Anyone else getting big pain when blocked on the toes?

salxtai

I train traditional taekwondo, and although we're taught to do a block aimed at the shin to "sweep" it out of the way, I have about 3 members in my dojang who have this annoying habit of blocking straight down, like a downward punch / hammer-fist, onto my toes whenever I do a front kick, essentially bending them back even more than what I've pulled them back.

It hurts like HELL, and it makes me mad - which isn't good for them because I up my intensity whenever someone does this in retaliation.


Does anyone else feel this degree of pain? Or are my toes somehow lacking conditioning?


I've been a 1st kup for 5 years (uni keeps getting in the way of my 1st Dan training and grading. graduate in August, so hopefully I can grade in Dec finally!), and I've trained since 2003.
I'm usually able to absorb pain reasonably well subconsciously and it doesn't interrupt my mindset, but this one is just so "nervey" and noticeable I can't subconsciously deflect it - it continues to consciously nag for a few minutes each time.

wellbert

You can't really 'condition' your toes. You're going to break them like twigs unless you figure out a way to avoid getting hit on them. It's a pretty common injury in martial arts. Look up Neil Melanson sometime.


I think I know the block you're talking about . I can see how that would suck getting hit on the toes by it.

...Teep faster, telegraph less? Are you actually kicking to make contact? I find blocks get really awkward when you're standing apart to prevent hard hits. Getting kicked is often better.


You could, of course, take them aside and have a talk about their technique.

salxtai

The way we train ("controlled" aggression - e.g. minding distance and pulling back if it looks like they would have missed the block completely, that type of thing) makes it hard to avoid exposing my toes to them, no matter how faster I kick, especially since my toes are the closest thing for them to block :P

And I've thought about it - but the fact one of them is a junior black belt could make it a little awkward, even if I'm older than him age-wise and experience-wise.

wellbert

You could just talk to the coach/sensei/instructor, too.