Do you train with makiwara

[strangepair03]

I love my makiwara....train on it 4-5 times a week.....The ultimate in stress relief!!!!

[makiwaraman]

strangepair03 what type is it you use ? As for the others that clicked yes in the poll what type do you use?

Regards makiwaraman

[shotochem]

Shotochem your makiwara is too stiff the makiwara should offer the same resistance as a human body. As for the aching it could be that you are locking you arm on impact and the shock is traveling to your shoulders. when striking leave a slight bend in your elbow. Training with the need to reach so that you strike only impacts on the final two inches is incorrect. I train so that my punch for example stikes the target at the midway point just at the start of the fist twist, then your arms cannot be locked and the impact does not transmit to your shoulder.

Regards makiwaraman

Hmmmmm...... I'll give that some thought. I never really thought about

the elbow being slightly bent. I have to take a look at what I am doing. That may be it I tend to hit solid and dead on target and I do feel like I'm

locked in on impact. I don't reach to strike and the makiwara does have a reasonable amount of give to it.

Thanks, I can't wait till tonight to give it a try.

[JimmyNewton]

its treated lumber post, 8feet long, 4 inches in diameter.

it should be sawed dowen the middle so that the base is 4 inches, and the tope tapers off to .75" ..almost 1 inch.

when runk in the ground, the strikciking oart should be about chest high. the reason the post is tapered is to allow for some spring and give when struck.

i definitly recomend having one.

[strangepair03]

strangepair03 what type is it you use ? As for the others that clicked yes in the poll what type do you use?

Regards makiwaraman

I have a 2x4 that is 7' long, tapered to 1/4" at the top, sunk 3 feet into the ground....topped with a shureido leather cover. I have it mounted outside in my yard and I keep a large empty coffee can outside, which I place over the top when I am done using it. Keeps the leather from getting soaked and rotting. In my garage I have a removeable wall mount makiwara from shureido....Pricey but you can't beat it (haha)

https://www.shureidousa.com

Good luck!!!

[makiwaraman]

strangepair03 your post sounds good, and a 1/4 inch taper would offer good flex what type of wood is it?

regards makiwaraman

Edited May 17, 2005 by makiwaraman

[Uechi Kid]

Yes, when ever I get the chance. We don't have one in our dojo. What I do have is a bowling pin that I hit my arms and legs with to keep then tough.

[makiwaraman]

A bowling pin thats a new one on me each to his own. But I cant see that a bowling pin is offering the same benefits.

regards makiwaraman

[makiwaraman]

I don't reach to strike and the makiwara does have a reasonable amount of give to it.

shotochem what I meant about reaching to stike is striking with only the last inch or so of the strike impacting. I used to train on the makiwara with this method until a very experianced karateka explained to me that training to strike like that is pointless the person in the street would only have to move their target area two-three inches and you would miss. So I adobted the impact at midway point and noticed that with this method the makiwara now sank a couple of inches more.

regards makiwaraman

[shotochem]

I don't reach to strike and the makiwara does have a reasonable amount of give to it.

shotochem what I meant about reaching to stike is striking with only the last inch or so of the strike impacting. I used to train on the makiwara with this method until a very experianced karateka explained to me that training to strike like that is pointless the person in the street would only have to move their target area two-three inches and you would miss. So I adobted the impact at midway point and noticed that with this method the makiwara now sank a couple of inches more.

regards makiwaraman

I tried the slight bend in the elbow last night and it did help a bit. I still did feel a bit of shock through my shoulders though not as much.

I was wondering, how hard do you strike the makiwara? I tend to blast away at it. Am I supposed to really blast away at it? When I started I could not hit it as hard as I can now that my knuckles are more conditioned. The more I could tolerate, the harder I would hit it. I just may be hitting it too hard???? I don't have any difficulties on a heavy bag.