Barefoot martial arts.

Have you ever wondered why some martial artists go barefoot and others don’t?

Quite a few years ago my Wado karate Dojo struck up a friendship with a Wing Chun kung fu group. We organised some cross-training, exchanging techniques and ideas.

But there was a cultural mismatch that we hadn’t thought about – the WC guys were used to training in shoes and we weren’t.

We tried allowing them to wear their lightweight footwear, but toes got stepped on and toenails snagged on the shoes and were ripped back, so we had to rethink. Fortunately, with good grace, it was easily solved as the WC students volunteered to remove their shoes.

In this short piece I want to examine the pros and cons and the cultural imperatives of being shod or going barefoot.

Cultural.

Japanese martial arts in particular are devoted to barefoot practice. It is apparent to anyone who has been to Japan that shoes are meant for outside; while inside it’s either barefoot or specially assigned slippers. Outdoor dirt stays outdoors, not brought on to clean tatami floors. It is one of many civilising aspects of the Japanese lifestyle that western home owners are gradually picking up on.

Beyond the hygiene issue, there are practical considerations for martial artists.

The dynamics of movement.

Basically, your feet are not just there as a convenient ending to your legs. The evolution of human two-legged movement is so dependent on the subtle mechanics of the foot. The physiology of the feet, ankles and toes is incredibly complex, and you have to accept, thousands of years of evolution tells us that we weren’t designed for shoes. (The current trend for ‘barefoot running’ has pretty much proved the point).

The fact is that the wearing of shoes (or even socks) puts a barrier between the complex nerve sensitivity of the sole of the foot, resulting in the deadening of some really useful feedback.

Experts say that sports shoes that are supposed to aid performance actually do the opposite; as an example, consider the padded heel, which clearly encourages a heavy heel strike when running. This is not something we are designed for – instead we would naturally do a coordinated forefoot strike which spreads the load.

For martial arts.

Across many martial arts how we move our foot on the floor and manage our weight distribution can be crucial.

In Muay Thai it is said that the pivot on the supporting foot is necessary to deliver the round kick aided by a minimisation of friction on the floor through managing how much of the sole of the foot is in contact with the surface underneath.

A similar phenomenon occurs in judo; where the foot has to be placed, twisted in such a way to facilitate a particular throw.

In Wado karate one of the advanced skills is in how you manipulate the efficiency of your movement and changes of direction by transitioning around the various parts of the sole of the foot (the third grandmaster picturesquely describes this as ‘the architecture of the foot’.) In bare feet it is easier to work with and appreciate the necessary movement, rather than if you were wearing shoes.

A word about sandals.

Historically, the footwear developed by our ancient ancestors were an extension of the sole-protecting sandal. You only have to think of the Roman and Greek warrior’s footwear to get the picture. But the soles did not have the padding and elevated heels of modern shoes (interestingly, we now see the trending phenomenon of ‘barefoot’ shoes designed for foot health.)

For the Japanese, they developed that traditional thonged sandal, the Zori, a wonderful piece of design, which interestingly can have implications on how you move (as well as manipulate your toes). A friend of mine, a martial artist who spent time in Japan, observed that people who walked sloppily in Zori would create a ‘slap, slap’ sound which was very much frowned upon by elderly Japanese martial artists (a bit like lazily handled chopsticks, which can leave you vulnerable to attack while eating).

Outside of Japan.

An interesting fact:
Footwear was banned in MMA from 2009 onwards. One reason was that foot coverings could be easily grasped to enable certain kinds of leg lock. Also, they suffered from the same kinds of complications and regulations that boxers had to endure with hand wraps and gloves – better to get rid of the problem by removing them altogether.

General health.

Going barefoot is good for your health. For lower leg stability, balance and prevention of the curse of shoe-wearers; fallen arches and the very painful plantar fasciitis, it can’t be beaten.

The problem with shoes is that they encourage all kinds of subtle under-use, and this atrophy, over time, will get its own back on you.

There have been movements to encourage young children in schools to go barefoot. Most research on this has been about promoting the growth and habitual correct alignment of developing bones and muscles. But less talked about is the change in attitude that children can display in an indoor barefoot environment. I have seen this in reality; there’s something about removing the shoes that quietens the savage beast, that turns down the dial. Whether this is culture or association I have no idea. Perhaps they should try it in prisons? Maybe somebody has already thought of it?

Here is a link to an article in the Guardian re. children going barefoot.

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2010/aug/09/barefoot-best-for-children

A quick final mention about the barefoot v shod in Japanese-based martial arts, as the issue relates to diabetics.

I have come across this a few times in the Dojo, where people who suffer from diabetes want to continue training but for very good reasons feel a need to wear lightweight shoes. I honestly can’t see a way round it and I am always sympathetic to the risks diabetics would rather not take. I have often wondered how that plays out in Japan?

In conclusion.

Whether your discipline allows barefoot or some form of training shoes; it’s always worth considering how much your feet contribute to your overall performance, and how important good foot health is.

As a final word; a wise man once said, “If your feet smell and your nose runs, you must be upside down”.