# Training in martial arts shoes.



## crazydiamond (Aug 3, 2015)

What are your thoughts?

The school owner said he is okay with training shoes as long as they are for martial arts and only used inside the studio (keep clean).

I have had  some feet and ankle/shin issues. Also I have had some difficulty (I think due to physical constraints) on pivoting properly during kickboxing. I am hoping MMA shoes would help. Lastly my mixed martial art is aimed at the street - so it seems to make sense to train in what I would be in - shoes.


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## Tames D (Aug 3, 2015)

I've always trained in shoes. I'm currently wearing Puma. Light weight and comfortable. Odds of me being barefoot in a fight are slim. Our JKD training is done on a concrete surface, so no worries about damaging the floor.


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## crazydiamond (Aug 3, 2015)

Thanks. concrete ? We train on matts as we do take downs and grappling with our JKD. The shoes I got (ringstar fightpro) are made for mat sparing. I like the pivot point feature as well. Should get them in a couple of days. Really that's what I need most, ease of pivoting, secondarily some padding for kicking.


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## Tames D (Aug 3, 2015)

crazydiamond said:


> Thanks. concrete ? We train on matts as we do take downs and grappling with our JKD. The shoes I got (ringstar fightpro) are made for mat sparing. I like the pivot point feature as well. Should get them in a couple of days. Really that's what I need most, ease of pivoting, secondarily some padding for kicking.


I'm getting close to needing new shoes, I think I'll checkout the Ringstar Fightpro. We do ground work and concrete isn't as bad as it seems, NOT


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## JohnnyEnglish (Aug 3, 2015)

crazydiamond said:


> What are your thoughts?
> 
> The school owner said he is okay with training shoes as long as they are for martial arts and only used inside the studio (keep clean).
> 
> I have had  some feet and ankle/shin issues. Also I have had some difficulty (I think due to physical constraints) on pivoting properly during kickboxing. I am hoping MMA shoes would help. Lastly my mixed martial art is aimed at the street - so it seems to make sense to train in what I would be in - shoes.



Depends, in Kickboxing it might be ok, but on the other hand, wearin shoes and kicking ? Dunno, doesn't sound right.

In taekwondo I could not imagine to wear shoes, I would not have a good stance, so balance would be a problem, and the kicks would feel uncomfortable too + the risk to injure someone would be much higher.

But if you as you say do Kickboxing and train for on the streets, there should be no issue at all. Even if I don't understand the connection between Kickboxing and on the streets. I mean, Kickboxing is still kickboxing.


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## tshadowchaser (Aug 3, 2015)

If you are in a school with wood floors or mats I would say that soft shoes made for martial arts would be ok.  I practice on a hard concrete floor, outside in the woods and on the street so we wear any shoe we want and learn to hopefully  control our kicks


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## JohnnyEnglish (Aug 3, 2015)

tshadowchaser said:


> If you are in a school with wood floors or mats I would say that soft shoes made for martial arts would be ok.  I practice on a hard concrete floor, outside in the woods and on the street so we wear any shoe we want and learn to hopefully  control our kicks



I think it also depends a bit from the individual, I could not train with shoes, without feeling comfortable. I also think my opponent would not appreciate if I would kick him in the face wearing shoes  I mean, did you ever get a kick in to your ribs by someone wearing shoes ? I did, and this is not a nice experience!


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## crazydiamond (Aug 3, 2015)

JohnnyEnglish said:


> But if you as you say do Kickboxing and train for on the streets, there should be no issue at all. Even if I don't understand the connection between Kickboxing and on the streets. I mean, *Kickboxing is still kickboxing*.


 

Well - if I was training for a UFC match or Thai kickboxing match - no shoes.   Boxing is the martial art that I know where shoes are worn in the ring? ( and some karate or Savate?). But street is street and your going to be wearing shoes to kick.

Funny thing when I goggled martial arts shoes - TKD came up a lot as a shoe.


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## crazydiamond (Aug 3, 2015)

tshadowchaser said:


> If you are in a school with wood floors or mats I would say that soft shoes made for martial arts would be ok.  I practice on a hard concrete floor, outside in the woods and on the street so we wear any shoe we want and learn to hopefully  control our kicks


 
Wow all these concrete guys - and outside. tough stuff.


