Martial Arts: A way of life that changes lives.

[Shaolinwind]

As many of you know, I started studying martial arts as a very heavy person. My first uniform was custom tailored for a 60" waist. My first belt was size 9. Yeah, they come that big.

As I have progressed in martial arts and developed the self discipline to throw out my Pizza hut membership card, I've seen some progress. I now fit in a size 7, the largest size that you can usually get. Original weight, 320. Current, 298.

I think that Martial Arts have not just provided excersize, but also instilled a sense of personal dignity and self discipline that I wouldn't be able to start meeting my goals without. The martial arts would not be there if it wasn't for people like my Master, who choose to share their ancient disciplines with the public.

So, in the company of people whom I respect I would like to sing praises of those who teach martial arts, those who encourage others to study, and those who show through example by using martial arts to benefit many facets of their lives. You guys and gals vicariously and literally help change lives for the better.

 

[jkdhit]

good to hear that you progressed and lost over 20lbs in that time. i know it's prety hard to lose weight but easy to gain it. i used to weight 210lbs but forced myself to diet and excercise more frequently and dropped down to 157. however, after only 2 weeks time, i managed to bring my weight back up to 185 which is a lot of weight in only 2 weeks. i'm currently trying to bring it back down to 155-160 but it's really hard especially with all those tempting foods out there.

by the way, i didnt know pizza hut had a membership card lol

 

[Shaolinmack]

I never had a issue with my weight or other helt malodys but i to would like to show my respect to the teachers of arts, i started in my training at a young age and put my firts sensi through years of hedach. but as i grew so did my moral values and sence of responcibility. i grew into self diciplin and respect. without my sensi and his ways of influencing my life i would proabily be someplace cold dark and smelling like an inmate.. here is to all the masters who influence our lives....

 

[Shaolinwind]

by the way, i didnt know pizza hut had a membership card lol

They do, and it's like the mafia. Once you are in you never get out. I wake up with Extra large double cheese and pepperoni stuffed crust pizzas in my bed all the time.

 

[Simon Curran]

Great thread
Credit where credit is due to the positive role models some of us are lucky enough to find through the martial arts:asian:

 

[jkdhit]

holy cow didnt know such things lol its really hard to say no to things like that. after all the mention of pizza, i'm craving a house special from my local pizzeria - cheese, green peppers, red peppers, onions, mushrooms

ahhh also gotta love pizzas with sausage and pepperoni or sausage and meatballs mmmmm

but must say no :waah:

ive always been disciplined for the most part. i guess what various martial arts taught me (credited to SOME of my instructors) is that they were able to keep me open minded and show me that there isnt only one good way to do things, there are different ways to approach everything.

i learned that there isn't just THE WAY but that the way is just the the first step

 

[arnisador]

Original weight, 320. Current, 298.

That's great! I hope you can keep building on your success. It sounds like you're encouraged to keep making progress!

 

[rupton]

As many of you know, I started studying martial arts as a very heavy person. My first uniform was custom tailored for a 60" waist. My first belt was size 9. Yeah, they come that big.

As I have progressed in martial arts and developed the self discipline to throw out my Pizza hut membership card, I've seen some progress. I now fit in a size 7, the largest size that you can usually get. Original weight, 320. Current, 298.

congratulations on your accomplishments so far

I think that Martial Arts have not just provided excersize, but also instilled a sense of personal dignity and self discipline that I wouldn't be able to start meeting my goals without. The martial arts would not be there if it wasn't for people like my Master, who choose to share their ancient disciplines with the public.

I was an early teen when I started training 21 years ago so I can certainly relate to the self discipline and goal setting part. I think I was fortunate enough to start getting so much of it at an early age. In addition to what you mention above, I would also add gaining respect and courtesy for other human beings which can be just as important IMO.

So, in the company of people whom I respect I would like to sing praises of those who teach martial arts, those who encourage others to study, and those who show through example by using martial arts to benefit many facets of their lives. You guys and gals vicariously and literally help change lives for the better.

Here, here!!!!!

 

[Adept]

If only greasy meat didn't taste so good...

 

[TigerWoman]

Congrats Chobaja! Keep centered on your goals, it will come off, one day and a time! TW

 

[Corporal Hicks]

As many of you know, I started studying martial arts as a very heavy person. My first uniform was custom tailored for a 60" waist. My first belt was size 9. Yeah, they come that big.

As I have progressed in martial arts and developed the self discipline to throw out my Pizza hut membership card, I've seen some progress. I now fit in a size 7, the largest size that you can usually get. Original weight, 320. Current, 298.

I think that Martial Arts have not just provided excersize, but also instilled a sense of personal dignity and self discipline that I wouldn't be able to start meeting my goals without. The martial arts would not be there if it wasn't for people like my Master, who choose to share their ancient disciplines with the public.

