What kind of surface do you train on?

[ninjanurse]

OUr main school has Swain Mats trough out which are like artificial tatami. There are great! My school has hardwood which I like too. I think it is good to train on different surfaces from time to time-especially concrete, blacktop, grass, etc.; with shoes, without shoes, etc. Helps to prepare you for the unexpected!

[gubbs]

I've been using Dollamur mats for home. They sturdy, lightweight, and very portable. I did a review for them on my new website. Check it out if you like at https://www.bjjreviews.net

[danbong]

I've trained on and prefer the artifical tatami mats that ninjanurse likes. The inch thick ones are firm enough for standing striking but padded enough for standing and ground grappling. As others have pointed out, the interlocking mats can be a real toe killer. Just last night I got a minor sprained toe while traing on that surface. I'm also not very impressed with hardwood. Typically is nearly as hard as a concrete floor and it also causes blisters in people who wear their shoes all the time.

[EclecticFighter]

I too have trained on different surface : real tatamis with a very shock absorbant floor underneath, hardwood, concrete (bleah!), gymnastic mats (I hated those), asphalt, grass, laminate floor and right now we have interlocking mats like the one they use in sparring competition.

The mats are great when you practice bunkai, throwing and such but your "connection" to the ground is very different from a hard floor. Practicing on many different surface is a very good thing.

I personally prefer hardwood, better yet if it's an aerobic/sport floor because they make it shock absorbant which is nicer for your knees. As for the blisters, I stopped having them when I reached 1st kyu

[Jay]

Wood block floor its the worst floor ever it completly messes your feet up when you train and i think personally training without shoes is a mistake because how many fights do you have wearing no shoes???

[baronbvp]

I agree with you, but there seems to be some sort of "anti-shoe" view in most dojos and a stigma associated with it. I know it's hygienically better and prevents athlete's foot, norovirus, etc and floor abrasions that could lead to blood on the floor and infection.

Does anyone out there train MA in shoes, and is it because of your training surface or hygiene, or for realism or some other reason?

[cross]

Does anyone out there train MA in shoes, and is it because of your training surface or hygiene, or for realism or some other reason?

I train in shoes the majority of the time, flip flops(we call them "thongs" here in australia) on the rare occasion. Its for a combination of the things you mentioned, my training surface is my backyard, carport, paddock and road, so a variety of surfaces and i train wearing the clothes and footwear i wear the majority of the time outside training.

[Muki]

Wood block floor its the worst floor ever it completly messes your feet up when you train...

Well... I continuously train barefoot and have no problems with my feet whatsoever... I had a couple of blisters when I first started, but that was it.

Does anyone out there train MA in shoes, and is it because of your training surface or hygiene, or for realism or some other reason?

In one of our branches people train in light sports shoes, because the floor is too cold to train barefoot. I'd like to point out that their stances and kicks are more "sloppy looking". Whether this is a consequence of training in shoes is of course disputable, but so far this seems to be the case. I guess that training barefoot somehow forces you to be more precise and accurate in your techniqe...?

[bushido_man96]

I agree with you, but there seems to be some sort of "anti-shoe" view in most dojos and a stigma associated with it. I know it's hygienically better and prevents athlete's foot, norovirus, etc and floor abrasions that could lead to blood on the floor and infection.

Does anyone out there train MA in shoes, and is it because of your training surface or hygiene, or for realism or some other reason?

I think this mainly has to do with most practitioners' "traditonal outlook."

I don't think training in light sport shoes would be much more difficult, and they are light enough to kick someone with, I think.

[username8517]

Actually I think a lot of it could be simply following what the instructor does. Not tradition as its what the masters of old did, but tradition along the lines of well if it "works for him it should work for me" or "he must be doing/know something that I don't" Almost like a follow-the-leader mindset. For example, if you show up to a training hall and the instructor is barefoot you'll probably find that the majority of those who train opt to go barefoot as well, even if they're told otherwise. And vice versa.

At our dojo, the students are allowed to wear shoes, go barefoot, wear sandals, etc. We always inform students of this when they start. And while I can't speak for why the head sensei at the dojo goes barefoot, I know I go barefoot because I just simply enjoy being barefoot--nothing to do with classical tradition or hygenie. However in the years that I've been there, I think only three people have opted not to train in their barefeet.