Drilling without shin guards - do's and don'ts?

[StefanZ]

On 1/26/2020 at 4:23 PM, LengLeng said:

Hey interesting advice, thank you. Had no idea it's the heat that also adds protection, but of course it makes sense. I currently use ankle protectors on my shins for some extra padding. But once I get access to better shopping opportunities I might try these things as I've struggled a lot with shin splints in the past and they always on the verge of reappearing. 

I saw there is another idea.  The swedish 45 kg master, Camilla Danielsson (camilladanielsan on insta)  do often uses something looking as such a neopren warmers when sparring.  So I asked her, exactly why she uses these warmers, and Camilla very kindly answered:  its not neopren warmers, its compression sleeves!  She uses them not for protection, but to help out her blood circulation in the muscles, when they are extremely tired out, as its often with top athletes with theirs massive training...    (I would guess she tends to get cramps in the calves.)

I presume its an useful tip with these compression sleeves!   And unlike Camilla, Im pretty sure they too give some protection for the shins, even if its not why Camilla uses them.   

Edited February 24, 2020 by StefanZ

[Hanuman steals the star]

At our Gym, there is no use of shin guards for sparring or drills. The reasoning being that before westerners started training in Thailand in large numbers, they didn't exist. 

Our teachers are of the opinion that training is where you are conditioning your body to fight. If you can't handle light contact during training, how's it gonna feel in a fight the first time you get your shin smashed? Yes it hurts sometimes, but this is a fighting sport. 

 

 

[LengLeng]

On 3/4/2020 at 3:07 PM, Hanuman steals the star said:

At our Gym, there is no use of shin guards for sparring or drills. The reasoning being that before westerners started training in Thailand in large numbers, they didn't exist. 

Our teachers are of the opinion that training is where you are conditioning your body to fight. If you can't handle light contact during training, how's it gonna feel in a fight the first time you get your shin smashed? Yes it hurts sometimes, but this is a fighting sport. 

 

 

Do you use force and block like in a fight or you kick with your foot?

[LengLeng]

On 2/24/2020 at 9:12 PM, StefanZ said:

I saw there is another idea.  The swedish 45 kg master, Camilla Danielsson (camilladanielsan on insta)  do often uses something looking as such a neopren warmers when sparring.  So I asked her, exactly why she uses these warmers, and Camilla very kindly answered:  its not neopren warmers, its compression sleeves!  She uses them not for protection, but to help out her blood circulation in the muscles, when they are extremely tired out, as its often with top athletes with theirs massive training...    (I would guess she tends to get cramps in the calves.)

I presume its an useful tip with these compression sleeves!   And unlike Camilla, Im pretty sure they too give some protection for the shins, even if its not why Camilla uses them.   

This is good advice. I'm sure these are very useful. 

Im not using anything though, maybe ankle protectors I place on my shins instead. 

Since I do laser treatments on my legs I'm a bit reluctant to try the apple cider vinegar potion @Sylvie mentioned. Afraid it will burn.

I'm slowly being conditioned. And I love sparring tough and getting used to train with pain especially since I do not have any current upcoming fight opportunities.

But recently a new trainer came to my gym. He's from Myanmar but spent a lot of time in Thailand and I watched him shadow (he's probably close to 70) and it was such a beautiful muay that came out of it. I realised he spoke Thai so we could communicate and he showed me a lot of beautiful moves and he did not want to block at all. Instead he just backed up, ducked, used head movements which looked so elegant.

So I've been trying that a lot which of course limits shin on shin impact. He also did not want me to spar hard rather learn moving the body. Nevertheless I love being able to learn pain through training. So I'll do both styles. 

[Hanuman steals the star]

29 minutes ago, LengLeng said:

Do you use force and block like in a fight or you kick with your foot?

We don't blast each other stupidly hard in sparring. We hit hard enough to feel it but without causing actual damage, this also gradually increases conditioning of the legs and body and the ability to take strikes.

The control needed to spar without padding actually makes people have much better technique. Let's not forget that shin to shin hurts both fighters so it's in nobodies interest to go silly in sparring. 

 

I don't understand the question about kicking with the foot. I think you are over thinking. Just spar as normal but control yourselves to avoid injury. 

[StefanZ]

3 hours ago, LengLeng said:

 

But recently a new trainer came to my gym. He's from Myanmar but spent a lot of time in Thailand and I watched him shadow (he's probably close to 70) and it was such a beautiful muay that came out of it. I realised he spoke Thai so we could communicate and he showed me a lot of beautiful moves and he did not want to block at all. Instead he just backed up, ducked, used head movements which looked so elegant.

So I've been trying that a lot which of course limits shin on shin impact. He also did not want me to spar hard rather learn moving the body. Nevertheless I love being able to learn pain through training. So I'll do both styles. 

Sounds awesome!   And yes why not.  If you are quick enough to effectively block the kicks with your shins and knee,, you are probably also quick enough to avoid most of these kicks if you train for  this.   

If Saenschei(?) can, so can surely many others, if the wit is quick enough, if reflexes are good enough, if the training is good enough.

Its of course good to combine with being sturdy, becuse a quick opponent may foresee your avoiding duck and will give you a blow now and then...

 

Awesome you had found such a master to follow and learn from, and him accepting you as his disciple!