I've had chronic skin issues with my feet because they tend to be on the sweaty side. So after working a few years with a favorite MD/athlete of mine, he convinced me just to be extra fastidious about how I care for my feet.
I use shower shoes at home, and they are sitting outside the shower when I'm done. I dry one foot at a time, and step into these shoes. Then generally I'll use an athlete's foot spray or cream before I tuck them into my socks and get on with my day.
At the gym I head for the locker room (with shower slippers on) before putting my socks on. I have a ritual where I wash each foot with soap and water (in the sink) and practice my crane stance while drying them with paper towels before slipping on a sock and stepping back into my shower slipper. Once I've done both feet, then I proceed to finish dressing. I generally don't take showers in gymnasiums. The floors are too nasty, and there are other "issues". I prefer finishing that ritual at home where I can control the environment.
A little bit of martial play with bare feet is good for you. A little bit of self-defense training with everyday shoes is also useful. On the latter note, it teaches you not to be a slave to fashion. If you really are serious about self-defense, some fashion choices are just plain dumb. And getting addicted to your gymnasium attire (with or without shoes) can be equally problematic. Exploring the breadth of clothing options while doing martial arts is an extremely useful exercise.
- Bill
Bare feet?
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Bill Glasheen
- Posts: 17299
- Joined: Thu Mar 11, 1999 6:01 am
- Location: Richmond, VA --- Louisville, KY
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Rick Wilson
I wash my mats with Citrus II a medical disinfectant that kills everything but it will not stop everything -- every night.
A person could walk it in the night after you clean so I agree on needing to clean the mats properly I disagree that is all that can be done.
Working a lot of ground work means mat burns and mat burns means open wounds in contact with the mat which mean more susceptibility to what might have been brought in contact with the mat that very night.
So the shoes were not a fashion decision by any stretch of the imagination but a health one. (Not that you were saying they were Bill.)
It is just my opinion but to think the wrapping has anything to do with the quality of the self protection taught is not logical.
Crap taught in bare feet and a gi will be crap.
Crap taught in fancy sneakers and a cool T-shirt will be crap.
I focus on teaching good quality self protection.
We wear gis because I agree with Bill that they suit the activity.
I trained all these years up to now in bare feet and while I am only at the spry age of 52 the thought that these fancy sneakers will affect the quality of the self protection I teach gave me a good chuckle.
Have a great weekend everyone.
A person could walk it in the night after you clean so I agree on needing to clean the mats properly I disagree that is all that can be done.
Working a lot of ground work means mat burns and mat burns means open wounds in contact with the mat which mean more susceptibility to what might have been brought in contact with the mat that very night.
So the shoes were not a fashion decision by any stretch of the imagination but a health one. (Not that you were saying they were Bill.)
It is just my opinion but to think the wrapping has anything to do with the quality of the self protection taught is not logical.
Crap taught in bare feet and a gi will be crap.
Crap taught in fancy sneakers and a cool T-shirt will be crap.
I focus on teaching good quality self protection.
We wear gis because I agree with Bill that they suit the activity.
I trained all these years up to now in bare feet and while I am only at the spry age of 52 the thought that these fancy sneakers will affect the quality of the self protection I teach gave me a good chuckle.
Have a great weekend everyone.
-
Rick Wilson
