[Svanur]

I was wondering if anybody knew it could affect your drawing skills if you trained heavily in Martial Arts? That is that you are putting so much impact on your hands in both fighting and training that you feel a side effect when drawing?

I know it's a weird question but bear with me

[cheney]

i doubt it. Learning to draw is training your mind more than your hand.

[Svanur]

true, true but I was more of meaning when concerned with your hand trembling more, unable to draw straight lines and so on. But you are right about the mind thingy.

[Socar MYLES]

No. I trained in martial arts for...hm...almost 15 years, and taught for 3, and never had a problem with drawing beyond general incompetence. Unless you actually sustain an injury (broken fingers, repetitive strain in your shoulder, et cetera), there should not be a problem. I sometimes have problems with my right shoulder and/or my left elbow if I draw for more than 5 or 6 hours solid, but I think I actually did my arms in playing the violin, not training.

[Impaler]

Playing.. the violin?

[mythwarden]

I've studied Ninjutsu, Jujitsu(Danzan-Ryu), and Tae Kwon Do since I was a boy. I'd say no. It doesn't affect you unless you injure yourself like Socar said.

Doing a full contact form of Jujitsu like Danzan-Ryu will raise your chances of messing up your hands -- Easy to get injuries in that style.

In my opinion, the best arts for an artist are Aikido (Preferably under a Zen Priest or Priestess) and T'ai-Chi Ch'uan and its Long Form.

-myth

[Socar MYLES]

Yeah, why not? Is there something wrong with the violin?

[Impaler]

Absolutely not. I've just never heard of anyone getting dehabilitating shoulder injuries from the violin. Hand cramps, maybe, but not a worn-out shoulder.

[Socar MYLES]

Well, it's hardly debilitating. What happened was that I had a horrible bowing technique, holding my wrist straight and using my shoulder to move the bow. One is supposed to use the wrist and elbow, and try NOT to move the shoulder. I did this for...hm...16 or 17 years. So I got a repetitive strain injury after a while. I don't know what happened to my left elbow, but I blame holding the violin up.

[Vesuvius]

I've done boxing and kick boxing and have no problems with it. however if you got certain injuries to your nervous system or your muscles/bones in your hands then you could have problems from your martial arts.

[Impaler]

That's what I presumed, Socar. Did you get any private instruction, or was it all your own intuition? I remember when I had finally got a private instructor after so many years of thinking I was a violin Jedi, we had to spend close to three months just to smoove over my sandy technique.

And.. uh. not to sabotage the thread beyond control, I could foresee nothing but advantage with the combination of martial arts and .. art.

NINJA BRUSH STROKE!!!!!!!!!$#@($!

[Socar MYLES]

Yeah...I always had private instruction...my parents sent me to every type of lesson imaginable--I had to take ballet, horseback riding, singing, piano, violin...you name it, I was stuck with it, at least for a while. Most of my teachers were really good, but my violin teacher was just a good violinist--he could NOT teach. My second violin teacher just ignored my technical problems and tried to make me be in all those damn competitions (I hated those), and it wasn't till my fourth or fifth teacher that someone finally told me I was really doing a bad job of the bowing.

[cheney]

/me gives Socar a back massage.

*WOOT* cheap thrills...

[Awetopsy]

I would assume that since martial arts hones your concentration ability and develops hand eye co-ordination, it would help your drawing skills.

the thing that might affect drawing is if you'd been practicing all day and were tired and your stamina was low because of fatigue... then you might be a bit shaky for a while afterwards.

[Asurfael]

i think that everything that practices your hand to eye coordination can help. But on the other hand, sketching and doodling practice that one too, and you get the added bonuses with it.