Do IKCA folks practice/test/train with shoes on or off?
We train with our shoes ON for a very specific reason. We wear them the rest of the time and if we were to train with them off it could change things if and when we need to use our Art. If you are not accustomed to wearing them when you train it could easily change your speed and how you move in combat. If you are used to wearing them while training they will make no difference to you on the street. Also, shoes are the best protective equipment, for the feet, that we have. The most vulnerable part of the body in freestyle is the toes, which have a propensity for getting broken all too easily. Another reason we like the use of shoes in the dojo is the fact that, they allow us to become comfortable with using more of our power when kicking into a physical target such as a life size dummy, thereby helping us develop more powerful kicks.