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## JohnnyEnglish (Aug 3, 2015)

crazydiamond said:


> Well - if I was training for a UFC match or Thai kickboxing match - no shoes.   Boxing is the martial art that I know where shoes are worn in the ring? ( and some karate or Savate?). But street is street and your going to be wearing shoes to kick.
> 
> Funny thing when I goggled martial arts shoes - TKD came up a lot as a shoe.



No, I would take off my shoes before I would defend myself.

Just a joke 

Well, sure you are right, but maybe it is not the best to kick in a self-defense situation.

However, I am from a country where you have to follow strict rules in every martial art, and as far as I know, Boxing is the only martial art you are allowed to wear shoes in. I don't know how they deal with it here in the UK though, I guess it is always a bit different too.


Conclusion: IF you are able to train with shoes and you WANT to train with shoes, just do it. But, if you are so sure about wearing shoes, why are you asking then  ?


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## Dinkydoo (Aug 3, 2015)

In Kickboxing I sometimes wear trainers for the fitness part of the class, but if i'm kicking pads, bags or people I go barefoot - I find this helps to ensure I am kicking with proper technique and as already stated, being kicked properly with shoes on sucks. In Mantis I wear Feiyue shoes and due to the foot stamping and trapping involved it is generally a good idea. I like the rubber soles of the Feiyue shoes as they tend to slip a lot less on gym floors than the plastic soled martial arts shoes. Training outside, I wear whichever shoes I feel like (sometimes none) - although I tend to have a seperate pair for outside stuff, since I can't usually help but kick something (tree, chair, bin...etc) at some point during the session and therefore, they get quite roughed up after frequent use.


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## JowGaWolf (Aug 3, 2015)

I train in Jow Ga kung fu and I wear wrestling shoes.  The shoes are made for mat like surfaces.  They are good for kung fu style fighting arts but not so much for kickboxing, karate, and kickboxing.   For most kung fu schools, wearing shoes is expected.


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## Dirty Dog (Aug 3, 2015)

JohnnyEnglish said:


> In taekwondo I could not imagine to wear shoes, I would not have a good stance, so balance would be a problem, and the kicks would feel uncomfortable too + the risk to injure someone would be much higher.
> .



And yet, people all over the world manage just fine. 
We normally train barefoot in our dojang. But we have a couple students who wear shoes frequently. And one instructor that wears them occasionally. 
Anyone training for self defense needs to train in shoes, at least part of the time. 
If you cannot perform in shoes, then your training isn't worth much outside the school. 


Sent from an old fashioned 300 baud acoustic modem by whistling into the handset. Not TapaTalk. Really.


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## JohnnyEnglish (Aug 3, 2015)

Dirty Dog said:


> And yet, people all over the world manage just fine.
> We normally train barefoot in our dojang. But we have a couple students who wear shoes frequently. And one instructor that wears them occasionally.
> Anyone training for self defense needs to train in shoes, at least part of the time.
> If you cannot perform in shoes, then your training isn't worth much outside the school.
> ...



Can't agree with it. I've been praceising certain martial arts my whole life, and I've never been wearing shoes, and I never had any problems doing kicks and moving in certain stances outside in my shoes, I just don't like it. It is very uncomfortable. To call an instructor a bad instructor just because he does not ask you to wear some shoes, is not an objective and good way to judge an instructor!

Especially in taekwondo, where kicks are practised a lot, it is not even possible to wear shoes all the time, it would end up in everyone getting injured with head injuries and broken rips.

In a self-defense situation, you are not walking in a highly complicated stance and you are also not using complicated kicks towards an attacker, which means it wouldn't matter you are wearing shoes or not.

I don't know how your feet are built, but an average martial artist, will be able to perform all of his techniques even with shoes, WITHOUT having them on while training.
I also want to remind you, that it is respectless and rude to NOT take the shoes off when entering the dojo, especially in Japan,Korea and China. You will find plenty of martial art schools in for example tokyo, which are able to teach you PROPER self-defense while wearing no shoes.

