Why Do We Train in Bare Feet?

[Bill Mattocks]

I have been thinking about introducing shoes to some of our sessions. I know myself the first couple times you kick with heavy shoes on it almost takes you foot of as your not used to it ! Also in real life your attacked in alleyway you cant ask them to take there shoes off or wait while you take yours off(though they may think your so barmy the will leave you alone!)

I was wandering if any one training Shotokan has issue with pulling the toes back with shoes on? I imagine even if you can not with shoes on it would not matter as the shoes will protect you from injury .

Billy Jack always took his boots off!

[video=youtube_share;v325wdgoFH4]http://youtu.be/v325wdgoFH4[/video]

 

[mook jong man]

These guys train in Bear feet too

Monkey steals the peach.

 

[Victor Smith]

In the state of Massachusetts it is illegal to strike someone with the shod foot, I've seen reports where that charge is added to other charges in an altercation. Billy Jack was just showing the way.

 

[Xue Sheng]

Monkey steals the peach.

pssst...thier bears...not monkeys

In the state of Massachusetts it is illegal to strike someone with the shod foot, I've seen reports where that charge is added to other charges in an altercation. Billy Jack was just showing the way.

No worries... I was not planning on having a blacksmith nail a horseshoe onto my foot just to kick someon

 

[mook jong man]

pssst...thier bears...not monkeys

Ok , bear steals the mango. :ultracool

 

[JohnEdward]

Chuck Norris kept his Cowboy boots on.. :lol:

"People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand [barefoot]ready to do violence on their behalf." - George Orwell

 

[Buka]

Chuck Norris kept his Cowboy boots on..

"People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand [barefoot]ready to do violence on their behalf." - George Orwell

My buddy, Chip Wright, one of Chuck's long time students, did that stunt.

 

[JohnEdward]

The director forgot to have Chip wear Cowboy boots... com'on how are you going to break car windshield glass in those soft soled Century Martial Arts shoe, ya might as well be barefoot....:lol:

 

[Grenadier]

Training in bare feet also gives us an opportunity to develop muscles in the feet that otherwise are not used, and a level of sensitivity to the ground/floor that's harder to develop with footwear. As an instructor, it affords me the opportunity to observe that a student’s feet are correctly oriented for kicks: ball of foot for mae geri, ball of foot or instep for mawashi geri, edge of foot or heel for yoko geri, or correctly positioned on the ground-rear heel flat in front stance, toes pointed just so, etc.

In addition to this, developing those muscles really helps improve one's sense of balance, whether he is using bare feet or wearing shoes.

It's not unusual for a new student, who has never trained in bare feet before, struggle with balance, even when lifting one foot (such as when learning how to do his first front kick). Over a period of 2-3 months, those muscles dramatically strengthen, and the wobbling becomes less noticeable. This is something that can benefit almost anyone, both inside and outside the dojo. Now, instead of relying on just a few muscles in the foot to maintain proper balance while walking, there are many more muscles available to help out.

There are, however, cases where I understand that some folks must keep their feet covered up. I've seen some truly decrepit schools, where the floor surface was moldy carpet, and that they would need to train in athletic shoes to avoid some nasty fungual infections... I'd imagine that they'd make athlete's foot look like a Sunday picnic...

 

[oftheherd1]

You guys are weird! What makes you think you have to be ready to fight in shoes? Didn't you ever watch Billy Jack? :uhyeah:

 

[lma]

You guys are weird! What makes you think you have to be ready to fight in shoes? Didn't you ever watch Billy Jack? :uhyeah:

Without being rude ......

See the previous page someone bet you to it ! Bet you thought that was a right good joke to lol.

 

[Zero]

Just take it easy if you are going to give training or sparring with friends a go after only training bare foot. Years back but when I had developed good control (at least barefoot!) I was sparring at home with a friend (also went to same karate club) in normal clothes/shoes and executed a quick front kick to side of his head. If barefoot would have been the knuckles of the foot (not ball of foot (but end result in shoes possibly same)) striking jaw - controlled of course. I had trained in sneakers a lot kicking against trees while in the woods but not in boots/hard shoes. Having never done this before in solid leather shoes, I did not realise/appreicate that your foot is held in a much more rigid state. The hard toe end of my shoe went straight into best friend's jaw and almost knocked him out! Lucky still using control but expected foot to stop about an inch shorter! Lucky my mate kept all his teeth (and still a good mate). We laughed about it later, as you do!!

That said, from then on I definitely appreciated that if you are a good kicker, how devastating kicks in boots/shoes could be. If someone was experienced in kicking wearing boots you would not want to receive a steel cap to the head, or anywhere actually, from them.