Is body hardening a lost practice?

[JR 137]

It certainly seems that such training is not a staple of martial arts as it once was. Nowadays it appears to be limited to a few older instructors who are among the last generation to have learned it. Often times these martial artist are regarded as old-fashioned.

I agree. Seems that the landscape has been altered over quick results, no matter the quality of those results, it's for the quantity instead.

Imho!!

Why learn and try to perfect one kata, when you can learn the movements of 10 kata

Why exercise and change your diet to reduce blood pressure when you can take a pill for it

Note: I'm not stupid enough to believe that exercise and diet alone are enough for every single person.

[armanox]

It certainly seems that such training is not a staple of martial arts as it once was. Nowadays it appears to be limited to a few older instructors who are among the last generation to have learned it. Often times these martial artist are regarded as old-fashioned.

I agree. Seems that the landscape has been altered over quick results, no matter the quality of those results, it's for the quantity instead.

Imho!!

Why learn and try to perfect one kata, when you can learn the movements of 10 kata

Why exercise and change your diet to reduce blood pressure when you can take a pill for it

Note: I'm not stupid enough to believe that exercise and diet alone are enough for every single person.

No, but it is the over all additude of "I want it now" that prevails in today's world.

[IcemanSK]

Old school Korean hand conditioning with GM Hee IL CHO.

My first master was a proponent of this kind of training. His knuckles were very calloused from hitting a Gwon Go (Korean for makiwara). I followed suit when I was a teen. I went on to box (beginning in my 20's). Because of mild cerebral palsy, I only have fine motor skill ability in my left hand. Now in my later 40's, I have the beginnings of arthritis & carpal tunnel in my left hand. I stopped doing the toughening drills about 30 years ago, because I realized I needed to save my hands as much as I could. For me, the damage outweighed the benefit that I might receive.

[bushido_man96]

That clip of GM Cho is impressive. He is really popping that thing!

[Alan Armstrong]

In the 1970's it was not uncommon to know of 'punch drunk' boxers' They were just hit in the head too many times.

An unexpected punch to the stomach can still kill a professional fighter. Even if they are conditioned to take punches. This is how Houdini died.

As an older martial artist, I keep up with the tuffer is better principles. Doesn't make me invincible. Just gives me a few more seconds to endure punishment and return the favor with 'Instant karma'

[MatsuShinshii]

I think generally speaking people are wimps these days. The avg guy with a labour job from years gone by were more hard core than the avg MA guy of today.

Forget body hardening, if dojo trained half as hard as they did even 15-20 years ago they wouldn't have enough students to keep the doors open.

Took the words right out of my mouth. Could not agree more.

[wildbourgman]

I don't think we take the time in most instances to get the results brought on by body hardening for many reasons. Fast paced lifestyles, results right now attitudes, and an ADD/ADHD diagnosis for everyone doesn't help.

[bushido_man96]

It could be that the thought process behind body hardening is that it isn't as necessary now as it might have been. That, and the fact that we've learned so much about training that we know that to have an effective punch, it isn't necessary to train that way.

Its also important to look at what people do for a living, as well. We've got a high ranked black belt in our organization that doesn't do board breaks with his hands. He's a doctor, and he kind of needs those hands to make his living. He doesn't really gain anything by trying to punch boards with his hands, so he uses elbow strikes instead.

Body hardening might be fun training for some people, but I really don't know that it is necessary training anymore.

[Alan Armstrong]

As hard as a puppet and as flexible as a rag doll. Being hard needs to be balanced with flexibility.

Yin/Yang balance. Strong and Yielding. Bamboo wisdom, strong and flexible. Or as Bruce Lee liked to say "be like water my friend"

[gunner]

We used to use buckets of sand to toughen the hands. Adding water makes it harder.

Wooden post wrapped with rags for feet, shins and elbows. Lots of hard contact on canvas bags also. Be careful not to sprain your wrists.

I also have a bag filled with beans to desensitize the knuckles. Be aware you can cause premature arthritis microfraturing your bones this way.