Punching makiwara: an intro to safe training

[@radioface3306]

“The goal is not to smash it… but find what’s weak in my body.” Great summary of the Makiwara’s true purpose, Sensei.

[@GojuRyuKarateCentre]

Ah, thank you so much for the lovely comment! So nice to hear from you - thank you for taking the time to watch and comment 🙇🏻‍♀️

[@Karylrx]

The real makiwara purpose is training you articulation alignment as you teaching here, also training the different shime ( waki, goshi, hakama, etc.) And shibori and Gamaku and hakkei and Shūchū-ryoku and Neri using Kime to coordinate all of then in each technique. Nice video, keep going!

[@GojuRyuKarateCentre]

Ah, all these terms! We should definitely do a video on all the different shime. If you have any particular references you think we should look at, please do send them! Either here, or to our mailbag at [e-mail] :)

[@mattzak9658]

Thank you for the mention..the last thing I expected. You do excellent work with all your educational videos, keep up the great work.

[@GojuRyuKarateCentre]

Ah, what an honour to have you drop in, Sensei! We are just happy that we can all contribute to the art we love, and trade in the marketplace of karate ideas. We find your videos super educational and helpful - it is an honour to hear the same from you 🙇🏻‍♀️🙇🏻‍♀️

[@GiC7]

Thank you sir, great explanation and tips how to train. Now I am going to use it in the dojo. Be blessed and blessings for your family and dojo amen

[@GojuRyuKarateCentre]

We are so glad you enjoyed it, and will hopefully find the information useful in the dojo! Thank you for your kind words, truly 🙇🏻‍♀️🙇🏻‍♀️🙇🏻‍♀️

[@johnarokium8068]

Very informative video about practicing on a makiwara. It is true that one needs to exercise proper form when punching and not just pounding it. Just as shime testing(testing of technique and power) is done when performing Sanchin kata, the makiwara is also a device to help one to check on body alignment, stability and stance . Alignment should be checked at the moment of impact and throughout the full the extension of the technique. The makiwara also provides positive reinforcement when you get it right and a painful negative reinforcement when you get it wrong. As you say Makiwara is your friend. Have a positive attitude towards your makiwara and it will teach you.

[@GojuRyuKarateCentre]

Truly, makiwara is friend, Sensei and mentor! All of this is true that you have written, and a great summary. So good to hear from you again, Sensei - we have missed hearing from you 🙇🏻‍♀️

[@themadrazorback2019]

Great video. I'm working through some of your older videos, finally... I learned a valuable tip from a gent named Daniel Sambrano (BareFisted channel YT), who unfortunately passed away, way to young. Take a pair of smooth leather gardening gloves and turn them inside out so the very smooth leather is interior. This provides a bit of hand protection, but especially skin protection. Skin and joints don't age well, protection is smart. If you lotion your hands prior to the workout, the gloves absorb this over time. Mine are a little small, so give some compression.

[@GojuRyuKarateCentre]

This is such a simple, but brilliant idea! Also, I personally don't want to have scarred hands - maybe it's a little bit of vanity, but this is a great way to get the gains without the scars :D

[@terrysanders2817]

Ché sensei, Just viewed this video for a second time and plan to view the Clark and Enfield videos you recommended. The idea of pressing vs striking a makiwara is intriguing. Have tried once since first viewing your video. Cheers, Terry.

[@GojuRyuKarateCentre]

We were so surprised and glad to see Sensei Matthew pop up in the comments here! Now we're just waiting for Sensei Enfield to notice we're here 🤣 Truly the makiwara has so much to offer - let us know what you think after trying the exercises 🙇🏻‍♀️

[@diegofrancoleon1609]

Very Very well explained and good work.

[@GojuRyuKarateCentre]

Thank you so much, Diego! More hojo undo videos coming soon 🙇🏻‍♀️

[@barbarba7]

Thank you Sensei. Very interesting to watch. Well done to both Sensei... Soon I'll make my own one and use at home. Looking forward to working out. Much love.

