shoes

[rachel]

How many of you wear shoes in your martial arts class? I'm trying to decide if I should continue shoeless or not. Thanks.

[Master of Blades]

I used to wear my normal trainers with my Dobuk but,

A: I looked stupid with Nikey trainers and a Black Dobuk

B: My feet stank after the lesson and I couldnt get changed

So now I do it barefeet, a lot more comfortable :asian:

[rachel]

I wasn't sure if they would help or not. On the one hand, I like being barefoot, I hate shoes. but I figured I could kick with more power with shoes. And I like to feel the floor barefoot.

[James Kovacich]

Originally posted by rachel
How many of you wear shoes in your martial arts class? I'm trying to decide if I should continue shoeless or not. Thanks.

It depends on your art and your Senseis will. But if its Ok with Sensei. Then what type of floor are you training on? Hardwood is a floor that you may slip on barefoot. A carpet, you can go either way. If your on mats, then a type of grappling shoe would work fine. I've broken my toe and its not fun, so I like to grapple with shoes on. But it does take away from some technique. So thats another thing to consider. How will it effect your performance?

[Blindside]

Hi Rachel,

Shoes don't let you kick harder, only better technique or getting stronger will do that.

If you feel like shoes let you kick with more power it may be that you feel more protected with the shoe on, and you are "letting yourself go." A psychological, rather than physiological reason. If that were the case, I would train barefoot, so that you try to work that mental resistance out. Plus you say you like training barefoot.

If you like being barefoot, stay barefoot, it certainly won't hurt you at this stage in your training.

Lamont

[rachel]

I just got back from class and I wore shoes for the first time. I hated it. I couldn't feel the floor. I couldn't slide into a half moon stance well. And to top it all off my teachers teacher came in. That was very exciting to meet him but the shoes were really throwing me off and I felt even more self conscious.No more shoes for me.

[Elfan]

See this thread:

http://www.martialtalk.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=6448

[Old Warrior]

All I know is that, at the moment, I have an ice pack on my feet. In Kumdo (Kendo) the feet take a horrible beating. At first they blister and bleed. Later on in your studies they actually get bruised from the pounding they take. It seems to me that shoes would make sense, but the basic movement is a slide step and it just couldn't be done in shoes/sneakers.

[Cliarlaoch]

The only reason I've ever seen people wearing shoes in the TKD dojangs I've trained in were if they had knee or leg injuries that required shoes to protect their injured areas. Up to you, though. Personally, I like to wear my beat up old running shoes when I work out on my own and I'm not sure where the floor has been, so to speak, but generally, I go barefoot myself. Up to you, depends on what you get out of wearing shoes/ going barefoot (and if you're on questionable terrain, it's usually better to be barefoot to get a feel for it on your own skin... unless there's broken glass or sharp objects about, of course!)

:asian:

[Crazy Chihuahua]

Shoes are in general a bad idea in class. If you are training alone, wear what you like, but shoes in class do not allow your instructor to see that your foot position/placement/technique is correct or more importantly, incorrect. Do not wear shoes while in class.

[Shinzu]

when i trained in kung fu we wore shoes. it was very different for me. i really didn't like the feel of it. although it is more realistic to be training in shoes, i don't it. it also makes techniques harder to perform. they make your legs heavier. i guess in a way it is good and bad, but for me it's no shoes.

[Mormegil]

Well from a strictly self defense perspective, you might want to consider getting use to fighting with shoes. That is unless you go barefoot everywhere you go (I know some people who do).

[sweeper]

in my class we wear shoes because we use them for kicking, kicking with the toe and with the edge of the foot is much more effective when you are wearing shoes than barefoot. Also your manueverability is diffrent, like you said you can't slide very easily with them.

[cali_tkdbruin]

We don't wear shoes in class where I train. Anyway, I went ahead and bought a pair of the Adidas martial arts shoes just to walk around in, and for me they're really comfortable. They're like slippers. :)

I just like to wear them around the house when I'm lounging since I can't use them in my dojang... :cool:

[ace]

Originally posted by rachel
How many of you wear shoes in your martial arts class? I'm trying to decide if I should continue shoeless or not. Thanks.
I Like To Wear Wrestling Shoes.
But also train in Bare feet From Time to Time
Shoes are good for Toes=-)

[Skarbromantis]

Originally posted by Mormegil
Well from a strictly self defense perspective, you might want to consider getting use to fighting with shoes. That is unless you go barefoot everywhere you go (I know some people who do).

Makes sense to me, I train in shoes all the time why would you not?

I guess it has to do with the system you study, but on the street you need to be able to pull off the same tecniques you do in class, so I would try training both with shoes, and without.

Skard1

[chufeng]

Rachel,

In the Chinese arts, for the most part, shoes are worn...
The advantages of shoes are:

1) When you encounter someone and you need to use what you know...you will be familiar with the feel of having shoes on (unlike BillyJack who paused to take his boots off before kicking butt).

2) You can train anywhere...outside, inside, rocky terrain, etc., and you adjust for "feeling root" through the shoes...you feel the floor with your qi, not the sense of touch.

