| Sal Collaziano
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Has anyone tried either boxing or martial arts training to lose weight (not Tae Bo)? I'm guessing the amount of people who've done this will be far and few between but I'm curious if we have anyone here who has...
Of course, with this type of exercise you're building tone, burning fat and learning to defend yourself while building confidence..
Anyone? |
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Tue Mar 20, 2007 2:06 pm |
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| oldpjams
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| A college friend was a very good boxer. It's wasn't just the boxing that kept him in shape, it was all the other things that went along with it too. |
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Tue Mar 20, 2007 2:08 pm |
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| skinnypeep
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| I studied Karate for 4 years- there was a lot of standing still and practicing blocks or punches.... it wasn't until I got into fighting a couple of years into it that I got any cardio out of it. It's great exercise but you have to realize what it can and can't do for you. I wish I had taken up running back then as many of my friends did. It would have kept me thinner and helped me once I did get into fighting. |
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Tue Mar 20, 2007 2:20 pm |
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| Sal Collaziano
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I started off with Karate myself.. Tae Kwon Do. And you're right - there's no a lot of cardio in it. Unfortunately, Karate isn't the greatest for self-defense in real situations either. The kicks are great. You can definitely utilize those in an actual fight - but it's not very "street real".
Kickboxing, preferably Muay Thai is amazing for cardio - as is Western Boxing, of course. JKD (Jeet Kune Do) is good as well - like many others. Karate, however - is not...
skinnypeep wrote: I studied Karate for 4 years- there was a lot of standing still and practicing blocks or punches.... it wasn't until I got into fighting a couple of years into it that I got any cardio out of it. It's great exercise but you have to realize what it can and can't do for you. I wish I had taken up running back then as many of my friends did. It would have kept me thinner and helped me once I did get into fighting. |
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Tue Mar 20, 2007 2:28 pm |
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| PapaBanucci
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It greatly varies by style and school and even instructor.
Some systems are about preserving tradition, some about street safety, some about tournament competitiveness, some more high risk/high reward in their techniques, some more about comraderie, some more about goal-setting and accomplishment, some more about exercise/conditioning.
Most of the this-system-is-better-than-system debates are just because the goals vary so widely.
I got a black belt in a traditional Okinawan form of karate a number of years ago. I was in so-so shape st the time. My primary instructor was a 7th degree black belt who was about 60 years old, 30 pounds overweight and Teddy Bear-ish in personality yet could take me down every time in about 5 seconds, probably all without burning 5 calories. A master of technique.
Anyhow, I miss training but my business travels don't allow for being in any given dojo consistently. |
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Tue Mar 20, 2007 2:42 pm |
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| Sal Collaziano
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I had a teacher like that as well. Out of shape and everything. He was flexible as hell - but he was a Tae Kwon Do teacher. I'm not sure how he would have done against, say, a Muay Thai fighter - which requires the best stamina in the business.
I always appreciated the most realistic scenarios. I felt anything otherwise gave a cheap, false sense of security. I believe that most people who sign up for martial arts training want to learn how to defend themselves over anything else (like preserving tradition). The "Tournament" fighters are a different breed, altogether..
Anyway.. This was one of the best types of exercises for me to lose weight. It wasn't boring, that's for sure. It was nice to learn something. And I made really great friends while I was there..
PapaBanucci wrote: It greatly varies by style and school and even instructor.
Some systems are about preserving tradition, some about street safety, some about tournament competitiveness, some more high risk/high reward in their techniques, some more about comraderie, some more about goal-setting and accomplishment, some more about exercise/conditioning.
Most of the this-system-is-better-than-system debates are just because the goals vary so widely.
I got a black belt in a traditional Okinawan form of karate a number of years ago. I was in so-so shape st the time. My primary instructor was a 7th degree black belt who was about 60 years old, 30 pounds overweight and Teddy Bear-ish in personality yet could take me down every time in about 5 seconds, probably all without burning 5 calories. A master of technique.
Anyhow, I miss training but my business travels don't allow for being in any given dojo consistently. |
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Tue Mar 20, 2007 4:16 pm |
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| Love2paint4you
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Well I have lost 40lbs since I started doing taekwondo, before I started SBD.
In my class, we start out with heavy stretching/pilates followed by drills, forms, and sparring. My classes are 75 mins and it's a rare class that I'm not drenched in sweat at the end of class. My instructor makes sure he keeps our heart rates up because we want him to! We also have "conditioning classes" that are strictly calesthenics done with folding chairs and those classes kick some serious tail. I crawl out of there.
Besides, when you're 42 years old and fat and you're fighting a 17 year old teenage boy whose six inches taller, you better be working your tail off to keep up.
My instructor ~ 5th degree black belt, 28 years old, and ripped. He's in incredible physical shape.
I'm competing at our nationals in Houston next month, the world championships in Alabama in June, and I test for my 2nd degree black belt in September. |
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Fri Mar 23, 2007 12:29 am |
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| Sal Collaziano
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That's awesome, Barb! I'm 35 and I've been older than almost everybody in my classes for years. I have to find a new school now that I've moved, however. Still, I don't expect anything different.
I remember there was this one guy in his 40s that was really good. He looked about 30. Martial arts training (and exercise in general) can definitely keep you young. But again, it's key to enjoy what you're doing. If it's a chore, you won't do it for long... |
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Fri Mar 23, 2007 2:17 pm |
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| Love2paint4you
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Well obviously, I love it! I normally go 4 times a week. When I was getting ready for my black belt test, I added private conditioning sessions in with my 4-5 classes/week.
I started at 41. Two of my girlfriends who started around the same time are 40 and 52. We have another blue belt who is a 56 year old woman, and we just got a new white belt who is a 72 year old man. He rocks! I love him!
I sure wish I had started when I was young
:P |
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Fri Mar 23, 2007 2:45 pm |
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| Sal Collaziano
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Wow, it sounds like I'd be a youngin in your class. :p At my busiest, I went 6 days a week. I would have gone a 7th if there was class on Sunday. It wasn't all dedication - I just loved going. That's what it's all about. Exercise you love.. Everyone needs to find their favorite and go for it. If everyone did this instead of just following everyone else, obesity would not be the epidemic it is today...
Love2paint4you wrote: Well obviously, I love it! I normally go 4 times a week. When I was getting ready for my black belt test, I added private conditioning sessions in with my 4-5 classes/week.
I started at 41. Two of my girlfriends who started around the same time are 40 and 52. We have another blue belt who is a 56 year old woman, and we just got a new white belt who is a 72 year old man. He rocks! I love him!
I sure wish I had started when I was young
:P |
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Sat Mar 24, 2007 6:35 am |
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| Love2paint4you
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Sal, you'd probably LOVE our class. It's mostly 30 and 40-something adults with a good handful of snotty-nosed teenagers tossed into the mix to beat up on!
Belt testing today. I'm judging (since I'm on the instructor team) but not testing ~ yay! My daughter is hopefully moving up today :)
Oh, and Al, our 73 year old guy, is testing today too. Go Al! |
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Sat Mar 24, 2007 11:17 am |
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