Training with thick pipes

[Nimanjau]

Hey everyone,

I got some pipes I plan to use for training in addition to normal sticks. Two pipes are 2" thick, 24" long, weigh 1.3 pounds, and I got two more shorter pipes half the length (half the weight), but same width, to maybe simulate some knife work.

I plan to use them carefully and not too fast to work some drills or strikes I would do with normal sticks, both single and double weapon, and then carenza.

Can somebody explain what training with pipes like these is good for or could maybe develop? (besides general strength or grip)

 

[Kung Fu Wang103]

Hey everyone,

Can somebody explain what training with pipes like these is good for or could maybe develop? (besides general strength or grip)

Heavy weapon training can help you to develop body unification. 2" thick pipe (pole) is hard to hold. It can enhance your grip strength.

When you hold on a 2" thick pipe (pole), if your opponent tries to slide his stick along your pole, his stick may not be able to hit your fingers. Your half way pole holding can let his stick to slide off.

 

[Nimanjau]

And just to clarify, I have big hands, 2" width doesn't bother me, so training with these is not too crazy. I do have pipes around 2.40", 2 and a 2/5 inches, but those burn my forearms real quick and are practically unusable, takes too much effort to even hold them.

I was thinking of using the 2" ones just for solo training (few times a week), and get some strength training in, but I was wondering what kind of attributes they could develop besides strength. If anyone has thoughts, please let me know.

 

[drop bear103]

There is a whole bunch of mace? Hammer? Routines on the youtubes

 

[drop bear103]

 

[HighKick1]

That is very, very interesting!

 

[ap Oweyn10]

Out of curiosity, what is it you HOPE it'll achieve? I'd have guessed strength training, but it sounds like you're hoping for something beyond that.

I don't have a definitive answer for this. But it's an interesting question.

 

[windwalker099103]

Heavy weapon training can help you to develop body unification. 2" thick pipe (pole) is hard to hold. It can enhance your grip strength.

When you hold on a 2" thick pipe (pole), if your opponent tries to slide his stick along your pole, his stick may not be able to hit your fingers. Your half way pole holding can let his stick to slide off.

View attachment 33899

Experimented with heavier training tools as well, not a big fan of practicing with something significantly heavier than the actual weapon.

With hand weapons especially, the weight and balance are part of what teaches the body how to move correctly. If the training tool is much heavier, the body tends to compensate — using more tension or different mechanics than it normally would.

Over time that can build reactions that depend on the extra weight, which may not translate well when using the real weapon.

For conditioning it might have some value, but for developing timing, coordination, and proper body mechanics I feel it’s better to spend most of the time with a weapon that matches the real weight and balance.

funny story

Years ago in military stationed in Korea, I used to train a staff set using a weight bar from the gym. It probably weighed around 2–3 kg, at the time like a wooden staff, thought it would be a good training device .

One day I was practicing in the gym and a few fellow GIs were watching and kind of mocking the training. From the outside it probably looked like I was just spinning a stick around.

I stopped and asked if anyone wanted to try it. One guy said sure, so I tossed him the bar.

The look on his face when he caught it

The momentum immediately pulled him to the ground. What looked light and easy from the outside suddenly wasn’t so easy when he actually had to deal with the weight and movement.

After that nobody had much to say.

 

[Holmejr1]

I am a big fan of improvised weapon training, so if that is the goal, cool. I purposely leave PVC pipe, galvanized pipe, branches, screwdrivers, etc laying around that the students can pick up and defend themselves with.

 

[Same Trick49]

On my first visit to the house of Grand Nestor of Tongbeiquan in Dalian I was amazed by all the kungfuie weapons he had laying and hanging all over the place. He said true gong fu is hidden and showed an example of this by showing a Chinese pipe all brass and went on showing usage of it beyond smoking.

Chinese pipes are especially long, like this -

Chinese pipe - Bing

Intelligent search from Bing makes it easier to quickly find what you’re looking for and rewards you.

cn.bing.com

 

[Rich Parsons50]

There is a whole bunch of mace? Hammer? Routines on the youtubes

Using these type of routines can be very beneficial.
Also quoted as example not to disagree or conflict with.


Also note they never stop the mass from moving while the joints are extended. It is stopped when they are back to a neutral or controlled framework on this inside.

The Kettle bell and other types of lifting and extending are fine. Note their form though.

Trying to stop a heavy mass means you will wear your shoulder out quickly.
It will start with some hyper extensions of the elbow which will led one to adjust and kept it bent which then leads to one using their shoulders to absorb the energy.

Keep your long term health in mind.

 

[isshinryuronin]

Experimented with heavier training tools as well, not a big fan of practicing with something significantly heavier than the actual weapon.

With hand weapons especially, the weight and balance are part of what teaches the body how to move correctly. If the training tool is much heavier, the body tends to compensate — using more tension or different mechanics than it normally would.

I've experimented with this as well and abandoned it for the same reasons you mentioned.

A small bit of this may help, but I think it's mostly a mental illusion of being stronger or faster when you switch back to the lighter version. In fact, I've found that training with a lighter than normal weapon gives more benefit than heavier, making it easier to work on various aspects such as footwork and body attitude. I've found this to be especially true with the bo. (I have no use for ultralight competition "weapons.")

I did splurge on hand-forged custom sai that are quite heavier than the normal ones (sharpened killing tools able to withstand blows from a lead pipe) but are so well balanced the extra weight is hardly noticed. As a general rule, the best weapon to use is the one you use regularly and allows the body to move naturally in sync with it, allowing effective application of technique.