THE ART OF BREAKING: WHY BREAK?

Any sword that is sharp enough to cut has the potential to do damage, but the sharper the blade, the deadlier the weapon. A razor sharp blade is formidable even in the hands of an unskilled fighter, while a sword with no edge is of little use even in the hands of a master. Breaking practice allows you to hone your weapons to maximum effectiveness. As a practitioner of combative martial arts, one must forever strive to reach the goal of, "one strike, certain death." Proper breaking requires proper conditioning. Some people are concerned that conditioning the hands is going to cause long term damage and arthritis. While this is possible, many karatekas and kung fu men with conditioning live well into old age and still have the use of their hands. I believe that superior conditioning is necessary when practicing to fight. Some believe that severe training is unnecessary in the modern age because actual fight situations are rare. I tell people that while conditioning daily for many years may have a negative effect on the hands, breaking the hand just once will definitely have a permanent negative effect. You should feel foolish if you don't condition your hands because you want to save them and then happen to get in a fight and break a bone. In that fraction of a second, you will have permanently damaged that which you aimed to preserve. The hand will never be quite the same and you can look forward to predicting the rain with the ache in your hand like some old arthritic man. I say condition your hands and never suffer a broken bone. People watch my demonstrations and often ask if I have broken my hands many times. I have never broken my hand. Without the ability to hit hard, you are not truly practicing combative martial arts. It is not uncommon to see an individual trained in kung fu enter a fight, using beautiful movement and countless techniques, only to be demolished by the brute strength of a karateka, kickboxer, wrestler, etc. Unfortunately, the majority of kung fu taught these days does not focus on striking power, even as much as other arts ( which are often inadequate as well). In my humble opinion, if you are not trained in iron palm, you are not really fighting kung fu. A true kung fu man is not just "flowering hands and embroidered pants." His body is hard and cruel, conditioned to be impervious in unexpected ways. So many people get into practicing the martial arts casually these days. People take a few classes at a local tae kwon do gym and then claim they are martial artists. They advance through belt rankings regardless of ability as long as they pay their dues. Stay long enough, and they eventually get black belts like some kind of employee of the month award. True martial arts development is not based on good intentions. It is based on skill and ability. Some people should never get a blackbelt, regardless of effort and dedication. If one cannot fulfill the requirements, it is just too bad. The core of combative martial arts is the ability to fight. If you are not practicing to hit hard, you are not effectively practicing to fight (unless you are a grappler). If you cannot fight, you are not practicing combative martial arts. Without practicing combat applications, you are just exercising. It is no longer martial art. It is just performance art.

Performance martial artists give the wrong impression of martial arts when they are not distinguished as such. Performance martial artists who believe they are combative martial artists give true fighters a bad name. A classic joke is to see a guy go through a fancy routine of moves and then get knocked out with one punch. A contributing factor is that many individuals enter the arts because they cannot fight. This starts them off with a disadvantage that is not often overcome with the mediocre training of many modern shopping mall dojos. All this can be overcome if a person has heart and courage. The spirit to fight is one of the most powerful techniques. Breaking is one of the most powerful ways to develop it. Breaking is a tangib le means of measuring development of skill and power. You literally set up an obstacle for yourself and then smash through it. As you develop, you set up stronger obstacles and must raise yourself to higher levels of skill. What is at first impossible becomes easy. Apply this to all areas of your training and you will persevere until success. You will see, undeniably, what you are capable of. You will realize the power of your strikes and see all of your techniques in their true form. What was merely a punch, is now a devastating weapon. The human body is weak compared to the power of the attack. When you have achieved awesome power, you will sooner pity your foe than fear him. "One strike, certain death!" Conversely, you will learn to be careful with your strikes when sparring. No need to cripple a training partner in order to prove yourself. Demonstrate your skills on bricks and no sensible person will doubt your hitting strength. If you are facing someone with this ability, you will know just how careful to be. Make sure you hit first, or block with something that won't break. If you are still not convinced that breaking is important to martial arts training, perhaps you are good enough that you don't need to hit hard. Maybe a dull sword is all that you need. I am not that good.

BREAKING METHODS: MATERIALS TO BE BROKEN

Remember, training is not recommended at all for those under 16 years of age. Those individuals under 18 years of age must get permission from a parent or guardian before starting training. Always consult a physician before beginning any exercise program. Train at your own risk. These training methods only reflect personal experience, and Wesler's Karate, Inc. cannot be held responsible for any injury resulting from attempting to train in the se techniques. BOARDS |

