Are there any other moms to be in Tae Kwon Do that are still training with minimal accommodations? I am 18 weeks and spar with my target zones moved to the chest and hips. I do normal warm ups, cool downs and run with the class. For those that are wondering, yes My Dr. is aware of my routines and supports my decision to continie TKD as long as I can keep my balance.
TKD and expectant mothers
- Thread starter Mamatiger
- Start date
Earl Weiss
Senior Master
I am not a mom to be and never have been one but have had several students who were. IMNSHO.
1. Do not spar, even with different target zones. A small error under other circumstances could have large implications.
2. Traditional double wrap belts can become single wrap as needed.
3. 3 words that will strike terror into any Male Instructor - "My water Broke".
1. Do not spar, even with different target zones. A small error under other circumstances could have large implications.
2. Traditional double wrap belts can become single wrap as needed.
3. 3 words that will strike terror into any Male Instructor - "My water Broke".
Congratulations! Fantastic that you are keeping up your TKD. Physical activity, even at a rigorous pace, is generally a good idea, especially if your doc is on board. I've been out hiking in the White Mountains of NH with ladies expecting, some were even quite far along. Everyone I have talked to said the exercise has had a very positive effect on their pregnancy.
There's a lot of differences between working out indoor, on a padded mat, with many folks around you as compared to a 7 mile hike up a mountain in the back country, but much of the advice IMO is the same.
Every pregnancy is different so listen to your body, and listen to your health care provider. Hydrate often, and make sure you have protein bars or something to help you recharge should the demands of the class call for it. Its not uncommon for blood sugar to become more unstable during pregnancy. Be mindful that your body is changing quickly, and that your balance may not be what you are accustomed to.
Every day is different, so be aware. If something feels off while you are in class, then do what you have to do. Take a break, leave class early, take a day off, whatever is appropriate for how you are feeling at the time.
Remember, pregnancy is not an illness. Enjoy it, and enjoy your TKD as well
wimwag
Blue Belt
???? Wait until after the child is born and a doctor clears you for that kind of activity. Its great for losing weight bit could potentially be dangerous for your baby. You have yet to experience the struggle of attempting to lose 60+ pounds of baby weight. I watched my girlfriend go through it twice. 4 years and counting on this second attempt. She rode bicycle, jogged on treadmills and walked miles on hiking trails and the result was my first daughter nearly dying shortly after birth. Had she waited our daughter would have been just fine.
Sent from my Nokia Lumia using Tapatalk and glitchy Windows 8
wimwag
Blue Belt
not to mention that accidents are called accidents for a reason...
Sent from my Nokia Lumia using Tapatalk and glitchy Windows 8
aedrasteia
Purple Belt
Happy for you!!
there's lots of information available and I have some links here.
Its not at all a new question, back in the 'dark ages' other women in MA
started talking about this, if you will send me a PM w/your mailing address
I can send an article from 'Fighting Woman News' (back in the 80s) on this.
keep us informed about how you are doing!
Golden Crane is an occasional poster here. her blog is great and I'm sure she would respond to a PM
she's a wonderful resource for women in MA.
http://www.martialtalk.com/forum/archive/index.php/t-14546.html
(this is a previous MT thread)
http://pregnantladydoeskarate.com/10-rules-for-doing-pregnant-karate/
http://www.budoseek.net/vbulletin/archive/index.php/t-15178.html
(this is a thread on another forum)
'slow motion' sparring is an interesting variation. So is sparring on one side only
(you are the active party, opponent blocks only - the observer/insructor watches you
very closely and gives feedback as you work on targeting, precision, control.
And this is a great opportunity to really stretch deeply in the pelvis,
hips, back thighs. Deep stances etc. Yoga postures for pregnancy pay off
with flexibility during delivery. I helped coach my SIL prior to her birthing
and the yoga work on flexibility was worth alot.
And breathing!
more later.
there's lots of information available and I have some links here.
Its not at all a new question, back in the 'dark ages' other women in MA
started talking about this, if you will send me a PM w/your mailing address
I can send an article from 'Fighting Woman News' (back in the 80s) on this.
keep us informed about how you are doing!
