Losing skin on wood dojang floors

[NW Boiler]

Ok folks lets try something on a lighter note....... I am having trouble with the skin on my big toes rolling when I workout on wood floors. Has nayone else had this happen? It isn't anything that time won't take care of (healing etc.), just curious if I am the only one out here with sore prehensile toes?

 

[Touch Of Death]

Ok folks lets try something on a lighter note....... I am having trouble with the skin on my big toes rolling when I workout on wood floors. Has nayone else had this happen? It isn't anything that time won't take care of (healing etc.), just curious if I am the only one out here with sore prehensile toes?

We have puzzle pads on a cement floor. If you think about it, there is really no reason to train on a solid wood floor. Its not traditional and it matches no other environment you might encounter without shoes on. Tell your instructor its 2004, and its OK to prevent student injury with padded flooring.
Sean (www.iemat.com)

 

[terryl965]

I agree with touch of death get into the 21 century, help prevent injury's
God Bless America

 

[Matt Stone]

If you think about it, there is really no reason to train on a solid wood floor. Its not traditional and it matches no other environment you might encounter without shoes on. Tell your instructor its 2004, and its OK to prevent student injury with padded flooring.

I can't see how it isn't "traditional." Having lived in Korea and Japan both, I saw quite a few "traditional" homes and buildings with hard wood floors. Not every room had tatami (in Japan) as they are quite expensive. Certainly too expensive to use as padding for martial training... That's what grass and dirt is for!

We train either on cement, grass and dirt (outside), or on a carpeted concrete floor (no padding - nice and firm for falls, nice carpet burns when you move incorrectly).

But train how you like. If you are continuing at that school, I'd recommend a comfrey tea (2-3 handfuls of fresh, crushed comfrey leaves placed into a pan of water, gradually brought to a boil) applied topically to the offended extremity. It sounds odd, but it works. Other than that, tape the blisters, and keep training...

 

[Touch Of Death]

I can't see how it isn't "traditional." Having lived in Korea and Japan both, I saw quite a few "traditional" homes and buildings with hard wood floors. Not every room had tatami (in Japan) as they are quite expensive. Certainly too expensive to use as padding for martial training... That's what grass and dirt is for!

We train either on cement, grass and dirt (outside), or on a carpeted concrete floor (no padding - nice and firm for falls, nice carpet burns when you move incorrectly).

But train how you like. If you are continuing at that school, I'd recommend a comfrey tea (2-3 handfuls of fresh, crushed comfrey leaves placed into a pan of water, gradually brought to a boil) applied topically to the offended extremity. It sounds odd, but it works. Other than that, tape the blisters, and keep training...

I was refering to the fact that over the thousands of years they trained mostly outdoors; however, if you want injured feet to go along with the constantly pulled muscles, then by all means...
Sean

 

[NW Boiler]

You can bet I own stock in tape...... have not had any raw spots as of yet but have been tender. Hate to go elsewhere as I truely dig the instructor. In time maybe mats will come until then I wil tape tape and re-tape!

 

[Matt Stone]

I was refering to the fact that over the thousands of years they trained mostly outdoors;

Thousands of years? Who, TKD? Hardly... CMA? Maybe, though not in one unbroken line...

Martially oriented training in general? Dead on accurate. There was a show on the training gladiators received (Discovery Channel?), and it was outside in the dirt, mud and grass. Good training, that...

however, if you want injured feet to go along with the constantly pulled muscles, then by all means...

Constantly pulled muscles? From what? His feet are getting torn up from either poor technique or physical deformity... In short order they'll heal, callus up, and be just fine.

 

[Touch Of Death]

Thousands of years? Who, TKD? Hardly... CMA? Maybe, though not in one unbroken line...

Martially oriented training in general? Dead on accurate. There was a show on the training gladiators received (Discovery Channel?), and it was outside in the dirt, mud and grass. Good training, that...



Constantly pulled muscles? From what? His feet are getting torn up from either poor technique or physical deformity... In short order they'll heal, callus up, and be just fine.

By thousands of years I was refering to what my Tae Kwon do intructor was saying, about Tae Kwon Do tracing its lineage to the BC. Secondly, I was being a troll and slighting TKD with the pulled muscle comment. Sorry :uhyeah:
Sean

 

[Matt Stone]

By thousands of years I was refering to what my Tae Kwon do intructor was saying, about Tae Kwon Do tracing its lineage to the BC.

Really? So when did he miss the real history of TKD, originating with Shotokan and evolving from there?

TKD isn't originally an indiginous Korean art, though with its state now it could be considered a Korean original (as it has mutated beyond its Shotokan origins).

Whatever. Enjoy.

 

[NW Boiler]

Constantly pulled muscles? From what? His feet are getting torn up from either poor technique or physical deformity... In short order they'll heal, callus up, and be just fine.

Physical deformity??? Ouch!! Now that is being horrendously presumptuous!! As is the poor techniquue comment!!

My feet, toes to be exact may on the softside..... I will attribute that to training on mats prior to relocating.

But as you say "In short order they'll heal, callus up, and be just fine".

 

[MichiganTKD]

Unfortunately, not every Instructor is able to control the training surface his students have access to. Unless you own your own studio and furnish it yourself, very often your floor is whatever the facility gives you to practice. Our class practices on a tiled cement floor, while the floor of our Central Studio is polished hardwood. Some of the students there wear training shoes.
Personally, while some surfaces are more desirable than others, I think realistically all you can do is adapt to whatever floor you are given or have access to. If your Instructor lets you wear shoes so be it. Otherwise, adjust your technique so there is less friction between your toes and the floor.