STICKS | BLOCKS | OTHER | CHEATS

The materials used in tameshiwari is the topic most often neglected by books and articles involving breaking. Only through working with the materials available to me in stores have I become familiar with the variations. Here I will describe the properties of the materials most readily available for retail. WOOD BOARDS- Boards are the entry level material for breaking. The standard cut is 12 inches wide and 10 inches high. The standard wood used is white pine. Avoid wood with knots that run along the board. Small round knots are not too troublesome. If you are looking for a challenge, try some hard woods, but don't be surprised if people aren't impressed with you having trouble with one or two boards. Also, wood cut into boards much ahead of breaking time tend to dry out and crack on their own. Everyone tells you to break the board along the grain but few get into detail about the varying grain widths of boards. Since you are merely splitting the board along the grain, a wider grain is naturally better (easier) for breaking. However, you should take note of the type of grain in relation to the cut. If you see grain only running vertically in bands, it is a easier cut since you are going to split the board along one of the grain bands. If you see wider, flat bands (often v-shaped) in the center portion of the board, you will have a harder time since the cut is more difficult for breaking and you must actually break through some grain structure. With single boards, this difference is negligible, but when breaking large stacks, it can add up to make a significant difference. *Try punching, chopping, and slapping through five or more boards without spacers. Set a stack of ten with spacers for the knife hand. WOODEN STICKS/PLANKS- By this, I mean any sort of wood that you are attempting to break against the grain. In this case, grain that runs in bands along the length of the wood is not desirable. The opposite of board breaking, here you want a grain that runs wide and flat. When you look at the end of the stick (such as a 1"x2" plank) the grain should run horizontally or at least diagonally. If the grain is vertical, you are going to have a harder time. This also applies to breaking wooden baseball bats.

*Start with a 1"x1.5" pine stick cut to a length of 18". Increase the thickness and decrease the length for a greater challenge. I find the knifehand best suited to this technique. PATIO BLOCK- After getting comfortable with wood breaking, this is a good introduction to brick breaking. Patio blocks are common in brickyards, garden stores, and big chain hardware stores. Home Depot has them almost all the time and these are the most consistent in strength. Though actually slightly smaller, their dimensions are listed as 8x16x2". They are made of cement with a small amount of reinforcement aggregate. This refers to the additional rock chips and pebbles mixed into the block to further strengthen it. These blocks most often come in gray and red. They can be flat on both sides or the bottom can have small gripping ridges. The color makes no difference, thought the additional ridges may make it very slightly stronger. These blocks can easily support your weight plus a couple of your frie nds, so don't be disappointed if you find them difficult to break. Patio blocks are good for their consistency in difficulty, although a wet or frozen block is harder to break. They are usually left in the rain in brickyards so let them dry out a few days after you buy them. This applies for any sort of manufactured block or brick. Do not attempt to dry them in the oven, as this constitutes tampering.

One patio block equals about five strong boards and easily supports much more than my weight at 190lbs (pictured above). Whereas boards can cost $2 a piece, patio blocks are about 80 cents a piece. Try any technique you wish, but believe it or not, the iron palm works the best. Work up to two or three blocks without spacers. If you can break two or three, your doing well. REINFORCED PATIO BLOCK- Watch out for these newer patio blocks. There are blocks tha t look similar to standard patio blocks but are several times stronger. They are listed as the same product, so you must be familiar with their appearance. Break one of these open and you will find a lot more filler consisting of rather large granite chips or other material. If you drop a block on the floor and it does not break, you probably have one of these. I recommend breaking one slab at a time with iron palm. Proceed to two if you dare. OTHER MATERIALS- There are several different other kinds of breaking materials, each with its own considerations. Ignorance of the characteristics of materials can lead to embarrassing failed demonstrations, discouragement in training, and susceptibility to breaking frauds. Other materials include ice, stones, cinder blocks, tiles, clay bricks,

coconuts, etc. If you would like to order a more in depth description of breaking materials complete with illustrations click here. METHODS OF CHEATING (FRAUD)- Some iron palm purists consider the use of spacers as cheating. I do not. Spacers produce a different kind of challenge requiring penetrating force and the fact of the matter is that iron palm slapping simply does not work well on spacer breaks. I can chop through 10 scalloped blocks with half inch spacers but I cannot slap through more than two. On the other hand, I can slap through four or five without spacers, but cannot chop through more than two or three. You have to understand the challenge offered by each method. Holding bricks up above the support for breaking is cheating. This creates a slamming effect with the support block. You are no longer breaking the brick yourself, merely smacking it against another object. This same theory applies to holding up two bricks with a space between them or standing two blocks together with a slight space so that you can strike one, causing them to slam together and break on impact. If you do not explain the difference of the method to the audience, it is fraud. While patio blocks are fairly stable, red bricks and some other blocks will weaken if left in the sun. Baking bricks has the same effect and is completely fraudulent. Bricks can also vary greatly in hardness due to the manufacturing process. Bricks bought from a yard from the same pile can vary due to sand content as well as exposure to the elements. Generally, lighter colored bricks are easier to break.

