Karate Home Gym

[dangerous365]

Hi I started karate recently...

what equipment would you recommend to help me at home? Maybe some pads? or a free standing torso? punch bag?

what would be best?

cheers

[quinteros1963]

A punching bag is ideal. Practice strikes and such.

[Chitsu]

Hi I started karate recently...

what equipment would you recommend to help me at home? Maybe some pads? or a free standing torso? punch bag?

what would be best?

cheers

Kata.

[tallgeese]

It depends alot on what you do and what your style entails. At the very base, you need a dedicated space. That means that there's enough room there to train in the movements of your system without moving a bunch o things. Having to move furniture every time you work out on your own will be the quickest way to make certain that you use it less.

How much room depends. For more traditional arts, I'd make sure you had enough space to execute kata without having to restart. That's a good refference point. Highly fluid arts, with projectile throws will need more space (say, Aikido). Speaking of, if you're into throwing at all, make sure your space has clearance up top to allow them.

That might be it for space concerns if you don't have thorws or joint locks or such that land people on the ground. If you have those things, mats become mandantory to some degree. The more time on the floor with your body, the more mat. The higher the impact of the throws of your style, the more mat. If that's not a concern, probably whatever you have down is good. Personally, if it's concrete, say a basement floor. I'd put at least carpet down even if I didn't throw or lock.

As for equipment, I'd say a heavy bag is almost essintial for everyone wanting to put together a home gym. It lets you work solo, is highly versitile, and just an all around great tool. Hang this first.

Regardless of style, a couple of long makawari's are pretty useful and cheap and easy to build. Same with resistive tubing for punching. You can affix this to the wall or set it up like some the of commercial boxing models. Great solo tool.

From there, much depends again on what you do specifically and what your budget is for your project.

Some mitts and shields are good to have. It makes it easier to bring training buddies over on off days to work.

Get soem acsimile weapons or weapons that your system trains in. It's nice to break up rounds of shadow boxing with weapons work. These are usually pretty affordable as well.

By now you should be pretty functional. And, minus mats (which you can also get pretty cheap if you look long enough and hard enough) it probably hasn't cost you too much.

Some nice things to add:

-a double ended striking ball

-round time

-spare protective gear

-a pair of mitt gloves

If you get past that, you're moving into the luxary home gym realm:

-a BOB

-speed bag

-spare weapons with which to beat your friends

-a couple of medicine ball for conditioning specific martial movements

Beyond that, you're getting into niche stuff or things so specilaize that they fall into the "nice but don't really need-ever" catagory

-grappling dummy (again, very niche and it's a small need even if you're in that niche-build your own, save the money)

-upper cut bag

-wing chun dummy (if you're in a trapping art, useless if your not. if you are, this might go higher on the list)

-tv and dvd combo if checking out tapes is your thing, I personally don't reccommend a lot of it, but i mention it because I've seen it alot.

That's kind of my take on it. I don't have all the above items, but I've acquired alot of them. Which is a good way to slowly build your space. It also lets you see if you're gooing to use it enough to sink coin into it. Slowly building also lets you see if you're going to have partners over enough to make some of the items even worth it.

Good luck and let us know about the progress.

[joesteph]

I like Tallgeese's post, Dangerous, and I have to agree with his first point of room. Since you're asking about home training equipment, I'd say it depends on whether you live in an apartment or not. Punching bags, whether WaveMaster, hanging, or BOB, make a ton of noise for the neighbors.

If that's not a problem, such as access to a basement, then I think of the two I have, a WaveMaster and a BOB. I use my living room for forms and there is some backing up, but it's not so bad.

If you do get a BOB, you have to have hand protection. The irregularity of the facial features can skin your knuckles when doing repeated, especially rapid, punches to the "face." If you skin your knuckles, you'll have to wait till they heal to use equipment at home or in the dojo/dojang. I learned the hard way that all I need is some inexpensive cloth gloves to protect my knuckles while I pound BOB's face into dog meat.

[dangerous365]

thanks for all the advice...

i think i might just start with a bag.

i want to be able to kick and punch it so which ones would you recommend? is there a certain material to avoid? recommended size?

also with the space issue, is there anything that is suitable for keeping outside (able to withstand the weather). I probably have enough space inside but just thought of this as an idea.

thanks again!

[dangerous365]

realised i havent got the space for a hanging bag

will have to get a powerline wavemaster.

anyone had sucess with these? or should i hold out for a bob?

[Dobbersky]

I personally would wait until you are a few grades higher than you are before you start buying stuff that might end up on the garage sale

[BDPulver]

tallgeese has hit how my home gym was set up before I moved into an apartment. Was important is room and how much you have. Is the equipment collapsible and so forth.

I have a wavemaster which I use for working my blocks, a makawari pad that I use for strengening my hands/knuckles on.

I cant think of the term, it slips my memory but I made a so called clap board for doing conditioning on my arms.

Plus some wieghts and stuff.

[Chitsu]

Make sure you consult your sensei before spending a lot of money on equipment that could do you more harm than good.

Take for example Makiwari pads as you say - probably the little wall mounted type?

If so I would tread carefully as the ones I have tried, have very little give in them. - Remember, it is a myth that makiwari training is about conditioning the hand/wrist alone for impact - they are about engendering correct biomechanical form - from the whole body. Good Makiwari should have between 4-6" of give imo - something you don't get from the wall mounted jobs.

Also, you say about a Wavemaster helping you with your blocks - Isn't a Wavemaster a punch bag?

Chitsu