I'm buying some shin pads...

[newGuy12]

Yes, I think that I am going to buy some shin pads. I can almost imagine the disgust on some people's faces about this, but I may wish to buy them anyway. These here:

http://www.karatedepot.com/pr-sh-03.html

We have two new students, and Man, they can kick well! They are not afraid of giving power!!! They used to practice some kind of Thailand Boxing (with the kicks). I am impressed. I told them, "You come back Thursday or Friday and we will practice hard some more!"

I held the kicking shield up there (they are young people, some teenagers), I said, "Okay, let's see some power." I wished to see if they understood how to kick hard or not. Some people do not understand, they do not prefer to express themselves fully.

But these guys, especially one of them -- they jumped right in! Yes!

Haha! This is very good. But my instep -- the white belts like to use the elbows to block with! Hahahaha! Yes, the young people, teenagers, they are the best, IF they will go ahead and "give it", and these guys did, no problem!

Haha -- the one (slightly weaker one), said, "I want to burn the calories" (It makes no sense because he is very thin) -- but I said, "Yes! We will give it the horsepower tonight!" And we did -- in the break time after the first line drills is when I held the shield. I then even said, "Okay, you don't know which way I will turn, to the left, or to the right, but when I give you this opportunity, one side or the other side, then you let me have the kick!!!" They did, and right into the sweet spot of the sheild (about abdomen level, slightly higher). I even gave a little jab then after the kick, to see if the guard is intact, and yes, they got the idea.

They are very impressive to me for the new students!

w000!!!

 

[terryl965]

Buy them why would anybody laugh, all my students wear gear to spar.

 

[newGuy12]

Buy them why would anybody laugh, all my students wear gear to spar.

I keep thinking that I am "above that", but my mind is changing quickly now, sir!

<newGuy says this as he limps across the room!>

 

[IcemanSK]

I have the regular cloth shin/instep pads & the leather Muay Thai shin/instep pads from back in the day when I trained in kickboxing. Both have their uses & both are close friends. There is no shame in protecting one's self where & when you need to. It's the business we're in.:supcool:

 

[tellner]

We have two new students, and Man, they can kick well! They are not afraid of giving power!!! They used to practice some kind of Thailand Boxing (with the kicks). I am impressed. I told them, "You come back Thursday or Friday and we will practice hard some more!"

Thai boxers? They've turned their shins into pretty serious weapons. Their really big guns are their knees and elbows. When you lift a leg to kick they will almost reflexively chop the other one out from under you with a cut kick. If you say "Let's spar full contact" be prepared to log some significant punishment. What they mean by "full contact" is a little different than what most people are used to. I'm saying this for your own health and safety.

Haha! This is very good. But my instep -- the white belts like to use the elbows to block with!

Get them to hold Thai pads for you. Learn how to kick that way. Have them show you how to shield. It will make kicking, blocking their kicks and dealing with their blocks a lot less painful. Even if the Kukiwon doesn't like it it will make you a better fights. And in a few weeks or a couple months tops your shin and instep will be denser and less easily damaged.

I even gave a little jab then after the kick, to see if the guard is intact, and yes, they got the idea.

If they've been doing Muay Thai for any length of time they've had to learn this on pain of pain. Don't be surprised if reflexively cup the jab and answer with an elbow or knee.

 

[cflick]

No shame in that. Everyone one is required to have atleast shin guards (although the GM highly recommends shin/instep guards) where I train.
And when you don't wear them to class...many knuckle push-ups result!
Even our high ranks!

 

[granfire]

After having nursed a green shin for a week...I am asking 'What took you so long' and no I was wearing a shinpad, sadly it had shifted before I collided with the equivalent of a Mac truck...sweet kid in a huge body....

 

[FearlessFreep]

I'm still nursing a right ankle after a sparring practice last week where I wasn't wearing pads and I was kicking a skinny teenager too many times in the forearm/elbow....

tellner is right though. I've done some muy-thai* style kicking training (learning to use a shin to block low shin kicks) and it can be... quite uncomfortable but very useful.



