Training in martial arts shoes.

[JowGaWolf]

Arnis player here. I've seen a toe broken from a disarm once.

I wear shoes when I possibly can around weapons.

BUT, mine are solid athletic shoes that I do not wear outside of the training area. There are many physical and medical reasons to wear shoes when training, no matter the art.

I haven't thought about weapon use a good reason before because Jow Ga students wear shoes. But when you said weapon, I thought of the heavy weapons that are in kung fu. If a person is using the light tournament weapons then risk of injury is less, but if a person is using battle ready weapons then the risk of injury goes up either from being a heavy weapon or a sharp weapon.

I remember seeing a martial art video demo with a sword disarm. Not sure why they were using a live sword, but they did. In the demo the guy flips the attacker with the sword and as the attacker hit the grown so did the sword and it chopped the defenders toe off.

 

[drop bear]

Boxing,wrestling,sambo,savage all do shoes. Just buy light ones without an aggressive tread and only use them for training.

Otherwise you get used to them.

 

[Tony Dismukes]

I usually train barefoot and I've never had special shoes for martial arts. However I've spent enough time training in sneakers over the years that I feel perfectly comfortable sparring or performing techniques in my regular street shoes. I actually prefer kicking with shoes on, since it gives my feet some protection. The only thing that feels somewhat awkward is some of my open guard work on the ground. It's sort of like grappling with mittens on.

 

[crazydiamond]

I am still breaking them in - they are a bit tight - but my pivoting is better with them on the mats, and my ankle seems well supported with this model/brand which was why I choose them. I have not kicked the heavy bag yet - but that will come soon. I think this will allow me to train more - and harder - and help minimize foot/ankle/shin strains and pains. Thanks for the good replies.

 

[Danny T]

...It's sort of like grappling with mittens on.

Tony we do a lot of grappling with boxing gloves.

 

[Tony Dismukes]

Tony we do a lot of grappling with boxing gloves.

I've done that too. Feels a bit limiting compared to how well you can grapple with your bare hands doesn't it? That's sort of what it feels like to me dong guard work with my shoes on. I can do it, but some of the fine control is lost.

 

[Dirty Dog]

I've done that too. Feels a bit limiting compared to how well you can grapple with your bare hands doesn't it? That's sort of what it feels like to me dong guard work with my shoes on. I can do it, but some of the fine control is lost.

That's a good reason to practice it with your shoes on, assuming you think this is something you might want to do in a defensive situation.
I wear MMA-style gloves for sparring, and while I can do most things, small joint manipulations are problematic.

 

[Tony Dismukes]

That's a good reason to practice it with your shoes on, assuming you think this is something you might want to do in a defensive situation.
I wear MMA-style gloves for sparring, and while I can do most things, small joint manipulations are problematic.

Agreed, which is why I've done it.

 

[Steve]

I usually train barefoot and I've never had special shoes for martial arts. However I've spent enough time training in sneakers over the years that I feel perfectly comfortable sparring or performing techniques in my regular street shoes. I actually prefer kicking with shoes on, since it gives my feet some protection. The only thing that feels somewhat awkward is some of my open guard work on the ground. It's sort of like grappling with mittens on.

It'll also make it easier for the other guy to catch an ankle lock, heel hook or toe hold. Shoes are great handles.

 

[JowGaWolf]

It'll also make it easier for the other guy to catch an ankle lock, heel hook or toe hold. Shoes are great handles.

That will just make you super sensitive to those moves. I wear shoes and it makes it easier for my sparring partners to catch my foot. The result is that it makes me focus on kicking faster and reacting faster to attempted grabs. The only thing I don't like is that shoes hurt lol., but I guess I can just look at it as kung fu conditioning, being that if I get into a fight my attacker will most likely have shoes on. If he doesn't have shoes on, then it's toe stomping time for me.

 

[donald1]

I'm getting close to needing new shoes, I think I'll checkout the Ringstar Fightpro. We do ground work and concrete isn't as bad as it seems, NOT

And it gets interesting when you practice throws on concrete.

 

[Argus]

I also want to remind you, that it is respectless and rude to NOT take the shoes off when entering the dojo, especially in Japan,Korea and China. You will find plenty of martial art schools in for example tokyo, which are able to teach you PROPER self-defense while wearing no shoes.

This discussion is totally platitudinous.

Shoes are traditionally worn in Chinese Martial Arts. Along with whatever clothes you wear normally on the street. Doesn't seem to hinder us at all.