[@GojuRyuKarateCentre]

Wonderful! Maybe we can get our dojo woodworker to make makiwara as well? Having one of your own is the best. Can always tie something soft to a tree and start with that 💪

[@barbarba7]

@@GojuRyuKarateCentre that is a great idea. Definitely would purchase one

[@matthews1082]

Great video Sensei Che, a lot of fundamentals there for students to note. I'd like to say that we used to suspend a little stone at the end of a string, behind the makiwara. The idea was, if the student punches hard enough, the makiwara will hit the stone....and when the student can consistently hit the stone with the makiwara, we'd move the stone further away by about 2 cm....(we had a metal strip with holes fixed above the makiwara, and the string was attached to a little hook, so it's easy to move the stone). What I found was as the stone was moved further and further away, one had to continuously hone one's punching technique, so when the stone was 2 inches away it was easy to hit the stone every time, but when the stone is moved away by a notch, the same technique won't work anymore, but after a few tries, one discovers an area of improvement, eg, the elbows must be tightened, and then when the stone is moved to the next notch, one discovers that one's thighs were not rigid enough during impact, so the kime was insufficient, etc, and one finds a new area to improve every time the stone is moved further away. It adds a benchmark to our makiwara practice so we can guage our own performance. Looking forward to your next video!

[@GojuRyuKarateCentre]

Ché says: I saw this exact training tool in Sensei Ko Uehara's dojo - he told us gaijin that "we don't understand power", turned around and hit the makiwara so hard that it bent 10cm, but effortlessly. That's when I understood what we were missing in our training. Zoë says: It is absolutely a wonderful (and cheap!) idea, and we definitely want to try it. We both say that we are so happy to hear from you, and while your feedback is always invaluable, we are especially delighted to hear from you on this vital subject. Inspired to go train more on the makiwara - it has been neglected for chishi, in my case. Happy weekend!

[@matthews1082]

Yes, my Sensei trained with Uehara Ko and Anichi Miyagi after the Jundokan splintered, before the IOGKF was formed. We had a heavy version whereby instead of a stone, we hung a mineral water bottle filled with sand, and one really has to strike hard enough to bounce the bottle.....and that's when one starts to make minor adjustments, angle of wrist, shoulder position, elbow tightness, the timing for hip rotation, and the stepping forward action, the Suri ashi, etc, to make that bottle jump at the extreme distance, and it's quite enlightening to see how little minute changes in timing, angle etc could affect the power of a punch.

[@GojuRyuKarateCentre]

The heavy bottle is even more hardcore! After your comment came through yesterday, we started planning how we will build a little bracket to hang a fishing sinker on, and encourage our adults to improve their technique.

[@francismubanga9560]

Sensei your videos are well put together, it's just impossible for me to watch your video and not comment. I've seen a couple of videos on technique application, however yours was unique in presentation based on mindset and feedback the apparatus provides. Once again thank you for the great content that includes presentation and nice sound at the end, very enjoyable. Please continue with the awesome contribution to Goju Ryu Karate. Once more thank very much.

[@GojuRyuKarateCentre]

Thank you so, so much for this truly generous comment and feedback! As long as our little channel can bring something to our beloved Goju Ryu, then we are happy. Just as we have learned from so many, it is a great honour to be able to give something back. Thank you for watching and commenting - these comments help us stay motivated! 💪

[@chejagger1]

The scary wooden posts in the dojo!! Enjoy

[@terrysanders2817]

Excellent! Worth re-watching throughout the year!

[@GojuRyuKarateCentre]

We are always so chuffed to read your lovely comments, Sensei Terry!

[@terrysanders2817]

@@GojuRyuKarateCentre Always glad to help. Where else might one receive an education in British slang! "If you're “chuffed” it means you're feeling happy or pleased about something."

[@GojuRyuKarateCentre]

Chuffed is such a delightful word! In my particular part of the world, we have a confluence of Afrikaans, English, American and Zulu slang, so our conversations are peppered with dozens of delightful terms. Most of us are bilingual, but millions speak 3 or more languages. I only realize it when our international friends ask us the meanings of things 😉

[@inkunzifrog]

Loved the info, thank you Sensei!