This discussion is totally platitudinous.


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## JowGaWolf (Aug 3, 2015)

Dirty Dog said:


> And yet, people all over the world manage just fine.
> We normally train barefoot in our dojang. But we have a couple students who wear shoes frequently. And one instructor that wears them occasionally.
> Anyone training for self defense needs to train in shoes, at least part of the time.
> If you cannot perform in shoes, then your training isn't worth much outside the school.
> ...



My Sifu told us to every now and then practice doing Kung Fu kicks in the shoes that we normally wear.  The reason for this is that the sole of a shoe will vary.  Dress shoes do not provide the same grip or support that sneakers provide.  Cowboy boots do not provide the same flexibility that being barefoot does. Because of this certain moves may be less effective depending on the shoe.  While I have not taken my Sifu's advice directly.  I have made sure that all of my dress shoes have rubber soles and I'm always taking notice of how my shoes grip on different surfaces so that I understand my limitations in the event that I have to do Kung Fu as a self defense.  My biggest weakness would be trying to do kung fu on concrete or sand without shoes.  Being that I have shoes on 95% of the time the chances of me fighting on those surfaces without shoes are really slim.


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## Dirty Dog (Aug 3, 2015)

JohnnyEnglish said:


> Can't agree with it. I've been praceising certain martial arts my whole life, and I've never been wearing shoes, and I never had any problems doing kicks and moving in certain stances outside in my shoes, I just don't like it. It is very uncomfortable.



Then why did you say you wouldn't 'have a good stance, so balance would be a problem' in your earlier post? This looks like you're simply contradicting yourself.



JohnnyEnglish said:


> To call an instructor a bad instructor just because he does not ask you to wear some shoes, is not an objective and good way to judge an instructor!



Where did I say that? 



JohnnyEnglish said:


> Especially in taekwondo, where kicks are practised a lot, it is not even possible to wear shoes all the time, it would end up in everyone getting injured with head injuries and broken rips.



I've been training in TKD since 1968 or 1969. I have Dan rankings from the ITF, the Kukkiwon, and the Moo Duk Kwan. I've trained and trained with a number of people who wear or wore. I wear shoes, sometimes, both while training and instructing. 
You're just plain wrong.



JohnnyEnglish said:


> In a self-defense situation, you are not walking in a highly complicated stance and you are also not using complicated kicks towards an attacker, which means it wouldn't matter you are wearing shoes or not.



TKD (at least, none of the variants I am familiar with) teach any "highly complicated stance". As for kicks, I'll use whatever kick seems most likely to prove effective at the time, whether I am sparring or fighting. 
Since I've trained wearing shoes, none of this will be a problem.



JohnnyEnglish said:


> I don't know how your feet are built, but an average martial artist, will be able to perform all of his techniques even with shoes, WITHOUT having them on while training.



Well, no, they won't. Wearing shoes absolutely does change things. Which is why it's important to train wearing shoes, at least occasionally, if you're training for self defense.



JohnnyEnglish said:


> I also want to remind you, that it is respectless and rude to NOT take the shoes off when entering the dojo, especially in Japan,Korea and China. You will find plenty of martial art schools in for example tokyo, which are able to teach you PROPER self-defense while wearing no shoes.



I suspect I've been training longer than you've been alive. I'm pretty sure I know what is considered appropriate behavior in the dojang, kid.


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## JohnnyEnglish (Aug 3, 2015)

Dirty Dog said:


> Then why did you say you wouldn't 'have a good stance, so balance would be a problem' in your earlier post? This looks like you're simply contradicting yourself.
> 
> 
> 
> ...




We are not getting any further when you start changing your posts.


Good night to you sir !


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## TwentyThree (Aug 7, 2015)

Arnis player here.   I've seen a toe broken from a disarm once.

I wear shoes when I possibly can around weapons.

BUT, mine are solid athletic shoes that I do not wear outside of the training area.  There are many physical and medical reasons to wear shoes when training, no matter the art.


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## Kung Fu Wang (Aug 7, 2015)

JowGaWolf said:


> I train in Jow Ga kung fu and I wear wrestling shoes.  The shoes are made for mat like surfaces.  They are good for kung fu style fighting arts but not so much for kickboxing, karate, and kickboxing.   For most kung fu schools, wearing shoes is expected.


