Gloi Posted February 17, 2003 Posted February 17, 2003 When I first started karate I used to get the most dramatically coloured bruises on my arms and shins from blocking. Now, three years later, I get some hard bangs which only seem to leave a bit of a brown mark. I also seem to have permanently lumpy shins. My question is what is actually happening here and does it cause any long term problems.
kajukenbo dad Posted June 16, 2003 Posted June 16, 2003 You are not alone!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! good luck Practice is the best of all instructors...
Tibby Posted June 16, 2003 Posted June 16, 2003 Are you asking what happens when you bruise, or what clauses the lumpy shins? Bruises are collections of blood under the skin where small blood vessels break. It is literal bleeding in the skin. Sometimes it can cause lumps, but your lumps might also be from bone bruises, or maybe calluses. No real long term problem. Your blocking points may be misshapen, and you may have some discoloration (and those are both maybes), but nothing that should effect your performance, until you start getting older, and nature takes its course.
Gloi Posted June 17, 2003 Author Posted June 17, 2003 What I was really thinking about is what has happened to change the the reaction to getting bashed. I get bangs which once would have caused bruises and now they leave lumps but rarely any visible marks. This is on my forearms and shins, I still bruise normally on the rest of my body, I recently had a very purple foot from kicking an elbow. It must be something similar to when people do 'shin conditioning' etc but what changes are taking place, there's part of me that is thinking - 'this can't be good for me'. If I run my hand down my shin now some bits are tender and some parts seem to have barely any feeling in them. btw we don't fight particularly hard , I just happen to be the only female in a class of adult men who naturally are a lot bigger and stronger than me and sometimes don't realise just how hard they block.
Tibby Posted June 17, 2003 Posted June 17, 2003 It is. Your body, when it health, it only gets stronger. Feel a former broken bone, they have bone calluses on them, making the broken bone ever stronger then the regular bone. Your body adapts and get stronger. Mentally, you mind gets used to it, and the bones and muscle and skin on your legs and arm grow tougher so it can take the blows better. No longer term effects of this either, your body is don’t just what it is suppose to do, like when the Thai Boxing guys toughen there shins, or the Karateke toughen there knuckles on the striking posts.
IAMA_chick Posted June 17, 2003 Posted June 17, 2003 your body just got used to it! Tae Kwon Do15-years oldpurple--belt
granmasterchen Posted June 19, 2003 Posted June 19, 2003 those are the typical areas that you block with and that area has gotten used to the trauma of the impacts, thus that area is conditioned and stronger. Just like conditioning your knuckles, you can build up tougher bones all over, yet be carefull if you are trying to do this all over, you can hurt yourself. If you blocked punches and kicks with your head over all those years, your skull would be stronger today or you would be dead one or the other....hope that helps, and yes running my finger down my shin reminds me of a roller coaster. That which does not destroy me will only make me stronger
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