We do "street clothes" training from time to time. Unfortunately, most people simply opt for shorts and a t-shirt or sweats, which doesn't give them a sense of the limitations of their normal clothes. (Of course, if that's what you normally wear, that's what you should wear to the class.) I've actually been toying with having them make a trip to Goodwill to pick up something that approximates their regular clothes, so they have something that can be destroyed in class. I suspect that's where most of those awful clothes came from in the video.
I'm thinking it's close to time for one of those sessions. I need to pick a date and post it.Awful clothes? What video were you watching?
If I ever open my own dojo, periodically training in street clothes is one of my priorities. Work clothes training too. At least twice a year to account for winter clothes and summer clothes. We dress completely different in June vs January. Punching and kicking in a suit, tie, and dress shoes or a dress, skirt, etc. isn't going to be the same as barefoot in a gi. There's a good reason why LEOs wear clip-on ties vs regular ties. If you wear a traditional tie, you should know how to keep it from becoming a leash or strangulation liability in SD.
Goodwill has plenty of clothes for cheap that'll approximate pretty much anyone's work and street attire.
This video motivated to ask my CI if he's open to the idea.
Ive thought about doing that, but we are too likely to damage clothing. I certainly wouldn't wear one of my suits and a nice shirt to grapple in. For strikes-based training and light throws, sure.
That's what training outside is for!
Oh, I love outside training, in fact that's the reason I chose to have everyone train in black gi's (some claim I chose it so the blood won't show...). If we're going to throw, we'd still need mats - Southern clay is way too hard for full falls.
Yes, but those are no more realistic to folks' everyday wear than being barefoot. The point of wearing shoes in these sessions would be to closely simulate the advantages and disadvantages of their normal clothing.
The hardwood is definitely different than a matted surface - easier balance, harder to slide with some feet/footwear and easier with others (including sweaty feet). Indeed, one of the things I encourage students to do is to practice what they can on all surfaces, in all different footwear. When I practice strikes and the movements of techniques on pavement, in athletic shoes, it's a very different experience than bare feet on mats.
Assuredly not. The point isn't to match every possible combination, but to learn to deal with the general restrictions and advantages of the clothing. That's why I want folks to wear something they'd commonly wear, that's not like a gi. If they wear sweats to a "street clothes" class, they aren't getting the benefit...unless that's what they normally wear (like my uncle).
