Finger conditioning

[Hopping Frog]

Although I'm sure that there have been similar threads like this, I wanted to know: What is the best way to condition your fingers for striking? I do finger pushups, but that's all. Should I be striking a bag with a tiger claw or something? And if so, hard bags or soft? Or stabbing my hands into buckets of beans like on the discovery channel Shaolin temple spotlight?
Any educated opinions would be appreciated. Simon

[IronFist]

What are you trying to condition your fingers for?

[BruceSteveRoy]

i was once told the best way to condition the fingers is to go to home depot and buy one of those planters that stand a couple feet high and buy a bag of sand put the sand in the planter and begin striking it with the fingers. after you can do this for a long period of time without it bothering you add very small pebbles to the sand. after that taker the sand out and fill it entirely with very small pebbels. i think the kind you put in the bottom of a fish bowl would work but i am not sure. then when that is easy add rocks that are a little bit bigger then take out the pebbles and just use rocks. and keep going in that manner. i think you get the idea. i think by the end of this whole process you will be striking a stone block with your spear hand. but i dont know for sure. i dont know how much this really helps since i am lazy and have yet to try it but let me know if you do.

[dougadam]

i was once told the best way to condition the fingers is to go to home depot and buy one of those planters that stand a couple feet high and buy a bag of sand put the sand in the planter and begin striking it with the fingers. after you can do this for a long period of time without it bothering you add very small pebbles to the sand. after that taker the sand out and fill it entirely with very small pebbels. i think the kind you put in the bottom of a fish bowl would work but i am not sure. then when that is easy add rocks that are a little bit bigger then take out the pebbles and just use rocks. and keep going in that manner. i think you get the idea. i think by the end of this whole process you will be striking a stone block with your spear hand. but i dont know for sure. i dont know how much this really helps since i am lazy and have yet to try it but let me know if you do.

I have tryed this.

My advice would be to not go to fast from sand to stones

Also I have heard this could lead to blindness.

[johnyk]

don't think of hitting anything before you get your grip strong.
Getting strong grip also helps the fingers. This is where my experience comes into play.

[dainos]

I have tryed this.

My advice would be to not go to fast from sand to stones

Also I have heard this could lead to blindness.

how the hell could it lead to blindess. your really not using your eyes. so you hiting stuff with fingers

[tattooedmonk]

do not strike any thing with you finger tips.... no thrusting fingers in sand or any other material( there are exceptions).....the meridians in your fingers and hands connect to the internal organs and this repeated shock can damage them... and yes..it can lead to blindness and other side effects...there is a better method ...however I do not know anything about you to know whether you are ready for this type of training..but if you are asking on this forum you might not be...if you are really interested to learn the proper way let me know.....

[El Guapo]

Hey so maybe there is something behing the "masterbating will make you blind" saying. I mean , if the meridians in your hand and fingers are connected to your organs and eyes. Who knows. Sure would take alot of jerkin though.
How about just jabbing a heavy bag with you fingers over 'n over?
Keep it simple huh.

[IronFist]

I've always heard the blindness thing, too.

Are there any piano players or anything that are blind? Are there any reported cases of repeated fingertip trauma that lead to blindness?

[tattooedmonk]

it can happen...but that does not mean that it will ...( I could get into how this can happen ..but I will not unless asked)... piano players do not thrust there fingers into materials that have a high compression rate..playing a piano requires a delicate touch and not much ....even if you are playing with heavy hands... they do not thrust them into them ...

[El Guapo]

it can happen...but that does not mean that it will ...( I could get into how this can happen ..but I will not unless asked)... piano players do not thrust there fingers into materials that have a low compression rate..playing a piano requires a delicate touch and not much ....even if you are playing with heavy hands... they do not thrust them into the ...

I disagree...piano keys have a very low compresion rate ( i would say zero, by the human hand) and they thrust thier fingers into them for hours and hours a day! even to the point of bleeding.
I would love to hear how it can happen. If you wouldnt mind explaining in scientific terms. If your going to get into shacra alingment and chi flow never mind.
Also please site your sources of information.

[tattooedmonk]

I disagree...piano keys have a very low compresion rate ( i would say zero, by the human hand) and they thrust thier fingers into them for hours and hours a day! even to the point of bleeding.
I would love to hear how it can happen. If you wouldnt mind explaining in scientific terms. If your going to get into shacra alingment and chi flow never mind.
Also please site your sources of information.

They are not thrusting their fingers into the keys like someone would be training iron palm. If they bleed it is because of the friction involved and not a result of thrusting them with a great amount of force in to the keys..

as I understand it ( I may be wrong) materials that have a less compression rate require less force to compress and materials with higher compression rates require a greater amount of force to compress. I posted incorrectly I got them mixed up.

Then I retract at least that part, switch it around, and still the point is just the same. If the materials require a great amount of force to compress then that sends a greater amount of shock though the body which can damage the internal organs. Were as the opposite is true for materials that require less force to compress and send less shock through the body and internal organs.

This is true if the same amount of force is applied to either materials.

I edited it to make the change.

and yes it has to do with sacral alignment and chi flow. why would it not rely on the structural alignment of our bones and our internal energy??

[dwid]

I would like to see evidence of one case of this outside of qi gong/kung fu circles. Truth be told, if this ever happens even to those practicing iron palm, it is most likely purely psychosomatic, a sort of hysterical blindness with no discernible organic cause.

[Sifu Darkfist]

Hey so maybe there is something behing the "masterbating will make you blind" saying. I mean , if the meridians in your hand and fingers are connected to your organs and eyes. Who knows. Sure would take alot of jerkin though.
How about just jabbing a heavy bag with you fingers over 'n over?
Keep it simple huh.

they have found that certain rare individuals go blind with over use of viagra i wonder if this solidifies the flying solo myth? Just think all those years the older gentlemen were told they will go blind then booommm they do from over use of something or other...

[TenTigers]

Rau Charles, Stevie Wonder, Beethoven-that's enough for me. I quit piano.