Is there a difference between martial artist and martial athlete?

[Xibalba]

All martial artists should be in great shape, better than average, especially instructors. Why would a student want to continue in training if they see an instructor who is out of shape? This represents a possible future for them. If the teacher cannot do what they are asking their students to do then, I believe, this is a bit of hypocrisy. Is this a lot of pressure on the teacher? Yes. We should be models for the student. Never stop training. My instructor is now 70 years old and he still has it. I have been with him since he was 46. At 46 he did everything with us. He cannot do “everything” now but he still looks fit and has a sparkle still in his eye. He is a true teacher and mode,l as I hope to be. That being said, all martial artists are athletes. Great question.

ron

Ron - I agree. Although age and other health concerns may limit an instructor's ability to do some of the more "flashy" techniques in their chosen art, I believe that most instructors should lead by example. If I expect my class to do 100 pushups/situps/sidekicks/whatever, I will be right out there doing it with them.

I make it a point to get out there and mix it up with the young 'uns every time I train. I cannot see requiring them to do something that I won't even attempt. Sure, I may hurt more the next day (I don't recover like I did when I was 20!), but they don't need to know that!

Peace,
Mike

PS - Ron, this is Mike from the MSU karate club! It is good to "run into you" in cyberspace! :cheers:

 

[Bigshadow]

What I am trying to say is that we should try to be an athlete. We should accept no less for ourselves. Is there any drawback to this pursuit?

Only if you want to be an athlete and you are training to be an athlete. The drawback... What happens to old athletes? They lose their competitive edge.

Someone else summed it up best! "You should try to be the best you can possibly be." If you want to be an athlete, go for it. However, I think that is an entirely different mindset, that is short lived.

 

[Xibalba]

Only if you want to be an athlete and you are training to be an athlete. The drawback... What happens to old athletes? They lose their competitive edge.

Someone else summed it up best! "You should try to be the best you can possibly be." If you want to be an athlete, go for it. However, I think that is an entirely different mindset, that is short lived.

I respectfully disagree regarding that being an athlete is short lived. Granted, old athletes "lose their competitive edge", but I don't think that athletes are necessarily defined by their participation in competition.

When I think of training athletically, I think of general fitness and staying in top shape for whatever one's chosen athletic activity is. When I think of training athletically for martial arts, I think of training in such a way that our bodies are best prepared to execute the techniques of our art. For me, that entails a good base of cardiovascular endurance, coupled with some explosiveness training and moderate strength work. The focus of this athletic training and conditioning is to enhance my technique.

Granted, as I age I am losing my competitive edge (those darn 19 year olds I train with are fast, man!), but I don't think that makes me any less of an athlete.

Another example - I am also a distance runner. I never really had a "competitive edge" in running, and neither do many of the folks I see at races I have been to. But I still would say that they are athletes as long as they are out there putting in the miles and keeping in the best shape that they can.

Peace,
Mike

 

[Brother John]

Thanks John,
I should rephrase that, all martial artist “should” be athletes. I do know what athleticism is. The root of all martial arts is with the physical body. What I am trying to say is that we should try to be an athlete. We should accept no less for ourselves. Is there any drawback to this pursuit?
ron

Thanks for the clarification on that Ron. It helps me to see that the pages we are reading from is much closer than I had thought it might be.

I suppose it'd be on your own personal concept of what an athlete is. Also: though I myself engage in the sort of extra-curricular "exercise and conditioning" that my brother Mike was talking about, resistance exercise, aerobic, stretching (for me....yoga).
But these aren't essential.
I personally think that if someone trains and trains HARD in their martial art, no other thing need be done. If one puts their heart and soul into it, that is. Half hearted training does NO good. But in my opinion, a martial artist need not engage in anything that is not his 'martial art' to achieve excellence.

The other stuff is sort of extra credit, and also.... my wife likes me to fill out a shirt with some muscle and not some Flubber.
;-)

Your Brother
John

 

[Bigshadow]

I respectfully disagree regarding that being an athlete is short lived. Granted, old athletes "lose their competitive edge", but I don't think that athletes are necessarily defined by their participation in competition.

I agree that an athlete is NOT defined by their participation in competition but by the way they train is geared toward competition seen by the definition(s) below. Old athletes retire, that is why they are often referred to as "former" or "retired" athlete.

http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=athlete

ath·lete (

th

l

t

)
n. A person possessing the natural or acquired traits, such as strength, agility, and endurance, that are necessary for physical exercise or sports, especially those performed in competitive contexts.
athlete
n : a person trained to compete in sports

 

[cali_tkdbruin]

Martial Artist=Traditional Taekwondo (The Old Kwons) Practitioner
Martial Athlete=World Taekwondo Federation affiliated competitor

:rules: