shins

any tips on how can i strengthen it??

i once sparred with a guy who's much bigger than me, i guess he's two times my body weight.. what made things worst is that he's a 2nd dan black belt, and im just a blue belter.. to cut things short, i cheated on our sparring.. what else can i do?? i already had my back on the wall,and yet he kept on kicking me?!

so what i did is i used my elbows to block all his kicks..

and then after our sparring, i noticed,that he didn't even bother bout his shins.. man, i was so impressed!

would you please share to me some knowledge on how can i strengthen my shins?? thanks

Martial arts secret not taught to mere bluebelts ... Just suck it up and pretend it doesn't hurt in front of lower ranking students. Wait till you get home and have your wife rub it down with some tiger balm... [IMG]http://www.fightingarts.com/forums/ubb/wink.gif[/IMG]

Seriously, the only way I know to toughen up your shins is to use them. Kick stuff, i.e. heavy bag, opponents, small trees ala Van Damme in "Kickboxer" or whatever movie that was... Block your opponents kicks with them. Or, buy some shin pads to wear when sparring.

How is blocking kicks with your elbows cheating?

I'm not sure what disturbs me most in that story.

1) The black belt who was stupid enough to keep attacking when the opponent had reached the wall

2) a school that teaches that elbow blocks are cheating

3) a student that would resort to cheating

all i can say is that using a osrt of ur body thats gonna hurt the opponent isnt cheating, thats ma 2p

get a crow bar and roll it against your shins, do this while watching tv for like 20 minutes each day for a 3 weeks then up the time to 30 minutes, go up in time every 3 weeks. Grind it in so you have some pain but not to much. Use a baseball bat if you dont got a crowbar.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by CanuckMA:
I'm not sure what disturbs me most in that story.

1) The black belt who was stupid enough to keep attacking when the opponent had reached the wall
2) a school that teaches that elbow blocks are cheating
3) a student that would resort to cheating[/QUOTE]

actually, that was just a study sparring..
well i guess, atleast for me, i consider it as cheating since that was just a study spar..

using elbows isnt cheating at all- in ITF, since footpads area must- its probably the reason the invented footpads,so that ppl who kick midsectiosn dont get hit with elbows

back to the shins, foam shin pads are like 6 or 7 bucks maybe 10 bucks but no more!! any brand will do, shins have a very very high number of nerve endings which is what makes them so painful when hit, kicking small trees lightly is a good idea, but id go for the baseball bats, its safe and it works!!! Muay Thai fighter kick large trees......... and they put their shins thru baseball bats....

finally a 2nd degree who is clobbering a blue belt against tha wall needs a good clouting from the master/grandmaster/instructor...... Self Control is among the 5 tenents of TKD u know!

[QUOTE]Originally posted by tkd_fighter316:
using elbows isnt cheating at all- in ITF, since footpads area must- its probably the reason the invented footpads,so that ppl who kick midsectiosn dont get hit with elbows

back to the shins, foam shin pads are like 6 or 7 bucks maybe 10 bucks but no more!! any brand will do, shins have a very very high number of nerve endings which is what makes them so painful when hit, kicking small trees lightly is a good idea, but id go for the baseball bats, its safe and it works!!! Muay Thai fighter kick large trees......... and they put their shins thru baseball bats....

finally a 2nd degree who is clobbering a blue belt against tha wall needs a good clouting from the master/grandmaster/instructor...... Self Control is among the 5 tenents of TKD u know![/QUOTE]

hehehe..

may be he just want me to know who's the big man in class.. [IMG]http://www.fightingarts.com/forums/ubb/smile.gif[/IMG]
anyway, it wasn't that bad at all. since that time, i was able to have more reason to be tougher, and find new ways to improve myself in this discipline.

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i was able to have more reason to be tougher, and find new ways to improve myself in this discipline.
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thats true thats true i suppose, everyone needs a good clout every now and then to build up a little bit of endurance, [IMG]http://www.fightingarts.com/forums/ubb/biggrin.gif[/IMG]
its the "against the wall" thing that annoyed me

To strengthen my shins, i used to put shin pads on and kick trees. Not so that it hurts alot but enough pain that its just barely barable (enough to keep kicking it). Then eventually i took the pads off and kicked the tree bare shinned. My friends you always be amazed my my shins-o-steel. Do it. You wont regret it.

right until you reach 27 and are crippled.

See any old mt people? You know there is a reason for that...

