| The bedrock of hand conditioning for the forefist | | | | provided with the first taste of real pain. |
| or backfist strike is the knuckle pushup. The ability | | | | Once you've mastered that, it's time to "step up |
| of a fighter to perform several hundreds of | | | | to the plate" and move your pushups to the |
| pushups at a time, on his knuckles, in rough | | | | bumpy, gravel-covered surface of the street or |
| tarmac or even gravel, is a sure sign that the | | | | sidewalk. Once you get to the point where you |
| front "face" of his fists will be able to withstand, | | | | can perform 300 full-range knuckle pushups at |
| with room to spare, the pain associated with | | | | least three times per week on this kind of a |
| striking a hard surface. If you have performed | | | | surface, without stopping and without any |
| tens of thousands of pushups in your lifetime, but | | | | resulting cuts or tears to your skin, then you may |
| not one on your knuckles on a street or | | | | be satisfied that your fists are conditioned |
| street-like surface, you're in for a bit of a surprise. | | | | appropriately. Some breakers insist on regularly |
| You may be thinking to yourself, "Well, gosh, how | | | | seeking out the roughest surfaces they can find |
| hard could one pushup like that really be?" Try it; | | | | on which to perform their knuckle pushups. While |
| walk to the nearest sidewalk or parking lot, and | | | | that may seem extreme to some, these martial |
| do no more than assume the ready position on | | | | artists know that the higher the level of their |
| your knuckles, not endeavoring to even perform | | | | hand conditioning, the easier the breaks will be, for |
| one full-range pushup (and greatly intensifying the | | | | two reasons: First, their hands will be solid, like |
| pressure and pain on your fists), and see how | | | | battering rams unto themselves, and second, the |
| you do. Many people who do these pushups for | | | | likelihood is greatly diminished that the pain they |
| the first time come away thinking that it is the | | | | feel as they seek to break a stack of boards or |
| most intense pain they've ever felt; what, then, | | | | blocks will prevent them from performing the |
| does that say about the level of knuckle | | | | break successfully. |
| conditioning of someone who can perform | | | | An excellent complement to the knuckle pushup in |
| thousands of them at a time? | | | | fist conditioning is the repeated striking of the |
| The relevance of the knuckle pushup lies in the | | | | makiwara with both the forefist and backfist. It is |
| style of punch thrown by martial artists; the | | | | especially important to spend a lot of time |
| punch is actually thrown so that the primary | | | | working the makiwara from the backfist position, |
| strike is administered by the knuckles of the | | | | because neither the knuckle pushup nor the |
| index and middle fingers; a small part of the blow | | | | forefist makiwara strike will sufficiently condition |
| may be secondarily impacted at the site of the | | | | the "top" or "back" of the first two knuckles. |
| knuckles of the ring and "little" fingers, but those | | | | Granted, the development of this area is not as |
| fingers should not serve as strike points. Because | | | | essential for standard fore punch conditioning, and |
| the force of the strike is channeled through just | | | | if you plan to never throw a backfist then you |
| two specific points on the hand, it is absolutely | | | | could probably do without it, but your neglect of |
| essential that these areas are developed to a high | | | | this component will result in less-than-total punch |
| degree to make them both as destructive and as | | | | fist conditioning. |
| impervious to pain and damage as possible. | | | | While there's nothing terribly scientific about |
| Accordingly, in order for the knuckle pushup to | | | | striking the makiwara, it is advisable that you |
| accomplish its goals, it must be performed in such | | | | strike it each day, using a figure of 1,000 as a |
| a way that the knuckles of the first two fingers | | | | guideline for the goal number of repetitions. As |
| of each hand remain the primary contact points | | | | with all of these exercises, that figure is one up |
| on the surface on which the pushup is being | | | | to which you will have to work; nevertheless, |
| performed. In the beginning, the temptation is to | | | | once you are there, you will have reached a level |
| actually perform the pushup so that the weight is | | | | of conditioning that makes this area of the hand |
| borne by the entire fist. One reason for this is | | | | "breaking-ready." |
| simple inexperience; it usually requires a bit of | | | | As a substitute for the makiwara, you may use a |
| time put into doing the knuckle pushup to gain the | | | | heavy bag, but be mindful of a few things. First, in |
| balance necessary to perform the exercise with | | | | order for the heavy bag to serve as a suitable |
| only the knuckles of the index and middle fingers | | | | substitute for the rough surface of the makiwara, |
| serving as the contact points to the surface. | | | | it is advisable that you stick with a heavy bag |
| Additionally, there is often a misunderstanding that | | | | made of canvas. Nowadays, the heavy bags |
| the whole fist has to be developed, which is | | | | often used by martial artists are made of vinyl |
| simply not true. Remember, the actual strike | | | | and are quite a bit softer than the canvas bags. |
| points are the knuckles of the index and | | | | While this difference is important in allowing for |
| forefinger; any impact absorbed by the other | | | | kick training with less risk of foot injury, the |
| fingers should be very minimal, at most. | | | | old-style canvas bag remains the better choice |
| The best way to become proficient at the | | | | for hand conditioning. Also, make a point of |
| knuckle pushup is to begin gradually. It is best to | | | | locating the hardest part of the heavy bag, and |
| begin doing this exercise on a carpeted surface. | | | | use that as your striking surface. Today, most |
| Once you get to a point where you can do 300 | | | | canvas heavy bags are filled with fiber, but |
| of them (not necessarily as one set; 10 sets of | | | | regardless of the filler used, the tendency is for |
| 30, with a minute rest between sets, is fine), it is | | | | the contents to settle in the lower half of the bag. |
| time to move to a harder surface, like a linoleum | | | | This means that the part of the bag at or closest |
| floor. Again, you want to repeat the goal of | | | | to the very bottom will be the hardest, and is |
| arriving at the point where you can do 300 of | | | | therefore the area where you will find the most |
| these on that kind of surface. Next, it's time to | | | | beneficial place to strike. As with those who utilize |
| try a surface that's a little harder still, like the | | | | the makiwara, you should aspire to reach a point |
| smooth concrete floor you might find in your | | | | where you are striking the heavy bag to the tune |
| garage or outside at your patio. It is when you | | | | of about 1,000 repetitions each day. |
| move to this type of surface that you will be | | | | |