I like wrestling shoes too. It's has some grip but not too much grip that you can't twist your foot. It also protect your ankle well.







One good reason that you want to wear shoes in fighting.


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## Danny T (Aug 7, 2015)

On the mats, bear feet or mat shoes only. 
On the wooden floor - whatever.
Sometimes we have 'normal wear' training and we are attired with what one usually wears during the day and train with that. Shoes, boots, sandals,... or whatever.


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## JowGaWolf (Aug 7, 2015)

TwentyThree said:


> Arnis player here.   I've seen a toe broken from a disarm once.
> 
> I wear shoes when I possibly can around weapons.
> 
> BUT, mine are solid athletic shoes that I do not wear outside of the training area.  There are many physical and medical reasons to wear shoes when training, no matter the art.



I haven't thought about weapon use a good reason before because Jow Ga students wear shoes.  But when you said weapon, I thought of the heavy weapons that are in kung fu.  If a person is using the light tournament weapons then risk of injury is less, but if a person is using battle ready weapons then the risk of injury goes up either from being a heavy weapon or a sharp weapon.   

I remember seeing a martial art video demo with a sword disarm.  Not sure why they were using a live sword, but they did. In the demo the guy flips the attacker with the sword and as the attacker hit the grown so did the sword and it chopped the defenders toe off.


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## drop bear (Aug 10, 2015)

Boxing,wrestling,sambo,savage all do shoes. Just buy light ones without an aggressive tread and only use them for training.

Otherwise you get used to them.


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## Tony Dismukes (Aug 10, 2015)

I usually train barefoot and I've never had special shoes for martial arts. However I've spent enough time training in sneakers over the years that I feel perfectly comfortable sparring or performing techniques in my regular street shoes. I actually prefer kicking with shoes on, since it gives my feet some protection. The only thing that feels somewhat awkward is some of my open guard work on the ground. It's sort of like grappling with mittens on.


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## crazydiamond (Aug 12, 2015)

I am still breaking them in - they are a bit tight - but my pivoting is better with them on the mats, and my ankle seems well supported with this model/brand which was why I choose them.  I have not kicked the heavy bag yet - but that will come soon. I think this will allow me to train more - and harder -  and help minimize foot/ankle/shin strains and pains. Thanks for the good replies.


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## Danny T (Aug 12, 2015)

Tony Dismukes said:


> ...It's sort of like grappling with mittens on.


Tony we do a lot of grappling with boxing gloves.


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## Tony Dismukes (Aug 13, 2015)

Danny T said:


> Tony we do a lot of grappling with boxing gloves.


I've done that too. Feels a bit limiting compared to how well you can grapple with your bare hands doesn't it? That's sort of what it feels like to me dong guard work with my shoes on. I can do it, but some of the fine control is lost.


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## Dirty Dog (Aug 13, 2015)

Tony Dismukes said:


> I've done that too. Feels a bit limiting compared to how well you can grapple with your bare hands doesn't it? That's sort of what it feels like to me dong guard work with my shoes on. I can do it, but some of the fine control is lost.



That's a good reason to practice it with your shoes on, assuming you think this is something you might want to do in a defensive situation.
I wear MMA-style gloves for sparring, and while I can do most things, small joint manipulations are problematic.


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## Tony Dismukes (Aug 13, 2015)

Dirty Dog said:


> That's a good reason to practice it with your shoes on, assuming you think this is something you might want to do in a defensive situation.
> I wear MMA-style gloves for sparring, and while I can do most things, small joint manipulations are problematic.


Agreed, which is why I've done it.


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## Steve (Aug 13, 2015)

Tony Dismukes said:


> I usually train barefoot and I've never had special shoes for martial arts. However I've spent enough time training in sneakers over the years that I feel perfectly comfortable sparring or performing techniques in my regular street shoes. I actually prefer kicking with shoes on, since it gives my feet some protection. The only thing that feels somewhat awkward is some of my open guard work on the ground. It's sort of like grappling with mittens on.


