The power of feet

Just in case you didn't catch Conskeptical's comment I've decided to post a main article regarding Vibram's fivefingers....! An amazing piece of footwear that seems to allow the toes to interact with the running (or exercise) experience. When toes are squished into a shoe they only really have one range of very limited movement but these shoes could help you grip the floor better helping with balance.

I wonder whether they would be better than traditional martial arts shoes for outdoor practice? Why not.

Happy New Year with happy feet

After a somewhat long absence from the dojo I returned this week to normal lessons and found that my foot regime had worked a treat. Over the holidays I had a bit more time than I usually have so I was able to pamper my neglected feet. Don't get me wrong, they're not *that* disgusting but other than clipping my toenails and keeping them clean I don't really pay them much attention. After all, they're just feet, right?

As a martial artist though I really should give them more time. The reason? Hard skin. This is pretty pesky stuff and I don't really want to end up with calluses or corns on my feet. Towards the end of the year they'd been groaning a bit from barefoot practice on cold, hard dojo floors so over the holidays I took a bath and used a pumice stone on them. Following this up I doused them with a rich hand cream. My feet loved it and my first sessions back were pain-free and light.

Look after your feet martial artist!