homemade training equipment

[J4d3]

i was wondering if anyone had ideas or past experience with homemade training equipment like makiwara or anything else.i'm looking for ideas.i already have a speed bag and heavybag i'm not trying to handmake those.but any other ideas would be greatly appreciated.

[De_Franza]

You know those Tyvek FedEx envelopes? You can put a pound or three of beans in those and they make a servicable thing to punch or slap to toughen up the hands. start wiht big beans and work up to smaller ones, then lentils, then rice.... that sort of thing.

Old jugs of protein powder: refill with sand and just carry them around (practice crescent step perhaps) to strengthen your fingers and grip.

THis topic has come up before, try searching for it. I know others will have a bunch of other ideas too.

[RickMatz]

Follow this link to a discussion at EmptyFlower:

http://www.emptyflower.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.cgi/YaBB.cgi?board=Xing;action=display;num=1100148643; start=

[J4d3]

quick update i've made a halfway decent makiwara and now have about a half dollar sized bruise around my middle knuckle.i like where this is going. :D

[De_Franza]

If you're bruisind alreay, I won't be the first to tell you you're going too hard too soon.
You have padding on your board, right?

[J4d3]

yeah maybe there isn't enough.i just gave it a few test shots but they were close to full force. so i guess i need more padding.i just got a pair of shorts and wrapped it around tight and put duct tape over it.think i should add some more?really if you have suggestions for training with the makiwara and anything else related to it i would appreciate it.i just knew i wanted to condition my striking surfaces and improve the quality of my strikes.i haven't really thought of a plan of working with it yet or anything like that.

[De_Franza]

I had read on 24fightingchickens.com before it shut down that the foam beer can insulators, when cut open and made flat are perfect for makiwara padding. I personally would start with two layers of them,, however.

You may want to slap a bag of large beans for a few weeks before punching a hard object like a wood board. a tyvek fed ex envelope works pretty well. If you're bruising, its too much too soon. Start with big beans and go smaller over time, say, Lima, kidney, navy, lentils, then rice or barley... eventually you can do sand or buckshot, BB's.... This is like, months at a time for each before you progress. PM Jeff Burger for quality info on this.

Also an 24 fightingchickens.com, the author stated that the goal of makiwara training was to get off the board, so to speak. If you hone your technique to the point that you can't stand to hit the board due to pain, you're punch is very powerful and you should stop using the board. (a controversial position, I'm sure) recall that a punch is best used against soft parts of your enemy, while palm heel strikes are often advocated for hitting the skull.

You will want to avoid bruising and otherwise injuring yourself. Recall that the hands are delicate precision instruments, not crude sledgehammers. Try playing piano with all your knuckles bruised and swollen, you know?

"listen to your body" and all that. All the best and feel better soon.

Caveat: I'm no makiwara scholar. I'm sure others here have sound advice.

[J4d3]

your help has been greatly appreciated i believe thats information i'll be sure to utilize.

[SteyrAUG]

yeah maybe there isn't enough.i just gave it a few test shots but they were close to full force. so i guess i need more padding.i just got a pair of shorts and wrapped it around tight and put duct tape over it.think i should add some more?really if you have suggestions for training with the makiwara and anything else related to it i would appreciate it.i just knew i wanted to condition my striking surfaces and improve the quality of my strikes.i haven't really thought of a plan of working with it yet or anything like that.

As someone who has had a makiwara in his yard for the last 20 years and who on average does 500 hits per day I am going to offer the following advice.

You are going overboard. Makiwara is about gradual conditioning not injury. The idea isn't to damage your hands but to incrementally build them up for hardness.

The guys with severe abrasions and loss of fine motor skills have done unecessary damage. You can make your hands just as hard and protected from shock impact without deformity or loss of ability.

I'll get some pics up of a better maki design as well as some other training aids both traditional and modern.

[TonyU]

Wow. I don't know how I missed this thread.
I'm also a big makiwara hitter and SteyrAUG hit it dead on (pun intended). You have to do it gradualy. Due to time constraints I hit it 100 times a day. More in the summer since I also have one on my deck.
Another thing that's important is the quality of your punching. When you hit, concentrate on each every punch make sure your stance, posture, and alignments are correct. Also correct breathing is important.
If you you get hurt let it heal completely before you stat again.

[J4d3]

i have been using more restraint since then.in top of punching i also practice blocks and outside and inside ridge hand strikes.but i'm only doing about 20-40 hits per strike or block.so far thats about how far i go without bruising or anything.does it seem i'm on the right track?

[J4d3]

i have a heavy bag now would you say its better than a makiwara or should i still work with a makiwara as well?i also have one of those envelopes with beans.i guess i'm just wondering if i should still work with all 3 of them or if i should focus on a particular one.or perhaps if anyone could tell me the benefits of using each one from past experience and all that.

