makiwara vs. heavybag

[ShirKhan]

Why not both?

 

I have a home-made makiwara, actually a flexible plank with towel padding. Striking it hardens your actual weapon points, the points that will contact your enemy. If you're having recurrent pain, you're not doing it correctly. Some people hit it very hard, thinking "no pain, no gain", and their hands, instead of becoming harder, become crippled. The idea should not be "hurting your bones" but rather "settling your bones"...I rap the makiwara with fast, light repetitions, just like it's a drum, bap bap bap bappity bap...and slowly increase the strength of the strikes. Pay close attention to what you are feeling in your hands. There's a momentary discomfort right away, this goes away quickly. Then it doesn't hurt at all. Increase the strike power marginally a little bit at a time, and then your body will tell you when you've done enough. There should never be any real pain, and no swelling or bruises afterward. I realize other people do it different ways, this works for me.

 

Be careful trying this, but I do the same thing to a cement wall with no pads. I start out basically rapping knuckles against the wall, just like It's a drum solo. Pick it up to light punches, listening to the rhythym...the next thing you know you are delivering loud SMACKS and I've inadvertently had people attracted to the noise who wanted to know what the heck I was doing! AGAIN...GRADUAL increase in power, LISTEN to your body...STOP when your body says enough! Injure yourself and training can be screwed for a month or more!

 

The heavy bag addresses all the supporting structure, joints and underlying bones. Here I also advise listening to your body and using moderate power that you increase marginally. The idea is getting all your support structure accustomed to full power delivery. Again, the thought is settling and hardening bones, strengthening joints, not injuring them.

 

I also have a trick that combines the makiwara and a free-standing bag...basically an inch-thick plank with a light pad on it, fixed with bungee cords to the free standing bag. Hit the pad, the plank bends and sinks into the bag. It works!