Golden Crane is an occasional poster here. her blog is great and I'm sure she would respond to a PM
she's a wonderful resource for women in MA.
http://www.martialtalk.com/forum/archive/index.php/t-14546.html
(this is a previous MT thread)
http://pregnantladydoeskarate.com/10-rules-for-doing-pregnant-karate/
http://www.budoseek.net/vbulletin/archive/index.php/t-15178.html
(this is a thread on another forum)
'slow motion' sparring is an interesting variation. So is sparring on one side only
(you are the active party, opponent blocks only - the observer/insructor watches you
very closely and gives feedback as you work on targeting, precision, control.
And this is a great opportunity to really stretch deeply in the pelvis,
hips, back thighs. Deep stances etc. Yoga postures for pregnancy pay off
with flexibility during delivery. I helped coach my SIL prior to her birthing
and the yoga work on flexibility was worth alot.
And breathing!
more later.
Did someYou Read My Post Completely? My OB Backs Me 100% I Have AN 8 Year Old And Have struggled With Getting Back In Shape. Didn't Work Out With My First Pregnancy. My Sabanim fully Supports And Encourages Me To So As Much As I Am Comfortable. As A Green Belt I Am Confident And Cautious As Are My Sparring Partners Many Of Whom Are Senior Belts To me.
My training and teaching partner continued her martial arts training through three kids. She never stopped training (if I recall correctly, one was born a day or two after a class!), though she did modify her training. I would strongly discourage sparring, or any contact drills -- to include holding kicking shields, though I'd bow to a doctor's evaluation over my own. Slow, VERY controlled partner work would be OK. Over all -- I strongly encourage you to continue to train. Fitness can only help during pregnancy!
We live in a world were people do not wish to hear, "no."
My question for the advocates of doing tkd while pregnant, are you going to sue if there is a problem? Are you going to sue the doctor, the dojang owner or whoever else said it was OK?
How about something safer and sensible like a walk and stretching afterwards?
My question for the advocates of doing tkd while pregnant, are you going to sue if there is a problem? Are you going to sue the doctor, the dojang owner or whoever else said it was OK?
How about something safer and sensible like a walk and stretching afterwards?
There are a number of reasons NOT to continue TKD while pregnant. Your OB is, I would be willing to bet, quite well aware of them. So long as your OB supports your training, there's no reason to stop. Certainly not the panic stricken cries of "OMG!!!!!" from those without any medical training.
My daughter continued her TKD training with the approval of her OB, her instructors, and her father, (who has spent about 30 years in the ER).
My daughter continued her TKD training with the approval of her OB, her instructors, and her father, (who has spent about 30 years in the ER).
Jaeimseu
3rd Black Belt
I don't need medical training to know that a pregnant woman being kicked in the belly, intentionally or not, isn't a good idea. I have no problem with training while pregnant. I just think it isn't worth the risk to participate in an activity like sparring.
Sent from my SHV-E210K using Tapatalk
Sent from my SHV-E210K using Tapatalk
Can you show me the study that shows this unacceptable level of risk?
There are plenty of people who "know" that you shouldn't let someone go to sleep after a head injury. There are plenty of people who "know" that a fever will cause brain damage. There are plenty of people who "know" that vaccines cause autism.
The fact that they're wrong doesn't have much, if anything, impact on their conviction.
Her OB knows the risks. Bluntly, you do not. Because in point of fact, you do need the proper training to determine what the risks are.
I suspect you'd be upset if an OB/GYN with no MA training told you how to teach...
Last edited:
Jaeimseu
3rd Black Belt
I have little doubt that I could find numerous studies that would say that a blow to the abdomen or a fall could be dangerous for the fetus, but maybe I'm wrong.
Maybe the OP told her doctor that she could be kicked/punched in the abdomen and the doc said, "I see no problem." However, I personally wouldn't want someone to take that risk in my dojang.
And I wouldn't want anyone with no experience telling me how to teach. However, that argument doesn't really apply here. I wasn't telling the doctor how to do his/her job. I was merely expressing the opinion that sparring while pregnant is an unecessary risk.
Sent from my SHV-E210K using Tapatalk
Earl Weiss
Senior Master
You know what her OB knows about her training because?
FWIW I was talking to Bill Wallace about hip replacements since he's had 2.5 (One re done). I asked him what he says to the doctor when the doctor says "Don'yt do this or don't do that" when it came to kicking etc. He said "Tell the Doctor to go BLANK himself, they have no idea what we do."
