Push-ups-punishment or exercise? both?

[Miles]

Does your dojang use push-ups as a form of punishment, or exercise, or do you not do them? If exercise, do you vary the type of push-up you perform?

My KyoSa has 2 kids in the program and he routinely issues push-ups as punishment. Me, not so many...I guess I am getting soft in my old age.

We also do push-ups at the end of class as a cool-down exercise. One week we may do knuckle push-ups with our arms at shoulders' width, another week we may do push-ups with fingers forming a triangle, or what I call "turtle" pushups where you have your feet spread apart, you rock forward past your arms, and then return back to starting position (I think these may also be called "Hindu push-ups"). I never let kids do push-ups on their knuckles or fingertips.

Anyone else care to say what their dojang does?

Miles

 

[Sam]

I don't do tkd, I do kenpo, but we do push-ups at the end of class sometimes, and in sparring class, when we do team fighting, the losing team often has to do pushups

 

[Gemini]

We use push ups as a form of punishment, but oddly enough, also as part of the endurance testing for promotion tests. So, the more punishment you need, the more you'll be ready to test....*scratches head*

 

[AdrenalineJunky]

Non-TKD perspective: I hate push-ups. I hate them beyond reason; thus, I do not do them. I can bench my own weight--no problem, but I cannot do push-ups to save my life. It's funny because we do a lot of crunches and leg-ups, v-ups, back-ups, and the guys I train with practically beg and plead to do push-ups, instead, lol. So, for some, it's punishment; for others, it's a god-send. Just a little perspective for you.

 

[Aqua4ever]

We use them as both. Push-ups are punishments for being late, talking out of line, if you don't adress with respect, that sort of thing.
We also do them at the beginning and end of class fairly often as cooldown/warmups/fitness. Many variations, all the ones Miles mentioned
Aqua

 

[Floating Egg]

If we drop a weapon in class we're instructed to perform a number of push-ups. Though my sensei instituted the policy, it's usually enforced in a lighthearted manner by way of peer pressure.

I do perform push-ups for exercise. Right now, my goal is to perform 500 push-ups per day. I'm currently just shy of 350, in combinations of close-grip, tricep, and Hindu push-ups. I've been taking a break from handstand push-ups because of some minor shoulder problems.

I'm rather fond of the Hindu push-up. I find that there is less wear and tear, and it gives my back and legs a great stretch.

The Hindu push-up

 

[Gemini]

Yep. Those are ours, but I'd never heard them called that. Course, now that I think about it, I've never heard them called anything. Hindu's sound good.

 

[Floating Egg]

I've also heard them referred to as the Japanese, Judo, Furey (Matt Furey), and Tiger push-ups.

 

[FearlessFreep]

I've heard them called "dive bombers"

In both classes I've been in a see pushups occasionally used for punishment, but as pointed out, the more you do the stronger you get so it's a punishment with a postive outcome

 

[mj_lover]

we use them as a punishment, witht he reasoning to help regain focus, as it puts you in a different senario for a bit.

 

[tshadowchaser]

Being a Korean martial art would not squats or something to do with legs be a better punishment

 

[Navarre]

My educational teaching theory says that one should not take an activity desired for the student's development and use it as a form of punishment. I always hated it in gym class when the teacher would take the slowest student and force them to run more as punishment for being slow.

It didn't make any sense. It only created a student who hated running and served as a power trip for the teacher.

Contrary to this however, we use pushups both ways in class. We do them every class as exercise. We vary the type a lot to build different muscle groups and to maintain interest.

I've never found the use of pushups as punishment to produce a negative effect however. Perhaps this is because in gym class running is just running but in a dojo pushups are just another exercise. Thus I can change my perspective on them arbitrarily.

I didn't join martial arts to do pushups. So, if I do them in a class as a training tool, that's perfectly fine. If I find myself doing them because I saw fit to chat with a student at an inappropriate time, then I deserve the pushups.