I mean you know your limits obviously. Im not saying "yeah kick it as hard as you can!!!" Im just saying it's a great way to deaden the nerve endings without damaging your legs. I mean the crowbar thing works too but not as well (doesnt simulate the real action).

Think of what you just said "deaden the nerve endings without damaging your legs"

Please see a doctor about this.

You WILL damage your leg if you DEADEN the nerve endings.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by PapaDaca:
get a crow bar and roll it against your shins, do this while watching tv for like 20 minutes each day for a 3 weeks then up the time to 30 minutes, go up in time every 3 weeks. Grind it in so you have some pain but not to much. Use a baseball bat if you dont got a crowbar.[/QUOTE]


There is truth to this (well, I dont use a bat or crowbar, but instead an inch in diameter piece of bamboo). I found out that all my shin drumming while watching t.v. helps a great deal. While sparring the other day in class, another student and I banged shins together, he dropped, but I felt nothing. I've got a golfball sized welp on my shin, but it's not painful at all.

This may sound stupid, but how many times do you honestly hit shins sparring. I can remember no more than ten times, and I've done a lot of sparring. Deadening your nerves for something you can just walk right off seems ridiculous.

Or is deadening the nerves for bag work? Which also seems ridiculous to me because you shouldn't feel pain on the bag, if you're using it correctly.

So what exactly is shin conditioning for?

And also, rolling and tapping crowbars and sticks down your bones doesn't sound intelligent. Just think about it. Really, does that sound healthy?

Constant banging of your bones can easily result in calcium deposites where the impact occures. While on your shins it probably will not cause any movement issues it can cause you to have lumpy looking legs.

I've reached the point where I avoid breaking stuff with punches due to the calcium deposits I have there already as I will probalby end up with some serious arthritis as I get older.

I've done martial arts for a long time and I've certainly knocked my shins with people numerous times and sometimes hard enough for it to be fairly painful. But I've never had it so bad that I felt like I needed to spend time toughing my shins up some how. I'd rather simply put on some shin guards and spend my time practicing my techniques instead of banging my shins against something to toughen them.

But to each thier own.

This may sound stupid, but how many times do you honestly hit shins sparring.

Your right it does. Shins clashing together during sparring is occurs at very least once per sparring session. Maybe your just that great that it doesnt happen to you. [IMG]http://www.fightingarts.com/forums/ubb/rolleyes.gif[/IMG]

I can remember no more than ten times, and I've done a lot of sparring.

[IMG]http://www.fightingarts.com/forums/ubb/eek.gif[/IMG] welp theres the answer to my question.

Deadening your nerves for something you can just walk right off seems ridiculous.

Or is deadening the nerves for bag work? Which also seems ridiculous to me because you shouldn't feel pain on the bag, if you're using it correctly.

So the first time you punched a canvas bag without any handgear on, it didn't hurt, right? Because your skin was just that tough. Most likely it did hurt, and the more you practiced, the less pain you felt, and the stronger your knuckles became. [IMG]http://www.fightingarts.com/forums/ubb/rolleyes.gif[/IMG] Well, then again, you sound like you believe in the saying "No pain, Great Gain" or was it "No pain No gain"?

So what exactly is shin conditioning for?

Shin conditioning done with the same goal as any martial arts training, preparation.


And also, rolling and tapping crowbars and sticks down your bones doesn't sound intelligent. Just think about it. Really, does that sound healthy?

Punching a Makiwara board, or breaking boards, or doing knuckle pushups must not sound intelligent to you either. Whats the point of all this useless training. I mean it must be useless right? Even though the proof is in the results that they work; WITHOUT any health related risks.

[This message has been edited by OklahomasGreg (edited 08-03-2004).]

http://www.ironlife.com/mag/issue6/shin.shtml

I suggest you read it.

If you're arguing how much sparring I do, please go to the 360 Kick thread and read all of my qualifications that I had to list off.

Yeah, you're going to hit shins sparring. When I said I did just ten times, I mean those ten times were times that it hurt pretty bad. That's why you wear shin guards if you're too much of a baby to take it. Which you obviously are, because you're resorting to EXTREME, UNHEALTHY measures to take care of a problem that could be easily fixed wearing, you guessed it, SHIN GUARDS.

And what if a person my age reads this? Young people's bones, believe it or not, are softer and still have some growing to do! So go rub a crowbar down them, kids, and see how well they do for you in twenty years! Yay!