So, in the company of people whom I respect I would like to sing praises of those who teach martial arts, those who encourage others to study, and those who show through example by using martial arts to benefit many facets of their lives. You guys and gals vicariously and literally help change lives for the better.

Well done my friend, truely you have some inner spirit there! Keep it up Its nice to see Martial Arts changing lives for the better.
Its nice to see Tony Antoney is wrong when he said Martial Arts feed only your ego, build false confidence and make you aggressive.
Now here's a man you can truely see is on the path.
Keep up the good work!:supcool:

 

[searcher]

You may be giving credit to the teachers of the martial arts, but you deserve credit for being an inspiration to others. Where many have given up and went home to a pizza you keep on going and keep on inspiring. My hat goes off to you.

I put on quite a bit of weight during my senior year in college between football and track seasons. It has taken me several years to get where I am at now. You keep on going and you will make a grat story for YOUR students one of these days. If I can be of any help to you all you have to do is ask. You are truly doing something inspirational.

 

[Shaolinwind]

Well, I'm sorry I was out of the loop a while.. I've been working very hard on my personal goals and not spending a great deal of time on the internet. Here's an update on my last post.

From my original weight of 320, I am 274.9 as of today. I went from a size 54 to a size 44 pants, and I can actually fit in my sash properly. I just have 95 pounds to go. I'm already a third of the way to my goal!

I am excited about the future.. I am going to go to Kennywood amusement park here in Pittsburgh at the end of the season and see how many of the rides I can finally fit on!

As many of you know, I started studying martial arts as a very heavy person. My first uniform was custom tailored for a 60" waist. My first belt was size 9. Yeah, they come that big.

As I have progressed in martial arts and developed the self discipline to throw out my Pizza hut membership card, I've seen some progress. I now fit in a size 7, the largest size that you can usually get. Original weight, 320. Current, 298.

I think that Martial Arts have not just provided excersize, but also instilled a sense of personal dignity and self discipline that I wouldn't be able to start meeting my goals without. The martial arts would not be there if it wasn't for people like my Master, who choose to share their ancient disciplines with the public.

So, in the company of people whom I respect I would like to sing praises of those who teach martial arts, those who encourage others to study, and those who show through example by using martial arts to benefit many facets of their lives. You guys and gals vicariously and literally help change lives for the better.

 

[mj-hi-yah]

Fantastic for you Chobaja! I'm so glad to hear that your training has given you so much. Thanks for sharing your accomplishments with us and have fun on all the rides! :boing1:

 

[Kenpojujitsu3]

Good Luck on your journey! You sound like you are truly happy and I am happy for you. But you've given me new knowledge and new inspiration.....I have to get myself a pizza hut membership card as i'm a little guy LOL. Take care, good training, and Salute:asian:

 

[ginshun]

Nice work!

I totally understand what you mean. In my short time since starting MA (almost a year now I guess) I have gotten myself in much better shape too.

Its not so much what we do in class, as it is that just being in MA gives you motivation to live the rest of your life a in a more healthy way. That is the way it seems to me at least.

I was about 210lbs when I started, and for the last 3 or 4 months have been holding at the 180-185 range. At 6' 2" I am really right where I want to be now. The big thing I think, is that even though I weight about 30lbs less, I am stronger now than I was then. Both mentally and physically.

MA has been a big part of the change. (Although turning 30 might have played a bit of a factor too, LOL)

 

[Martial Tucker]

Chobaja,

First of all let me congratulate you on finding the power within yourself to implement very difficult, but very positive change in your life. It takes much discipline and determination to do what you are doing. I know this from experience, because when I was younger, I was right where you are now.
I "let myself go" for about a year when I was young, and my weight literally ballooned to over 300 lbs. I finally hit bottom and just woke up one morning and decided "ENOUGH!". I started a diet and exercise program that took 100 lbs off of me in about a year. I know how hard it is to get going on such a change, and it definitely gets easier in some ways as you progress, and harder in other
ways.

I have a couple of concerns for you:

First, you are losing weight at a pretty rapid rate. Your previous post was at the end of June, and you were 298. It's now about 7 weeks later and you are 275. That's about 4lbs/week. It's likely that a good part of that is water weight. If true, then prepare yourself to hit a "plateau", where your weight drop slows dramatically for awhile. Don't be discouraged, it's part of the process, and I know from experience that when you hit that plateau, days, or even weeks go by and the scale doesn't change, and it's easy to give up. Then suddenly, the lbs start to drop some more.

My other concern is that you are getting sufficient nutrition. As I said, much of your weight loss to date is likely water weight, but if not, you may be losing weight too rapidly for good health, and also it will make it more likely that you will re-gain the weight in the future. You haven't given any details of how you're losing the weight, but I hope and assume you have checked in with a doctor about your program.

Anyway, congrats again. I really want you to succeed. And when you do, you will say to yourself "Never again will I let myself get like that!" It's a great feeling, and worth every bit of the sacrifice you are now enduring.

