Page 21 - Martial Science Magazine February 2018 dig

The physician’s recommendation to peo- soku (baldung). Whilst performing each
ple with flat feet deformations will cer- of these strikes, the practitioner must
tainly be to walk barefoot on the possi- place the foot in a precisely defined
bly uneven ground because this is how way, i.e. in an adequate position. Thus,
the foot muscles get activated. practitioners strengthen and develop
the feet muscles that help to eliminate

This advice can also suit preventive pur- flat foot deformation. Only a few foot
poses in all children, whether they have strikes have been mentioned as exam-
normal or flat feet. For this very reason, ples though, of course, martial arts have
taking up certain martial arts leads to much more exercises in themselves with
the removal of flat foot deformation. a large number of different kicks . It is
People that exercise certain martial very important that your toes and feet
arts such as; judo, karate, aikido, sumo, are in the correct position to achieve
kendo, ju-jutsu, tae kwon do, kick-box- good treatment results.
ing, muay-thai, kung fu, hapkido, MMA,
grappling, kalaripayattu, capoeira as Although useful, walking barefoot in a
well as some others; practice yoga, are gym with flat floor or on the mat (tata-

frequently barefoot while performing. mi), will be too soft for the practitioners’
This is just the way that people with flat feet. Only when barefoot practitioners
feet deformation will benefit from. come out in the yard of their club (mar-
tial school or centre) they will feel the
Frequent walking barefoot, com- difference and activation, i.e. tighten-
bined with various exercises, leads to ing of certain foot muscles that help
strengthening the foot muscles. Also, to eliminate the flatform deformation.
by performing a variety of kicks, like in Many instructors of different martial
karate or tae kwon do, exercising basic arts practise exercise in the nature, in-

front kick (mae-geri, ap-chagi), side kick sisting that the practitioners are bare-
(yoko-geri, yop-chagi) or front hook kick foot. That’s why you can often see lots
(mawashi-geri, dolyo-chagi) as well as of practitioners of various martial arts
other ones, the exerciser develops the practicing barefoot in a nearby park, at
feet muscles. Each of these different a nearby car park, along the banks of
kicks requires the practitioner to set the river or on the seashore, in a forest
the foot in the exact position, regarding or on a mountain, many of them doing
the impact surface, i.e. the surface of it in the summer months by the sea on a
the foot, by which the trainer will strike sandy beach but also on snow in winter.
a particular foot kick. For example, for
the aforementioned strikes, the names Many older masters of various martial

of the foot surface striking the oppo- arts just encourage their disciples to
nent during their performance are: chu- practice more often in the open air and
sok (apkumchi), sokuto (balkal) and hai- barefoot. They have learnt and inherited

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