. His legs, from about mid thigh down, became progressively trimmer, until you got to his calves, where he had very good definition and no fat at all. And they were as big as my thighs! His arms, shoulders, and pecs were the same. He just had double chin and a midsection by Michelob.

Your weight will (if it is not already) lead directly to significant health problems. Obviously, you'd do well to lose a bunch of weight. Equally obviously, if it were easy, you'd not be posting this message, and all the internet advise in the world won't drop a single pound. In fact, you might gain weight while you're sitting at the desk with your cookies & Dr Pepper reading.

True, unfortunately. I cut out soda almost entirely because it is nothing but empty calories.

Certainly, steroids are known to cause weight gain, but it is possible to control that, at least to some extent. I don't know why you're taking them, but you really ought to talk to your PCP about your options. Whatever benefit you're getting from the steroids certainly won't do you much good if the weight gain leads to your being crippled by heart attack or stroke, or even just because the weight makes your bad knees that much worse, that much sooner.

He has stated somewhere in this thread that he takes them for a breathing issue of some kind (asthma?)

But your weight is a seperate issue from your teaching. Teaching is the passing on of knowledge, and your weight problems don't lessen your knowledge. And the effectiveness of your teaching can best be judged by the results, as demonstrated by your students.

I will say this. One of my sword instructors was a man built much like you. While he didn't move fast for long, his techniques were amazing, his hand speed incredible, and his speed over short distances impressive. His weight certainly didn't keep him from teaching me an awful lot.

Very true, and I have known some instructors like this. One of the best instructors that I ever had is a lady who struggles with her weight. But her classes are among the best I've ever been in.

Daniel