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Iron Palm development

A lot of people write us asking how to develop the Iron Palm skill:

Sometimes they have already started (eg. after having watched a Shaolin movie)
Sometimes they have already bought training tools (in most cases very expensive, useless or even counterproductive)
Sometimes they have already damaged their hands (in many cases seriously)
…

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).

Instead of repeating the same things thousands and thousands of times privately by e-mail (etc.): we have decided to write this article, to give the right information (hopefully) before wasting time, money and (in some cases) health.

The 7 truths about Iron Palm that everyone should know

Let’s start (if we do not know what this skill truly refers to, let’s read Iron Palm conditioning (for beginners)):

What is it for – The (complete) Iron Palm is an advanced skill that, in combat, allows us to hit more freely and better (improving the performances and reducing our risks of damage); another possible application is to embark on a meditative path (but for this, we do not necessarily need to reach the highest level)
Never rely on those who have not deeply worked on it – On such a delicate and dangerous subject, the only people worth listening to are those who have truly trained it (for years); the others should not be listened to, also because, it is not uncommon that the few scant knowledge often derives from none other than martial arts movies (!)
No miracle ointments needed – The famous Dit Da Jow is simply an ancient liniment that (as many other) helps to heal bruises, sprains and other injuries; it is not necessary to develop Iron Palm, on the contrary, if we feel to need it, it probably means that we are following a wrong path (and we should stop immediately)
Do not buy useless training tools – Before spending our money on the wrong training tools, we must know that, first, 90% of them are counterproductive (they get our muscle memory to do wrong movements, far from the idea of combat); second, most of them can be built / recovered for free; third, we need a precise path (we cannot read one thing there and another from a totally different source)
How the skill truly works – We must understand that Iron Palm does not make us invincible nor our hands indestructible (in no case); without all the other combat skills (spatial intelligence, technique, timing, resistance, etc., read How to learn to fight: all the steps), even the most advanced preparation leads nowhere; acquiring this skill without a serious martial path at our shoulders is like buying the wing of a Ferrari without having a car (it is completely useless); another important thing to stress is that most martial arts experts do not possess this capability (not at its highest level) and do not need it
We must have a precise goal – If our goal is to reach the highest level of Kung Fu, let’s start from the beginning (and not the end, read How to start practicing from scratch); if the goal is to deceive our friends to possess a “supreme ability” or be able to break (apparently) very hard objects, it is better to stay away from this path (there are infinite tricks that can be learned in a few hours)
Never start alone – We are strong supporters of the value of home study (read Online learning and martial arts: is it possible?) but not without an interactive guide (especially when we talk about training that can truly hurt us, well before our conscious understanding); on the internet, there are plenty of exercises that are completely useless and other that are only harmful

A note by Master Kongling – I know that what you have read is not what you probably wanted to listen but I must say these things, even if it economically damages our school. Let’s be clear: we recognize the value of Iron Palm and we have a video course about it but we will never say that it is for everyone or that it will make you invincible (see Iron Palm: complete development path). For years, that course (as for many others) has remained accessible only to our advanced practitioners: we have decided to make it public precisely to give (with the right premises), a path to those who are serious about understanding how to develop this capability (in the 6 Dragons Kung Fu school’s way, we do not pretend to talk for the others).

In-depth video courses

Diamond Finger conditioning – How to prepare our fingers to be effectively used in combat
Iron body: the development path – How to condition our entire body from impact

In-depth articles

Conditioning to pain: hitting our body – How to start a serious conditioning path
How to train without risks – A simple path to study Kung Fu avoiding the most common risks

Questions

Reply in the comments and share your experience:

Are you interested in Iron Palm development?

Author: Master Kongling

Founder of 6 Dragons Kung Fu.

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