 

[Bigshadow]

As many of you know, I started studying martial arts as a very heavy person. My first uniform was custom tailored for a 60" waist. My first belt was size 9. Yeah, they come that big.

As I have progressed in martial arts and developed the self discipline to throw out my Pizza hut membership card, I've seen some progress. I now fit in a size 7, the largest size that you can usually get. Original weight, 320. Current, 298.

I can definitely relate. I was very big when I began training, I have lost somewhere between 70 and 100 lbs. If it wasn't for the guidance of my instructor at the time and the encouragement from my fellow buyu, it would have been alot harder. I found that it is a lifestyle and not just some hobby like baseball. The training influences all aspects of my life. So through my training I found the discipline to change what needed to be changed. Slowly but surely I am getting back to a normal point.

EDIT: My martial arts training has also given me the discipline to put myself on a body building like program of lifting weights, cardio, and diet. I find that not only is this getting me into shape, it is also a lesson in discipline. I don't know how detailed you want to get with your progress, but as someone has stated the scales will slow to a stop at some point. However, depending on what you are doing for exercise and so forth, you still may be losing fat, but gaining or maintaining muscle, along with water weight. For this reason, you should also measure yourself every 3 or 4 weeks and see if you are actually losing inches. The measurements can be very surprising! So don't get discouraged if you see this, just keep going, it will begin again.

I am very detailed (anal) about the foods I eat and my weight loss, so I keep track of things at fitday.com (free). My public profile is Bigshadow

I also have a 5 day workout plan that I am doing as well, but I don't keep that info posted on fitday.com.

Way to go! Keep going!

 

[Gemini]

Wow! This is a great story and I'm glad you shared it. It's very inspiring and offers encouragment. Thank you.

I was a very out of shape 190 lbs when I started. I lost 20 lbs in 2 months. I eventually gained it back, but with a completely different build. I got tired of competing as a heavyweight and dropped about 15 lbs to go middleweight and it also made working out much easier. I've maintained that weight ever since. Now if I can figure out how to drop 20 years, I'll be all set.

I just have to ask that you please heed Martial Tucker's concerns on weight loss. It's good advise.

I wish you all the best in your efforts and hope you continue to update your progress.

Regards.

 

[Shaolinwind]

Well, I heard that I should be careful from others as well. I didn't think I was losing weight that fast really. I also heard I could be losing muscle as well, though I only feel stronger.

What I am doing is eating about 800 - 900 calories a day, mostly vegetables, plain rice, grilled chicken, no added fats (0 margerine or butter). Or I'll just buy those 300 calorie lean cuisine meals. Breakfasts are always Oatmeal, plain, or plain yogurt with splenda. Lunch is usually a couple whole tomatoes, apples, some raw vegetable of some sort. I do allow myself some salt. I drink upwards to a gallon of water daily. I take a massive regimen of vitamins, natural E, calcium, etc.

The rest is easy. I jog or do the ellyptical machine in the morning and in the afternoon I practice kung fu. I rest on tuesdays since it's a day I have no kf class. I never break the diet, even for a treat or a special occasion. (Samantha's family was annoyed because we brought our own meals to the 4th of july dinner).

Thanks a whole lot for the heads up on the status of the diet, I will put serious consideration into your words. Your story is inspirational, what was your diet and excersize program like?

Chobaja,

First of all let me congratulate you on finding the power within yourself to implement very difficult, but very positive change in your life. It takes much discipline and determination to do what you are doing. I know this from experience, because when I was younger, I was right where you are now.
I "let myself go" for about a year when I was young, and my weight literally ballooned to over 300 lbs. I finally hit bottom and just woke up one morning and decided "ENOUGH!". I started a diet and exercise program that took 100 lbs off of me in about a year. I know how hard it is to get going on such a change, and it definitely gets easier in some ways as you progress, and harder in other
ways.

I have a couple of concerns for you:

First, you are losing weight at a pretty rapid rate. Your previous post was at the end of June, and you were 298. It's now about 7 weeks later and you are 275. That's about 4lbs/week. It's likely that a good part of that is water weight. If true, then prepare yourself to hit a "plateau", where your weight drop slows dramatically for awhile. Don't be discouraged, it's part of the process, and I know from experience that when you hit that plateau, days, or even weeks go by and the scale doesn't change, and it's easy to give up. Then suddenly, the lbs start to drop some more.

My other concern is that you are getting sufficient nutrition. As I said, much of your weight loss to date is likely water weight, but if not, you may be losing weight too rapidly for good health, and also it will make it more likely that you will re-gain the weight in the future. You haven't given any details of how you're losing the weight, but I hope and assume you have checked in with a doctor about your program.

Anyway, congrats again. I really want you to succeed. And when you do, you will say to yourself "Never again will I let myself get like that!" It's a great feeling, and worth every bit of the sacrifice you are now enduring.