aes Posted January 10, 2004 Author Posted January 10, 2004 ha affaired to get hit. Well that seems like an over simplification. Yes getting hurt is on my mind but not because of the pain but how it would mess up my day to day life and to be honest Karate sparring does put you directly in the path of a sport that will cause injury. In my one year of Karate I have broken one toe, seriously injured another, bruised a rib and of course had my share of bruises. I have never skipped a class due to my broken toes etc. If you ask anyone that knows me I have a huge tolerance for pain, but I just don't want to get messed up for no practical reason. Besides I have a pretty face and my wife likes it that way 43 Years oldBlue Belt (7th Kyu) Shorin-ryuRoberts Karate
equaninimus Posted January 10, 2004 Posted January 10, 2004 One of the yudansha at the club at the U of Md. Baltimore County was so prone to perspiration that we used to joke about stepping through a puddle of "freshly squeezed Ian." On a more serious note, the full face shield may be your best bet. Its a matter of trade-offs. Are you willing to put up with fogging in return for lower dental bills? There have always been Starkadders at Cold Comfort Farm!
aes Posted January 11, 2004 Author Posted January 11, 2004 You know aes, and I don't mean to be snippy here, but if you're worried about getting hurt, then maybe the contact martial arts isn't what you really want. The first thing I tell a new student before they do so much as a situp, is that they can get hurt in here. This is karate, a fighting martial art, and if you're worried about getting hurt (teeth, nose, jaw..whatever), then I think you're in the wrong place. . . . I'd say that if you're worried about getting hurt, try TaiChi perhaps? Well I don't mean to be counter snippy, but this seems to be a bit of stereo typical macho attitude. I know full well that I am going to have the occasional injury and that MA is a sport that this is going to happen in. This is not the point of full face protection for me, the point is there is no need for me to risk my face/teeth etc getting messed up for what is a pass time or hobby for me. I am very serious about my Karate training. I am more of a threat now in a fight than I was a year ago and this aspect of MA is part of why I do it. I love the rush of sparring but just dont want to risk some of the possible stuff that could happen to my face for no real reason other than to be macho. I agree that I am missing a small bit of the experience if I wear tons of protection because you rely on it to keep you safe and this does play a part in a real fight. I guess that is why on occasion they get us to spar without equipment. 43 Years oldBlue Belt (7th Kyu) Shorin-ryuRoberts Karate
aes Posted January 11, 2004 Author Posted January 11, 2004 The head gear I am using looks like this but is all black (ProForce): http://www.karatedepot.com/catalog/images/items/pr-hd-43.jpg 43 Years oldBlue Belt (7th Kyu) Shorin-ryuRoberts Karate
equaninimus Posted January 11, 2004 Posted January 11, 2004 Doesn't that restrict your field of vision? There have always been Starkadders at Cold Comfort Farm!
Shorinryu Sensei Posted January 11, 2004 Posted January 11, 2004 [quoteWell I don't mean to be counter snippy, but this seems to be a bit of stereo typical macho attitude. Believe me aes..if you knew me, I'm not at all into this macho * like a lot of men are. It's just a fact that karate involves hitting each other in one form or the other, and if you're concerned for your facial features being damaged, then perhaps you're in the wrong activity is all I meant. That face mask you show looks like it would protect your entire head pretty well. Nose, teeth and chin..as long as no stright finger techniques get in that is. And I for one, wouldn't be hitting that grillwork with unprotected hands or feet (if you head kick) anyway. My nightly prayer..."Please, just let me win that PowerBall Jackpot just once. I'll prove to you that it won't change me!"
aes Posted January 11, 2004 Author Posted January 11, 2004 Believe me aes..if you knew me, I'm not at all into this macho * like a lot of men are. It's just a fact that karate involves hitting each other in one form or the other, and if you're concerned for your facial features being damaged, then perhaps you're in the wrong activity is all I meant. Well I guess it goes both ways, and forgive me if I took a bit of offense to what I thought was a slight against me. I am not really macho at all. I also don't steer clear of sports because they might give me some injury. In my life I have been into some pretty agressive mountain biking and mogul skiing as a kid. The threat of physical injury I think actually adds to the rush of these sports, but I figure why risk it if I don't have to in this case. 43 Years oldBlue Belt (7th Kyu) Shorin-ryuRoberts Karate
Pacificshore Posted January 11, 2004 Posted January 11, 2004 I tend to agree with aes in regards to taking preventative measures about injuries to the face/mouth. True MA is a contact sport, but so is football, and you don't see the 300+ players going at it w/o some sort of protective gear. What you hope for in sparring is good control, even if light contact is allowed, but we all know that "accidents" happen....you know when force meets force, or poor control is excercised. So, if you can minimize the damage, why not?? It won't make you any less better as a fighter. If for some reason you fall into the habit of not blocking your face because of the head/face protector, then that is on you developing bad habits. I've seen this with MA that don't wear any head gear at all, and yes even the good ones get clocked every now and then. So if you want to save on dental/medical bills, gear up there's nothing wrong with it Di'DaDeeeee!!!Mind of Mencia
kotegashiNeo Posted January 11, 2004 Posted January 11, 2004 Hey aes no one likes getting hit in the face that why their are blocks in martial arts. So don't listen to anyone else, protect your teeth don't risk them for hardcore trainning that will just shorten the total length of your martial trainning. The mask you wear is great I have extensive full contact kickboxing trainning with the exact piece of equipment. That blind spot is awesome for several reasons, first it develops jaw strength from all the roundhouse kicks you are going to eat. Second it develops that sixth sense every martial artist wants you begin to feel a technique before it comes. Lastly when you take it off scoring on you will be more difficult because you are used to having your vison restricted Kisshu fushin oni te hotoke kokoro
kotegashiNeo Posted January 11, 2004 Posted January 11, 2004 Hey aes no one likes getting hit in the face that why their are blocks in martial arts. So don't listen to anyone else, protect your teeth don't risk them for hardcore trainning that will just shorten the total length of your martial trainning. The mask you wear is great I have extensive full contact kickboxing trainning with the exact piece of equipment. That blind spot is awesome for several reasons, first it develops jaw strength from all the roundhouse kicks you are going to eat. Second it develops that sixth sense every martial artist wants you begin to feel a technique before it comes. Lastly when you take it off scoring on you will be more difficult because you are used to having your vison restricted Kisshu fushin oni te hotoke kokoro
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