Toughening knuckles (Please read more than the title)

[Gerry Seymour]

I understand that he can well back up his ego, tho.

Doesn't make it any more appealing, but at least makes it an earned ego.

 

[DanT]

Wolff's Law... states that bone in a healthy person or animal will adapt to the loads under which it is placed. If loading on a particular bone increases, the bone will remodel itself over time to become stronger to resist that sort of loading. The internal architecture of the trabeculae undergo adaptive changes, followed by secondary changes to the external cortical portion of the bone, perhaps becoming thicker as a result.

Some points:

-do it slowly, start with knuckle push-ups and hitting the Heavy Bag bare-knuckle, but do it slow, and eventually over time build up the strength, but SLOWLY.

-if you cut your knuckle, it means you hit the bag wrong, DO NOT KEEP OPENING THE CUT.

-It's a good idea to use some herbal ointment, which works as a dual topical anti-inflammatory and topical analgesic.

-strengthening the bones will actually help PREVENT osteoporosis

-you should also do basic strength building exercises, especially for the forearm and wrist.

-your hands shouldn't look like they've been through a meat grinder, a little redness is understandable, but just don't make it look messed up.

 

[Monkey Turned Wolf]

Well then, I didn't laugh, but I did say ow

I also appreciated the questions of my first shifu's wife too. I liked the seminar, but Master Pan was a bit if a braggart

If you have the dedication to do that to your knuckles (assuming he has that dedication in all his martial endeavors), you have the right to be a braggart.

 

[JR 137]

That is what they look like, But those are actually calluses built up from years of hitting a little steal plate he brings with him wherever he goes...I know, he tapped me on the head with one

He hit you on the head with his steel plate?

 

[JowGaWolf]

I propose a larger question: why do you need your knuckles that tough?

Here's why I ask: there's ample evidence that hitting hard objects enough to toughen the hands can actually cause real harm in the long run. For pretty much all likely use of the hands in combat, practicing against a tough, padded target will provide sufficient toughness. This can range from a well-filled heavy bag to a somewhat padded makiwara. The padding will reduce the chance of long-term damage.

I've was always taught to do knuckle push ups or hit something like a punching bad. I don't know anyone who just started at the beginning hitting something hard. Every thing I've read and was told was to hit something soft, when the body can handle that then hit something slightly harder. The training is a slow and long process. Most people usually just get to the point where they can punch a heavy bag and then stop at that level. By the time someone can punch a heavy bag without injuring their hand, they would have "hard enough" knuckles. I know for my training I've never punched anything harder than a punching bag or grass covered ground (moist soil and not dry sun baked compressed soil)

 

[Gerry Seymour]

I've was always taught to do knuckle push ups or hit something like a punching bad. I don't know anyone who just started at the beginning hitting something hard. Every thing I've read and was told was to hit something soft, when the body can handle that then hit something slightly harder. The training is a slow and long process. Most people usually just get to the point where they can punch a heavy bag and then stop at that level. By the time someone can punch a heavy bag without injuring their hand, they would have "hard enough" knuckles. I know for my training I've never punched anything harder than a punching bag or grass covered ground (moist soil and not dry sun baked compressed soil)

I've rarely practiced on anything harder than a too-settled heavy bag. That's about as hard as most human targets will get.

 

[Xue Sheng]

He hit you on the head with his steel plate?

NAH, with one of those over callused knuckles, and it was just a tap...the steel plate may have hurt less

 

[donald1]

Knuckle pushups always help me and the best part. I dont need to punch anything. Althoagh never hurts to have a punching bag anyway

 

[Xue Sheng]

Knuckle pushups always help me and the best part. I dont need to punch anything. Althoagh never hurts to have a punching bag anyway

I have discovered in my old age and infirmity that knuckle push ups hurt much less that regular push ups. Regular pushups hurt my wrists these days

 

[Paul_D]

Your hand already contains one of the hardest pieces of bone in your body, if you know where to look so It's not necessary to toughen the knuckles up to do the same job.

 

[Gerry Seymour]

Your hand already contains one of the hardest pieces of bone in your body, if you know where to look so It's not necessary to toughen the knuckles up to do the same job.

To what are you referring?

 

[Paul_D]

To what are you referring?

There are certain pieces of information I am loathe to put out into the publc domain for free, partly due to the amount of time and money invested in numerous seminars and courses that were required for me to to find them out, and partly due to my reluctance to endow the more macho Neanderthals amongst us with such knowledge. (I am not referring to yourself of course!)

Let them keep punching walls and trees and deforming their hands.

 

[drop bear]

There are certain pieces of information I am loathe to put out into the publc domain for free, partly due to the amount of time and money invested in numerous seminars and courses that were required for me to to find them out, and partly due to my reluctance to endow the more macho Neanderthals amongst us with such knowledge. (I am not referring to yourself of course!)

Let them keep punching walls and trees and deforming their hands.

I will chip in a dollar.
What bone?

 

[Gerry Seymour]

I will chip in a dollar.
What bone?

I'll match that.

 

[punisher73]

Punching a makiwara isn't meant to "toughen the knuckles", that is just a by product. It is meant to give biofeedback to having a strong punch and will help strengthen the muscles, conncetive tissues etc. that support the punch.

If your only goal is to toughen the skin on the knuckles, then just do knuckles push ups on a hard surface. Even just plain cement like a basement floor is enough, you don't need a rough surface.

 

[Gerry Seymour]

Punching a makiwara isn't meant to "toughen the knuckles", that is just a by product. It is meant to give biofeedback to having a strong punch and will help strengthen the muscles, conncetive tissues etc. that support the punch.

If your only goal is to toughen the skin on the knuckles, then just do knuckles push ups on a hard surface. Even just plain cement like a basement floor is enough, you don't need a rough surface.

It may not be intended for that, but it will provide some toughening. I like the fact that I get both.

 

[Martial_Kumite]

I have heard (and practiced a little) of iron hand training when I went on a dan retreat. It was quite something. It was mostly impact training to build tolerance and get us use to hitting something other than foam. I think the point of building this type of tolerance is for worst case scenarios, or to build bone density. Either way, It was fun to participate in

 

[Xue Sheng]

Punching a makiwara isn't meant to "toughen the knuckles", that is just a by product. It is meant to give biofeedback to having a strong punch and will help strengthen the muscles, conncetive tissues etc. that support the punch.

Kind of glad I didn't know this way back in my jujutsu days...when one if the nicknames my sensei referred to me as was....His "Makiwara"

 

[Gerry Seymour]

Kind of glad I didn't know this way back in my jujutsu days...when one if the nicknames my sensei referred to me as was....His "Makiwara"

At least he used a formal-sounding term. I just call them "punching dummies".

 

[Xue Sheng]

At least he used a formal-sounding term. I just call them "punching dummies".

This was waaaaaaay back in the days when this was a brand new show

A friend of mine in that class was called Grasshopper... as for me....besides being called "Makiwara"..... I was also called "Stump Jumper"...the trials and tribulations of being the biggest kid in the class