# Lower back issues



## hilly1981 (Apr 25, 2011)

Greetings  Hope you are all well.

I am contemplating starting Hapkido in the future, however first am thinking of achieving 1st Dan in TKD first before I jump into another art and cross train. This is a while off yet though.

I have mild lower back issues which cause me grief from time to time. I have recently been getting physio for this and am following a strict stretching regime to help prevent the muscles from tightening up. I have noticed an improvement, but after training the next morning it is pretty sore until I start moving around again and it loosens up.

I am an active person, and along with training in TKD, I also play soccer on the weekends. My back usually does not hamper me whilst conducting these activities. I have my good and bad days, however its not something that cripples me or anything.

Now, I am just wondering with all of the rolls and breakfalling you need to do in Hapkido, will this be really bad on my back? My physio has not advised I stop activity or anything, however says that if I do not regularly stretch etc... then eventually as I get older my back would just continue to deteriorate.

Do many people on this forum have any back issues but still train in Hapkido? 

I know its probably a difficult question to answer directly, however if you could even just share your experiences whether past or present it would be greatly appreciated 

Thanks!


----------



## K-man (Apr 25, 2011)

I have suffered from lower back problems since the 60's when I was a serious gymnast.  You would figure from that that I am more than twice your age.  As you have described, my back also stiffens up, especially after I have been sitting for a while.  Once I warm up and get going it is no problem.  I train Aikido which is constant falls a rolls and Karate where I also incorporate rolls and falls in our training. 

Your training in Hapkido should be fine as long as you remember that you might need to take it easy some days.  Just make sure your instructor is aware that you have a potential problem.    :asian:


----------



## puunui (Apr 25, 2011)

hilly1981 said:


> Now, I am just wondering with all of the rolls and breakfalling you need to do in Hapkido, will this be really bad on my back?




Quite the opposite, Hapkido teaches that rolling on a mat is a type of self massage for the back. There is a reason why practitioners of Aikido, Judo and other styles which incorporate rolling as a regular part of training live so long.


----------

