Overweight Karate Instructors

[Adam Cave]

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.

 

[seasoned]

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.

+ 1 Adam........... Great sentence above.

 

[Grenadier]

There are many reasons why an instructor isn't going to be in good physical condition. Weight issues, health issues, injuries, etc., can all take their toll on the body.

Does this mean that they can't help you? Absolutely not.

I know of many excellent martial arts teachers who aren't in the best of health, but can certainly teach their students how to perform the most advanced techniques, the most advanced kata, etc., as long as they have taught them a good set of fundamentals from the start.

I've seen instructors with bum knees pass on the knowledge on how to perform kata Unsu, which requires falling to the ground, as well as a 540 degree jump + double kick. I've seen instructors who have virtually no flexibility left in them and not as good of a sense of balance as they used to, teach their students how to perform kata Gankaku (requires a lot of balance and coordination). I've even seen a sensei basically withered away from his bout with cancer, teaching his student the kata Sochin (emphasizes strength), and getting his student to really rip out some powerful techniques, despite his own bad physical condition.

As long as they gave their students a good, solid set of basic fundamental techniques from the start, then it's not that monumental of a task to make their students as good as any other teacher's students out there.

 

[Aiki Lee]

Still, unless a person is in a position to know if someone is a good martial artist or not, the average person will judge by appearance. If you teach professionally and rely on it for income, your image matters.

 

[Manny]

Looking fit MAY be a requirement for an isntructor or teacher inside a martial art dojo, however it's not mandatory. Some of the senseis I know are in good shape for their age (+40) and I know a judo sensei who's involved in judo since 1968, this sensi is a third dan in judo and has devote his life to it, he is overweight,tired and with his knees so bend to the sides that even walks weird HOWEVER his tecnike is so refined that need no effort to put you down wehere he wants, he maybe could not endure some rounds of randory with a young student but.... teaching he is one of the best. In the other hand I know a kenpo sensei who is 34 yesra old, hes not to tall and weights about 100 kilograms and yes he has a huge belly and this belly has isues to him and he is young at only 34 but because of life stile he must eat aoutside home and what he can find on the street you know TACOS, BURGERS, SODA, etc. and even he has a huge bally and no loger compete in tournamnets in kyorugy he is a subchampion on seld defense tornaments.

I am overweight but thnx God returning to TKD has helped to loose weight and keep me healthier than before returning TKD, now I am more agile and wiht better stamina than some years back, and even it's dificult to me to kick high to the head my flexibility it's better than the opnes some studants have.

Conclusion. I know if I zip my mouth and eat ealtheir and do more exercisa I could drop some kilos more and it's something I weant to do so wish me luck.

Manny

 

[Blindside]

I'm 40, in the last 5 years I moved away from my old dojo, had two kids, started my own club, and managed to get out of shape. I never got fat, but I added 5 pounds I didn't need, but mostly it was a lack of fitness. Because my fitness was going down I could see it started to impact my execution of the art. So this year I got off my butt and started training like I should, so that I can be a proper example to my students, I am a firm believer in leading by example. Know what happened? They saw the difference in my execution and over half have picked up their own fitness regimens to be able to execute the art at a higher level.

And this isn't just about being an instructor, simply that if I want to do my art to the best of my abilities, that requires that I be in good shape. Maybe when my timing and sensitivity become godlike and I never have to exert any effort to manipulate my opponent, I will be able to say that my lack of fitness is not an impediment to my art, but I'm cerntainly not there yet and I'm betting that neither are 99% percent of the other instructors out there.

I am sure that some maybe many instructors have health issues that don't allow them to train in a way that they can keep the pounds off, but I suspect that for most it is a lifestyle choice. And if so, they have chosen a lifestyle that is probably detrimental to their execution of their art. It shows their priorities.

 

[Mauthos]

It can be problematic to be overweight as an instructor.

I am one such instructor and have constantly had the derisive look when people have found out that I teach a martial art.

However, my fitness levels are very high and I pride myself on having good technique and form within any aspect of the martial art I teach. Understanding that I must be able to demonstrate anything as accurately as possibly to ensure my students fully understand and grasp the concepts I am teaching.

My weight gain however, came from being diagnosed as diabetic (at the time I was in shape and slim) however, unlike the average diabetic sufferer, I did not lose any weight to start with. The medication I was on caused me to gain weight, and although I am no where near obese, I am not happy with the gut I am now carrying around.

Hopefully this week my medication is being altered for the first time in 7 years, unfortunately I will be going onto insulin, but the side effect of this would be that I should begin to slim down again.

My students all respect me and understand that I am proficient in the art I teach and understand my level of fitness equals and in some cases surpasses theirs as I do not expect them to do anything that I myself cannot.

Therefore, the circuits I run at the beginning of each class, which are quite intensive, I also join in ensuring that I can complete all aerobic and stamina/endurance exercises I set along with my students.