I can't remember the first time I hit a bag. It was ten years ago. When I hit heavy canvas bags, I wear wraps. Other bags, I go bare knuckle. And I seem to be doing fine.

Legs and martial arts go hand in hand. You sort of need them to be in working order if you want to practice a martial art, and I don't think rolling various heavy object over them will keep them in working order in the long run. I just thought I should let you know. [IMG]http://www.fightingarts.com/forums/ubb/smile.gif[/IMG]

Yes, I read the article. Heres a few of my thoughts on it.

"..some of these methods utilized by trainers and fighters alike actually COULD be detrimental to the body in years to come." Could be, not ARE. Big difference.


"The nerves surrounding the shin have been weakened or deadened so the pain is not as excruciating as it was before shin conditioning started."

Which is achieved how?

"The harder the pads and bags, the better the conditioning however, you must start at a level where by you are not feeling as if you are damaging yourself."

Start at a level that I don't feel like I'm damaging myself, wouldn't soft repetative tapping with a stick be a controlled conditioning technique, I think so. [IMG]http://www.fightingarts.com/forums/ubb/wink.gif[/IMG]
Maybe your picturing some idiot(me) just banging away at his shins like my life depends on it, not at all. Just a light tap adding a little bit more power than gravities pull.


"Sure you will feel some pain on your legs after training but with the right treatment (Massage, Ice etc) you’ll be good to go for the next training session."

No pain No gain, right. [IMG]http://www.fightingarts.com/forums/ubb/tongue.gif[/IMG]

"Well, when you hit the shins with anything that’s harder than the bone you run the risk of causing tiny stress fractures on your shin. In the short term this may deaden the nerves however, in the long term this COULD actually weaken the shins causing pain and injury, even arthritis later on in life."

Once again could, not will. Big difference.

"That's why you wear shin guards if you're too much of a baby to take it. Which you obviously are, because you're resorting to EXTREME, UNHEALTHY measures to take care of a problem that could be easily fixed wearing, you guessed it, SHIN GUARDS."

This is the main idea behind all martial arts training right.... In case I get into a fight, Im sure I'll have time to run and put on shin guards. Thats how most street fights are, correct? [IMG]http://www.fightingarts.com/forums/ubb/redface.gif[/IMG] and your right, I'm the baby because I prefer not to wear shin guards while sparring. I found a weakness on my bodya and am strengthening it, but that makes me weak.

"Yeah, you're going to hit shins sparring. When I said I did just ten times, I mean those ten times were times that it hurt pretty bad."

Why not eliminate the possibility of this happening in real life. Once again the essense of martial arts, training so that the odds of survival are in your favor in the EXTREME cases (life or death).


In any case though, you did raise some good points, and that was an excellent article you posted. Im deadset in my ways though. [IMG]http://www.fightingarts.com/forums/ubb/biggrin.gif[/IMG]
Great discussion [IMG]http://www.fightingarts.com/forums/ubb/cool.gif[/IMG] We'll have to argue again sometime. [IMG]http://www.fightingarts.com/forums/ubb/wink.gif[/IMG]

If I'm in a streetfight, I'm not going to be too worried if we knock shins because I've never heard of a street fight where both opponets are kicking. And if you mean someone using an object to strike at my legs, they'd be going for the knees. But if they did hit the tibula, no amount of conditioning would help and you'd have a broken leg.

And as far as "could happen and will happen" being a big difference, you're right. They are. But the more you do things that involve risks that "could happen" the more likely they "will happen". And anyways, the author of that article cannot say it "will happen" because there may be just one person that it did not happen to and he'd be writing false truths.

Also, "No pain, no gain." You're the one who's deadening the nerves in your legs so you feel no pain. I'm quite alright with occasionally hurting my shins and walking it off. No pain, no gain. What is conditioning for? ELIMINATING PAIN. And according to you, that's the only way to gain.

You know, This whole thing makes me laugh. I started conditioning my shins when i was about 15 and have thanked my lucky stars many times since. Its not so much as deadening the nerves, its strengthening the bone. Ask any thai kickboxer. I spoke with my teacher about long term effects with his training HE did with his shins (he's a 5 time world champ by the way and is in his late 40's) and his still feel great AND he still fights! Shin conditioning is the same as any other conditioning with the body, its painful at first but with practice, you become stronger.

[IMG]http://www.fightingarts.com/forums/ubb/biggrin.gif[/IMG]