iron palm

**breeze** · 06-13-2007, 21:17

Originally Posted by Dale Dugas

Iron Palm training is rather misunderstood in this nation. It is not about hitting your hands harder and harder until you have nerveless clubs as some people would like you to believe. It is not about sticking your hands in hot sand that is being heated in a wok over a fire(Damn Kung Fu Theater Movies....)

Iron Palm is actually an internal conditioning program that has some tapping of the hands to help teach how to move energy and intent to the hands.

The program I teach has tendon exercises much akin to the Yi Jin Jing done at the beginning to warm up the tendons and get the blood flowing in and around them. Tendons have the notorious rep of having little blood flow to them, hence you want to make sure that they are warm and lubed up before you start tapping the bag.

Next are the internal exercises done to help move the energy to your hands. In Chinese Medical Theory you are fighting an uphill battle as Qi does not want to do anything but sit and be a lazy b u m rather than do what you want. Hence all the exercises to help move and strengthen it.

Next comes standing. This is the most important part of the training that people sometimes remove as they find it unimportant. Standing is the key to not only success in Iron Palm training but you will not be able to hit with your optimum potential without it.

Standing also teaches how to connect with the ground and teach you how to have the correct structure when you want to hit.

Applying your herbal medicine comes next.

Tapping the bag comes next and I mean tapping. You do not hit the bags with your strength. You drop the hands and slightly tense at the end.

You start slow with 10 reps and add a rep each week until you reach 100.

You should not drive your fingertips onto a bag as there are other methods to strengthen the fingers without causing damage.

Then there is another breathing exercise performed and then standing yet again the end.

Overall it can alleviate a lot of RSI on the hands and lower arms as well as teach you to have a sensitivity that you do not get from other exercises. I have taught massage therapists as well as doctors and they have not one problem with their hands, quite the opposite.

I recently taught over 40 people the program at the Zhang Sang Feng Festival. I look forward to hearing how they are doing.

There are many programs out there, and many teachers who have different but similar methods to train the hands safely.

Feel free to ask more questions or even better come to my seminar in November in Sussex, New Jersey and see it for yourself.

Be well,

Dale Dugas

Hi Dale, I read your post and seems to be almost identical to what my sifu has been teaching us about iron hand technique, however it has not prevented arthritis from setting in to my index finger. Do you think I am aggravating the situation by continuing the practice?

**sean_stonehart** · 06-13-2007, 21:39

Originally Posted by sideslasher9

which martial arts include iron palm in their curriculums?

The list huge... all of them to a degree, but ones I'm familiar with....

Hakka arts
Bagua
Xingyi
Bak Siu Lum
Hung Ga

etc....

**sean_stonehart** · 06-13-2007, 21:40

Originally Posted by Moses Colon

Mr Stoneheart if and when you wish to know who my instructors are please just feel free to pm i have send you a private pm.
Yours in the arts of budo
Moses Colon

PM'd you back

**Dale Dugas** · 06-14-2007, 16:37

Originally Posted by breeze

Hi Dale, I read your post and seems to be almost identical to what my sifu has been teaching us about iron hand technique, however it has not prevented arthritis from setting in to my index finger. Do you think I am aggravating the situation by continuing the practice?

That or your medicine is not strong enough. Some people have to up their formulas and cycle them as to not hurt their hands. It could also be a natural hereditary condition that you have and the training is bothering it.

**breeze** · 06-15-2007, 18:17

Originally Posted by Dale Dugas

That or your medicine is not strong enough. Some people have to up their formulas and cycle them as to not hurt their hands. It could also be a natural hereditary condition that you have and the training is bothering it.

Thanks for the reply, I will talk to my doctor about it. I feel strongly about overcoming this problem as I have no intention to quit practicing martial arts, pain or no pain. Lately, I have modified my striking methods with open hand techniques to avoid injury to my left hand, funny enough I don't have a problem with any other body part or joint, just that one finger!

**Dale Dugas** · 06-16-2007, 04:33

Brother,

Most schools teach one not to train the left hand at all due to the chance you could shock the heart easier from the left side as its not as protected like the right side. You could also be training wrong and be letting your fingers hit the bag when you strike. You should pull your fingers off the bag in all strikes and avoid the dotting strike as it is pretty useless to use on an iron palm bag and is better suited to being used in a bucket of soybeans.

PM me or call me.

Be well,

Dale