 

[IcemanSK]

I've also heard them referred to as the Japanese, Judo, Furey (Matt Furey), and Tiger push-ups.

Let me add.... We used to call em, "Korean push-ups". Hindu push-ups is what I've heard most often, tho.

 

[TigerWoman]

No, push-ups aren't given as punishment. I've never seen any 13+ given any punishment, with exception below, but the kids are given jumping jacks or standing still with their eyes closed.

I guess we do the "Hindu" pushups to start off with as a white belt. If the split is wider, most of the weight can be off the upper body though-a cheat. Right now we do them right after warmup rising front and side kicks. 50 split pushups, then 25-35 regular. Sometimes we do triangle pushups. Sometimes we rotate our hand around. Sometimes we do them with our toes on the bottom black part of "Bob". Sometimes we, well some of us do, one arm pushups as well as the knuckle pushups. Once, though, I think the master was punishing the black belts (who-knows-why, probably just bad mood) so we all had to do knuckle pushups on pine boards with the under belts watching. The hardest pushups we do is up on iron welded T Bars with the hands around the top of the T. He has a contest for that at our tournaments.

Pushups are good. It helped my back strength. Its great for lifting those grocery bags into the house. People always get amazed how much I can haul. But its not so great for appearance in clothes.

I could do 15 split pushups dubiously at white belt, since my feet were slipping out from under me at first. It progressed, but I had to do alot of work on my own. A few years ago at my 2nd dan test, I had to do 50 regular at the very end of the test. Which proves anything is possible. TW

 

[Marginal]

Being a Korean martial art would not squats or something to do with legs be a better punishment

Gotta do something with the arms too. There's plenty of leg conditioning as it is.

 

[bignick]

Yes to both.

We do numerous variations on the standard pushup. But, if you just hear..."Alright, let's do 30 pushups", it means on the knuckles by default. We train on a hardwood floor and occasionally we'll take the class outside to the sidewalk and do some there.

As for "punishment". Because of the way most martial arts classes are structured, the instructor needs to maintain control over the participants for safety's sake, especially children. When people start goofing off or they are not focused on what they are doing, that's when someone get's hurt. Having someone do pushups is a lot more productive, in my opinion, then just standing off in the corner. And by no means are pushups the sole means of discipline in our school, situps, crushers, wall sits, etc. The possibilities are endless

 

[bignick]

If we drop a weapon in class we're instructed to perform a number of push-ups. Though my sensei instituted the policy, it's usually enforced in a lighthearted manner by way of peer pressure.

I do perform push-ups for exercise. Right now, my goal is to perform 500 push-ups per day. I'm currently just shy of 350, in combinations of close-grip, tricep, and Hindu push-ups. I've been taking a break from handstand push-ups because of some minor shoulder problems.

I'm rather fond of the Hindu push-up. I find that there is less wear and tear, and it gives my back and legs a great stretch.

The Hindu push-up

I think the second variation there looks more interesting....:uhyeah:

 

[Navarre]

I think the second variation there looks more interesting....:uhyeah:

The angle of approach shows a keen interest in making sure the technique is done properly. The face-first descent allows for an intimate examination of the environment while ensuring the remainder of the body touches at all the right places.

From the expression on completion of the technique, it is clear that the person has achieved maximum satisfaction with this technique. I whole-heartedly approve.

However, in all fairness, I would prefer to work directly with the person to ensure proper technique. ... and by "person" I of course mean Katie Holmes.

 

[Kenpodoc]

Oddly enough the kids I teach love doing push-ups. We do lot's of variations and they frequently request more push-ups. We also use push-ups when the kids get to full of themselves. Not as punishment but because when you are tired you tend to relax better and become more efficient. I stole this idea from the Systema guys and it works for me.

Jeff

 

[Shirt Ripper]

I am not for the use of exercise as punishment, but then again, what is the alternative? Force feed them Twinkies? As a former fat kid I can tell you there would be few objections to said philosophy but the more commonly punished.