Knuckle Conditioning.

[Fighter]

Hello,

I like to know what all you do to condition your knuckles.

I use three canvass bags:

1 filled with Sand
1 filled with Rice
1 filled with Gravel/Small Stones

And you simply punch one till it doesn't hurt than move on to the other.


So what do you do?

[Guest]

Easy. I no longer strike with the fist.

[Builderofmuscle]

you probably shouldn't condition your knuckles, unless you're really into all that old school shoalin stuff. But then, what the f#@$ do I know?

[ryanhall]

i agree with builder and bri

palm is much safer. unless you really know what you're doing, punching without injuring yourself is no easy task. just to be safe, palm the head and punch the body. do what works for you.

ryan

[Builderofmuscle]

I'm also against all those old school guys who spend all their time practicing kata and tenchnique while their watching tv, washing dishes, etc. That's is do dumb!!!!!

[DeSoLaToR]

well palm stikes are for the most basic levels of combat, but in more advanced levels u then use ur fists.

[platinum_angel]

lol unless you guys fight in the style of women cat fighting i would think that you should use you knuckle. i use my knuckles for almost everything. sure i use my palm for some things but using your knuckles is a lot better. and if you injure yourself from puching with a fist then you must have some weak ass wrists or don't know how to punch.

and for conditioning your knuckles i wouldn't do it because it might cause osteoporosis later on. i have looked in to it before. plus i like to feel the blood on them when i beat the hell out of someone-j/k.

[Builderofmuscle]

If you train your forearms, or at least work your arms, than you should be all right, you don't need to train your knuckles, unless you plan knock down a wall or something.

[ryanhall]

if you injure yourself from puching with a fist then you must have some weak ass wrists or don't know how to punch.

Hey, Platinum, what's up? Sorry, but that's not true. It is VERY easy to break a hand in a street fight.

1) unless your wrist alignment is perfect on a punch like a hook, you can break a wrist.
2) if your knuckles come into contact with something other than the chin, nose, or temple, there is an extremely high probablilty of breaking all the bones in your hand. (take a look at the gunting (elbow destructions, etc.) in the FMAs. I wouldn't try them but they do work if done properly. Hitting your fist on the tip of an elbow would break the hand, and a head is a lot harder than your elbow.

Open handed blows are safer, but are limited to linear paths (i.e. no palm hooks). You need both fists and open hands.

Ryan

[Builderofmuscle]

It isss true that you can easily brake your hand in a street fight. In a street fight you should probably use your elbows and knees more than punching, because it will reduce injury, and elbows are more deadlier.

[Mayur]

Hi there I am new here,

I disagree with u guys that knuckle conditioning is not necessarry but I will not argue

To fighter's original question -

I punch the heavy bag barefisted which consists of 70 percent sand and 30 percent sawdust

I also do bareknuckle push ups

Also punching straight down in a bucket filled with sand can also help u toughen ur knuckles.

Hope that helps,

Mayur B

[ryanhall]

What's the point of doing that?

[kh_s]

I`m no expert, not even experienced :P But I thought people conditioned their knuckles so that when they hit people, IT WILL HURT LIKE CRAP! What I thought was, when you punch cinder blocks, then eventually your knuckles will become as hard as cinder and when you punch someone, its like hitting them over with a cinder block ?? Is it true or do people just condition their knuckles just to not feel pain.

[eXcessiveForce]

Conditioning is for the reduction of pain and hardening of bone to reduce injury and discomfort.

Many martial arts systems believe in conditioning. Medical science tells us that if a bone is struck repetitively it will begin to calcify which will increase it's strength. The pain is reduced due to the nerves in the hands being damaged or destroyed. Hands that have been conditioned will lose sensitivity.

The skill will also get thinker causing calouses to form over the knuckles.

The best knuckle conditioning I ever saw was on a carpet layer. For twenty plus years he had used his knuckles to lean on while laying carpet.

The problem with conditioning is the possibility of damage to the joints causing arthritis.


It will not improve your hitting power.

Several years ago, There was a post I think it was on this board that put it like this.

A bus with a curved bumper approaches you at 35 miles an hour and hits you.
Another bus with a flat bumper hits you at 35 miles an hour.

The damage will be the same.


better off not conditioning. But if you choose to, get a book on Iron palm training.

[Szczepankiewicz]

What about conditionng my palms? Is there a good way to either develop or remove callouses???


My callouses hurt and my vision is getting weaker.....