 

[NW Boiler]

Unfortunately, not every Instructor is able to control the training surface his students have access to. Unless you own your own studio and furnish it yourself, very often your floor is whatever the facility gives you to practice. Our class practices on a tiled cement floor, while the floor of our Central Studio is polished hardwood. Some of the students there wear training shoes.
Personally, while some surfaces are more desirable than others, I think realistically all you can do is adapt to whatever floor you are given or have access to. If your Instructor lets you wear shoes so be it. Otherwise, adjust your technique so there is less friction between your toes and the floor.

No need for shoes...... I admit, I have ***** feet (at least the bottoms) time to toughen them up!

 

[Touch Of Death]

Really? So when did he miss the real history of TKD, originating with Shotokan and evolving from there?

TKD isn't originally an indiginous Korean art, though with its state now it could be considered a Korean original (as it has mutated beyond its Shotokan origins).

Whatever. Enjoy.

I agree tae kwon do forms come from Shotokan or whatever; however its pretty naive to consider Korea had no art prior, do you suppose they had no chinese influance through out the centuries or are you sticking with the shotokan thing?
Sean

 

[Matt Stone]

I agree tae kwon do forms come from Shotokan or whatever; however its pretty naive to consider Korea had no art prior, do you suppose they had no chinese influance through out the centuries or are you sticking with the shotokan thing?
Sean

Tae Kwon Do is a modern contrivance, originating in a batardized practice of Shotokan karate.

Korea certainly had indiginous arts over the previous centuries/millenia, but Tae Kwon Do is not and was not one of them.

If a style of Tae Kwon Do exists that can trace its origins to Taekyon or other early arts, fine. But TKD as it exists in its current form as taught and propagated by the ATA, WTF, etc., is a modern invention. I will concede that though it was originally a variant of Okinawan karate (that was "Japanized" to fit into the Japanese view of budo practice), it has transformed beyond its origin and could be called an original Korean art now. But as Japanese arts are differentiated between koryu and gendai arts to identify the ancient arts from modern ones, I would say that TKD needs to also be identified in this fashion.

Teachers that stick with a multi-millenia history of TKD are ignoring history and doing their students a disservice by educating them with something other than the truth.

Sorry if my opinion bothers you. Maybe it'll make you happier to know that I treat all martial arts histories that are overly fanciful with the same disdain.

Enjoy.
:asian:

 

[Matt Stone]

Take a look at this website for what, I think, is a fair representation of at least one theory of the development of Korean arts.

Enjoy.
:asian:

 

[Touch Of Death]

Tae Kwon Do is a modern contrivance, originating in a batardized practice of Shotokan karate.

Korea certainly had indiginous arts over the previous centuries/millenia, but Tae Kwon Do is not and was not one of them.

If a style of Tae Kwon Do exists that can trace its origins to Taekyon or other early arts, fine. But TKD as it exists in its current form as taught and propagated by the ATA, WTF, etc., is a modern invention. I will concede that though it was originally a variant of Okinawan karate (that was "Japanized" to fit into the Japanese view of budo practice), it has transformed beyond its origin and could be called an original Korean art now. But as Japanese arts are differentiated between koryu and gendai arts to identify the ancient arts from modern ones, I would say that TKD needs to also be identified in this fashion.

Teachers that stick with a multi-millenia history of TKD are ignoring history and doing their students a disservice by educating them with something other than the truth.

Sorry if my opinion bothers you. Maybe it'll make you happier to know that I treat all martial arts histories that are overly fanciful with the same disdain.

Enjoy.
:asian:

No, the koreans have alway been smacking eachother around, the japanese gave them forms and structure. You might say were JKD(just kidding) The instructor I had barely spoke english and made it very clear that although not called hand foot way thay had a way of using the hand and foot. Take your didsdain and sit on it. I don't know why I'm defending TKD, since I'm kenpo, but use a littly common sense here.
Sean

 

[Matt Stone]

No, the koreans have alway been smacking eachother around, the japanese gave them forms and structure.

No, actually they had forms and structure long before that... The Japanese just gave them Japanese forms and structure after they invaded Korea.

You might say were JKD(just kidding)

I wouldn't insult ancient, historically proven Korean arts by saying they were the same as JKD.

The instructor I had barely spoke english and made it very clear that although not called hand foot way thay had a way of using the hand and foot.

And I didn't disagree with that. I said that TKD is not now, nor was it ever, an "ancient" art with over 3000 years of history. It has about 50, give or take.

Take your didsdain and sit on it. I don't know why I'm defending TKD, since I'm kenpo, but use a littly common sense here.

Whatever. I am using common sense - I research something before I state it as fact. Look over the website I listed, and it'll give you some insight into history, something often totally ignored (if not rewritten) by many martial artists...

Enjoy.

 

[Touch Of Death]

Well I left that TkD class because the instructor was a jerk and a born again christian attempting to make all of his students born again; so, Ill declare you winner and me apathetic.
sean

 

[Fortis]

To stay on topic:

We work on a padded mat so the only scrapes I've had to endure are very minor abrasions. All the TKD schools I've visited have the same type of mats.

 

[gloom]

This is a big problem for me though I practice Shotokan karate and not TKD.

I've decided to go for long walks barefoot, and eventually try running barefoot. I've been walking about a mile a day for a week now, and my soles are definitely tougher than they were. I cross a variety of surfaces: blacktop, concrete, and a little bit of gravel and grass.

Going anywhere barefoot may not be an option if you live in a really urban environment. Also, make sure you have your tetanus shots. You can find lots of information about barefoot running using any search engine. Many people like it because it strengthens the connective tissues in the feet, toughens the soles, and reinforces proper running form.