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Old 06-25-2010, 03:09 PM   #15
David Orange
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Re: Does one's size or weight affect one's Aikido?

Quote:
Philip Burgess wrote: View Post
It is my understanding the Japanese didn't have the came concept of exercise that the West had prior to WWII as a general marker. ... But before that fitness (achieving a peak physical form) wasn't such an issue, that is. being fat wasn't considered an issue.
This may have been true for average Japanese, but it was never true for martial artists or the samurai.

Quote:
Philip Burgess wrote: View Post
Prior to WWII depending on the period in history the Japanese diet was poor or limited, food wasn't as plenty, and stuff like that contributed to some Japanese being thin, but not fit, like muscular.
Again, maybe for workaday folks, but martial artists were fighters and were very oriented to strength and muscle. They trained fanatically for a high level of fitness and it often literally meant survival or death for them.

Quote:
Philip Burgess wrote: View Post
But, I remember reading somewhere that O'Sesnei in his 30's or so was a husky or large man. Implying he was fat. Not obese, just had more than 10% body fat, and a healthy BMI.
I think you've misunderstood this very badly. OSensei ate a very simple diet and exercised constantly. He was powerful--not fat.

Quote:
Philip Burgess wrote: View Post
Yet, on the other hand, for centuries, Japanese martial artists where fat, no, rather obese, and the more obese the better. A martial art allot of people over look is Sumo.
This, too, is a misundertanding. It's true that the sumo were extremely fat, but martial artists (samurai) were seldom fat. Highly trained and obsessive with exercise, they were not commonly obese.

David

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