by sponge » Wed Feb 01, 2012 9:32 am
I'm a fat white guy that plays Amtgard. I've cross-gamed to a degree including having been out to an Equinox, played some Dag semi-regularly, played Darkon a time or two, and have played Amtgard as a fat dude for about 15 years.
Everyone else is right, being thinner and healthier will make you a way more efficient fighter and that is a goal you should strive for. It will not only help you in any sort of boffer fighting but will make you feel better off the field as well. However, there are a few things that I do personally that I feel anyone who's bigger can do to make yourself a better fighter.
First, without good footwork everything you do is nearly worthless. This doesn't mean you have to prance around constantly, but you have to have the fundamentals down, know how to step and be somewhat agile. If your foot work sucks, work on it before you do anything else. I can not iterate enough how fundamental good foot work is.
Second, reaction timing is paramount. If you're slow and lumbering in your returns, you're probably not going to hit anything. Work on reaction timing. Work on block-stirke. Go to the arcade and practice timing on those ticket machines where you have to bop the gopher on the head. Practice identifying things on flash cards so you think faster. Quit smoking pot and drinking constantly if you do so. If you can get good reaction timing and can then get to the point where you can recognize and anticipate your opponent's shots you'll improve greatly. The faster you can recognize what's coming at you, the faster you can react and put yourself in a good position for a return.
Third, conserve energy while you're fighting. If someone runs away, let them. Learn how to fight as a partners and as a team against a single advisory. I have a habit of fighting to my opponent's level. I often put less effort in against someone that isn't towards the top end of the fighting spectrum and ramp up as needed. Doing this keeps me fighting for longer amounts of time. There will be times when you will need explosiveness and need to expend a great deal of energy in a short period of time. Recognizing when it's advantageous to expand this energy and doing so will help you get those all important W's.
Finally, whoop some * and go have fun. Shove people with your shield if they get too close. Make the ones who are timid scared of coming in on you. Rain big heavy stick down on people. The timid ones are going to come in worried about getting creamed and not focusing on beating you which puts the advantage in your court. Mow over lines and break openings for your team.
There are some advantages to being big, but none of them compare to being healthy and fit. Have fun. If you're having fun fighting, you're staying out on the field longer and you're burning more calories which when you're a fat dude is a good thing.
Sponge