Martial arts and Vibrams

[Bajsic]

Hi all,

I am relatively new to the forum and am very enthused about the Vibram five fingers shoes.

You almost cant get them in our country so ordering via the net will be the only option of getting my own.

I have a question for all you martial arts practicioners out there. Whilst practicing outside you obviously cant be barefoot like in the dojo ( atleast not on most terrains ) so I think Vibrams would be a great way due to the fact that we are used to training barefoot in the dojo ( gym ).

I myself study ryukyu kempo and modern arnis so we do a lot of movements and must be ready to react fast ( be on the top of our feet ). Sports shoes are ackward and flexing the ankle joint is real hard to do + they are false security factors, cause one gets used to kicking something "padded" and then gets all wimpy when hitting barefoot.

So has anyone used them for martial arts ?

Do share

Sincerely, Igor B.

[balsam0]

I have used them for martial arts training.  They work great.  Might want to consider using them inside the dojo as well.  Some states don't allow barefoot training in public places.  Sweaty feet can lead to possible infections. 

[Hawkeye]

I'd suggest getting KSOs or sprints since they're stay on your feet better than classics.

[Bajsic]

Havent looked into various models or colours yet. I would like to get em black...or atleast as black as possible. Maybe try them in the dojo aswell .

Since we all have black GI-s it would fit right in....Was I talking about Vibrams and fit right in at the same time ? 

I ll give it some thought. Keep your thoughts coming.

Sincerely, Igor

[jignacio_2k]

I've used my black kso's. Work great for indoors and out. But, nothing beats barefoot (my opinion). Make sure your 5fingers fit good....

[Bajsic]

I concur that nothing beets barefoot in a CLEAN dojo. If you are the last group to train and the floor is wooden, then the members in prior sessions poured a lot of sweat on the floor. Combined with skin makes a nasty mix.

+ there is also a problem with wooden flooring if you practice takedowns or throws and sweated GI-s and shirt hit the floor...instaSLIP.

Will have to go to a local dealer with overrated pricing and try them on for size, then order via web

[LinuxRacr]

Sometimes we go out to the parking lot when we have a large class, and want to do weapons.  Everyone else puts on shoes, while I go barefoot (not even VFF), to the dismay of my shihan.

[stephcab25]

This is my kinda topic!

I study Isshinryu Karate, Isshin-Jujitsu, and Neko-Ryu Goshin Jitsu, so we do a lot of everything-- sparring, kata, etc on wooden floors, and grappling, take-downs, etc on mats.

I have a pair of KSOs (gray/palm); I've worn them occasionally in the dojo.

However, our dojo allows for being barefoot, so I prefer to be barefoot.

I've noticed that for the sparring, kata, take-downs, etc, the VFFs work great.

The grappling--not so much!

On mats, the toe caps and the mats dont get along--the mats make your toes slip out of the pockets, and you find yourself having to stop and put your toes back in...which isnt good when your opponent is in the middle of trying to submit you (so as long as you arent on your knees with your toes dragging along mats, you should be good to go!).

I find the KSOs to be very appropriate for pretty much everything else, however.

I play Ultimate Frisbee, and when I go to make a fast-break or change directions quickly, they work quite well (I still slip when it's muddy, of course).

So going outside and doing martial arts in them should work very well!

[balsam0]

Ground fighting and my KSOs didn't mix to well.  I had to resew the seam in my big toe.

[stephcab25]

Yeah, I agree ^ ...the ground work and KSOs dont do well together, but all the stand-up stuff is fine.

[Jeepman]

I've noticed that for the sparring, kata, take-downs, etc, the VFFs work great.

The grappling--not so much!

On mats, the toe caps and the mats dont get along--the mats make your toes slip out of the pockets, and you find yourself having to stop and put your toes back in...which isnt good when your opponent is in the middle of trying to submit you (so as long as you arent on your knees with your toes dragging along mats, you should be good to go!).

Stephcab25,

     I find the same to be true with me. I coach youth wrestling and have been a wrestler for 20 years. I started Jujitsu about 3 years ago. Anytime I'm driving for a take down in my KSOs my toes come out of the pockets. However, I don't have this problem with my Flows. My Flows fit much tighter around my toes so they don't slip out. Sure, the Flows get a bit warm, but we all end sweating all over the place anyway.

Rgs, Jeepman

[hippierunner]

Hmm that's interesting Jeepman.  As you know, I found VFF after I stopped wrestling but I've always thought they would work out just as good, if not better than wrestling shoes.  Now you mention it, I could imagine the toes coming out of the pockets while on the ground.

[Michael Banaag]

I teach on concrete and one of my draws towards the five fingers, other than being a barefoot runner, is that typically due to the footwork of the method I teach, the ball of the foot area on every shoe I've used wears out REALLY QUICK! I have heard that the longevity of Vibram rubber is fantastic so I've always wanted to try their rubber out, and to see it offered in a nearly barefoot form as the 5fingers really excited me.

I finally was able to procure my first pairs (which I love!) the black/grey/camo KSO and the KSO Trek, and have taught in both for the past few weeks, and they work out GREAT! I can quickly cut angles in footwork to close on my opponent. When the floor is wet I don't slip around as much as my students. It definitely emphasizes how important technique is when say blocking a kick that is armored with baseball shinguards with your own foot is since you don't have the extra padding of a thick midsoled shoe. Being that the ratio of the heel and forefoot midsole thickness is "practically" non-existent compared to regular shoes after 3 or 4 hours of teaching I don't have a sore back or leg problems after or during teaching.

Longevity wise, obviously still needs more time to have a fair assessment. I will say that on the regular KSO's a little bit of the siped rubber edges have "peeled off" so it's now noticeable that the bottom is siped (compared to when the shoe is brand new and you only can really see it's siped when you bend the shoe), but it's not dramatic. And seeing how it's a rubber that's camoe'd it's not exactly noticeable, and it really is just an asthetic thing not effecting performance.

And if you want a little comparison, I also have a pair of the Feelmax Niesa's and those actually showed some considerable wear after 8 hours of teaching/demonstrating and training.

So I'm really hoping that the Vibram rubber lasts a long time for me and the footwork we do.

You know I'd also really like to know if anyone has used the Moc's or Performa's for martial arts training; particulary in the dojo's & kwoons where the floor are matted and how that has felt?

[iain]

There was a martial arts shoe mentioned somewhere on this forum (I can't find it), they have a very thin sole but look normal otherwise. One of my friend from parkour mentioned them the other day. Can anyone help here?

[Hawkeye]

There was a martial arts shoe mentioned somewhere on this forum (I can't find it), they have a very thin sole but look normal otherwise. One of my friend from parkour mentioned them the other day. Can anyone help here?

Onitsuka tigers?