| p>The theory of training for punching power using a | | | | the ability with a makiwara. |
| makiwara board is that you are using your fists in | | | | The makiwara originated in Okinawa, Japan, the |
| such a way that you would naturally fight with them | | | | birthplace of karate. The karate practitioners were |
| on the street. There are no bag gloves in dark alleys | | | | poor farmers that crated their makiwaras with parts |
| and there are no pads when your personal space is | | | | that they had available to them. In staying with |
| invaded by an attacker. | | | | tradition, it is quite possible to create your own |
| The makiwara board will create a denser bone | | | | makiwara even as a modern martial artist. |
| structure in your fists as well as create large | | | | The makiwara can also help students of boxing as |
| callouses with long-term use. With careful training, you | | | | well as MMA and other martial arts. Whenever there |
| can achieve iron-like fists unavailable with any other | | | | is punching involved, the makiwara will benefit your |
| type of punching power training. | | | | sport. |
| The idea behind the makiwara is not to bash your | | | | The makiwara is basically a flexible board mounted to |
| hands into bloody stumps and then expect them to | | | | the floor of your dojo or practice space, and |
| be amazing weapons. You can do a lot of damage | | | | traditionally has a slightly padded target. The |
| with makiwara training if you are not careful, and you | | | | Okinawans used rice rope, but there are many |
| must ease into it and stop if you ever get an injury. | | | | options available to pad your own makiwara board. |
| Starting slow and building up to higher intensities and | | | | All in all if you are going to being makiwara training, |
| repetitions is the name of the game. You can't just | | | | make sure that you start out slow and follow the |
| start makiwara training and hope to have fists of | | | | advice of experts. Be careful with your fighting tools |
| steel in just a few days. Nonetheless, it is possible to | | | | (your fists) and you can build them up to be very |
| achieve such results over time, and you can only get | | | | serious weapons. |