The Basics of all Martial Arts is Fitness

The basics of all Martial Arts is fitness, if you are not fit, you should not emphasize the practice of combative techniques.  Fitness incorporates the balanced development of strength, endurance, & flexibility.  A Martial Arts Master shall always be above a Personal Trainer as far as development & experience is concerned.  A Personal Trainer is like a bachelor’s degree.  A Martial Art Master is like a Ph.D degree.  Personal Trainers are expected to be fit, it is their profession! 

A Martial Arts Master shall also be expected to be fit, if he is not fit, he is not a Master, he shall go back to practicing the basics, he shall give up his authority to teach, he shall concentrate his energies on teaching himself rather than overlooking others while being a hypocrite.  A Martial Arts Master teaches by example.  If you are not fit, you do not belong in the business of Martial Arts, you should concentrate your energies in becoming fit before you place a high emphasis on the development of techniques of combat. 

There are many coaches out there, coaches are not Masters, they are more so motivators.  There are many hypocritical coaches; coaches who are unfit themselves that push athletes to their limits.  That is a Western mentality, to be a hypocrite, to lead others but fail to lead yourself.  The Eastern way is to lead yourself & by leading yourself, others will follow by your example.  The West is all about talking, the East is about doing. 

All Police Officers who are unfit should be fired.  All “Black Belt” Martial Artist’s who are unfit should lose their ranks.  All Martial Art instructors who are unfit should stop teaching others & start training themselves.  You should not help others until after you have helped yourself.  Learn the alphabet yourself before you start teaching somebody else the alphabet.  If you have obtained a Ph.D. but then you have forgotten the alphabet, there is a big problem.  You should go back to studying the basics. 

If you are not living up to the standards of a “Black Belt,” give it up, don’t hold onto something that you do not deserve.  Even the President of the United States has to give up his title when his term is up.  Please don’t call yourself a black belt, don’t claim yourself as a Master, Sensei, Sifu or whatever if you have long forgotten about the basics of Martial Arts which is health & fitness.  Give up the title to someone else, & only take it back when you have rightfully reclaimed it.  If you have completed a marathon back in 2000, it does not mean that in 2010 or even 2001you can repeat that accomplishment.  You shall hold yourself to a very high standard if you wish to claim the title of Master, otherwise drop it, that is the only right thing to do.