However, I do understand that new students coming into a class can be put off with an over weight instructor and no matter the reason for the weight an instructor must prove that he is capable and an effective and efficient martial artist. In my opinion anyway

 

[Black Belt Jedi]

It all depends on the individual. Some overweight Karate instructors still have the skills, hence all the training and the years of practice is still in their head. So they are some that can still be technically sound and agile, so don't underestimate their appearance.

 

[Monkey Turned Wolf]

There are quite a few overweight instructors who are better than me both in the techs, in kata, and in actual fighting. To me, that's enough qualifications to be my instructor, overweight or not.

 

[Sensei_Dez]

I think you'd have to look into WHY they're overweight, genetics, heath problems, or maybe and injury that set them back. but in any case I think a good instructor overweight or otherwise should still have balance and be able to preform their techniques well.

my instructor (who's a big boy, but still can kick over his head, move very fast, and maintian grace and balance) would always say "there's a difference between some who IS a blackbelt, and WAS a black belt" I'd say that in they still train and do their art well they're worth looking into, if they don't practice enough to maintain their form and don't maintian their health (not weight, health) then I'd look somewhere else.

 

[FabianosKarate]

Instructors, especially those in schools where a main focus is staying in shape, shouldn't be morbidly obese. Now, I'm not the thinnest guy, but I'm not obese either! That being said, an overweight Sensei (in my opinion) has a much greater chance of holding his own that Mr. Joe Shmo on the street. Training in martial arts is physical and mental. At one point his physical shape may have slipped, but a good martial artist will have their mind always in the sport.

That being said...being obese is a personal choice. I choose to not be obese and I think I can definitely move quicker than those who are. But to me, its a huge slap in the face when a big "marketing technique" is STAY IN SHAPE! You get in there, and its several obese Sensei's. It is not​ a good example at all! Especially for those students with children's classes.

 

[Carol]

Instructors, especially those in schools where a main focus is staying in shape, shouldn't be morbidly obese. Now, I'm not the thinnest guy, but I'm not obese either! That being said, an overweight Sensei (in my opinion) has a much greater chance of holding his own that Mr. Joe Shmo on the street. Training in martial arts is physical and mental. At one point his physical shape may have slipped, but a good martial artist will have their mind always in the sport.

That being said...being obese is a personal choice. I choose to not be obese and I think I can definitely move quicker than those who are. But to me, its a huge slap in the face when a big "marketing technique" is STAY IN SHAPE! You get in there, and its several obese Sensei's. It is not​ a good example at all! Especially for those students with children's classes.

So, do you let other instructors that you are not connected to boss you around and tell you how you should run your school and what you should do with your personal life?

If yes, why do you give in to that?

If no, then how is it your place to dictate what instructors you don't train under and schools you don't go to must do with their life and their school?

That is something decided by the students (or parents), yes?

 

[Blindside]

So, do you let other instructors that you are not connected to boss you around and tell you how you should run your school and what you should do with your personal life?

If yes, why do you give in to that?

If no, then how is it your place to dictate what instructors you don't train under and schools you don't go to must do with their life and their school?

That is something decided by the students (or parents), yes?

I am not seeing him dictate anything, he is saying, as I said earlier in the thread, that if you are advertising about the fitness benefits of your art, and you have an obese instructor, there is clearly a disconnect in what you are presenting to the students. If you aren't touting the fitness benefits then it probably doesn't matter. But I think it goes beyond fitness, many martial arts also advertise how it encourages discipline, particularly to kids, and discipline isn't just about lining up in straight lines and saying "yes Sir!" it is about personal discipline as well. An instructor with a bad case of forkinmouth isn't demonstrating that personal discipline either.

This doesn't even begin to get into the self-defense benefits, Joe Bob the instructor has trained for 30 years to beat up badguys but gets taken out by a heart attack at 55 because of risk factors associated with obesity.

 

[FabianosKarate]

I am not seeing him dictate anything, he is saying, as I said earlier in the thread, that if you are advertising about the fitness benefits of your art, and you have an obese instructor, there is clearly a disconnect in what you are presenting to the students. If you aren't touting the fitness benefits then it probably doesn't matter. But I think it goes beyond fitness, many martial arts also advertise how it encourages discipline, particularly to kids, and discipline isn't just about lining up in straight lines and saying "yes Sir!" it is about personal discipline as well. An instructor with a bad case of forkinmouth isn't demonstrating that personal discipline either.

This doesn't even begin to get into the self-defense benefits, Joe Bob the instructor has trained for 30 years to beat up badguys but gets taken out by a heart attack at 55 because of risk factors associated with obesity.

Thankyou! By the way, I love your phrasing of the "case of forkinmouth"

 

[Black Belt Jedi]

I say that individuals should look at the credentials of the instructor, if he is a cofee table Martial Artist or really went through all the physical training in his prime. I won't train with an overweight instructor who drinks and smoke and don't take care of themselves.