What is the best way to do finger pushups?

[phantom]

I was always told that when doing finger pushups, you should spread your fingers on the floor, because doing them on your fingertips can ruin your vision, because there are meridians on your fingertips which are connected to your eyes. However, on the kung fu forum in the "figertraining question" thread, Drunken Monkey said that spreading your fingers puts too much pressure on your fingers, which can lead to tendonitis and arthritis. So what is the best way to do them? Thank you for any advice that you can give me on this topic

[Paul DiMarino]

Make sure your finger are bent (like a tiger claw) and not straight or bending backwards. By bending the fingers, you build the tensile strength of the connective tissue, but if your fingers are straight or bent inwards, then you are jamming the bone and putting undo stress on connective tissue as well as the bone and cartilage.

[Scarletmantis]

They're also much more difficult that way. If you find you can't do them while maintaining proper form, fear not! Most people in our modern industrial society don't get enough hand exercise (typing dosen't count!). Try working your Tiger Claws from a static posture. Everytime you think of it, open and clentch your fists for a few minutes as rapidly as you can. This will develop speed and power in all your grabbing techniques (try it, it's harder than it sounds).
Also, place your Claws as Paul described on any flat surface and apply static pressure while observing proper form. You'll be doing fingertip pushups the right way in no time!

"The essence of life is struggle and it's goal is domination. There are higher goals and deeper meanings, but they exist only within the minds of men. The reality of life is war."

[8stepsifu]

Even a foot can teach us that. I have students stay on the pads of their fingers because of the vision danger and make sure that they can see an arch from the side view.

Scarlet Mantis....You do those two?....your hands get going slow as the burn sets in, but you get a second "wind" after a while. We had to do those for 10 minutes, but I've gone as long as 30 durring boring classes.

We do different finger excersices for different purposes such as twisting the radius and ulna, grabbing clothing, grabbing muscle groups, lose flesh etc.

If your not bleeding, your not having enough fun.

[Brian_CA]

Phantom,

I am afraid I have to disagree with the last few posts. By placing the fingers in the manner discribed, you can do serious long term damage to the tendons and ligaments in your hands, forearms and shoulders. While this type of training may make you strong, the long term effects are artheritis and tendonitis. If you are going to attempt the fingertip pushups make sure that the fingers make a nice supportive arch. That means FINGERS STRAIGHT, NOT CURLED! Make sure that your fingers are not too spread and not too close, they have to be just right. Listen to your body, if you feel a sharp firey pain, back off, you are straining yourself and just doing damage to your body. As a Kung fu practitioner, Yoga instructor and Body worker I feel that it is my ethical duty to warn you against this type of unnecessary training.

[3BladesFighter]

sorry, but now i'm confused of all this. it's all going in different ways. one says to do it arched, and the other says straight. just please tell me how to do it CORRECTLY, please.


P.S.- please leave details and embellishments if desired!!!!!

"Build from the past, live in the present, and ignore the future. What you do now determines what happens later" -Phoenix

[GunnedDownAtrocity]

ask a doctor

where's my beer?

[qeySuS]

Let me get this straight. From the posts (besides from the kungfu/yoga/body worker) is it correctly seen that your recommending you do the pushups on the fingerTIPS? by fingertips i mean the TIP of your finger,that is so when you do pushups your fingernails basicly touch the ground too.

Because i've never done those, i always do the pushups with the part of the finger that grabs (opposite side to the fingernails)

So which side is it?

Free thinkers are dangerous.

[3BladesFighter]

please just tell the right way!!!

"Build from the past, live in the present, and ignore the future. What you do now determines what happens later" -Phoenix

[ddh]

the best way is to have a large girl friend!!!
Got to be light sometimes.

[phantom]

I have just purchased an issue of Martial Arts Legends magazine which focuses on martial fitness. In, there is a picture of Matt Furey doing finger pushups with the fingers straight and you can see an arch between his thumb and the rest of his fingers. So until anyone can offer me irrefutable evidence to the contrary, I am going to agree with the Yoga instructor. No offense, guys. Thanks again for your help. Peace.

[GeneChing]

This doesn't look like a healthy way to do this. I've seen plenty of finger push ups and hand (finger) stands - one finger zen is a Shaolin thing - but not with so much contortion of the 2nd finger joint.

[SteveLau]

Dear All,

I need to agree with Brian_CA's view on the topic. Sure keeping our fingers flexed is the right way to carry out the exercise. But my point is that it is too stressful to our fingers. I have been doing the exercise for some times during the 1990s. And my thumb was thus injured. So if one wants to strength his fingers, use a equipment to train the flexor and extensor of our fingers.


Regards,

KC
Hong Kong