Non-typical training.

[FearlessFreep]

Hey, are there any ways you train that are..well...odd...? My sabomnim recommended doing various things with feet/legs to work on balance and control and coordination.

Some of the ones I do:

1) Turn on/off water faucets with feet. This doesn't invovle a TKD move per se, but if you can get your foot up over the sink and turn on or off the faucet, it's good for balance and self control. (also closing and flushing toilets). Different faucets work different ways

2) Cupboards. I have two heights of cupboards in my kitchen. On some the bottom is a bit above chest level, These I practice closing with side-kicks and hook kicks (depending on angle). The others have the bttom at my eye level. These I can close with snapkicks (frontkicks) and crescent kicks (again, depending on angle)

3) Lightswitches. Turning regular wall light swicthes on/off with your feet/toes is a good exercise in both flexibility and control

Anything weird you do regularly for improved flexibility, control (or power)?

 

[Adept]

Oh yeah, I do this stuff all the time. Turning the TV, VCR, and DVD an and off with your toes, closing the car boot with your feet, that kind of stuff.

 

[FearlessFreep]

Well, my VCR,DVD are back on a glass shelf about face high so that's a bit out, but I've done the TV-toe thing. Plus the obvious closing doors

Opening doors that open in toward you can be a bit more challenging...especially if they are spring-loaded to automatically close

 

[TigerWoman]

Sorry, I live in Minnesota. It is too cold to go without socks, slippers or shoes except in the dojang where we must. But we get heated up there. I would definitely not try to close my hatch door with my foot or I would end up on my derriere, its a sheet of ice out there. But I did just get back from my yoga class, where you have to balance on one foot for a few minutes changing the position of your leg while you are balancing. I notice it is strengthing my knees and ankles, helping balance considerably and also we do alot of flexibility stuff which is helpful for TKD. But, to each there own.
Please take pictures!!! TW

 

[shesulsa]

I open and close my sliding patio door with my feet, open and close the dishwasher, open and close the fridge and freezer, pull out my chair, switch the lights on and off, dim the lights or brighten them, turn doorknobs using my toes. I'm working on gripping a toothbrush, opening and shutting the washer (in a controlled fashion, of course), stuff like that.

 

[bignick]

I'm actually typing with my feet!

:uhyeah:

 

[Zepp]

1) Turn on/off water faucets with feet. This doesn't invovle a TKD move per se, but if you can get your foot up over the sink and turn on or off the faucet, it's good for balance and self control. (also closing and flushing toilets). Different faucets work different ways

2) Cupboards. I have two heights of cupboards in my kitchen. On some the bottom is a bit above chest level, These I practice closing with side-kicks and hook kicks (depending on angle). The others have the bttom at my eye level. These I can close with snapkicks (frontkicks) and crescent kicks (again, depending on angle)

3) Lightswitches. Turning regular wall light swicthes on/off with your feet/toes is a good exercise in both flexibility and control

You've pretty much covered all the wierd stuff I do like that. When I'm at my parents' house I usually get yelled at for closing cupboards with my feet.

I'm actually typing with my feet!

Careful! You may have to spray your keyboard with Dr. Scholl's when you're done.

 

[shesulsa]

I think the idea is to use the feet as hands as much as possible - so kicking a cabinet or door shut is something anyone can do. Gracefully opening and closing it, locking the deadbolt and the knob lock can be another thing.

Good training, I think. What if you dislocate your shoulders or break both your arms and you have to escape? Escape a fire, natural disaster or other situation?

Cheers!

 

[loki09789]

This stuff is fun and in performance/athletic improvement circles (as in Martial arts) is falls under the category of "General" fitness/conditioning training because it improves overall coordination/kinesthetic awareness....but is not directly linked to an activity. It is good stuff and fun - breaks up the routine and creates a 'novelty' to training that can give it a shot in the arm.

Juggling, magic tricks, hacky sack....

all ways to cross train with a focus on coordination training.

