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Hands strengthening for combat

Conditioning: why and how?

In martial arts terms, at least basic impact conditioning (read Conditioning check for the impact) of the body is a key aspect for those who want to:

Be able to face a real fight (eg. for self-defense, read How to learn to fight: all the steps)
Reduce the risk of serious damages (eg. missing a target, read How to minimize the chance of hand breaking while fighting?)
…

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).

In relation to this purpose, one of the first focuses is to strengthen what we could call “the tip of our core weapons”: the hand (even if we plan to use only open-palm strikes).

A note by Master Kongling – Despite what many people think, there is absolutely no need to destroy our hands to reach a more than satisfactory result: we can maintain a “normal” hand aspect and at the same time, preserve its integrity (bones, etc.).

A gradual path

The first type of hand conditioning we are going to address may appear light but if we do not force the right graduality, we risk seriously compromising its normal functionality.

A note by Master Kongling – You cannot imagine how many people come to me asking what to do after having ruined their bodies (and especially their hands).

The fact is that the hand can be considered at the same time powerful and delicate:

Powerful because (if correctly implemented and prepared) it allows us to release a huge amount of energy
Delicate because composed of small bones (easy to break, in the wrong circumstances)

Our first goal is therefore to fortify it a bit (knuckles, fingers, muscles, etc.), enough to avoid damaging our bones while (more or less voluntarily):

Hitting our opponent in a bad way
Hitting our opponent in the wrong area
Missing a target
…

A note by Master Kongling – Naturally, the ability of a fighter to preserve body integrity is not based only on the reinforcement but on a set of factors (read for example 6DKF’s interactions: from the strong blow to the light touch).

A first practice for hand conditioning

Here is a simple exercise that almost everyone can do without big difficulties or risks: the one with the bag of rice.

The exercise

What we need:

Let’s take a fabric bag and some rice
The bag must be filled at 65-75%
The bag must be firmly graspable with one hand
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The preparation:

Let’s grab with one hand (with a very firm grip) the bag
Then we just have to hit the bag with the other hand (and then vice versa)
The hand with the bag must not move, it has to absorb the hit (it is part of the training)
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In the first weeks let’s not impress any type of power.

How to hit:

First, we have to hit in sequence, with each knuckle individually (with the one on the index finger, then with the ring one, etc.)
Second, we have to hit with each finger (again in sequence); outstretched, then curved, then folded in half and then closed
Third, we have to hit with the palm, with the back and with the 2 remaining sides of the hand
Fourth, we have to hit the 4 sides of the wrist
Fifth, we have to hit with couples and trios of fingers (both closed together and separated)
Sixth, we have to hit with lunges, beatings and directional pressures (down, right, etc.)
Seventh, we have to hit with fingers in random positions (crossed, leaning, etc.)

IMPORTANT – After each blow, we should certainly feel a vibration but in no case crescent stress or pain. Particularly at the beginning, we must be careful and learn to feel the conditions and the limits of our body. When it comes to martial arts conditioning the slower we go the faster we improve.

How to optimize the exercise:

We can freely mix the various types of stimuli but we have to maintain a general balance of the totals
With time, we have to gradually aim to hit at the maximum power that we can express but always without hurting ourselves (again, we must understand that to force the pain slows down our evolution, especially at the beginning)
Let’s not waste time dedicating only to this practice, let’s connect it to other activities (eg. standing stamina development, read Standing stamina: what is and its development)
If we are doing all correctly our hands should redden slightly but must not, in any way, remain injured nor aching
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Final notes

A few conclusive thoughts:

It is important to stress that this is an introductory exercise to conditioning (it helps us to pass to other types of stimulations) but even if it should not be very harmful if we feel pain, we have to immediately interrupt and wait for a few days for total recovery (if the problem persists even after 3-4 days we have to immediately consult a doctor)
Let’s not be stupid, our fingers are extremely precious; let’s not try to develop skills like Iron Palm, Diamond Finger (etc.) if we do not have the patience to follow an incredibly slow evolution (we talk about years)
In conclusion, one of the most common questions is if there is a need for special ointments; no, they are useless if things are done the way they should be done
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In the next article of this series, we will continue our combat conditioning path.

In-depth video courses

Iron palm: complete development path – A step-by-step and visual explanation of the correct development
Iron body: the development path – The entire path to the body conditioning for impact
Diamond Finger conditioning – How to strengthen the finger enough to use it in combat

In-depth articles

Iron Palm conditioning (for beginners) – The first approach to an advanced skill
Iron Palm conditioning – The general path to the impact conditioning of the hands

Questions

Reply in the comments and share your experience:

How do you feel your knuckles?

Author: Master Kongling

Founder of 6 Dragons Kung Fu.

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