Unusual teaching

[Marginal]

Seriously?? My unprotected shin met someone else's knee a few weeks back during so-called "no contact sparring", and it still hurts like the dickens whenever someone accidentally brushes it during sparring. I haven't bought shin guards yet, but you can bet I will soon and I'll be wearing them religiously!

Several people at the school I train at refuse to wear shin guards too. They claim it raises their level of concern. Some folks even go cupless for the same reasons but that's just nutty imo.

I've had goose egg sized lumps on my shins a few times too many (before I got my first pair of shin guards) to justify my raising my level of concern in that manner.

OTOH, there are a few masters that swear by wearing shin guards all the time while on the floor because they minimize shin splints. (Increased heat = increased circulation etc)

 

[DojangMom]

Several people at the school I train at refuse to wear shin guards too. They claim it raises their level of concern.

Sorry, I don't quite understand what is meant by "raising their level of concern".

OTOH, there are a few masters that swear by wearing shin guards all the time while on the floor because they minimize shin splints. (Increased heat = increased circulation etc)

Oooh! Does this really work? Because I get shin splints all the time, and I'd love to be able to do something about them, other than hope they get better some day. Sorry, I've gone a little OT here.

 

[FearlessFreep]

Sorry, I don't quite understand what is meant by "raising their level of concern".

It means that if you train in pads, you get used to the pads being there and your reactions become based on the protection offered by the pads, which can be dangerous when you don't have the pads (ie...real life)

 

[tshadowchaser]

I would say it dose not matter whom he is associated with as he seems to be doing a good job of teaching.
enjoy your time in the arts and be sure to keep us informed from time to time on how your training is going

 

[Marginal]

It means that if you train in pads, you get used to the pads being there and your reactions become based on the protection offered by the pads, which can be dangerous when you don't have the pads (ie...real life)

Yep, that's it. The problem I have with this line of reasoning is, it assumes that you're going to be trading kicks with some random attacker on the street for an extended period of time. (Usually the shin guards only really come into play during a clash between dueling kicks, which isn't likely in a real life situation.)

Also if you do end up hobbling back from class with a giant painful bump on your shin, you've just limited your self defense options IRL while you're waiting for the thing to heal in an effort to prepare yourself for self defense in just that setting. Seems bass ackwards to me.

If you want to condition your shins, hit a bag. Not someone else.

As for the shin splints aspects, I haven't tried that myself, Dojangmom. The two guys that wear them for that purpose swear by them though.

 

[ProTaekwondo]

Yep, that's it. The problem I have with this line of reasoning is, it assumes that you're going to be trading kicks with some random attacker on the street for an extended period of time. (Usually the shin guards only really come into play during a clash between dueling kicks, which isn't likely in a real life situation.)

Also if you do end up hobbling back from class with a giant painful bump on your shin, you've just limited your self defense options IRL while you're waiting for the thing to heal in an effort to prepare yourself for self defense in just that setting. Seems bass ackwards to me.

If you want to condition your shins, hit a bag. Not someone else.

As for the shin splints aspects, I haven't tried that myself, Dojangmom. The two guys that wear them for that purpose swear by them though.

I agree, hitting a person is just bruising your shins not conditioning them. Just hitting a heavy bag over a bit of time will condition your shins. But don't let them roll a bottle over their shins, that is ridiculous and harmful.

 

[Deaf Smith]

As far as the shin kicks go our roundhouse kicks use shins but Axe kick and spin kicks generally use feet. When I asked why he said because the feet are too vulnerable to being broken on an elbow. We use a padded post and punching bags to condition our shins and knuckles against breaking rather than that ridiculous bottle rolling method.

I know he was born in Korea and is affiliated with WTF but tends to make his own rules. You guys said it sounds like he teaches "old school" or "full school", this is good I assume? So I am recieving quality training if that's what it is? I suppose I'll have to ask him

First happly I always wear shoes in class (martial arts shoes) and thus the elbow blocks don't worry me so much. In fact, I think eveyone here ought to realise most people wear shoes now days and any real fight your opponent (and you) will have shoes on.

I've never been bubbly on shin kicks as they shorten the range you have to attack (but then I have short legs and that might color my views.)

As for being unorthadox and making his own rules, heck I say great!!! He has a mind of his own. About time people realize in any art the 'masters' don't know everything, nor even the best ways to teach.

Anyway, he seems to be a very interesting teacher.

Deaf

 

[Tryak]

The only kick we really use shins for is a turning kick (I guess wtf calls this a roundhouse or some such).

 

[Twin Fist]

I will not spar without shin pads of some sort. i dont require them, but i tell every parent it would be a very good idea to have them.

 

[K31]

The guy I'm usually partnered with and I are about the same height, and we usually end up crossing shins blocking each others kicks. I ended up last year taking two kicks that left a baseball-sized knot on my shin. The next class we sparred, guess what shin I got kicked in? I've still got some damage from that. So now I wear shin guards.

 

[igillman]

When we went at "full power" during one sparring session the other guy blocked one of my roundhouse kicks with his arm. We were both wearing full padding (including fore-arm and shin pads) but we both still ended up with a cut each, both over an inch long, his on the arm and mine on my shin. I am glad that we were wearing padding that day.

 

[Deaf Smith]

The guy I'm usually partnered with and I are about the same height, and we usually end up crossing shins blocking each others kicks. I ended up last year taking two kicks that left a baseball-sized knot on my shin. The next class we sparred, guess what shin I got kicked in? I've still got some damage from that. So now I wear shin guards.

One time, sparring a green belt with no control and barely kidney level kicking abilities, I got hit real hard in the shin of one leg. Yea, baseball size swelling and that took a long time to heal!

Now days, if someone tries to hurt me like that while sparring, I tend to belt them with a good sidekick to the ribs. Sorry, but I'm kind of sensitive to getting hurt by idiots these days.

Deaf

 

[ProTaekwondo]

One time, sparring a green belt with no control and barely kidney level kicking abilities, I got hit real hard in the shin of one leg. Yea, baseball size swelling and that took a long time to heal!

Now days, if someone tries to hurt me like that while sparring, I tend to belt them with a good sidekick to the ribs. Sorry, but I'm kind of sensitive to getting hurt by idiots these days.

Deaf

A green belt with a lack of control? Ick by green belt they should know better control. Try working with them after class with a kicking shield or a paddle? But on a related note, with the shin conditioning comes shin blocks which won't hurt so much. Another block in your arsenal can't be bad right? The only downside is if your opponent preforms a foot sweep.