 

[greyghost]

I do those things too. Not when my hubby is home - he thinks it's weird (wild horses couldn't drag him into a martial arts class. I have no idea why.). I also walk around the house with a Jo Staff a lot, or my bokken, just feeling it and turning it in my hands, gaining more familiarity. I do this with a lot of the weapons I have stashed around here, just so.

 

[Lisa]

I do those things too. Not when my hubby is home - he thinks it's weird (wild horses couldn't drag him into a martial arts class. I have no idea why.). I also walk around the house with a Jo Staff a lot, or my bokken, just feeling it and turning it in my hands, gaining more familiarity. I do this with a lot of the weapons I have stashed around here, just so.

LOL Greyghost! Me Too! I don't do weapons but I only do those kind of things when my husband isn't around cause he thinks it is just plain weird and like to try and knock me over when I do it, the big meany

 

[Miles]

I don't know whether I am relieved or scared to learn others share what my wife calls my idiosyncrasies....but here goes...

I brush my teeth while in a crane stance (haktari seogi-1 leg up) or I have my leg out extended on the counter stretching.

I brush my hair and put on shirts while in a sitting/horse stance.

When opening doors that swing out, I use my fists or elbows...I try not to be too conspicuous with that as people think you are mad about something.

If I have to retrieve something from downstairs, when I am coming up the stairs, I try to stretch out my leg-sort of a standing American splits.

OK, I feel better...

Miles

 

[FearlessFreep]

Check Out Signs that Taekwondo has taken over your life

 

[greyghost]

I answered yes to the below:
· You tie your bathrobe belt like an uniform belt; making sure that the ends are exactly even and the right way round.

· You go to sleep each night cuddling at least one martial arts weapon.

· Every time you handle a screwdriver or razor knife, etc. You just can't help changing grip from hammer to reverse to flip over to dagger grip etc. And your shop assistant is standing cautiously far, far away from you.

· When you're outside doing a bit of gardening you "practice" with all the neat weapons.

· You insist on showing your work colleagues your interesting set of bruises on your forearms and shins ever week.

· Tell your Rugby playing mate he is a pansy because he won’t train due to dislocated shoulder.

· You enjoy limping into work and explaining what injury you got this week.

· You shut the refrigerator door with a side thrust kick.

· You open doors with front kicks.

· You shop for clothes based on whether you can kick in them.

· You actually look forward to being told to work out on the bag.

· The books in your toilet are Taekwondo patterns, and easy Korean for beginners.

· The Twelve Days of Christmas becomes: one boxing bag, two boxing gloves, three shin pads (includes an extra pad for the one you'll inevitably lose), four Tokaido gi's, five rolls of adhesive tape....twelve cases of Tiger Balm.

· You look for a place to live based on the amount of practice space it provides.

· You look for a place to live based on the amount of head room it provides.

· In a boring meeting you start practicing staff techniques with a pencil.

· You refuse to wear shoes, and look scornfully aloof on those that need to during class.

· As your classmate withers in pain on the floor, you fantasize about the quickest way to put him out of his misery.

· While sparring with beginners you keep stopping to tell them that they are not hitting you hard enough.

· When all your injuries heal, you go through withdrawals.

· You view new students as fresh meat.

· You look forward to working another technique line.

· You eagerly volunteer to be the instructor’s demonstration assistant.

· You believe that one and half hours is far too short for a training session.

· You enjoyed your last grading test.

· You say to the shop assistant in the men's store, "Nice pants, but I don't think I can kick in them."

· The only way to open and close doors is with spinning kicks.

 

[rainbows]

I answered yes to far too many of those... I actually won't buy a pair of trousers unless I can kick in them.

 

[Miles]

Forgot to mention the footwork drills while shoveling snow-moving from back stance and front stance with resistance! Had a gentle reminder of those drills today, as I suspect many of you also received. :>(

Miles