3) Depending on the kind of shoe you wear, you can adapt certain techniques to the design of the shoe (hard, pointed-toe shoes are particularly good for hitting smaller nerve spots).

4) Training with the additional weight of a shoe will develop your kicks so that when you use them for real you don't hyperextend your knee...

Disadvantages of wearing shoes, include:

1) Developing a sensitivity for gripping the floor early on in your training.

2) Having to clean up smudge marks on a hardwood polished floor at the end of class.

3) (as already pointed out) Developing bad habits in your kicking, specifically, foot edge and focus.

Most Karate stylists (Okinawan, Japanese, Korean, and American) train in their bare feet...

If you have the opportunity to wear shoes...you should, from time to time...for the reasons stated above...mix it up and become comfortable both ways...

:asian:
chufeng

[Matt Stone]

Rachel -

How long have you been training?

I think that, at the beginning, it is a good idea (style notwithstanding) for people to begin training barefoot. We start out in life without shoes, and our bodies were never really designed to be wearing Air Jordans with 2" thick soles. Our reactions, reflexes, neuromuscular connections are all designed to work minus shoes.

That having been said, there are some shoes that are more appropriate for certain activites than othes. You don't golf in wrestling shoes, you don't run the 200 meter hurdles while wearing hiking boots, etc. The shoe should match the activity.

I wear, both for training and regular wear, a pair of "made in China" wu shu tennies. They are black cotton canvas with a thin sticky rubber sole. I can feel the ground nearly as well as if I were barefoot, but with a bit more protection than going au naturale. I wear them for training as well as everyday wear, because I am then 100% familiar with how they feel in all situations. The downside is that, living in the Pacific NW, they don't provide much in the way of protection from the wet... :(

My total preference, though, is barefoot. I hate shoes entirely, and the freedom I feel when barefoot is totally my thing. :D

Gambarimasu.
:asian:

[chufeng]

Then again, Yiliquan1 has feet like a hobbit.

:D
chufeng

[Zepp]

Originally posted by chufeng
Then again, Yiliquan1 has feet like a hobbit.

:D
chufeng

Hehe.
Hobbit feet are part of being a martial artist, aren't they?

Injuries and arthritis aside, in TKD we train barefoot on hardwood floors, and on grass. We take pride in our calluses! :D

In Kali, I started out barefoot just out of familiarity, but then left my shoes on just because everyone else did.

In Krav Maga, they generally want you to leave your shoes on, because presumably you'll be wearing shoes in a real self-defense situation.

For that reason, I think anyone concerned with self-defense should do some occasional training in normal athletic shoes.

[Old Warrior]

From my perspective shoes are not the issue - Pants are! Toe position is just about meaningless with even an ordinary leather shoe. On the other hand, if your pants are ordinarily tight - your kicks will feel entirely different and you may never be able to get them higher than thigh level. Of course for self defense purposes this is more than enough.

[Master of Blades]

Originally posted by Old Warrior
From my perspective shoes are not the issue - Pants are! Toe position is just about meaningless with even an ordinary leather shoe. On the other hand, if your pants are ordinarily tight - your kicks will feel entirely different and you may never be able to get them higher than thigh level. Of course for self defense purposes this is more than enough.

Not quite sure what your getting at but in answer to your Signature I've always prefered the saying

"The pen is mightier then the sword but the Gun will shut ye the **** up"

:rofl:

[redfive]

I guess it depends on what you realy wont to get out of the martial arts. If wearing shoes screws up your foot work and makes the kicks harder, well then your realy going to be screwed when you get into a real fight. I dont think anyone is going to wait, and give you time to take your shoes off.
I would suggest to train both ways. Dont ware them in class, but do all techniques with shoes latter , and bag work as well. shoes will also give better protection against broken toes and sprained ankles. Thats why most military units wear combat boots and shoes, and dont go into battle barefoot. shin rakes and toe stomps are alot more affective also. You do have to adjust some of the kicks, if you are used to doing traditional kicks, were you kick with the blade of the foot. Most shoes do not let the ankle minipulate as well as being barefoot.
But I have never trained in a traditional system, that goes barefoot, and it would realy mess me up to get into a situation were I was barefoot. I can hardley walk out to get the mail barefoot.


Your friend in the Combative Arts, Redfive

[rachel]

Thank you for your input, everyone!:)

[Cthulhu]

In my Okinawa-te training, and when I trained with other Japanese/Okinawa/Korean stylists, no shoes were worn unless we were doing outdoor training. Basically, if I wear a gi, I don't wear shoes.

However, for my FMA training, I always wear shoes. An ejected stick or aluminum training knife would hurt much more on a bare foot. :)

Cthulhu

[Shinzu]

it would be an excellent idea for instructors to do both. hold a class where the students wear their street clothes and see what types of changes it makes in your technique. switching things up will only help you out in the long run.

[Cryozombie]

Anyone know of a source for Nike Air Rifts? (The Tabi shoes made by Nike?) I believe the line was discontinued, but every now and again I see some on Ebay that claim they are NEW, just not in my size...

[sweeper]

you might try calling nike customer service.. I have a pair.. kinda loose on the heal for me.. and those socks make me want to pick things p with my toes :-p