[dsimons]

Duct Tape and foam....
Is it me or is this when our creativity is tested?

[Digi]

There was another topic similar to this on Tim's forum. Here's the link:
Homemade Training Equipment @ Defend.net (http://www.defend.net/deluxeforums/showthread.php?p=191458#post191458)

[Yang Wei Xin]

a five foot stick with a 25 pound weight on one end and a rope tied to the other for practicing throws.
stick with a rope in middle and weight on end, rollup with fingertips.
poles in the ground for stances
a hole to jump out of
a good tree to kick.

[Digi]

Check out his website. Ross Boxing (http://www.rossboxing.com/)

[Digi]

You'll need 2 empty water cooler containers and a steel bar. Attach the containers to the opposite ends of the steel bar. Then adjust the weight by adding or subtracting water from the containers.

[riku]

You can try to find posts of Jeff Burger, about junkyard workout & ninjanuity. There's a bunch of ideas from him.

With respect,
Riku Ylönen

[Digi]

i have a heavy bag now would you say its better than a makiwara or should i still work with a makiwara as well?i also have one of those envelopes with beans.i guess i'm just wondering if i should still work with all 3 of them or if i should focus on a particular one.or perhaps if anyone could tell me the benefits of using each one from past experience and all that.

Use them all!!
Heavy Bags are great for your punching power and toughening your wrist. I feel it's better to purchase a muay thai heavy not only work your punches and kicks, but it helps condition your forearms and shins. Makiwaras are used for conditioning your knuckles, outer edge of your palm, elbows, and knees. The rice bag is good for your toughening knuckles and knees.

[DungeonWorks]

Check out his website. Ross Boxing (http://www.rossboxing.com/)

Digi, 10,000 THANK YOU's for this site!!! Man, that is a GREAT one! :cool: :cool:

[Digi]

You can 24FightingChickens.com to see how a makiwara is designed. Don't worry, here's the link: "Designing a Makiwara" (http://www.24fightingchickens.com/2005/09/29/all-about-makiwara/)

[CEB]

I would not train anything I haven't been taught how to do by a qualified teacher. I wouldn't come to an internet forum for instruction on something that requires hand-on teaching. If I needed to ask these questions then I wouldn't know enough to know whose advice was full of crap. You have already injured yourself once and your health is a always a primary concern.

Also if I knew what the correct advice would be I wouldn't give it because I would have no idea of knowing if the one asking even knew how to execute a proper punch.

But that is just me. Good luck.

[John Lucas]

A duffel bag, an 80 pound bag of cement mix, and some industrial trash bags. I do all kinds of exercises with this one.

[Yang Wei Xin]

a backpack full of rice and a good size mountain always make for a good leg workout

[Digi]

a backpack full of rice and a good size mountain always make for a good leg workout

Also, I heard that if you can find a cyclinder-shaped army backpack, replace the original string with something stronger (ex. chain), fill it with rice, and suspend from a strong tree limb, it would make a good heavy bag.
Has anyone tried this?

Tito gets a lot of good workout from constantly running some mountain in cali called "Big Bear". It definitely shows in his matches

[Fat Buda]

i tried to make a home made grappling dumbing boy did that not work out, $80 worth og material in the garbage

[J4d3]

small update i've been using both a makiwara i made and a bean bag as suggested by defranza and i've kept technique and control in mind.i limit my strikes and if theres any bleeding i stop,if theres a sharp pain i stop etc.i can tell you for one since then my strikes just feel sharper and so much sturdier i remember the first time i gave my heavy bag a punch since doing all the conditioning it felt like i was punching a pillow my fist just seemed to sink into that bag it was great.i also have some dit da jow to help keep things safe for my hands and everything.i think that helps a lot.oh i do have an excellent instructor but i just never think to ask him about things like that.i always end up putting all my attention into whats going on in class.i probably won't ask until someone else mentions a related subject in class.but if i can remember i'll pick his brain about it tomorrow in class.

anyway i've heard on occasions about the first two knuckles becoming larger than the others from either makiwara work or any other kind of training.not just in karate but many different striking arts.i was just wondering what everyone's opinions were on that.any info or opinions regarding that would be appreciated.

[Digi]

i tried to make a home made grappling dumbing boy did that not work out, $80 worth og material in the garbage

Making a homemade grappling dummy is pretty tough with flimsy material and/or the dummy is stitched improperly. My buddy's father owned an army surplus store, and the cloth used to make bag/backpacks was good material to work with. I was fortunate enough to find a seamstress that was able to properly stitch together my dummy (zipper included).