Heavy bag or Makiwara what are pros and cons of each?

[Samurai Shotokan]

Hi all i was just wondering,Whats the differences are between using these to training tools??.Plus i heard you can injure you hand pretty bad if you dont get taught properly to use the makiwara.Or is the post gonna be an apples to organes comparision.

1.heavy bag has more surface area to hit

thats all i can think of for now

On another note i was talking to my friend and he was punching dry wall(pretending he was all that)Anway i told him dry wall was weak and useless to punch and kick(i punched it light at my house and it feels just like cardboard!!) but he said cus the kickboxer guy was doing that in the movie kickboxer he think its the real training deal.......so my point is how do i do away with the martial arts fantasies in his brain?and how weak is dry wall anyway???

[Enviroman]

Well, if you have a backyard you can easily install a makiwara. A heavy bag requires a chain, a ceiling strong enough to support it, sand to fill it, etc. So, in a lot of cases, a makiwara can be easier to keep around. And they're normally a lot cheaper.

Both have "give" and both can strengthen your punches (and/or kicks). Some people say that a makiwara can cause serious damage to your hands...do some research and make a decision for yourself, I guess.

Overall, I'd recommend a heavy bag over a makiwara, I think. It's more versatile (bigger striking area, as you said) and nearly anything you can do on a makiwara you can do on a bag.

[yamesu]

I have a 5foot, 60kg bag hanging from my verandah(porch) roof, which is held in place with about 6feet of inch-thick nylon rope. Only cost me about $130AU.

Also i have a self constructed makiwara-pole, of sorts in my backyard. Cost me about $40AU.

In my opinion, heavy-bag is better for building dynamics. Combinations, like gedan-mawashi-geri followed by jodan-tsuki, can be practiced on a large bag, but not on a makiwara. Also, a large bag will emulate the body of a person on contact better than a makiwara. Also I can move 360' around my bag, but can only strike maki from one direction.

However, in light of all my maki-bashing-

Makiwara is excellent for building focus, timing, and is a little harsher on the conditioning side, and nothing compares to the feeling of properly striking a makiwara.

For starting out, as posted above, Id also reccomend a heavy bag as opposed to a Makiwara, because a heavy bag will condition the body for further training on the Maki, but, excessive training too early on the makiwara, w/out proper conditioning will lead too injuries such as arthritis.

Good luck.

[Jussi Häkkinen]

Both.

Makiwara has a characteristicly straight and predictably give, making it very suitable for training the good punch without thinking about footwork or anything else than the structure of the technique. This is a good element for basics training, both for beginners and experts.

Heavy bag has a charasteristic of swinging around and moving unpredictably, thus helping with the skill of aiming at a moving target and doing the footwork that is required for that. It also doesn't "give" straight backwards always (unless the accuracy is good), so it helps with learning to deal with less-than-perfect hits and evading opponent. Combinations are possible.

Heavy bag is a great tool after a student has learned the basics with a makiwara and is ready to move towards more appliable training. Suitable from lower intermediate students upwards.

I'd say that the makiwara is a basic tool and heavy bag is an application tool. Both are worthy (and needed, I think).

[makiwaraman]

Hi all i was just wondering,Whats the differences are between using these to training tools??.Plus i heard you can injure you hand pretty bad if you dont get taught properly to use the makiwara.Or is the post gonna be an apples to organes comparision.

1.heavy bag has more surface area to hit

thats all i can think of for now

One is a machine gun and one is a snipers riffle. The heavy bag and makiwara are IMHO both essential training aids. You are right about getting taught properly to use the makiwara by someone with considerable makiwara training experiance. IMO the makiwara has many benefits e.g. Devoloping kime correct form and mushin to name a few, and the heavy bag is good for combinations hands and feet moving/footwork.

But as you would expect IMO there is not a better tool for showing weakness in technique as a properly made makiwara.

It is also my experiance that a heavy bag tends to encourage bad form e.g. your elbow flys out on tsuki,s.

regards maki

[CA-Isshinryu]

The purpose of a makiwara, as said above, is to FORCE you to strike correctly. The heavy bag is for general traning and while not more important will be used a great deal more. Most people just can't spend 20-30 minutes hitting a makiwara. If your doing it right it hurts without causing damage. If your not doing it wrong it hurts and causes damage.

Definalty have somebody show you exactly how your suppose to use one. Also, always start makiwara training slow each time. Nothing worse than thinking your good to go and hitting hard with an bad fist angle.

[y2_sub]

Also makiwara is useful to harden the striking area while bag is useful in making your strikes heavier

[Samurai Shotokan]

uhh what do you mean by making my strikes heavier??

[SenseiMike]

really, you should train with both I think. Heavy bags ar great for building combos and speed, but nothng beats the makiwara on building power. In my dojo we train with both, heavy bgs at first, and the makiwara in the advanced classes.

[Tiger Burford]

The most important function of makiwara training is to develope the maximum centrifugal forc from the center of the body.