Classical Karate For The Modern WorldMakiwara Training

The Makiwara
The makiwara is probably the most misunderstood and incorrectly used piece of training equipment in a karate dojo today. Because of this, most modern karate practitioners don’t train hitting one. That may, in an indirect way, be a good thing. The damage to the hands and wrists that can result from improper use of the makiwara is often long lasting, and sometimes permanent.

However, the makiwara is also the primary tool for understanding and refining proper karate technique. In The Essence of Okinawan Karate-Do, Shoshin Nagamine states, "I do not know of any karate men who do not hit the makiwara." Itosu, Chibana, Motobu, Kyan, Miyagi, Funakoshi, Uechi, and Shimabuku all trained hitting the makiwara. Sherman Harrill trained hitting the makiwara. To fully understand and develop the striking techniques found in Isshin-ryu Karate, you must train with the makiwara. You cannot remove the makiwara from your training and still call what you do karate.



"Hitting the makiwara in a method reminiscent of a willow branch snapping in the wind, but holding the final point of contact as firmly as a piece of steel rod for a brief time, developed a type of focused strike easily recognized as the thrusting punch of karate-jutsu."

Choki Motobu (1871-1944)



Training with the makiwara must be approached with great respect. If all you are going to do with the makiwara is to hit it until your knuckles bleed, there is little value in even attempting makiwara training. If, however, you are taught how to hit the makiwara, when to hit the makiwara, and why you hit the makiwara; the makiwara will become as important to you in your training as your sensei.
Any student of karate who is seriously interested in developing real karate skill will need to spend many hours training with the makiwara and will over time become very intimate with it. You must learn to listen to your makiwara, because the sound the makiwara makes when being struck is important.

Many karate practitioners today do not realize that the same psychological and visualization techniques that are used by today’s top Olympic athletes have been used for centuries by generations of karate masters before them when training on the makiwara.

Makiwara training is not about your knuckles; that is like saying learning to play the guitar is all about building up calluses on your fingertips. Makiwara training is about strengthening your stance, understanding striking distance, developing proper focus, understanding body mechanics, and developing real striking power. It is through training with the makiwara that you will begin to develop Chinkuchi (body, mind, breath coordination).
 

 
Typical makiwara (punching post).
 
 


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Gilbert's Isshin-ryu Karate
Clinton, TN 37716
Phone: (865) 712-2560
 

Here a interesting article I copy off the internet from gilbert web site
 

I already know how to hit makiwara. I have seen this one karate sensei in his late70 or early 80 still hitting it it. But i guest you get old your body jusy start slowly decaying. You could buy you good blade Tom and carve of somebody too. I have seen that happen too. Peper spray if lot of wind might come back in your on face unless it has alot of pressure while spraying I have seen police department while in training spray each other in face with  it .

That is Great, that you already know how too Its not uncommon fot Karate people hitting the Makiwara too hit it with out having the Mind-Set" Training, it is Good that you Do
I gess that is one way of putting it (the body just starts to slowly decay - when you get old) But, when one is into the Study of The Martial Arts, As A Way Of Life(not just the fighting, but mostly for the Health Benefits As Well) That is One reason one Should Also Study Qigung! So that the body Decay's Much Slower  I didn't give up my Makiwara training because of Age, it was because I have Become Entirely Internal - We Train in the proper way, we just use Hand-Mits, instead of the Makiwara
I just listed the peper spray, sap gloves, and the steel toed boots as an alterative to Harding the Hands, and the Feet, thats all
My friend, I do not Need To Carry any type of Weapon, but thank you for your thought Now, having said that = When i was doing the body guard thing - the items i listed i did carry - and in the 15 years that i used them, never did i have the spray blow back into my face - It all goes back too the "Level" of One's Training, of when, where, how, and why too use what ever, those people that had the spray blow back into there face, well "if things can go wrong, they will" - Right

Have fun Master Moran.
Take some photos or video if you can.

Scott