i get "battle wounds" all the time one my stomach and arms, i have yet to find a way around it. i've gotten used to them execpt in the summer let me tell you it's really attractive to have bruise on your stomcah during swim suit season

Has anyone ever gotten hit on the fingers with a stick while having a ride going for a snare player?
That happened the other week at pep band right in the middle of a cheer, and it hurt like crap!
It was my boyfriend that hit them, too....Bah!

yeah because gettin bruises (in those areas) means more that you ARE using proper technique

No. I totally disagree. There is no reason to get any bruising if you use proper technique. The only thing I would expect is that your hands turn red from the straps being on for a long time.

I guess we'll just have to agree to disagree then. I'm new to the whole cymbal thing, but I know I have not been taught incorrectly. My tech teaches us a very agressive style where the basic regular choke position involves snapping them into your forearms and your armpit area. It can get quite violent if you've got alot a lot of crash chokes in one phrase, but it comes with the territory. You've gotta be freakin' crazy to strap on circular discs of metal and crash them together and jab them into your body.

It's not wrong; It's just different from your technique.

I have to agree with Kevin. There is no way possible for you not to have a bruise from doign crash chokes, unless you do one every 20 minutes, then your fine. But some parts in our music involves us having 1 or 2 per measure for a 32 measure phrase. Running metal plates into an area on your body where there is no muscle protection is definately going to cause it.

And, i don't care who you are or how amazing you are as a beginner, your going to screw up something sometime and get rocked. For example, the other month, I was doing klanks, and i accidently drove the cymbal into my hip. 6 Inch bruise for 3 weeks. Sucked.

People are built differently. Some people bruise easily, some don't. Whenever I used to play I might get some redness on the front part of my armpit (whatever its called). Others would bruise up like a bad piece of fruit. Everyone is different. Whenever I choke, I bring the plates into my body at a 45 degree angle. The cymbals will form a letter "A" and your forearms will be an extension of this angle. Doing this allows you to tuck the cymbal under your forearms and your biceps so that you can get more body on the cymbal. The more body you have on the cymbal the quicker it will quit ringing. Thats just the way I do it though. To each there own.

With horizontal hinge chokes I would get marks but only because I did it shirtless. Never had it happen when I actually had clothes on. If you are getting pinched on your arms doing hinge chokes then are probably collapsing your body over the cymbal. If you are standing up straight and separating then you should be ok.

I will say that I don't know for the life of me how people are bruising there arms on crashes. Especially in multiple places. If you are bruising different parts of your body on the same crash then you are inconsistent with your technique. If anything you should have marks in consistent places. I can't think of any techniques that I've seen where there would be any arm bruises, pinches, or anything else. So in that case, I will say that technique is an issue

the cause for the bruises, scratches, etc. is bad form.. no, I don't sell any video's but if any of you live in the Houston, Texas area, I teach classes.