I said thanks, but I think I'd wait until after the surgery before telling the doctor that
I'm assuming basic competency, which I don't think is unreasonable. In that case, when a patient says "I'm doing TKD, is that OK?", and you're not familiar with TKD training, you ask questions.
FWIW I was talking to Bill Wallace about hip replacements since he's had 2.5 (One re done). I asked him what he says to the doctor when the doctor says "Don'yt do this or don't do that" when it came to kicking etc. He said "Tell the Doctor to go BLANK himself, they have no idea what we do."
I said thanks, but I think I'd wait until after the surgery before telling the doctor that
That's a problem with physicians who are unfamiliar with any activity. And in those cases, they're pretty much always going to say "NO". There are still physicians who believe would issue a blanket "NO" to anybody with a history of asthma who asked about diving. They'd be wrong to do so, since no such global prohibition is supported in the research. If the OB is saying it's OK (and they certainly would be far from the first to do so) then it's sort of silly for non-medical people to second guess them.
One thing that did occur to me... One of the changes in pregnancy is the release of a hormone that basically loosens ligaments and increases flexibility. I recently read an article about doing yoga while pregnant that pointed out that, while some teachers encourage using the increased flexibility to do postures that the woman might not be able to do under normal conditions -- that increased flexibility also decreases joint stability, and pushing the limits has the potential to be injurious. I'm sure there are similar concerns with TKD... More a vote for care and caution than saying don't do it.
granfire
Sr. Grandmaster
A female body is under normal circumstance not that fragile or we would not have nearly 8 billion people on this rock.
OP, listen to your body.
I was not doing TKD when I was expecting, but I worked in a physical job. I was forbidden by my female supervisors to push heavy loads (that IS dangerous) or to lift stuff over my head (which is not). but the work kept me fit.
Should you experience anything the slightest off, stop. Check back with your doctor before you resume training.
I would reduce sparring to no contact only. Better yet, use the time to do drills. No holding shields (I think hand targets are ok) or boards. As you get further along, you might want to substitute something else for running or other high impact exercises. But by then they are probably already uncomfortable.
There is no need to be bubble wrapped. Most women on this planet work, and work HARD during this time. A little TKD (as long as you don't insist on hardcore full contact!
) should only help you along.
As to the hormone and ligament thing, I am referring to DD for that, but I seem to remember that this isn't an issue until later in the 3rd trimester. Don't quote me on this but up until then the body is geared toward retaining everything.
Just be attentive to your body.
OP, listen to your body.
I was not doing TKD when I was expecting, but I worked in a physical job. I was forbidden by my female supervisors to push heavy loads (that IS dangerous) or to lift stuff over my head (which is not). but the work kept me fit.
Should you experience anything the slightest off, stop. Check back with your doctor before you resume training.
I would reduce sparring to no contact only. Better yet, use the time to do drills. No holding shields (I think hand targets are ok) or boards. As you get further along, you might want to substitute something else for running or other high impact exercises. But by then they are probably already uncomfortable.
There is no need to be bubble wrapped. Most women on this planet work, and work HARD during this time. A little TKD (as long as you don't insist on hardcore full contact!
) should only help you along.As to the hormone and ligament thing, I am referring to DD for that, but I seem to remember that this isn't an issue until later in the 3rd trimester. Don't quote me on this but up until then the body is geared toward retaining everything.
Just be attentive to your body.
wimwag said:
Rumy73 said:
+1 for each of these posts.
While I applaud you for continuing training, I'll state bluntly (no offense meant) that it is irresponsible to risk the health of your unborn child sparring in order for you to feel good about yourself. There is quite a lot to TKD training, sparring is only one of those parts. And no, you don't have to have medical training to know that a blow to the abdomen or a fall can cause damage to the fetus. I'm surprised that anyone would even question that. Our agency (and every agency I'm aware of) puts female officers on light-duty to ensure the safety of the child. That is 'just in case' while what you're talking about is putting yourself (and your child) deliberately in harms way. And for what? To stay fit? Don't need to spar to be fit or to enjoy the other aspects of TKD.
Furthermore, you are putting any potential sparring partner in a bad position. First, they have to modify what they're doing to accommodate you. Secondly, if there were an accident...how do you think they're going to feel?
If you think I'm being blunt, well I am. I've lost a child and nearly lost my wife in my arms due to complications during pregnancy. To even risk such a thing happening is idiotic.
