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Wimpy is a relative term, if you consider wimpy someone who can do few pushups,situps,crunches,burpees or whatever thats one thing. However as has been pointed out already, just because someone may not be able to do a lot of these thing does NOT mean they cant put a person down fast if they need to.
Id guess most fights dont last more than a minute (if that) so its not like endurance is all that relevant. If a guy cant do 30 pushups but can fire a few explosive strikes to put down an enemy then he isnt a wimp in my book. If they can defend themselves when they need to they arent a wimp.
Its about perspective
Wimpy is the guy in the Popeye Cartoons who will \”gladly pay you Tuesday for a Hamburger today.\”
Seriously though, what makes one man wimpy and another man strong is not an easy question. I think wimpy is the guy or gal who quits before they have given everything they got.
The Marines have a physical fitness standard that breaks fitness down into 3 groups. The people who score outside of the 1st Class Range are usually refered to as weak and are put on remedial PT (physical training) until they can successfully attain and maintain a 1st Class PFT (physical fitness test). Now the scores vary depending on age, if you are 18 to 26 then you have to score at least 235 for a 1st Class PFT. If you are over 27 then you have to score a 200. The best you can get is a 300, which means you did 20 pullups/chinups (full extension dead hang), 100 crunches (your arms must touch your legs, no half crunches they won’t be counted), and an 18 minute 3 mile run. I will be honest and tell you that I am in the 20 and 100 club, but my run time suffers from not running in the winter. I usually have a 23 minute run time and my best overall was 18:55 (when I was 18 years old).
Wimpy is such a suggestive term. I have seen a lot of people that are flat out physically weak stick up for themselves and I have seen some big boys cry when they get cuffed and taken to jail.
I think you are looking at your instructor as the model, you should remember he has probably been doing Krav for a while and he should set the example, but he is not the model to judge others by. Everyone progresses at their own pace. Some people are able to drop weight quick, others struggle with weight.
I had one Marine who I still hold in high esteem for his actions when we were in Iraq that others thought he was kind of a wimp, because he was smaller the the rest of us, but when it came time to volunteer for convoy security, he was always at the head of the line.
In short, I will always believe it is the heart of the person, their conviction to give all, is the most important factor in deciding who is and who is not a wimp.
While physical fitness is certainly a byproduct of Krav Maga training it is not the main focus for many taking it. How many pushups a person can do has far less bearing on how one will do in a fight than how well he or she executes techniques. How many pushups should be considered wimpy? I can do over a 100 straight but the little 100 pound level three girl I have trained with can take me out in a nanosecond, and I know it. She can’t do nearly as many pushups, but who cares, it is not her goal. Krav is great for cardio but if you want to build strength and size, hit the iron in the gym. If you want to get cut and build endurance, do your own pushup routine. If you want to learn to defend yourself concentrate on your techniques. Better yet, do all three…..
JC
\”What do you consider wimpy?\”
Everyone’s definition is of course different. I myself feel great that I’m able to defend myself, but pushups I can say I’m horrible. I go in at least 4 times a week and I’ve seen the differences in my body over time. Pushups are part of warm up and I do the best I can. The fact that some people there can easily do more pushups than I is irrelevant.
I’m glad about the things I CAN do well. I had someone tell me I kick a$$ doing jumprope in class. First I thought they were nuts, till I remembered my first couple of weeks in KM and Extreme K.O. The jumprope was killing me, but now I’m killing IT so… – push myself harder 😀
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