Question about shoes

I've been studying Aikido for awhile now but find that when I attempt to do any of the motions while wearing shoes/sneakers that there is too much grip and stick as I am attempting to slide.

Does anyone else have this problem? If so, what do you wear to fix it? or if possible, does anyone know of a western style shoe/sneaker that is wearable for aikido or other martial arts slides/movements?

 

I sometime find I suffer from the opposite. My sweaty feet grip the mat like suction pads and I don't move! Where as trainers on a concrete floor and I can move like an Olympic ice skater

I find my Aikido improves significantly when I'm in socks on my kitchen floor

Seriously, it's finding the balance between being light on your feet and having a good grounding, both with and without shoes

 

Buy some nice leather soled shoes. You'll slide and look fabulous!

 

Why would you want to slide more? Does aikido not generate power from the ground? How much could you lift on a frozen lake? ... or how well could you move for that matter?

I am no aikodoka so take what I am saying on its merits. I propose that if the movements you are trying to perform are indeed useful, then the issue is with your ability to transfer your own body weight from foot to foot.
If your balance remains between your feet when your feet are wide and you attempt to turn about one foot, then you are either going to need to jump slightly, and become too light to affect your uke's balance, or risk blowing out a knee.

If you are only interested in the aikido aesthetic then get a really silky hakama, a really compliant uke and twirl till your hearts content my dynamically spherical friend!

Dao

 

Pretty obvious stuff but learn to lift your feet when you do any movement just like walking, when turning again lift your feet or at least turn on the ball of the foot.

 

As others have said, why do you want your feet to slide?

If when turning, I wonder if your weight is on the wrong foot maybe.

Or are you talking about suriashi?

 

I think there may be a bit of confusion. I'm talking about doing the movements that require you to slide and not step, such as Tenkan, Omote, etc., not uncontroled slides.

 

I don't believe a tenkan movement requires sliding in the way you think it does.
The movement should be a pivot on the platform leg not a swinging around of the trailing leg.

Dao

 

Stop sliding and start stepping. It's easier and more natural.

 

There are no movements in Aikido that absolutely must be a slide rather than a step.

 

Incorrect. All the Kihon Dosa in Yoshinkan are performed using suriashi. Both feet in contact with the ground at all times.

A lot of that does translate into sliding movements, as opposed to taking a step, in some techniques, but in the basic work it's used for teaching grounding and correct movement and posture. If you take one foot off the floor to take a step you are essentially left standing on one leg, weak position to be in

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3PvwB9klxtc"][AIKIDO.VN] Kihon Dosa Renzoku - YouTube[/ame]

 

Yoshinkan is only one take on Aikido. So it's not incorrect. And I don't see why those movements couldn't be done using a more natural step. And indeed the chaps in the video are lifting their feet off the mat. A slide suggests your feet always remain in contact with the ground.

 

True, but your statement was "There are no movements in Aikido that absolutely must be a slide rather than a step" Which was a pretty broad take on it, no?

Those chaps in the vid are indeed lifting their feet at times. It's a very hard thing to keep contact with the mat at all times. Especially moving backwards. Something I strive to do. I would argue that their feet keep contact more than 90% of the time, so I think the example and my point remains

As to why those movements couldn't be done with a more natural step? Of course they could, but it's not what they are trying to teach. By stepping, which naturally means you take your foot of the mat, you raise your center of gravity and your entire body position moves up. That in itself affects and compromises your balance. Maybe not much but enough for a good uke to spot and exploit. When you take multiple steps (walking) you naturally bob up and down. Your balance and center of gravity are constantly changing

by doing basics like in the vid and knowing how to keep both feet on the mat you learn about how good grounding and a strong posture with an anchored position can make your technique uncompromising.

Yoshinkan gets a lot of stick for it's for it's "robotic" movements, but it's just about correct form and incredible posture while having both feet connected to the floor at all points in the technique.

 

I'm going to take a different track and ask why you are wearing shoes while practising?

If you are in the dojo, you are going to be on mats and you shouldn't be wearing shoes on mats.

If you are at home, then who cares and go barefoot.

If you are wearing shoes to make things more 'real' then choosing a specific type of shoe that slides easier is as bad as not wearing any shoes.

And along the track others are using... just get ordinary sneakers or whatever and stick duct tape to the outer sole so the grip is covered and so the non-sticky side of the tape contacts the floor.

 

ruby slippers..............no seriously though if you cant fight in street clothes you're [done for]

 

was that when no one wore shoes as such though? train trainers and your trainers will train you

 

Which was the very simple point I was making. When you're outside in the real world you cannot slide around as you do in the dojo. It's just a simple truth of life.

 

so yoshinkan is now the definitive aikido? just one form in my opinion.