It'll also make it easier for the other guy to catch an ankle lock, heel hook or toe hold.  Shoes are great handles.


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## JowGaWolf (Aug 13, 2015)

Steve said:


> It'll also make it easier for the other guy to catch an ankle lock, heel hook or toe hold. Shoes are great handles.


That will just make you super sensitive to those moves.  I wear shoes and it makes it easier for my sparring partners to catch my foot. The result is that it makes me focus on kicking faster and reacting faster to attempted grabs. The only thing I don't like is that shoes hurt lol.,  but I guess I can just look at it as kung fu conditioning, being that if I get into a fight my attacker will most likely have shoes on.  If he doesn't have shoes on, then it's toe stomping time for me.


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## donald1 (Aug 14, 2015)

Tames D said:


> I'm getting close to needing new shoes, I think I'll checkout the Ringstar Fightpro. We do ground work and concrete isn't as bad as it seems, NOT


And it gets interesting when you practice throws on concrete.


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## Argus (Aug 14, 2015)

JohnnyEnglish said:


> I also want to remind you, that it is respectless and rude to NOT take the shoes off when entering the dojo, especially in Japan,Korea and *China*. You will find plenty of martial art schools in for example tokyo, which are able to teach you PROPER self-defense while wearing no shoes.
> 
> This discussion is totally platitudinous.



Shoes are traditionally worn in Chinese Martial Arts. Along with whatever clothes you wear normally on the street. Doesn't seem to hinder us at all.

I primarily practice TCMA and FMA, and I prefer to wear my regular clothes. That means jeans, whatever shirt I'm wearing that day, and shoes. No need for sports wear, even. I'll even train in a coat sometimes if I'm outside and it's cold - makes chisau a bit interesting! I've even been known to "forget" to bring my gi to aikido practice so I can train in my regular clothes on occasion 

I do think it's a good idea to train in shoes, and on different surfaces outside of the dojo. Have you ever practiced your footwork on rough surfaces, with roots or curbs that you might trip over, and changes in height? You'll find it's quite different from training on a perfectly flat, smooth surface. Moreover, you may find that when you pivot on your feet, it can be quite a bit more difficult if you have rubber-soled shoes and are on a very grippy surface. Likewise, there are surfaces where your feet can slide, or dig into the ground. If your first time experiencing any of that is defending yourself on the street, you may very well find yourself on the ground.

I should also state that it's generally rude to wear shoes in Japan and Korea only because that's a cultural norm everywhere. For one, it keeps the floors clean, and secondly, traditional tatami can be damaged if you walk on them with shoes all of the time. So, the reasons, as you know, are quite practical. If this isn't a practical concern for your dojo, there's no need to worry about it. If it is, then go ahead and take your shoes off. I don't see the issue, really.


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## crazydiamond (Aug 22, 2015)

One last update to my thread. Got into a kick boxing session with the new shoes. I have an issue with one type of kick - not placing my foot right, and hyper extending the foot.  Without shoes I have majorly sprained my foot. This time the martial arts shoes this time prevented any lasting injury when I kicked poorly.It still hurt a little - and I adjusted my kick properly - but I avoided limping around for a few days like I did without shoes.

I also have found pivoting easier and the tops of my feet avoid bruising as well.  In short I can train better and with less injury. Lastly my MMA is geared for the street not the ring - so training in shoes makes perfect sense for me. Train in what you will fight in.

Thanks for the great discussion guys.


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## JowGaWolf (Aug 22, 2015)

Argus said:


> I do think it's a good idea to train in shoes, and on different surfaces outside of the dojo. Have you ever practiced your footwork on rough surfaces, with roots or curbs that you might trip over, and changes in height?


I've done this before not so much dealing with roots or curbs, but I've intentionally trained on a slight incline, in wet grass, on concrete, on dry grass, and tall grass (that had hidden roots).  I actually enjoy training like this because it teaches me how to adjust my root to fit the surface and in the case of wet grass, it points out errors in my stance.

I usually do this type of training during the cooler months where I don't have to worry about fighting mosquitoes and other bug bites. Everything about one's martial art style will change dramatically when the surface changes.  I don't practice grappling on any of these services because of safety issues.


