Guy Sensei’s protégé dropping his weights in the Chunin Exams is one of the most iconic moments in Naruto history. But why does Rock Lee wear weights?
Rock Lee likes to wear weights because it increases his fighting speed once they’re removed. The resistance of the weights prime his body, then switching to something lighter helps him move faster.
You see the use of weighted training equipment in a lot of different ways. Goku wears weighted training clothes, and you can see this technique in real life with baseball players using weighted rings on their bats before stepping up to the plate to increase their swing speed.
The First Time We See Rock Lee Wear Weights
Rock Lee removes his weights for the first and only time during his fight against Gaara. The Chunin Exams were well under way, and the quick decision was made that 1-on-1 fights needed to be conducted. Too many students passed the previous exam. A few needed to be weeded out before moving on to the rest of the exam.
| RELATED: Why Can’t Rock Lee Use Ninjutsu? |
After a round or two, Lee ended up against Gaara. It became obvious that Gaara’s sand defense was impenetrable at Lee’s normal speed, and he’d need to drop the weights hidden under his leg warmers.
Oh, Guy… The most sickeningly sweet, sentimentally traditional kind of training!
Kakashi to Guy Sensei | Chapter #82
The crowd’s disbelief at Lee’s weights turned to shock when they fell to the ground, crashing into bellows of smoke from the impact of tons and tons of pounds.
Guy Sensei explained to the onlookers the logic behind Lee using his leg weights.
It’s because he had no aptitude for either Ninjutsu or Genjutsu. That Lee devoted himself so exclusively to Taijutsu. All his time. All his energy. All his focus. So even if he lacked any other kind of abilities at all, he’d still be unbeatable as a Taijutsu specialist! In terms of speed, Lee can’t be surpassed. I thought I gave you all fair warning that this boy is really strong!
Guy Sensei to Crowd | Chapter #82
So that’s the answer. Rock Lee likes to wear weights because it lets him move faster once they’re removed. The extra weight primes his body, then moving becomes a piece of cake once he’s allowed to fight at his normal resistance.