shoes or no shoes?

[Prodigy-Child]

i was flipping through one of my old issues of black belt magazine and i came across this article

 

it had a range of people from different diciplines such as karate, taekwondo, jiu jitsu, kung fu and thoughts from frank shamrock and some other ufc fighter discuss if it is better or worse to wear shoes during training and fighting

 

traditionally i feel that you should train barefoot and not bring the dirt from the outside world into your dojo - just outta respect. also if you are grappling it can give your opponant some grip if they are going for a leg bar......but at the same time they can protect you from getting a ankle lock slapped on

 

what do u people think?

[TKD_McGee]

I was going to get some TKD shoes... my feet get ripped up easily. I have hard water where i live so my feet are all skaly and nasty during training sessions....

 

Ive always wanted to get some TKD shoes for increased agility and speed. I seen some good ones for like 30 bux... hope they are cumphy..

 

 

[three60roundhouse]

we aren't allowed, and I probably would go with traditional barefoot, but there was this girl who had something seriously wrong with her foot, she was a yellow belt i think, and she wore those shoes for a few months, and it was kind of strange...

[G95champ]

We train with no shoes 80% of the time. However I have several women in class who want to wear them so I allow it.

 

Also once evey 2-3 months we have what we call a steet class day where we all train in blue jeans, shoes, sweat shirts and just normal clothes.

 

We do this because if you are ever attacked you won't have the confort of being in a loose gi. The class seems to like it and its one less time I have to Iron my Gi LOL

 

Also add we do train outside in both shoes and no shoes. To each his own IMO....

[koreantiger81]

Well, if you train on a hard wood floor surface, shoes wouldn't be a bad idea. When you stretch on hard wood floors it can hurt your heels, therefore you don't end up stretching properly. (I don't recommend hard wood floors.)

 

HOwever, bare feet wouldn't be a bad idea for especially beginners. Training without shoes, gives a better sense or feel of the target that you're kicking, which gives a beginner more confidence and control over their kicks.

[koreantiger81]

Well, if you train on a hard wood floor surface, shoes wouldn't be a bad idea. When you stretch on hard wood floors it can hurt your heels, therefore you don't end up stretching properly. (I don't recommend hard wood floors.)

 

HOwever, bare feet wouldn't be a bad idea for especially beginners. Training without shoes, gives a better sense or feel of the target that you're kicking, which gives a beginner more confidence and control over their kicks.

[KENSHI]

We ussually train with no shoes, like traditional karate does.

[SaiFightsMS]

Purists abhor the idea of training in shoes. Personally I have been the only person in my dojo who wears the. Initially it was because the ms has affected some of the smaller muscles in the feet. About the time I was ready to come out of the shoes I developed a heel spur. So in shoes I stay.

 

Martial arts sneakers are very light. And fit very closely to the foot. You do feel the floor thruogh them.

 

 

[Jiggy9]

What exactly do you mean by Martial Arts Sneakers Sai?? Could you give me any examples?

[KickChick]

The issue of practicing "karate" with or without shoes is a simple one to explain. Karate is traditionally performed bare footed. There are at least two important reasons why. The first revolves around care and maintenance of the mat surfaces. Street shoes damage our practice mats through abrasion. In addition there is no telling what lurks on the bottom of street shoes, even if they appear clean. Things like glass, dung, chewing gum and the like easily escape detection to end up on the practice mats.

 

But yes, there are those "karate-shoes" available now that you can carry into class.

 

The second reason is safety. Shoes increase the potential for injury to your partner or opponent when worn while practicing or competing. These "karate-shoes" are very light weight and should pose no injuries.

 

Exceptions are made for injuries or infections.

 

To ruin your pedicure or to avoid calluses is not a reason.

 

Removing shoes before entering dojang floor is also a sign of respect.

 

But I do believe that classes should be given outside on occasion ... and routines/drills done in street shoes. This will help students get an idea of what it will be like to have to move and kick on surfaces other then a dojang floor. You instill a better sense of balance then training on a normal dojang floor.