Old training

[AngelaG]

A thread for some of the people on here that have been training a lot longer than me. How does training differ these days? What training practices have long gone? What do you miss, and what are you glad has changed?

[Aefibird]

"In my day...."
"You young un's"
"The youth of today..."
"These whippersnappers have it easy!"



Just getting ready the stock phrases for people to use. ;D


As I wasn't around in the "good ol' days" of the 60's/70's/early 80's I can't really comment. However, my Sensei was around in those days and some of his stories are eye watering!

The most frequent comment I get is that training is 'dumbed down' nowadays - most Old Timers tend to say it was harder in their 'day'.

That fact has obviously bypassed my Sensei, whose advanced classes last week could've been lifted straight out of a 60's training session. Intense? Sheesh, I knew he was of the 'old-school' (we still get Old School type training too, although never as harsh as last week) but that was taking the entire biscuit factory!

[random]

Part of the problem with today’s training, is the world we train in, people are ever so quick to sue if they get an injury. I know it is a MA with all the relevant implications, but knock someone’s teeth out and who knows what their reaction will be?

Another problem is societies attitude to use of force, discipline and (for want of a better word, but it is the wrong word) punishment. I remember getting my leg kicked and kicked until I could hold a stance without falling over, now I can’t imagine that that kind of thing would be tolerated.

The main thing I have noticed is the amount of padding one wears to spar and the level of contact. I haven’t been to a tournament for a long time so it will be interesting when I go to one next month how that side of Karate has changed. There would probably be a riot if there were blood (although with all that padding one wonders how).

The dojo I choose to train in when I returned to Karate after a lay off still maintains a lot of the ‘old school stuff’, which is part of the reason for joining.

One of the good things that has changed is the stretching that we do. No more bouncing the muscle up and down and daft leg positions, as we have developed our understanding of the human body stretching and endurance techniques have also developed and improved.

Oh, thanks for making me feel old, despite the aching limbs, I was around in what Aefibird refers to the ‘good old days’. Although not all of them but I started training in the early 80’s (can you hear the violins).

[Aefibird]

random said:

Part of the problem with today’s training, is the world we train in, people are ever so quick to sue if they get an injury. I know it is a MA with all the relevant implications, but knock someone’s teeth out and who knows what their reaction will be?

Personally, I think that's a daft attitude to have (not yours, the attitude of those who would sue!). If people don't want to do a contact 'sport' (I use the term loosly) then they should stick to knitting. Yes, no one wants to go home with a busted nose or a black eye after every training session, but making MA so soft to fit in with this current lawsuit crazy world ain't gonna help anyone.

random said:

I remember getting my leg kicked and kicked until I could hold a stance without falling over, now I can’t imagine that that kind of thing would be tolerated.

You mean that your Sensei hasn't done that to you yet? Lucky you...

random said:

The main thing I have noticed is the amount of padding one wears to spar and the level of contact. I haven’t been to a tournament for a long time so it will be interesting when I go to one next month how that side of Karate has changed. There would probably be a riot if there were blood (although with all that padding one wonders how).

Well, I was reading an article a while back about TKD. It was saying that TKD introduced the use if padding for competitiors due to legal reasons. Interestingly enough, the article said that the number of injuries in TKD competitions is actually more since more & more safety regs have been introduced. Personally, I see no need for all the padding. I have a full set of sparring gear that I keep for the occasional 'Open' MA tourney, but I wouldn't dream of wearing in by choice in the dojo. Firstly I'd get the mick tacken out of me and secondly, I wouldn't want to anyway. I like sparring without padding - it makes me more aware of what I'm doing and what my opponent is doing.

random said:

The dojo I choose to train in when I returned to Karate after a lay off still maintains a lot of the ‘old school stuff’, which is part of the reason for joining.

It's a good reason to join! Personally, I'd want to find another "Old School" dojo if I ever changed. Some of the other dojo that I've visited have been the complete opposite of old school. I couldn't train in a place like that, it would drive me nuts.

random said:

Oh, thanks for making me feel old,

No problem, anytime! ;D

[RigsVille]

random said:

The main thing I have noticed is the amount of padding one wears to spar and the level of contact.

I agree 100%

In the 1980's when we sparred in competitions we only wore hand and foot mitts, nowadays we have to wear body armour and full face shields.

[Petek]

I don't miss bunny hops, haven't had to do them for years. in fact I don't miss any of the 'old' stretching exercises.

I agree about hand/foot padding, injuries do increase, and there is also the chance of infection due to 'dirty' pads.

[random]

Bunny hops; how I tried to forget bunny hops, more therapy, physical and mental.

[Petek]

Sorry about that !

[Aefibird]

random said:

Bunny hops; how I tried to forget bunny hops, more therapy, physical and mental.

I'm sick to death with bunny hops. We used to do them when I first joined my karate dojo, but Sensei seems to have trailed off with them these days.

My old Aikido Sensei used to love them (mostly because he didn't join in!). He'd trained at Hombu in Japan and I think he wanted to share out his punishing training with those of us 'unfortunate' enough never to have gone there.

[random]

This may be hard to describe, but has any body every done the walking thing where you squat down as in bunny hops and then walk (don’t try it, it is not big and is not clever). My therapist said I should about these things.

[Aefibird]

There's something similar to that in Aikido. Killer technique, very painful on the feet and claves I found.