knuckles!

[yann]

O.k. I know one man's hand conditioning' is another man's hand damage'...but!....here's a few questions

Do we all still do/teach knuckle pushups?

Are there legal implications if we do? (teach)

When I first started (back when bread was thruppence' a pint' juniors were allowed when they reached the age of 16...

In our club now, all juniors do hand pushups (press-ups in engerlish) seniors are on knuckles but not told to (he adds hastily, in fear of 'elf n safety')

I'm just looking for my learned friends opinions-Osu!

yann

[GJEC]

Jan 23, 2015 14:57:43 GMT -5 yann said:

O.k. I know one man's hand conditioning' is another man's hand damage'...but!....here's a few questions

Do we all still do/teach knuckle pushups?

Are there legal implications if we do? (teach)

When I first started (back when bread was thruppence' a pint' juniors were allowed when they reached the age of 16...

In our club now, all juniors do hand pushups (press-ups in engerlish) seniors are on knuckles but not told to (he adds hastily, in fear of 'elf n safety')

I'm just looking for my learned friends opinions-Osu!

yann

I don't like kids doing knuckle push ups on hard floors, but on mats is ok. When I used to do them - as a kid - I just wanted big knuckles. I stress now that knuckle push ups are to strengthen the wrist, not toughen skin.

Gary

[MMX]

WE only offer it as an option for the adults (16+) at our club. It is not mandatory.

[senshido]

All our adults do knuckle push-ups... I don't let Juniors do it at all, although as Gary says on a mat should be fine

[meguro]

There are worse things you can do than knuckle push-ups, like punching things with weak hands. I think there are better things for a beginner to do, like kb swings and dead hangs. Once you've strengthened the grip, then you might see the benefits of knuckle push-ups. Start out too soon, your hand collapses on itself and you end up not accomplishing what you set out to do.

[slaine]

When I started as a kid at 12 years of age we did them from day one and mats were a luxury ( we never had any ) in fact one of the dojos had a concrete floor and to this day I don't think it had any detrimental effect.

[GJEC]

I can remember my mother being curious when I started coming home with swollen and bleeding knuckles, but sadly I don't imagine many parents today would take it in their stride.

Gary

[slaine]

Jan 25, 2015 11:30:45 GMT -5 GJEC said:

but sadly I don't imagine many parents today would take it in their stride.

Gary

You're probably right unfortunately.

[meguro]

An old Kuntao/Goju instructor told me he conditions the small knuckles of his hands (pinky and ring finger) by resting his fists on a piece of wood, with the larger knuckles cantilevered out, small knuckles against the wood. I just tried it holding a plank position for a few seconds. It challenges the grip in a way I have never experienced before. After a boxer's break many years ago, I've always wondered how I might strengthen those little knuckles.

[yann]

interesting stuff,thanks. I've always done them on knuckles and as you say, I was told it was to strengthen the wrist to make for a better punch & to condition' the forefist .I haven't got any hand problems (to my knowledge so I must have done them right!) I remember years ago when tick Donovan stated that hand conditioning was no longer needed in 'modern karate' and all the shock/horror replies!....heheheh.Our juniors are all on hands, we've one 15 year old who's keen (& strong) who is just moving into the seniors class-he's dying to do the knuckles version, so as a compromise I told him if he must do it, then practise on carpet at home for a while first.

The other styles/arts attitudes are interesting too...who remembers the wushu kwan competitors at the british open in ermmmmm seventy something?   they were tough! I noticed inbetween rounds at tameshiwari, they were all rubbing something into their knuckles before their breaks..I did a bit of gung fu in about 75' (not a club, just some fellow students from hk) and I noticed their two small knuckles were the conditioned' ones-all (or most of) their strikes seemed to be like a tate tsuki from the navel area, straight up to jaw height whoops!!!! the thread is changing into all our yesterdays

osu yann

[powerof0ne]

I remember doing knuckle push ups as a kid and first time I ever did anything with mats was in Aikido. I can remember doing throws and take downs on nice polished hardwood floor...that we would always clean before and after each class by each holding a towl with bleach water...bent over while we walked back & forth along the dojo floor until we covered it all.
However, I have done wrist push ups, diamond, wide push ups and "Judo" pushups since I can remember too.
Osu!

[yann]

Good information (& thanks) in our club now, seniors are on knuckle pressups but some who have sensitive' work to do the next day use their hands..I am happy with that-life comes first eh?
After a long period (longggg period) of no knuckle stuff, two callouses appeared on my first two knuckles after about 10 months..
I think anything that puts undue pressure on your knuckles is going to harm them long term?
But then again, anything that puts pressure on any parts of your body will harm you long term???
Osu yann

[GJEC]

Once I joined the Fire service I studiously avoided anything that might cut or damage my hands. This was before we had surgical gloves on appliances so if we went to accidents it was quite normal to get covered in blood. Although AIDS was unheard of, other unpleasant infections were blood born so cuts were a liability.

So I never bothered with hand conditioning and wore gloves for bag work at a time when hard men hit hard bags bare fisted.

Did it harm my punches? Not one bit.

Gary