Makiwara Training

One of the major images in the general public’s perception of Karate is that of  Karate practitioners performing feats of breaking wood, tiles etc. In fact there  seems no end to the materials that seem to be attacked, even large blocks of ice  that would be more at home among the ice flows of the Bearing Sea.

However, I am confining myself to what is loosely known as hand conditioning; by  use of the traditional Makiwara. With regards to the wide range of  striking aids on the market I give no opinion, and confine myself and these few  words to what we would all recognise as the traditional post Makiwara  with Japanese rye straw striking head.

Makiwara  can come in many different forms, of which each has a different lesson to teach.  Coordination, strength, speed. When one truly practices with the Makiwara  the gains are tremendous, however the down side can be very serious lifetime  injury. That is why very deep thinking should take place before undertaking this  type of training. The major problem facing the determined practitioner is that  age old one, finding a competent Instructor. One that does truly understand the Makiwara Waza, and can guide you through what will bring about massive  changes in bone structure and physical appearance etc. If you are fortunate he  will do all in his power to dissuade you from taking such a path as I will do  now.

There is no question that children should ever, under any circumstance,  undertake Makiwara practice. It is said by some that between 16 and 18  years old a student must have their parent’s permission to undertake such  training, permission for what? To have possible arthritics in years to come and  malformed hands, problems caused by shock wave to the lung spine, loss of  sensitivity and much more! Many of these effect will take years to become  apparent, what parent has the right to give that permission?

There is so much clap trap written and advocated on hand etc conditioning it  would be hilarious if it was not so dangerous. And the mythology surrounding  this type of training are legion, a prime example is that a Shuto can  sever the horns of a bull, no human hand can break the horns of a bull, anyone  who thinks it can be done should just carry on with their Harry Potter book!

Are you dissuaded yet? You should be! There’s a multitude out there just waiting  to get their hands on your hands (couldn’t resist the pun) and of course, your  money.

One of the essential ingredients needed for Makiwara practice is the  medication that is applied to the different areas of the hand. The real thing is  not cheap and you will use a lot of it. A knowledgeable Teacher will identify it  for you, however, be aware that you could be easily sold a product that may well  be sold as a hair restorer in another country or a claimed remedy for an  antisocial disease! It’s a sad fact that I have seen examples of such cons.  Still determined?

The straw Makiwara head must be of quality Japanese straw, over the years  a look-alike has appeared from the China area which are very cheap; however  there is a high risk that under certain conditions they develop fungi. Which, if  it get into your system through a scratch, you could be in serious trouble.

I am an admirer of boxers, I admire the skill level and commitment to consistent  and rigorous training, and I don’t believe that a boxer can function as a boxer  without bag work, likewise there is a school of thought that says that a  Karate-Ka does not function without Makiwara training.  

Makiwara  is a much overlooked aspect of Karate, indeed some Masters believe that  without it, a Karate-ka’s effectiveness is dramatically reduced, some  even say they become ineffective. The regime is a hard one to follow physically  mentally, and yes, spiritually. One must work at it daily through the four  seasons. In the beginning daily strikes on either hand may range from 30 to 60,  morning and evening. As well as before and after formal practice! To many this  number may seem low, however your kime should be to a depth of about 2in  and it is usual to have a training partner standing behind the Makiwara  post with the palm of there hand about 2in away. The partner must be consistent  and diligent in that only strikes that make the Makiwara post slap their  hand are counted. So it is easy see why one must start on low numbers.

So, when you  can drive the Makiwara post to slap your partners hand 50 times in  succession and it is repeatable daily, you will be well on you way to power  kime and  Mushin.

It has been scientifically measured that a punch trained on the Makiwara  can measure up to 2000lbs per square inch, and when repeated again and again, it  is awesome to think that the human hand can take that pressure. At this point,  the practitioner will have united with the intangible Shin-Gi-Tai.

At this point you may well be asking the question “was I dissuaded or did I  under go the practice?” Well I will tell you…………. No. Actually, no I won’t. I  will leave that one to your imagination.