Aikido and the weakness of toes
Dec 21st, 2006 by Jason
The practice of Aikido is one of those pursuits that highlights in some way or other weaknesses of a physical, mental or emotional nature. In this case, the weakness it toes…
My only breakage, in many years of training, has been a broken little toe. The incident occurred whilst taking ukemi for kaiten nage. I was being ‘wheeled’ aroung in a clockwise direction when I caught my toe on another uke who was being ‘wheeled’ around in an anti-clockwise direction. It snapped out to the side with a crack and then returned to a 45 degree angle. I felt silly going to the hospital for a little toe injury but the doctor that saw me made me feel better by saying that if it didn’t mend correctly I may never find shoes to fit again.
The broken toe was duly strapped up and I had 3 weeks off training, and then kept it strapped up during training for another 3 weeks. It healed just fine.
About 6 weeks ago I was taking ukemi for one of the instructors who was practising randori, and I felt the 3rd toe on my right foot ‘go’. In the middle of taking ukemi for randori there is no time to stop so I carried on. It was only later in the session that it started to swell up and bruise that I stopped for a look. I can only assume that the sensation I briefly had, was my toe bending backwards against the joint.
For the next 3 weeks practise I strapped up the toe and carried on as usual, although it was usually sore afterwards. Then I had 3 weeks off, being away on a course, then packing and moving house followed by the onset of the dreaded winter cold. Returning to practice following my 3 week break we began tai-no-tenkan to warm up and I felt the toe bend back again!
My question is this - how are you meant to strengthen your toes?
I should mention that, with size 12 feet, this is no small issue!
Perhaps I have started to move differently of late, and have been putting my toes under additional pressure. Either that or it’s because they are numb from the cold mats! Well, they have almost two weeks off over Christmas as the community centre we train it is closed, so there’s a little more time to heal before I begin sweating off the Christmas excesses.
Hmmm, interesting question that. In the 7 years that I’ve been practsing Martial Arts, I’ve only had 1 toe related injury. That was when I was doing Judo and apparently managed to catch my little toe on the mat. I felt a short pain at the time, but carried on, and it was only the next day when I had a black bruise covering most of my foot that I thought maybe I’d better get it looked at. The doctor told me I hadn’t broken it but it had ‘popped’ out of its socket and gone back in again.
I dont really get the same problems with kickboxing, it just hurts when you kick/punch the pads incorrectly and get blisters from pivoting on the floor.
The only thing I can think of is climbers, especially those nutters that rockclimb barefoot, they must have really strong toes…. perhaps there are some toe strengthening techniques they use that could be beneficial.
Toes are relatively delicate things, in comparison to weight-bearing joints anyway, & relatively easy to sublux / dislocate. Lol, I’m reminded of a comment made by my Sensei of Christmas passed, in relation to my consistently damaged fingers, he said ’stop putting them where they shouldn’t be’….. go figure!..:)