Conditioning knuckles?? True or False?

[YoungGrasshopper]

I've heard that punching against something hard can "condition" your knuckles. Because in result the nerve on your knuckles will slightly die, resulting in less pain. Also the bone slightly damages with every punch against something hard, and when it rebuilds, your body makes it slightly stronger than before. What a vicious cycle...

 

However, I've also heard many comments against this method. That breaking boards and conditioning knuckles is only a mental excersise, to become more tolerate with pain and boost conifidence...this makes me really confused.

 

Anyway, I believe that method of "conditioning" your knuckles is true, and before I begin to mess up my hands, I want someone to give me an educated reason why this absolutely may not work.

 

Also, does this go as well for kicking? I've heard serious Muay Thai artists would kick trees as much as they could, and would not prefer bags. And as you may know, Muay Thai is known as the most superior hand to hand striking art that exists.

 

By the way, do not give me the "there is no reason for doing that, why would you do that? You could hurt yourself, thats a good enough reason why you shouldn't" that I hear many times. I have my reasons and you have yours. All I ask is, if this method is at all effective...or does it offer nothing else that a heavy bag can't?

[Rey]

I can't give you an educated reason why it won't work, but I can tell you from experience that it does work. You have to start out slow, though. After a while you'll notice that your knuckles are stronger. You will still feel pain, but you'll be able to ignore it. Now, I know that for me, my knuckles are scared from just hitting a punching bag bare-fist. You might get permanent scars from knuckle conditioning, depending on how you do it.

 

You were correct about your knuckles calcifing after hitting hard objects. You get more bone on your knuckles, which is why they'll look slightly larger after a while. I don't know about the nerves dying, though, so I can't comment on that.

 

The only things that I've heard against knuckle conditioning is that you might leave yourself prone to arthritis or similar problems as you age. It is my personal opinion that you'd probably get arthritis anyway regardless of what you've done. That's just old age. Keep in mind that this is all just my opinion and I'm sure there are people on here that know much more than I do on the subject but I hope that I was able to help you. Good Luck.

[SevenStar]

1. hand conditioning can work, BUT I wouldn't try to undertake a serious program without an instructor guiding you. your best bet is to just practice your techniques on either a makiwara or a heavy bag.

 

2. the tree thing is false. If you kick a 200 lb heavy bag every day, I guarantee you, your shins will get conditioned.

 

you are right about the breakdown though. when bone is damaged, calcium deposits form around it, hardening it. also, impact to the bones will cause them to become more dense. Calcium deposits can cause deformities in your hands though - like I said, you would do just as well with a heavy bag.

 

as far as the nerve death thing, that's the shins, not the hands.

[YoungGrasshopper]

So sevenstar, you are saying that hitting a heavy bag will produce just as trauma and damage to the hands and legs, than a hard object would(for the sole purpous of the body to repair them back stronger ofcourse.)?

 

Another question, do shins grow hard when inflicted with more damage? Or is this another falsey and it only matters on how much calcium I intake?

[CanuckMA]

I will never understand this fascination with conditioning the knucles.

 

First, nerves don't "die a little". They die. If you kill the small sub-cuteanous nerves, you fell less surface pain. You may also lose some of the finer motor skills.

 

The human hand is a marvel of engineering, why do you want to destroy it?

 

Bones aquire more mass when the body deposits calcium to fill fractures. The larger the knucle grows, the more restrictive the range of motion. Also, arthritis is not inevitable. It is a degenerative joint disease. Why help it by destrouing the joints first?

 

Unless you make a substantial living out of bare knucle striking, it's just not worth it.

[SevenStar]

First, nerves don't "die a little". They die. If you kill the small sub-cuteanous nerves, you fell less surface pain. You may also lose some of the finer motor skills.

 

agreed.

 

Now, the chinese method doesn't work in the same fashion - if done properly - you get harder strikes and retain full use of the hands. Like I said though, don't do unless you have an experienced teacher.

[tommarker]

Not all Chinese styles... Do a google search for Pan Qing Fu and look at his hands.

[SevenStar]

So sevenstar, you are saying that hitting a heavy bag will produce just as trauma and damage to the hands and legs, than a hard object would(for the sole purpous of the body to repair them back stronger ofcourse.)?

 

Another question, do shins grow hard when inflicted with more damage? Or is this another falsey and it only matters on how much calcium I intake?

 

a bag will do just fine. I would invest in a bag and some thai pads.

 

the shin doesn't grow harder, per se - it becomes more dense and the nerves deaden. pressure bearing exercises also make the bones more dense - lifting weights will help you accomplish your goal.

[SevenStar]

Not all Chinese styles... Do a google search for Pan Qing Fu and look at his hands.

 

pan qing fu used to hit rocks too... that's what I was saying above. he would hit rocks, iron, etc... ALOT.

[granmasterchen]

i agree with hitting hard objects