[@GojuRyuKarateCentre]

We know you will put this into diligent practice!

[@rayvandragon]

the best video un KZbin for start with the makiwara👍OSU .sometimes...my shihan let me hit his own makiwara and that is very big honor for me, also he gifted to me his karate gi. 🙇🙇🙇 Osu best Shihan in the world. Arigato! Thank You very much. Awesome job 🙇

[@GojuRyuKarateCentre]

My Aikido Sensei gave me his white oak bokken when I had to leave university and head back home. It is one of my most prized possessions! Thank you so much for the kind words - we just hope to make the makiwara more accessible and fun for those that are new to it 🙇🏻‍♀️

[@johnreidy2804]

As a 4th dan i GoJu I really enjoyed your video

[@GojuRyuKarateCentre]

Awesome! Thank you! We love that our content is enjoyable for more than just beginners 🙏🏻

[@angelinadamatta2670]

Thank you sensei!

[@GojuRyuKarateCentre]

Always a pleasure, Lina!

[@savvasperisanidis]

Greetings from JKA Shotokan in Colac Australia. Oss GREAT VIDEO, GREAT ADVISE Sensei really was mate bravo !!!! For me when I practise makiwara doing kihon, my weakness throughout my body and the mistakes in technique are revealed. The entire body gets exercise through hara, And Hai, as Osaka Sensei says, 'Makiwara is your friend'. I suppose Makiwara is the silent Senpai

[@GojuRyuKarateCentre]

Truly the makiwara is the silent Sempai! Always guiding, silently judging 🤣 Thank you so much for this lovely comment! We love to hear from our friends in other styles and other countries - thank you for the kind words 🤗

[@GojuRyuKarateCentre]

Greeting Mate Glad we have been able to contribute to your training . I learnt many great ideas from senior Shotokan Sensei on makiwara. Especially Osaka Sensei , Che

[@viawilderness]

Great video, thank you. So, I've emailed Shureido and they've discontinued the wall mount makiwara that everyone loved. They said something about production issues. Wish I would've gotten one before they ran out 😢. I'm unable to install the wooden board type makiwara where I live. Maybe I'll try to construct one 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@GojuRyuKarateCentre]

Ah, that's such a pity! We were very lucky to have one donated to our dojo (now we just have to find the perfect spot for it). In the description of this video, I added some links to buy different types of portable makiwara - I hope that will help! Makiwara is one of the most valuable and underrated tools for improvement, so it always makes us happy to see someone trying their best to use it as intended :)

[@siriusbontea]

Thanks, Sensei! I’m a huge fan of training with the makiwara. Thanks for the detailed presentation. I always learn something new, especially from an instructor’s point of view (i.e., Q: What is the best way to teach this? A: Tune into this channel and watch an effective demonstration of how it’s supposed to be done.) One of my Shotokan buddies thinks the callouses on my knuckles look cool. Everyone else? Nah, not so much. 😂

[@GojuRyuKarateCentre]

Ah, stop it, we're blushing 🤭🤭🤭 Callouses are proof of hard training! But sometimes we get young men who think the point of karate is to have the calluses, which is a bit ass-backwards 🤣 Apparently Higaonna Sensei still does calligraphy to maintain his hands. And in my reading, Sensei Mas Oyama's hands were x-rayed 15 years apart, and there was no internal damage to his hands despite his heavy makiwara training. So, the moral of the story is: more makiwara!

[@siriusbontea]

@@GojuRyuKarateCentre, yes indeed! It is always great to see folks like Sensei Oyama and others share their x-ray imagery as it dispels many of the misconceptions of makiwara training. Unfortunately, many others train incorrectly and injure not only themselves but also the reputation of makiwara training―I bet they probably weren't doing what their Sensei said... ;-)

[@pouyanesfandiary8929]

I never knew that. Thanks sensei OSS

[@GojuRyuKarateCentre]

You are so welcome! Wishing you many happy years of training with this vital piece of equipment 💪

[@stefansandbergsweden]

