Outdoor training!

[Carol]

I was chatting with an online friend last night and was told that if I'm ever in (their state) to stop by (their town's) park for a lesson. We then started chatting about training...and my friend asked me if I ever trained outdoors. I said I did, but didn't like it. My old Kenpo school would hold some of their summer midday classes outside on the lawn of the town high school. I wasn't that in to it. The heat...the sun...it just wasn't me.

I then realized that my friend may have been disappointed. After all, he just gave me an open offer to train outdoors. I was trying to think of an apology....but instead, he laughed and said "High School? Yuck. The worst 6 years of my life." :lfao:

He went on to tell a rather interesting story about being in the park...finding spots of shade under some nearby trees (Xue Sheng would probably be right at home) and enjoying the outdoors...and getting to know the folks that liked to hang out at the park with their families, their dogs, or whichever.

Now THAT sounds a lot more appealing than the sweaty classes I took on a high school green.

I asked my friend if anyone got concerned about two people waving sticks around. His answer? "Not usually"

So...how many of you folks have trained outdoors? Do you enjoy it? Any concerns from other folks when they watch sticks flying about or takedowns or throws or any of the like? Any really good stories to share?

 

[Tapang]

Out door training is good if you have your own yard. It gets distracting when you train in a park during the day. Too many on lookers. Very hard to take your training blades and rattans out. Some people start taking pictures and video taping.

I train at night in cold weather too. Very fun with all that bluky gear on. Then again.... They think you are mugging someone and may call the police. Had it done to me a few times.

Then again I will take train anywhere. My 2 cents.

Regards,

Errol

 

[Cthulhu]

Our group trains in a park on weekends. You do get a lot of onlookers, but that doesn't bother me.

Some goofy things from our outdoor training:

1) Half-hearted challenges from other martial artists.
2) Half-hearted challenges from SCA members.
3) Complaints to the park security about the guys swinging around knives and swords. (All aluminum trainers...honest...)
4) Requests by people to beat up other people.

Cthulhu

 

[Rattan_Bridge108]

Forest presserves rock to!

 

[Carol]

Training in a Forest Preserve! Now THAT sounds like a LOT of fun!

 

[DanJuanDeSiga]

When I 1st began my training in the FMAs and other arts, it was always outdoors. In the fields, grass, hills, uneven grounds, narrow walkways among the rice paddies on rocks and even to solid concrete and near walls, gates and fences. Terrain awareness training was heavily emphasized and it kept me from being bored of training since I was one hyper 10 year old. The training outdoors kept me calm and settled for an active kid as I was.

When I was in North Carolina, I made sure to take advantage of every opportunity to move the class outside from the training floor and even invited the class over on Sunday afternoons for some backyard training and sparring.
Even since I moved back, I've been seen on video training right in the front porch area outside of the apartment. As soon as I know I won't catch any flack from the property management, I will move the training sessions to the little park with the sand volleyball court in the complex. Also all the more reason to wear safety goggles during training. That sand does not feel good in the eyes-hahaha.

 

[kuntawguro]

I used to hold private classes at a small park near lake Michigan. It wasn't uncommon to have our classes stopped by the local police due to complaints made by passers by. Even tho , no one was using the park at the time and we were far from the areas normally used by picnics and frisbee tossing- OH well

Guro Buzz
Maharlika Kuntaw

 

[ArmorOfGod]

I feel very strongly about this topic. After I got my black belt, I started meeting several guys in the park for workouts. The workouts went for over a year before we moved it into a church gym. We used a covered picnic shelter and an open soccer field. We always found shade on hot days and those are my best martial art memories.
I ran the church class for about a year, then work killed that. I spent the next several years working out at the company ball field and several local parks (while still going to my teacher's class).
After doing that for over 11 years, frankly I am far more comfortable in my sneakers on grassy fields. I prefer it in every way and miss it now that I have opened a full blown martial arts school. As soon as spring comes in and we have some sunlight, I will do classes in the picnic area adjacent to my community center.
I love working outdoors. The fresh air, sunlight, trees.....that is part of my martial arts experiece.

AoG

 

[ArmorOfGod]

One more thing, a few years back, I made the attempt of starting an organization called "Backyard Martial Arts," which would have been a group of martial artists who train mainly outdoors and in garages. I owned backyardmartialarts.org , but it didn't really go anywhere. It was a good idea, but for whatever reason didn't work out.

AoG

 

[tellner]

Our classes (the ones we teach and the ones we take) are outside whenever the weather permits.