I primarily practice TCMA and FMA, and I prefer to wear my regular clothes. That means jeans, whatever shirt I'm wearing that day, and shoes. No need for sports wear, even. I'll even train in a coat sometimes if I'm outside and it's cold - makes chisau a bit interesting! I've even been known to "forget" to bring my gi to aikido practice so I can train in my regular clothes on occasion

I do think it's a good idea to train in shoes, and on different surfaces outside of the dojo. Have you ever practiced your footwork on rough surfaces, with roots or curbs that you might trip over, and changes in height? You'll find it's quite different from training on a perfectly flat, smooth surface. Moreover, you may find that when you pivot on your feet, it can be quite a bit more difficult if you have rubber-soled shoes and are on a very grippy surface. Likewise, there are surfaces where your feet can slide, or dig into the ground. If your first time experiencing any of that is defending yourself on the street, you may very well find yourself on the ground.

I should also state that it's generally rude to wear shoes in Japan and Korea only because that's a cultural norm everywhere. For one, it keeps the floors clean, and secondly, traditional tatami can be damaged if you walk on them with shoes all of the time. So, the reasons, as you know, are quite practical. If this isn't a practical concern for your dojo, there's no need to worry about it. If it is, then go ahead and take your shoes off. I don't see the issue, really.

 

[crazydiamond]

One last update to my thread. Got into a kick boxing session with the new shoes. I have an issue with one type of kick - not placing my foot right, and hyper extending the foot. Without shoes I have majorly sprained my foot. This time the martial arts shoes this time prevented any lasting injury when I kicked poorly.It still hurt a little - and I adjusted my kick properly - but I avoided limping around for a few days like I did without shoes.

I also have found pivoting easier and the tops of my feet avoid bruising as well. In short I can train better and with less injury. Lastly my MMA is geared for the street not the ring - so training in shoes makes perfect sense for me. Train in what you will fight in.

Thanks for the great discussion guys.

 

[JowGaWolf]

I do think it's a good idea to train in shoes, and on different surfaces outside of the dojo. Have you ever practiced your footwork on rough surfaces, with roots or curbs that you might trip over, and changes in height?

I've done this before not so much dealing with roots or curbs, but I've intentionally trained on a slight incline, in wet grass, on concrete, on dry grass, and tall grass (that had hidden roots). I actually enjoy training like this because it teaches me how to adjust my root to fit the surface and in the case of wet grass, it points out errors in my stance.

I usually do this type of training during the cooler months where I don't have to worry about fighting mosquitoes and other bug bites. Everything about one's martial art style will change dramatically when the surface changes. I don't practice grappling on any of these services because of safety issues.

 

[TwentyThree]

I haven't thought about weapon use a good reason before because Jow Ga students wear shoes. But when you said weapon, I thought of the heavy weapons that are in kung fu. If a person is using the light tournament weapons then risk of injury is less, but if a person is using battle ready weapons then the risk of injury goes up either from being a heavy weapon or a sharp weapon.

I remember seeing a martial art video demo with a sword disarm. Not sure why they were using a live sword, but they did. In the demo the guy flips the attacker with the sword and as the attacker hit the grown so did the sword and it chopped the defenders toe off.

I'm not quite picturing what you mean here.

Are you saying that shoes are more dangerous when using heavy or edged weapons? I can't see why that would be - could you elaborate? Thanks.

 

[JowGaWolf]

re you saying that shoes are more dangerous when using heavy or edged weapons? I can't see why that would be - could you elaborate? Thanks

Sorry about the confusion.
I'm saying that the shoes offer some protection. Not that the shoes make it more dangerous. When you look at the history of the soldier, you can see that through out time their footwear has changed to meet the demands of the battlefield. In the example that I gave about the demo. Had the practitioner worn some kind of leather shoe, that the injury to his toe would have been significantly less. Depending on the type of shoe it may have prevented his toe from being chopped off.

 

[K50Marine]

I train in Kenpo5.0. I go bare foot in class (my instructor does allow mat shoes) and wear Adidas martial arts mat shoes when I train in my garage which I have converted into a martial arts training area with mats, mirrors, and lots of equipment. When I go outside to train, I wear sneakers, boots, whatever to make it more realistic,

 

[TwentyThree]

Sorry about the confusion.
I'm saying that the shoes offer some protection. Not that the shoes make it more dangerous. When you look at the history of the soldier, you can see that through out time their footwear has changed to meet the demands of the battlefield. In the example that I gave about the demo. Had the practitioner worn some kind of leather shoe, that the injury to his toe would have been significantly less. Depending on the type of shoe it may have prevented his toe from being chopped off.

Ah, gotcha. The wording was kinda funky - glad I misunderstood.

 

[Langenschwert]

Some of my arts train in shoes, some don't. Can't wear shoes in Judo. Going barefoot in HEMA is a bad idea when doing weapons. When I train some of my barefoot arts outside or on concrete, I wear vibram five fingers.

 

[TriciaGarcia]

please give me some suggestions to start martial arts at beginner level.