As always, great content guys! 🙏 I talked with a friend about Okinawan karate using muchimi, gamaku and chinkuchi and how these concepts are more prevalent in Okinawan kata than in Japanese kata. Could you please do a conceptual video explaining concepts like atifa, gamaku, muchimi and chinkuchi both on the makiwara and in solo-kata as well as in application? 🥋

[@GojuRyuKarateCentre]

Wow, what a fantastic concept for a video! It will definitely require some research and time, but I've added it to our filming schedule for 2022. We will also hopefully have the deshi back in the new year when he has come back from his work travels, to help demonstrate all these concepts. Hope 2022 holds excellent health and lots of training time for you! Thank you for always taking the time to watch and comment 🙇

[@stefansandbergsweden]

@@GojuRyuKarateCentre Lovely, looking forward to it! 🥋 And the same to you guys, I hope you will have a safe and enjoyable 2022. 🙏

[@joari123]

Top introduction, thanks a lot! 👍Important trainingtool to improve the technic. Lawrence Kane - is it the partner of Kris Wilder? I like the dogs - very beautiful! 😊

[@GojuRyuKarateCentre]

It is indeed the same Kane! While researching this video I discovered he has a whole bunch of books, so we will get them one by one. Ah, thank you! We're a German Shepherd house, they're an incredible breed. Magnus is my baby (even though he weighs 45kg!) - such a smart, loving and protective boy.

[@Burvedys]

Actually, there is some mentioning about makiwara in the uncut version of Bubishi: "Once upon a time in Fujian there was some arhat named Luohan that felt in love with a young girl named Baihe. But girl's father didn't like Luohan and built a fence around his yard. Being mad at that fence, the young Luohan would come to it and hit its boards with his fists. And the father would say, "Look, my dear Baihe, what a nice fence I've built for you that even that dumb Luohan is not able to break through it!" And Baihe would think to herself that the fight is not over yet as two more are here to come to make it san zhan as was predicted in Dae De Jing. Finally, Luohan found peace in Dà xiōngbù and moved to Henan up North while Baihe still mourned him wearing white and hitting a board from her side now. It happens that some tribe down the South and over the sea in small isles up to these days are still obsessed with hitting boards with their knuckles while wearing white pajamas and talking about legendary arhats, cranes, eternal springs and fences in de- or of- senses but nobody talks about that evil Dà xiōngbù anymore as who knows what would come out of the marriage of Baihe and Luohan. Some say it would be soft and hard united in one flow but one should never be sure until he hits a board ten thousand times with each fist and says osu!"

[@GojuRyuKarateCentre]

The delight this story brought to our weekend is immeasurable! We always look so forward to seeing your name pop up in our notifications - you deliver karate gold, every time 😆😆😆😆

[@Burvedys]

@@GojuRyuKarateCentre : thank you and keep doing a great job (so we'll aaaaaaaaaaalwayyyyyys looooooove youuuuuuuuu, I mean, will comment here). P.S. 大胸部 in case somebody needs to spell Dà Xiōngbù.

[@GojuRyuKarateCentre]

Comments are love 🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰

[@karatejutsudojosociety]

Yes please 😍❤️

[@GojuRyuKarateCentre]

Hope the usual wait was worth it 🙇🏻‍♀️

[@AK_UK_]

When you do a vertical first, I see that you're using your top 2 knuckles instead of the bottom 3 knuckles. Also, are you bending the wrist slightly so that the top 2 knuckles hit flush? Am I correct in my observations?

[@GojuRyuKarateCentre]

Indeed, This is the way I was taught,

[@kivaeddy9091]

Do u have branch in uganda

[@GojuRyuKarateCentre]

Hello! Unfortunately we only have one branch outside South Africa, and it is in Dubai. Thank you for taking the time to watch and comment!

[@jonasjpm1989]

👍👍

[@GojuRyuKarateCentre]

🙇🏻‍♀️🙇🏻‍♀️🙇🏻‍♀️

[@vitormaltez]

Doumo arigatou gosaimashita sensei.

[@GojuRyuKarateCentre]

Hai! Dou itashimate 🙇