Bare foot martial arts

[Stuey]

Hi guys/girls, I have not been around for a while as things have been very busy. I wont bore you with details.
I have kept up the martial ats for a year and a half now and I am still plagued by soft feet on a hard wood floor. Are there any products out there which can cover my problem areas? My skin just peels off on the ball of my foot, right under the 'knuckle' of my big toe. Nobody else at the club wears training shoes, so I am reluctant to go down that route.

 

[seasoned]

Hi guys/girls, I have not been around for a while as things have been very busy. I wont bore you with details.
I have kept up the martial ats for a year and a half now and I am still plagued by soft feet on a hard wood floor. Are there any products out there which can cover my problem areas? My skin just peels off on the ball of my foot, right under the 'knuckle' of my big toe. Nobody else at the club wears training shoes, so I am reluctant to go down that route.

There is something called callus, no need to apply it, as it will just appear in time.

:asian:

 

[Kacey]

There is something called callus, no need to apply it, as it will just appear in time.

:asian:

What seasoned said! Calluses build up over time, with use. As a beginner, you were given the opportunity to build up those calluses; coming back as a non-beginner, you were restarted at the level you were at when you left - without the build-up period. They'll come back.

 

[Bill Mattocks]

For short-term use over tender areas, moleskin works great. They sell it at the drug store, it's adhesive, you cut it to fit over the affected area. However, long-term solution is to build up callouses, as others have said. Time and practice will do that.

 

[IcemanSK]

It happens to me (in the same place on my foot) & I'm no beginner. Both of my feet are plenty callused, but when I train on carpet, I tear up my right foot every time.

When I train on carpet, I wear MA shoes. It does the trick. But I also own my school. Calluses do develop in time, but they don't always solve this problem. If it continues, ask your instructor for his/her thoughts.

 

[jks9199]

It's been a year. Callus would likely be forming or have formed by now... and from the description, I suspect that they have -- and they're being peeled or torn off.

Is there blood when the skin pulls off? That's one of the best clues I've noticed about callus pulling off versus skin blistering and being torn.

Talk to your instructor -- but the bottom line is that you may have to either deal with it, or wear shoes at least long enough to let your foot heal.

 

[girlbug2]

I've seen a lot of people tape their toes and the balls of their feet. That's what I'd do if I trained barefoot.

 

[Flea]

Socks. If you're worried about traction, there are socks with little rubber non-skid spots on them.

I often train barefoot, but for me it's more a question of my feet sliding around too much on the mats in socks. I guess I have the opposite problem from you. :uhyeah:

 

[geezer]

Socks. If you're worried about traction, there are socks with little rubber non-skid spots on them.

Yeah. Socks with little rubber dots on them. And if you're really big and buff with tats and piercings, then make sure they are pink! The irony of that will make you an instant hit in the dojo.

As for myself, I'm too insecure to pull that off. I'd go with the tape. Then, if I were you, maybe I'd try to go barefoot around home as much as possible to see if I couldn't toughen my feet more. --Actually, I do have very tender feet, and going barefoot doesn't help me much since it hurts my joints! I have an arthritic ankle (from an old fracture) so I need orthotic support. Fortunately, I practice a Chinese martial art, and we wear shoes in class. Even better, as I am short, the orthotics hidden inside my shoes make me a little taller!

 

[kegage]

I am diabetic and therefore have chronic foot problems, especially for martial arts activities. I solved this problem by using tabi boots. They are very light in weight, but very tough and durable. They are made of cotton canvas and have rubber soles. They are available in both low and high tops, and are reasonably priced. The sizes are in centimeters, but there is a conversion chart to help you figure out what size to order. It almost feels as if you are barefooted, and there isn’t the cumbersome feel of a full shoe I don’t know in which martial art you train, but, of course, they would be perfect for any Japanese art. Regardless, please consult with your sensei and make sure it is ok to use them. The link below is where I purchased mine.

http://store.japan-zone.com/product_info.php?products_id=119

Kevin

P.S. You don't have to get tabi socks to wear tabi boots. Just wear regular socks and put a tuck between the big and second toe. Works just fine.

 

[geezer]

It all comes down to a fashion statement. Iconoclastic? Pink socks with rubber dots. --Ninja-esque? Tabi shoes. --MMA/Muay-Thai and macho? Dirty white athletic tape wrapped around your foot. --Really macho, painful, and gross? Keep bleeding on the floor. Oh, then there's bowling shoes!

 

[angrywhitepajamas]

don't forget about chinese slippers. As another diabetic its especially useful when visiting other dojos, because even though you train with them you cannot gaurantee where you train are or how the other people or surfaces get cleaned.

 

[kravi]

When I was a boyscout (many many moons ago), we used to use rubbing alcohol on our feet for a month before our first hike of the year. If you put rubbing alcohol on the souls and walk around barefoot a bit at home in the evenings, it will toughen the skin significantly.

--Me