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## TwentyThree (Aug 27, 2015)

JowGaWolf said:


> I haven't thought about weapon use a good reason before because Jow Ga students wear shoes.  But when you said weapon, I thought of the heavy weapons that are in kung fu.  *If a person is using the light tournament weapons then risk of injury is less, but if a person is using battle ready weapons then the risk of injury goes up either from being a heavy weapon or a sharp weapon.   *
> 
> I remember seeing a martial art video demo with a sword disarm.  Not sure why they were using a live sword, but they did. In the demo the guy flips the attacker with the sword and as the attacker hit the grown so did the sword and it chopped the defenders toe off.



I'm not quite picturing what you mean here.

Are you saying that shoes are _more_ dangerous when using heavy or edged weapons?  I can't see why that would be - could you elaborate?  Thanks.


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## JowGaWolf (Aug 27, 2015)

TwentyThree said:


> re you saying that shoes are _more_ dangerous when using heavy or edged weapons? I can't see why that would be - could you elaborate? Thanks


Sorry about the confusion.   
I'm saying that the shoes offer some protection. Not that the shoes make it more dangerous.  When you look at the history of the soldier, you can see that through out time their footwear has changed to meet the demands of the battlefield. In the example that I gave about the demo. Had the practitioner worn some kind of leather shoe, that the injury to his toe would have been significantly less. Depending on the type of shoe it may have prevented his toe from being chopped off.


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## K50Marine (Aug 28, 2015)

I train in Kenpo5.0. I go bare foot in class (my instructor does allow mat shoes) and wear Adidas martial arts mat shoes when I train in my garage which I have converted into a martial arts training area with mats, mirrors, and lots of equipment. When I go outside to train, I wear sneakers, boots, whatever to make it more realistic,


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## TwentyThree (Sep 7, 2015)

JowGaWolf said:


> Sorry about the confusion.
> I'm saying that the shoes offer some protection. Not that the shoes make it more dangerous.  When you look at the history of the soldier, you can see that through out time their footwear has changed to meet the demands of the battlefield. In the example that I gave about the demo. Had the practitioner worn some kind of leather shoe, that the injury to his toe would have been significantly less. Depending on the type of shoe it may have prevented his toe from being chopped off.



Ah, gotcha.  The wording was kinda funky - glad I misunderstood.


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## Langenschwert (Sep 7, 2015)

Some of my arts train in shoes, some don't. Can't wear shoes in Judo. Going barefoot in HEMA is a bad idea when doing weapons. When I train some of my barefoot arts outside or on concrete, I wear vibram five fingers.


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## TriciaGarcia (Sep 22, 2015)

please give me some suggestions to start martial arts at beginner level.


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## Tony Dismukes (Sep 22, 2015)

TriciaGarcia said:


> please give me some suggestions to start martial arts at beginner level.


Hi Tricia! Welcome to MartialTalk.

This really isn't the best thread for questions about starting martial arts - since it's on a different topic, you might not get many people seeing your question.

Why don't you make a post in the Meet & Greet section and introduce yourself. You can ask your question there or make a separate post in the General Martial Arts section. That way people can give you some suggestions relevant to your specific situation.


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## Dirty Dog (Sep 22, 2015)

TriciaGarcia said:


> please give me some suggestions to start martial arts at beginner level.



That's about as generic as a question can possibly get, so you're going to get a very generic answer...

Find schools in your area.
Visit them. Watch a class or two. Talk to the instructors. Try a class, if possible.
Pick a school.
Train hard.


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## SamuraiMaster (Oct 17, 2015)

A martial arts seminar i was at, the instructor asked why 1 guy was wearing shoes, and his reply was "comfort". He through the shows across the hall and told him train like everyone else. lol


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## jks9199 (Oct 17, 2015)

SamuraiMaster said:


> A martial arts seminar i was at, the instructor asked why 1 guy was wearing shoes, and his reply was "comfort". He through the shows across the hall and told him train like everyone else. lol


If you're training at a seminar or other situation, you should pretty much match or be on the same page as the others present.  Though, of course, that can vary with the style and seminar, too...


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