Shoes - Weapons or hindrances?
- Thread starter Orange Lightning
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Spring is finally starting to take full stride where I live. Today was the first day I was able to do any serious kicking barefoot outside. I've been kicking forcefully with shoes almost exclusively for the past half year or so. Outside of the kicking thing, it felt awesome. I was in a great mood for the whole day.It's not just me either. Apparently, there is real science to it, and it's called grounding. It has to do with electrons from the earth going in your feet.
Why Does Walking Barefoot on the Earth Make You Feel Better Your Olive Branch News - yobo
Just google barefoot static for more links on that.
It's possible that I just forgot how good it felt to kick barefoot. If that isn't the case, I must say that wearing shoes all that time has drastically increased my kicking speed and power while barefoot. Footwork is faster too. My shoes slightly pad almost all of my kicks except my hook kick, but it does need more space do generate momentum in due to a long heel.
Because it doesn't really alter the shape of the impact surface of my foot, I think I can kick better with some tough slippers than shoes. Very little arch correction and next to no soft material between my hard heel and my target. It's a reliable enough slipper that it can be worn out and about seriously. Without thinking, "if only I had shoes." Plus, they are more socially exceptable and generally handy than those awesome shoes that look like feet.
I wonder if there are sandals that would be any good for kicking? I doubt it, but I wonder.
Here's a shoe that lacks most of the qualities that deflate kicks. Very little material between the foot and ground, small heel, and doesn't change the shape of the foot much. Very little arch correction too. "Taekwondo" shoes, apparently.
Amazon.com adidas Taekwondo Adilux Shoes Shoes
Soccer shoes seem alright too. The spikes instead of just the flat surface would make the surface area of impact smaller,which is definitely better than just flat padding. I would have to hope their hard enough though.
I thought I should read the entire link before I commented, and I tried. God help me I tried. But I think I made it 1/3 through before my Palm smashed through my face and out the other side. Reading this is a lot like listening to someone explain reflexology or other "holistic" healing. I must kindly ask the author, "show your work."
My husband has now been diagnosed with diabetes and has been told quite explicitly and forcefully NOT to go barefoot at all now because of the danger of damaging his feet so any article advocating barefootedness should contain a warning. Unlike you I didn't make it through the article, well done on that!
OP
Orange Lightning
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I can totally understand calling BS on that. xD. Now that you mention it, I'm probably biased to it's legitimacy because I seem to experience the phenomenon. Or it's a placebo effect.
Anyway, some links.
Earthing Health Implications of Reconnecting the Human Body to the Earth s Surface Electrons
That's a link to the science by the original authors of the claim.
Earthing Staying Grounded for Health Mark s Daily Apple
Another blog that just discusses it objectively.
More Mercola Misinformation Grounding In Reverse Skeptoid
A blog that says the authors are wrong about several points on electricity.
Scientific Proof Of Earthing Grounding - Balanced By Earth
A bunch of videos of people discussing it that I haven't watched because I can't waste the bandwidth. A few of them look like they try to actually measure the static change in your body using multimeters.
OP
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A lot of people on the internet are saying the same thing. I think this link is the most real data we're going to get.
Earthing Health Implications of Reconnecting the Human Body to the Earth s Surface Electrons
Haven't read it yet, and without getting into any kind of science, a single point of note: Crackpots and con artists most frequently offer cures to things like stress, pain, anxiety, and other conditions and symptoms which A. cannot be observed and measured, and B. are subject to the placebo effect.
RTKDCMB
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That is about as medically effective as Homeopathy, i.e. not.
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xD Kind of cracks me up that this is the new focus.
I mispoke when I said there was real science to it. I don't know how scientifically valid it is or isn't. I've barely done research on it. I just tossed it in as a sidenote. Seems to have a positive effect for my mood and energy, although I don't know of it's because of "grounding". There are other variables involved. Could just be placebo. I wouldn't discount it too quickly, but I don't have enough knowledge on it or the science involved to debate on the subject. I would be interested to see an informed debate on it from the knowledgeable members here.
Going barefoot is good for you but not in any mystical way.
Is Going Barefoot Good for You - HealthStatus
Is Going Barefoot Good for You - HealthStatus
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Thanks but, I know this already. Going barefoot is awesome. Shoes....not a big fan. But I have to wear them all the time anyway, so the midas well be optimized.
Digression!
To me, it's sort of like buying a good every-day-carry knife. You're going to be carrying it everywhere, probably for a few years at the least if you don't buy knives all the time. It should be effective, reliable, and not too cumbersome to carry. So I want the best possible shoe for it's "shoe" advantages like protecting your foot from the elements, while emulating barefootedness as closely as possible. The natural shape of the foot is just better for moving around.
My feet used to be really calloused from walking everywhere barefoot, but college life has turned them back into baby feet.
I walk barefoot around my home and outside with no issues, but not on road anymore. Or at least, not on my broken up crap gravel backroad.
Good for you
but perhaps not everyone does. Out there for general information and denial of any airy fairy reason for not wearing shoes.We don't carry knives in the UK unless for specific work purposes, not if we want to stay within the law.
I can totally understand calling BS on that. xD. Now that you mention it, I'm probably biased to it's legitimacy because I seem to experience the phenomenon. Or it's a placebo effect.
Anyway, some links.
Earthing Health Implications of Reconnecting the Human Body to the Earth s Surface Electrons
That's a link to the science by the original authors of the claim.
Earthing Staying Grounded for Health Mark s Daily Apple
Another blog that just discusses it objectively.
More Mercola Misinformation Grounding In Reverse Skeptoid
A blog that says the authors are wrong about several points on electricity.
Scientific Proof Of Earthing Grounding - Balanced By Earth
A bunch of videos of people discussing it that I haven't watched because I can't waste the bandwidth. A few of them look like they try to actually measure the static change in your body using multimeters.
To me - I buy in to the whole earth/feet connection.
That's unfortunate. Gotta love the nanny state. Hell, I never leave the house without a pocket knife. Too useful for everything from screwdriver to fork to cutting my seatbelt after a 70mph triple roll to make sure my friend is still alive.
As for shoes, eh, I usually favor light hiking boots. Good for all terrain, look good with most clothes, comfortable to wear all day, and good Impact protection for most of my foot.
Not in the least unfortunate. On the whole it's how we like it, you can carry a knife for legitimate work or leisure activities such as fishing but there is no need to carry a knife for self defence. Many people have knives we just don't carry them gratuitously, it may seem odd to some but we simply don't have as much need as other countries. We aren't perfect but it's the way we like it, not the government, the Monarch even, us. So perhaps before deciding we are being nannied you might have a think, the US has it's weapons, which it wants and we don't which is what we want. It's mostly a non issue.
Well yes as the OP put it, it depends on the type of shoe. Sneakers are one of the best shoes for kicking and don't really give you much in the way of disadvantages. Wingtips are really good for round kicks where you would be otherwise striking with the balls of your feet since they've got the point in the front, and any kick where you strike with the toes wingtips would be very effective. Construction boots or work boots can add weight and power to your kicks and can be very effective for some kicks, especially if they're steel toed.
Now as for women wearing high heels, I see no advantages and many disadvantages when trying to kick wearing those, except for the downward heel stomp in which they give an obvious advantage.
Now as for women wearing high heels, I see no advantages and many disadvantages when trying to kick wearing those, except for the downward heel stomp in which they give an obvious advantage.
Some styles do teach using the arch of the foot or the entire bottom of the foot as the striking surface for the sidekick when attacking the knee.
Name them.
Which ones?
I've never trained in any such style but I've read books where some instructors make that modification in the technique.
