Punching the bag without gloves or wraps...?

[CTTKDKing]

We dont use gloves on focus targets, but do when working the heavy bag. You can cause long term damage on the small bones in your hands and wrists without support when hitting something as solid as a heavy bag.

[Nanashii]

The only thing I use gloves for is Jyu Kumite, and they're very light.

Striking without injury isn't based on what type of padding you put between your hands/feet and the bag, mitt, makiwara, etc. It's about how clean your technique is. If you've built clean and proper technique with your increasing strength through your striking training, you should be just fine without gloves.

[yamesu]

The only thing I use gloves for is Jyu Kumite, and they're very light.

Striking without injury isn't based on what type of padding you put between your hands/feet and the bag, mitt, makiwara, etc. It's about how clean your technique is. If you've built clean and proper technique with your increasing strength through your striking training, you should be just fine without gloves.

I agree, and I am the same - only really use gloves for softer kumite or when at a kickboxing class....

In saying that, I guess I did start out with gloves as a younger karate-ka, and then moved to knuckle pushups and gloveless bag work, so I wouldnt in hinsight, recommend going all out on a heavy bag with no gloves for someone new to the game. But if you think your ready for it, I say go wild.

[tallgeese]

Due respect, good technique won't protect you from getting a knuckle cut open on a swinging heavy bag. There are too many variables. So now I have a knuckle cut up so you have two options:

a) keep training regardless and open it worse, this will contaminate the bag every time you use it. Not to mention your partners. Or,

b) modify or stop training until it heals. This means you loose reps. This slows your progress. Considering you might be in a fight for you life tomorrow, that's less than ideal.

Minimal protective gear is an advantage of studying the arts in the 21st century. We, as ma-ist, need to realize their advantage to press our training forward.

[yamesu]

I understand what you are saying, but to a small degree I disagree...

Will it make it worse, yes probably at first. But I think this is akin to a lot of other training areas, and i am sure anyone who has seriously used a Makiwara would attest to the fact that you will hurt yourself at first, but whats the option? Give Up? Or, keep training, giving your knuckles little taps getting harder and harder until you eventually can hit with more precise force than previously?...

It is the nature of the beast that is Martial Arts.

If everyone gave up after injury and resorted to full safety and protection, we would not have even light contact sparring anymore, let alone full contact.

I do agree that nowdays we have the means and equipment to protect ourselves though. And this too is a good thing, with many advantages.

It really comes down to what ones personal preferences are I think... Whatever works for the individual.

[sensei8]

As an old saying goes..."An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure!" Imho, this old saying can't be totally ignored when it comes to protecting yourself. I've seen the worse as well as the best when it comes to smacking the tar out of a heavy bag. In that, I'd never forget to wear the proper protection when training on a heavy bag.

Ok, I'll go back to my corner and behave myself.

Good luck and train HARD!!

[Kodiak]

I like Evergel wraps. no restriction in how I move my hand, thin padding, and build in velcro straps. They even have padding along open handed strike points. TKD gloves look similar, but I've not tried them.

I do occasionally do gloveless work without serious injury (I recommend against this if you've ever done work with the assumption of wearing gloves or have less than a year or so of technique practice), but I lose skin doing it, so its really limited to conditioning work, I can't do serious work on speed and power without the gloves.

[mikeb87]

i never use gloves when i hit the bag. you should practice knuckle push ups first to strengthen your wrists.

[IcemanSK]

I boxed for a number of years in the middle of my TKD training. I value my hands too much to do anything else but wrap & glove my hands. I also usually wear shoes when kicking a bag. I've known too many pro fighters who damage their hands WITH gloves to roll the dice and not wear them. I'm not a pro fighter. I use my hands daily at a regular job. If I break a knuckle or hurt my foot by kicking a bag without shoes on, I'm the one who suffers. Maybe I'm getting old, but I'm interested in proving how tough I am compared to a heavy bag.

[Kodiak]

It's not about proving you're tough, its about having the same attitude of protecting your hands the old fashioned way at the bag that you'll need in a self defense situation.