Martial arts training shoes are generally not worn by practitioners, especially those who train the various Japanese martial arts. It is much more common to see people training barefoot in the dojo while practicing karate or judo. There are two main reasons. First of all, taking off outdoor or sports shoes shows respect for art and its traditions. The second reason is purely practical. In throwing arts such as judo, jujitsu and aikido, training areas with mats are used. Therefore, the outer shoe is removed to prevent dirt from ruining the mats and also to protect them from damage, so they don’t need to be replaced too often.

Chinese martial arts versus the others

The Japanese art of ninjutsu is different from other Japanese fighting traditions in that footwear is used. This footwear is called tabi, and can consist of both tabi boots and tabi socks, both characterized by having the big toe separated from the rest.

In Chinese kung fu, it is quite common to wear shoes, whether they are in the style of the kung fu slippers that Bruce Lee was known for, or simple black canvas sneakers or sneakers. However, if training in a dojo, especially if a matting area is used, Chinese kung fu practitioners will train without shoes, both as a mark of respect for the martial art normally practiced there, and to help protect the legs. mats. .

Reasons to wear martial arts training shoes

The question to consider is whether martial arts shoes should be worn by all martial artists in the 21st century, or whether it is better to respect the traditions of our martial ancestors. Here are four compelling reasons to at least schedule a few shoe training sessions.

1. Hygiene

It is very common in areas where many people walk barefoot, that skin infections and fungi spread. This problem is particularly prevalent in locker rooms and sports locker rooms. For martial artists who train barefoot, this poses two potential problems. First of all, if the student is respectful towards his classmates, he will not train if he has a skin condition. This, of course, is detrimental to the student’s training regime.

The other potential problem is if the student ignores a skin health issue and trains anyway. This is not pleasant for the other students and the infection can spread quickly. An easy preventative measure is for students to train wearing martial arts shoes.

2.Self-protection

Many martial arts classes meet to train in a rented room that may not be part of a professional school, or even a sports complex. Instead, the room could be in a church hall or some other local building not used exclusively for martial arts. If the room is not normally used for any type of sports or exercise activity (such as yoga or pilates), the floor may not be ideal for barefoot training. It can be a plain cold concrete floor or a rough wood floor with damaged or uneven boards. This type of flooring can pose an unnecessarily high risk of injury. Even properly matted judo surfaces have been known to cause broken toes, as it’s easy to trap a toe between mats if you end up on the receiving end of a sweeping kick. Lightweight training shoes are a must in cases like this to prevent unnecessary injuries from occurring.

3. Protection during combat

Most martial arts include sparring as an integral part of training so that students can practice techniques against a real opponent. Some commercially available martial arts training shoes are elastic slip-on shoes, incorporating thin padding on the upper and instep. These can be useful for both students when practicing during light combat. They are also typically lightweight and thin enough that shin guards and foot pads can be worn over them for more intense, full-contact sparring.

4. Authenticity in real self defense situations

The most obvious reason to do part of any combat training while wearing shoes is that it is extremely unlikely that you will be attacked while barefoot. It is worth training for this eventuality, but in general, any need to use self-defense techniques will occur outside the home and while wearing shoes or slippers. If you are not familiar with executing your martial arts techniques while wearing shoes, you will automatically be at a disadvantage in any physically dangerous situation.

So even if your martial artist normally trains barefoot, it’s certainly advisable to do some occasional practice sessions in everyday clothes and shoes, to make your self-defense training as realistic as possible.