Holding bricks when you punch

[YouKnowWho]

- Get 2 bricks of 7 lb each.
- Hold it in both hands.
- Repeat jab and cross combo for 30 times.
- Rest for 30 seconds.
- Repeat jab and cross combo for 30 times again.
- Rest for 30 seconds.
- Repeat uppercut and hook combo for 30 times.
- Rest for 30 seconds.
- Repeat uppercut and hook combo for 30 times again.
- Repeat this training 3 times a week.

What's your opinion about this training?

[Orion Paximus]

Any kind of weight/resistance training you can put into your routine is optimal. Bricks are what we used before we had stuff like weights though. If it's punches you're working, just get some regular dumbell hand weights. however use bricks if you're also working grip strength.

[David Jamieson]

I wear brass rings on my forearms instead.
This outfit sells iron ones. http://www.martialartsmart.com/45-42.html

16 oz gloves and a heavy bag and keeping your hands up is more useful I think.
I've tried the punching with weights thing, it doesn't really mete out to anything in the end from my experience.
Most of your fa jin (power issuance) is gonna come from your position and your structure anyway.
I think punching with weights in the hands offers minimal value. But with the rings, the dynamic is changed a lot and has the added benefit of toughening up the skin of the arms. Myself and my training partner use the rings regularly. When I first started with them back in the 90's it was bruise city!
Now, no more bruises, only an occasional pinch bruise but it doesn't even last anymore.

combo work can be done without weight and still give a decent amount of work to you.
1. 25 jabs left / 25 jabs right
2. 25 jab cross left lead / 25 jab cross right lead
3 25 jab cross hook left lead / 25 jab cross hook right lead
4 25 jab cross hook upper cut left lead / 25 jab cross hook uppercur right lead

No resting.

500 punches all in all, do them tight, do them as fast as you can, keep your footing and if that doesn't get your breath raised up an your punching strength isn't getting better when you move to the heavy bag, change from 25 to 50.


that is one of the benefits of iron skills as well.

[Kellen Bassette]

Basically what Orion said. The weights while punching is good for speed and arm endurance to help keep your hands up. Bricks are ok, but stone locks and dumbbells do the same thing. IMO the dumbbells are most convenient.

[bawang]

balance yin and yang. in shaolin kung fu, you lift both very heavy weights and very light weights, you lift both explosively and slowly.

[YouKnowWho]

Basically what Orion said. The weights while punching is good for speed and arm endurance to help keep your hands up. Bricks are ok, but stone locks and dumbbells do the same thing. IMO the dumbbells are most convenient.

Brick - develop finger (because you have to hold it with your fingers), wrist, and arm strength,
stone lock - develop wrist (because the weight is toward the end), and arm strength,
dumbbells - develop arm strength,

IMO, brick > stone lock > dumbbells

[-N-]

Brick - develop finger (because you have to hold it with your fingers), wrist, and arm strength,
stone lock - develop wrist (because the weight is toward the end), and arm strength,
dumbbells - develop arm strength,

IMO, brick > stone lock > dumbbells

You can develop all 3 if you work in a lumber yard or sheetmetal shop stacking materials :)

[Kellen Bassette]

You can develop all 3 if you work in a lumber yard or sheetmetal shop stacking materials :)

That's true....if you work in the woods or on a concrete or mason crew you don't need any weight lifting regimen.
A lot of civilian Kung Fu was practiced after a day of farm work with hand tools. Why people who sit at a desk all day think they can develop their Kung Fu without strength training is beyond me.

[Kellen Bassette]

Brick - develop finger (because you have to hold it with your fingers), wrist, and arm strength,
stone lock - develop wrist (because the weight is toward the end), and arm strength,
dumbbells - develop arm strength,

IMO, brick > stone lock > dumbbells

Those are good points...

[Dragonzbane76]

not a good idea to put weights or anything of that nature on your arms when throwing. Really bad for joints. I guess in moderation but still, it's kinda like heavy bag work with no hand wraps, same concept, hard on joints.

[crazedjustice88]

The mok yee pai that our school uses not only developes wrist and arm, but also grip. Both the crushing and the piercing type of grip. I have done all forms of these kind of training and to me it seems that the mok yee pai have made me much stronger than any of those other things have done. But again this is just me.

[YouKnowWho]

The following drill is called "李奎磨斧 (Li Kui Mo Fu) - Li Kui sharpens the axe" which is one of the "13 太保(Tai Bo)" training that was invented during the ancient time.

- To hold on bricks,
- stay in a bow-arrow stance,
- push (exhale) and pull (inhale) that bricks

It looks so much like jab and cross. I don't believe the ancient Chinese used this train method to develop punching power but to develop "body structure".


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C_0SZ6pDkYM

[YouKnowWho]

The brick will put extra work on your fingers strength.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N9Ovz0H-H3s

[Syn7]

I like the rings on the wrist idea. But wrist weights are fine. There are better ways to work on grip strength. Everyone has different goals, so what is right for one isn't always right for another, but what is true with everyone is that to achieve maximum efficiency in your goals is an art in itself. At what point do you live with diminishing returns in your primary focus to serve a secondary purpose? It's a tough balance.

Anyways... you want grip strength, then rock climb. They make weight lifters look like pussies in that area.

[xinyidizi]

I like swords more for practicing explosive power because the power passes through the sword and puts less pressure on my joints. I use dubmells and practice punching slowly for general strength and endurance but never with fajin. Long weapons like 2 part staff, Guandao,... are also good for practicing the core explosive power.

[GeneChing]

They are great cheap training tools. We use them for basic punching drills like described here and held out at arm's length just for the conditioning.
We also use them like meihua posts, balancing on them while doing stance conditioning or centering exercises.


IMO the dumbbells are most convenient.
Sitting on my butt and posting here on the forum is convenient. I'm not always looking for convenience when I train. I'm looking for challenge. There's something crude about working with bricks that I like. Reminds me of training in China.


You can develop all 3 if you work in a lumber yard or sheetmetal shop stacking materials :) Well, sure, but I don't work in either place. I sit on my butt and post here on the forum. :p So I need to lift weights sometimes. Or at least, lift some bricks.

[YouKnowWho]

Similar training:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hCCg5XXKayQ