Conditioning

jim o doom

Hello all; looking for some tips & tricks - not expecting any magical fast working things, I know it's all hard work.

Brown belt in kenpo & me and another brown belt recently decided to focus on our conditioning more -
so doing the "standard" stuff, repeated medium strength punches to the stomach - kicks to the inside and outside thighs, etc - banging forearms of another persons forearms in various blocking and striking types and so on and so forth..

Just wondering - other than rolling a rolling pin on your shins are there any straightforward conditioning things I can do on my own - we use a lot of our class time on technique or physical fitness so I don't get as much conditioning time as I would like - so I've been planning on adding it to my home training - if there are good things I can do.

This of course would be preferably without any special equipment;- in a shed for training I have a punch bag, speedball & a bunch of weights & space on the floor for general calisthenic type exercises..

So please; share your wealth of knowledge on the subject;

Furious-Dave

What is your punching bag like? A good heavy bag is really all you need for conditioning your shins. If you want to go further than that I found sitting in seiza on a hard surface helped a lot.

j walsh

Just wondering - other than rolling a rolling pin on your shins are there any straightforward conditioning things I can do on my own - we use a lot of our class time on technique or physical fitness so I don't get as much conditioning time as I would like - so I've been planning on adding it to my home training - if there are good things I can do.

Condition your shins kicking a heavy bag or if a partner is with you kick pads, Dont ever use rolling pin.:eek:

Furious-Dave

j walsh wrote: »

Just wondering - other than rolling a rolling pin on your shins are there any straightforward conditioning things I can do on my own - we use a lot of our class time on technique or physical fitness so I don't get as much conditioning time as I would like - so I've been planning on adding it to my home training - if there are good things I can do.

Condition your shins kicking a heavy bag or if a partner is with you kick pads, Dont ever use rolling pin.:eek:

Rolling your shins does work but I think a lot of people just do it wrong and end up damaging their shins. But, as we both said, a heavy bag will do the job.

jim o doom

j walsh wrote: »

Just wondering - other than rolling a rolling pin on your shins are there any straightforward conditioning things I can do on my own - we use a lot of our class time on technique or physical fitness so I don't get as much conditioning time as I would like - so I've been planning on adding it to my home training - if there are good things I can do.

Condition your shins kicking a heavy bag or if a partner is with you kick pads, Dont ever use rolling pin.:eek:

well the rolling pin was a thing a blackbelt I know told me about was a method of using it- not whacking it off your shins now, just rolling it up and down them regularily and over time - his forearms were rock from regular condition & his shins = baseball bats


The bag I have is medium - the frame/space I have is limited, so I couldn't hang a full heavy bag and the frame I have will only take medium size and weight, so I punch it and kick it - but it's not as good as a heavy bag


We use pads for condition/kick training on our sparring days and during some warm ups as well, but no where near as much as I'd like - so me an another lad are working on it with each other after class..

Nevertheless, cheers for the suggestions and keep em coming!

Dave Joyce

well the rolling pin was a thing a blackbelt I know told me about was a method of using it

How often does this blackbelt fight full contact without protection on his shins?? Using a rolling pin or coke bottle etc will make your shins apparently hard in a short time with the consequence of making them brittle if you persist. Its amazing you choose to ignore the advice of a man involved in Muaythai and Kickboxing for longer than a lot of people here AND he's used the method he mentioned himself with great success.

jim o doom

Dave Joyce wrote: »

How often does this blackbelt fight full contact without protection on his shins?? Using a rolling pin or coke bottle etc will make your shins apparently hard in a short time with the consequence of making them brittle if you persist.

I don't know to be honest - it was just something he told me about - I havent actually tried it myself, just standard stuff with another person so far - the reason I started this thread - so I could get more ideas..

Dave Joyce wrote: »

Its amazing you choose to ignore the advice of a man involved in Muaythai and Kickboxing for longer than a lot of people here AND he's used the method he mentioned himself with great success.

Well firstly, I don't know you so I didn't know you had the experience;- you never stated you did and I wasn't specifically "ignoring your advice" - I was only saying what my black belt friend had told me..

I mean you as a muai thai fighter would obviously have good condition - so as per my initial posts; I have limited equipment to work with at home - and I don't just want to condition shins - forearms, body etc - any other suggestions?

Dave Joyce

Well firstly, I don't know you so I didn't know you had the experience;- you never stated you did and I wasn't specifically "ignoring your advice" - I was only saying what my black belt friend had told me..

Whoaa, I wasn't referring to myself but j walsh's post, I hadn't made a comment. I don't have THAT much of an ego!! Like John said, a good heavy bag filled with sawdust (and you can always add a little water after you get used to it:)). Get 2 pairs of shinguards and practise kicking and blocking HARD and the forearm training with a partner is good too but start easy and build. Finally, I don't believe that kicking each others legs works anything but macho tendancies.

jim o doom

Dave Joyce wrote: »

Finally, I don't believe that kicking each others legs works anything but macho tendancies.

yeah I actually realised that might be the case after I hit the "submit reply" button- but I didn't rectify it because I wasn't sure

I think kicking legs does at least harden the outer thigh - I know of a fight between - it was either Benny "the jet" urquidez (if that's how it spelt) or possibly jeff speakman (pretty sure it was the jet though) a good many years ago, against a muai thai fighter from thailand - probably a champ of some sort..

The muai thai won that fight because me mashed (I mean deadened of course not broke ) the jets legs with leg kicks - something he wasn't prepared at all for because he hadn't experienced it..

The jet/whoever it is I'm thinking of won the fight the second time the got together - but I don't know if he conditioned his legs or did it through technique. I do know it was controversial at the time..

But from the fights I've seen with muai thai - the fighters don't seem too fazed by leg kicks - but for someone not used to it .. Ouchy and dead leg.

j walsh

I have students ask me about rolling your shins with bottles and the like. It will deaden the nerves on the front of the shin, but at what cost? you deaden the nerves but you will also damage the bone density which can lead to injuries in later life. Conditioning is a long hard process of repetition, hitting the Thai pads and heavy bags over and over.
Its a little harder for you Jim when your restricted with no heavy bag and no training parner but could you bolt a heavy bag to the wall?
Good luck with your training jim.
PS, Your too kind Dave thanks, see you saturday week.

jim o doom

j walsh wrote: »

I have students ask me about rolling your shins with bottles and the like. It will deaden the nerves on the front of the shin, but at what cost? you deaden the nerves but you will also damage the bone density which can lead to injuries in later life. Conditioning is a long hard process of repetition, hitting the Thai pads and heavy bags over and over.
Its a little harder for you Jim when your restricted with no heavy bag and no training parner but could you bolt a heavy bag to the wall?
Good luck with your training jim.
PS, Your too kind Dave thanks, see you saturday week.

Thanks very much - I'll see if I can figure some way of having a heavy pad or something strapped to a wall or some other solid thing. If there's any chance of weakening the bone density I think I'll just give the rolling a miss

PhillyWrap

jim o doom wrote: »

Thanks very much - I'll see if I can figure some way of having a heavy pad or something strapped to a wall or some other solid thing. If there's any chance of weakening the bone density I think I'll just give the rolling a miss

How bout this?

http://rosstraining.com/blog/2007/04/17/homemade-kicking-machine/