*My last instructor trained Muy-Thai under that guy out in Vegas who does the "Fight Girls" TV show...can't remember his name but he's a very good trainer in general, so our Hapkido was augmented with Muy Thai. So I didn't formally train Muy Thai but we did incorporate some techniques and tactics

 

[newGuy12]

"Let's spar full contact" be prepared to log some significant punishment. What they mean by "full contact" is a little different than what most people are used to. I'm saying this for your own health and safety.

Well, I think to myself, they are young boys, how much could they know? But now I know. A little bit of the Thai-boxing goes a long way to endow the practitioner with some power. That is good. Also, I am not one to think, "They cannot give injury, it is not possible." No, I am careful.

I did tell the boys, "You know, here, we do not kick to the knee. We kick the torso and the head, also, we do not kick to the back." The one boy, the very thin one, then said, "Yes, this is why we are here, to learn this way." I had some concern about them kicking to the knee and giving me injury, but they understand.

The best thing is this -- they have no hesitation to practicing hard, and giving and taking, and I am impressed.

Haha -- yes, I will buy these pads today. I used to just go ahead and kick and if I got bruised, so what. But I am now thinking that I am not so tough these days, and I will do as others do, practice wearing pads. Especially since others have posted that they are worn in their schools.

I am not one to dismiss people as not knowing good technique until I am shown for certain. These guys, they are serious about this, haha! Though they are young, evidently someone has taught them some good things! Hahahaha!

Also, the young people, they can "step on the gas" and keep it that way, they do not tire so easily. I will not underestimate what they can do and let my mind wander. That would be unwise.

 

[newGuy12]

Get them to hold Thai pads for you. Learn how to kick that way. Have them show you how to shield. It will make kicking, blocking their kicks and dealing with their blocks a lot less painful. Even if the Kukiwon doesn't like it it will make you a better fights. And in a few weeks or a couple months tops your shin and instep will be denser and less easily damaged.

I'll have to ask them about this. I do not know if they know these things. As far as the KKW goes, our school is no longer affiliated with them, not my branch school where I practice. We are not beholden to do as they prescribe. My Dan cert, for what it is worth, is a KKW cert, but that has little bearing on anything. My Instructor is open to learn things outside the scope of TKD. That is, if someone does some strange technique from time to time, it is okay, to examine some foreign way, outside of TKD, though we are a TKD Dojang. He is not my original Instructor. My current Instructor does not always confine our practice to only the old ways. He himself has learned some other martial arts, though he does not teach them.

 

[FearlessFreep]

There are some subtle mechanical differences between a "muy thai roundhouse" and a "tae kwon do roundhouse" that lead to the muy thai style having a lot of power (trade off being in telegraphing and commitment). Both can be highly effective and it'd be wise to pick up on the mechanical differences and learn to apply them for yourself

 

[jim777]

Yes, I think that I am going to buy some shin pads. I can almost imagine the disgust on some people's faces about this, but I may wish to buy them anyway. These here:

http://www.karatedepot.com/pr-sh-03.html

Those look good to me, but I'm a big fan of the Pro-Force stuff in general. I use the Adidas pads, which aren't as big but are definitely better than nothing

jim

 

[masherdong]

No shame in protecting yourself. We all have jobs to go to in the morning.

 

[igillman]

The pads help a lot but you will still get bruises and cuts. I am nursing a large cut on my shin that I got while wearing pads. In fact, both of us were wearing pads during the sparring but we both got carried away with the "full power" aspect.

 

[cy1982]

Nothing wrong with shin pads, but like igillman said, you will still sport bruises, but it will lessen the damage considerably. like Jim777 I use addidas pads.

 

[Twin Fist]

I didnt wear shin pads when I was a 19 year old badass.

Right up until i blocked a kick with my shin one day and now I have a dent in the bone in my shin.

Now i dont fight without them, even if i am fighting without foot gear/gloves.

which I do sometimes. it's fun.