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What is the makiwara, how it works and what is it for?

The Makiwara is a Karate training tool:

It is basically a flat and smooth wooden board that develops vertically; in most cases, it is fixed to a wall or to the ground (with a stable base)
It is made to do not move but to “vibrate” (in fact, if not attached to the ground, only its lower part touches the support, leaving space between it and the wall)
It is used to condition the knuckles and improve the quality of the strikes
The practitioner stands in position in front of it and repetitively hits it with a rigid vibration (with the index and the middle finger’s knuckles)
The slight amount of vibration that the makiwara has, helps to release a vibration that strengthens the hand’s structure of the karateka
…

The goal of this practice is the same as other types of impact conditioning (like the Kung Fu’s Iron Hand, etc.): gain the capability to hit the opponents, even at high power, without easy damages.

Note – This article, has been written to reply to a question of Bryger99 (student of our Core Course, Instructor level).

What is the difference between the Karate’s approach to impact conditioning and the Kung Fu’s one?

Without entering too much on details, we could say that:

The Karate’s methods work on hard vibrations against hard or vibrating targets
The methods of (some styles of) Kung Fu work on elastic vibrations against hard or soft targets

In particular, in 6 Dragons Kung Fu, we concentrate our efforts on:

The release of the power of our blows inside the target (eg- with a whipping movement)
The precision of the disposition of the hand while entering in contact with the target
The calibration of the right amount of power (in relation to our level and especially to the necessity)
The compression of the reticular space in the bones (but maintaining flexibility and sprinkling)
Thicken muscles and internal parts rather than building external calluses
…

What is the difference?

We do not want to move the discussion to what is more effective, safe or other (this evaluation is in the hands of the wise practitioner), we simply want to show what are the consequences.

To repetitively hit a hard / vibrating target (with a rigid / vibrating force) will:

Strengthen the bones and the muscles
Work on breathing
Improve blows’ quality
Improve precision and control
With time, develop external calluses (called kendako)
Stiffen the involved limb
…

On the other side, hitting a hard or soft surface with an elastic / soft force, will:

Strengthen the bones and the muscles
Work on breathing
Improve blows’ quality
Improve precision and control
With time, develop internal thickenings
Maintain flexible and strong the involved limb
Improve the muscle chain
Teach to distribute the impact power (to strengthen it or to weaken it)
…

The relation between the makiwara and Poles training

With the Poles training, we work against rigid structures (wooden cylinders, parallelepipeds, etc. read Basic tools: the pole) and we condition our limbs in a similar way but we do it:

In a dynamic context
Adapting our contacts to the surfaces
Continuously fading between leaning, trapping (read Trapping) and striking moves
…

We do something that has a similar goal but we do it in concomitance with a fight-oriented (gradual) practice.

We also have repetitive conditioning methods but only to build advanced skills (read also All the skills of 6 Dragons Kung Fu) and not to be prepared to hit freely with the knuckles.

The point is that, as many karatekas say, if our training is longer than 2 hours per day, even the makiwara workout can have a meaning but if we train only 3-6 hours per week, it is totally wrong to lose time that could be implemented to learn more useful combat interactions.

In 6 Dragons Kung Fu, the Poles exercise starts after the exit from the beginner’s phase of awakening but only because it is a multigoal practice.

A note by Master Kongling – We love and respect Karate, we have a lot of practitioners with such experience and 6 Dragons Kung Fu itself has learned a lot from it (read 6DKF: what does it teach? and Master Kongling: my experience with Karate).

In-depth video courses

Diamond Finger conditioning – How to prepare our fingers to hit in a dynamic combat situation
Hand grip strength conditioning – How to improve and strengthen our grasp capability (for martial purpose)

In-depth articles

Conditioning check for the impact – The conditioning goals of our school in relation to the impact
Hands conditioning: first approach with a bag of rice – The first step of a serious hands conditioning path

Questions

Reply in the comments and share your experience:

Have you ever tried to train with a Makiwara?

Author: Master Kongling

Founder of 6 Dragons Kung Fu.

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