Taekwondo question

[myataschool]

That's a rather broad statement.. I'm not a Tkd stylist, I practice a kicking art, and my usual foot covering in class is a pair of hiking boots, less commonly walking shoes. I used to make a point of training kicks on an ice-covered parking lot a few times a year. I didnt last year because my latitude changed dramatically for school but we still consider cobblestone or asphalt to be an optimal trai ing surface. Different priorities for different folks really.

I believe the question was directed at TKD practitioners, however you are right... Different priorities for different folks. In most cases, TKD is practiced as a sport, and I was simply pointing out that it's traditionally practiced barefoot.

[JusticeZero]

Yeah, I know, though it gets back to the question of what defines "tradition", which I think needs a lot more unpacking.

It was stated as 'martial arts (as a whole) should be practiced barefoot', though. I'm not convinced, particularly as most of the toughening that your feet need to build up from spinning and such on a floor is really only useful for resisting the effects of spinning and such on a floor.

I suppose that the lack of shoes can be seen as a protective measure to reduce the damage or injury to the person being kicked? In which case, it's not so much 'tradition' as 'common sense for the people setting the rules'.

[myataschool]

Yeah, I know, though it gets back to the question of what defines "tradition", which I think needs a lot more unpacking.

It was stated as 'martial arts (as a whole) should be practiced barefoot', though. I'm not convinced, particularly as most of the toughening that your feet need to build up from spinning and such on a floor is really only useful for resisting the effects of spinning and such on a floor.

I suppose that the lack of shoes can be seen as a protective measure to reduce the damage or injury to the person being kicked? In which case, it's not so much 'tradition' as 'common sense for the people setting the rules'.

I see what you're getting at, and you make a good point. I agree foot protection is specific to the art. I should have been more specific earlier in stating I believe sport Taekwondo should be practiced barefoot for the reasons I listed earlier.

I also don't feel as connected to the surface I practice on unless I'm barefoot. I can grip the surface so much better barefoot than with shoes.

That being said, I wear shoes 99.9% of the time when I'm out in public when I'm most-likely to use martial arts in a self-defense situation. There is certainly an advantage to training with shoes on as it helps prepare you better for a real situation.

However, sport Taekwondo is just that... a sport. For the protection of competitors, shoes are generally discouraged. It also makes wearing most foot protection difficult and cumbersome.