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A beginner-level physical approach to body strengthening

One of the first and simplest body conditioning exercises for the impact (read Conditioning check for the impact) is the practice of slapping: this practice is in fact indicated (with the right caution) also for novices.

Note – This article has been asked by one of our Core Course practitioners on Patreon (see how to attend our home study classes here Learn Kung Fu online: a beginner-to-expert course).

Basic benefits:

Mental and physical preparation – It establishes the basis for the psychological (read Acceptance and prevention of pain) and physical resilience of the practitioner
Deep conditioning – Not only does the body surface gets used to being beaten, but with time (and the improvement of our striking skills), also the internal parts
Wellness – It improves the general state of the body in various ways (blood circulation, etc.)
Health – In many cases, like a proper massage, it reduces / obstacles the accumulation of harmful material (lipids, rashes, etc.); with daily practice, the skin becomes more elastic and surface fat is eliminated
Proprioception – It increases the perception of our body (where is what, how does it feel to be hit, etc.) and improves the Qi’s flow (read The use of Qi in the 6DKF’s meaning)
Strengthening – It strengthens effectively and in a (relatively) secure way our muscles, bones, tendons (etc.)
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Advanced benefits:

Speed – If done correctly and constantly, it makes us used to perform fast / explosive movements for long periods of time without effort (more about this in Advanced speed and reflexes training video course)
Liquid structure – If performed with the right intent, it also helps the practitioner to learn to dose / concentrate the power (implementing liquid body states, read Combat interactions: from the strong blow to the light touch)
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How to start with the slapping conditioning exercise

This is a very simple training that, calibrating the intensity and the type of impact over our body, it can be valid for all levels of experience.

Safety tips

Before starting, it is important to follow these indications:

As usual, we always have to consult a physician before taking any type of training
Let’s start with very gentle / little slaps and after some weeks let’s start to increase the intensity
If we are already able to inflict very powerful blows or to concentrate the power of our strikes (read for example The metal sphere: how to release the force of a punch or a kick), let’s limit their incisiveness with intelligence (even the most conditioned organism has limits that in a cyclical context should never be exceeded)
Especially at the beginning let’s avoid doing this practice every day (every 3-4 days it’s okay)
We must calibrate the type of impact with gradualness and in relation to the sensitivity of the area we are working on
Covering the body surface, let’s avoid the cavities, the damaged / wounded / painful / ultra sensitive / inert / etc. areas; in particular, let’s be careful not to strike the ears with closed fingers or with the hand palm (we risk damaging the eardrum with the air compression)
If we feel any kind of discomfort let’s stop immediately and consult our physician
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The basic execution

Let’s see how to (gradually) perform the exercises:

Let’s wear comfortable and thin clothes that do not affect the intensity of the blows (maximum 1 layer)
Let’s slap symmetrically every part of our body (maximum 5-10 reps per part)
The hands that slap must be open and the entire arm relaxed (let’s try to execute whip blows)
Let’s gently start from the head and let’s get to the feet, we have to try to not exclude anything (except for genitals, breasts, eyes, throat and especially the ears)
This kind of activity can be performed for a minimum of 5-10 minutes to a maximum of 2 hours (but only sometimes and only at a higher level)
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A few variants

Sometimes, to alter the execution method described (read Same exercises, different execution):

We can try to imagine our Qi slide along the areas we hit (before, after or during practice, read /// Subscribe (it's free!) or Login to see this content ///)
We can apply impact control techniques through breathing (read for example How to breathe when I get punched)
We can perform the exercise in the shower, with completely wet clothes or even under the water
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Final notes

A few conclusive thoughts:

In the first weeks (or after a period of inactivity), it is possible that redness or bruising may appear (eg. on fatty accumulations, on delicate skins, etc.), it is quite normal and with constant practice it should not happen again
When the conditioning begins to be qualitatively good we can inflict more powerful hits (eg. even using Fa Jing) but always remaining rationally far from causing self-damage (more about this in the next articles)
In conclusion, it is important to stress that this is only a first step, or better, a part of the path and not the full preparation; this is absolutely not sufficient to be prepared for combat
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In the next article of this series, we will see the other steps of impact conditioning (read Conditioning to pain: an introductory exercise).

In-depth video courses

Basic 6 Dragons Kung Fu Exercises – A video course about the fundamental practices to build real martial skills
Advanced speed and reflexes training – A video course about how to develop combat speed (exercises, tricks and practical explanations)
Iron body: the development path – How to condition our entire body from impact
Structures for combat: liquid, solid, fluid – A visual explanation of body states, states changes and interactions

In-depth articles

Physical conditioning: how it works – The general physical conditioning for martial arts
How to learn to fight: all the steps – The full path from 0 to 100

Questions

Reply in the comments and share your experience:

Is your skin full of bruises after this practice?

Author: Master Kongling

Founder of 6 Dragons Kung Fu.

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