The Role of Fitness for the Budoka

We approach the empty cup. Are you out of breath?

It is written in the Jingde of the Lamp that Bodhidharma left the court of the Son of Heaven to meditate at the Shaolin Monastery. He contemplated a wall for nine years without speaking, then mysteriously left. All he left behind was an iron chest in which the monks found a manuscript, the Yi Jin Jing. By reading the Bodhidharma's gift, the monks discovered the miraculous exercises that would improve their health. The fitness regimen become the basis of Shaolin Kung Fu... or so the story goes...

I pour Gatorade into your cup.

"Fat Ninja."

You laughed; or at least, you smiled. It is a funny image. How could you not be amused?

Immediately your mind seized upon the image of a bumbling , rotund man dressed head to foot in black -- probably jogging along a tiled rooftop and unsuccessfully attempting to be silent. It is absurd. How could such a man remain unnoticed? How could such a man squeeze through secret holes? Would such a man have the agility to fight the dozens of armed samurai any half-way decent ninja could easily handle?

It is my opinion that the manufacturers of Budo Uniforms have no business making them in Double-Extra-Large. Fat men have no business in real Budo. This may seem harsh -- perhaps it is. Perhaps I should allow the obese into my training in order to lose weight and gain the benefits of Budo.

But I don't.

Instead, I tell them to lose the weight first. Some, of course, are angry and complain. But I make it clear to them: if you don't have the discipline to lose the weight, you don't have the discipline for Budo.

Throughout history, it has been the nature of the warrior to run. He runs to battle. he runs during the battle. Sometimes, he runs from battle. The warrior runs.

The warrior is also a pack animal. He carries his armor and weapons to the battle. He endures their weight in battle. And he returns with his valuable tools of his deadly trade; hence the Spartan woman's admonition, "Return with your shield, or on it." Frequently the warrior carried his own supplies for food, shelter, and camp life. Logisticians and Historians tell us the packload of the Roman legionary and the modern US Army Ranger were roughly the same (depending upon the mission), between 80 and 110 pounds. This takes strength and endurance.

Fitness, therefore, is not an afterthought of the Budoka: it is an essential trait. Even for Budoka who are not professional warriors, fitness matters. Fitness determines the amount of punishment the Budoka can dish out and the amount he can sustain. A fit body resists damage better, and heals better from any damage that is inflicted.

Despite being a physical activity, Budo -- at least, in the sense of the practice of Kihon waza, kata, and randori -- is not enough to sustain the fitness of the Budoka. Though Kihon, Kata, and Randori are an essential component of Budo fitness, we must in future posts explore the other elements of fitness training.