BREAKING METHODS: TECHNIQUES

Remember, training is not recommended at all for those under 16 years of age. Those individuals under 18 years of age must get permission from a parent or guardian before starting training. Always consult a physician before beginning any exercise program. Train at your own risk. These training methods only reflect personal experience, and Wesler's Karate, Inc. cannot be held responsible for any injury resulting from attempting to train in these techniques. These following breaking methods outline the actual techniques used in tameshiwari once you have properly conditioned your hands. Conditioning allows your hands to withstand impact but these techniques give you the ability to break objects. These techniques are my personal variations on the standard methods. Use these methods with caution and proceed at your own risk. When beginning to practice breaking or when breaking extremely strong or rough materials, you may want to place a small folded towel on the striking surface as a safety precaution. Whe n practicing extensive breaking, a wrist brace is a also good idea. Palm heel and straight punch- The palm heel use usually the first technique learned because it is powerful and has the least chance of injury. The punch is advanced due to the hard bone contact and need for superior conditioning. Both of these weapons use the same thrusting movement. The only difference is the contact surface and how you hold your hand. Of course, you must make contact with only the first two knuckles (next to the thumb) when using the fist. People untrained in karate tend to make contact with either the last two knuckles or the entire hand. All you have to do is look at the size of the first two knuckles to realize that they are better for breaking. These two knuckles are also in line with the bones of the wrist and arm, providing the necessary support structure to absorb impact. Observe the standard dictates of karate punching for both the fist and palm heel. Utilize hip movement to add power to your strike. Remember to keep your elbow close to your side at all times in order to preserve linear movement. To help with this, just keep your arm so that it brushes against your side as you strike. The faster you move, the better your chances are of breaking. Above all else, make sure the movement you are making feels powerful. Everyone's structure is a little different. Guidelines are only there to help you find what works best for you. Tegatana (shuto or knifehand)- This is the classically recognized "karate chop." See this technique, and you know you are watching martial arts in action. For this reason, it is the first technique that I practiced for breaking and is still my favorite technique for breaking with spacers. It is superb for penetrating strikes. I personally never preferred the palm heel or hammerfist because they do not seem like classy techniques to me (but hey,

whatever works best). I devoted my first two years of breaking to perfecting my knifehand. Its combat applications are also fantastic. This are the outlines of my techniques ( hammerfist may be substituted): Traditional technique 1. Stand with your feet at a 45 degree angle to the break with your body rotated away at a 90 degree angle. The lead leg is opposite to the breaking hand. 2. Pull back across your body to the hip with the free hand. 3. Follow by turning your body to face the break. Do not rotate past the break. 4. Bring the elbow of the breaking arm up above the head, fully extending the tricep an d pointing the elbow tip to the ceiling. 5. Pull down forcefully with the tricep and the muscles running down the side of the torso. 6. Direct the force out towards the fingertips while pulling the elbow down towards your side. The outward momentum plus the pulling down and in with the elbow will load the hand with blood and energy, translating to speed. The large swinging motion rapidly condenses into a smaller, tighter pull of the arm which will generate power. Modified Technique (the one I use) Many of the previous steps apply with two variations: 1. Face the break with the lead leg on the same side as the breaking hand. 2. Bring the arm around and over your head,rotating into the break. You may follow through by striking past the outside of the lead leg in order to add speed. * I find this to be a smoother motion, preserving the flow of the momentum. It is also easier on the shoulder. modified technique

General tips on knifehand (any technique involving swinging ) 1. EXHALE! This aids in muscle contraction. 2. Strike through the object. Aim past it as if it does not exist on the same plane as your strike. 3. Try starting with your palm rotated fully away from the break to allow for a greater wrist twisting motion. 4. "Toss the hand." Strike down with the greatest speed possible. Throw the hand as if pitching a stone. 5. Tense the hand at the last possible moment to maximize speed. You can also envision the object free falling away from you so that you must catch it with your strike as well as break it. *Remember, a hurricane can put a plank through the trunk of a palm tree or a piece of straw through a board. The faster you move, the more powerful the strike, and the easier it is on your hand. Iron Palm Technique - This is the pride of kung fu. I prefer this strike over any other when it comes to breaking solid objects that do not have a great deal of flexibility. The iron palm slap creates a shock that is devastating. If you have ever been slapped hard on the back, you can get a sense of the effect. The iron palm can land with either a flat palm (palm center) or the palm heel surface of the hand. This technique is still not a palm heel because it is a whipping motion rather than a thrusting motion. The true iron palm slap lands with the flat palm. The motion is difficult to explain but you can see an example with my red brick slap. Keep in mind that this is a flowing motion like crashing water and not a stiff arm strike. It is, by far, the most powerful technique that I have encountered.

PRACTICING COMBATIVE MARTIAL ARTS: DOES IT REALLY WORK?

When one trains in the martial arts, there must be confidence in the usefulness of the effort. Many are skeptical as to the effectivrness of martial arts in combat. Will you actually use that in a fight? That stuff is crap, etc. Let me first qualify the term martial arts, as I am using it. What I refer to is combative, or fighting martial arts. This is the study of effective fighting technique. Fighting martial arts are effective. How can practicing to fight be detrimental to one's fighting ability? Practice makes perfect, or at least pushes you closer to your goal. Forgive my tiresome use of analogy for a moment, but no one will argue that lifting weights makes one stronger. Yet, I'm sure you know many people who have experimented with weight lifting without showing significant gains in size or strength. It is the same with the martial arts. Consistent training is necessary for results. If you stop training, your abilities will fade. Maybe that black belt meant something when you got it, but if you haven't been training for a while, yo u may not be worth that piece of cloth around your waist. It's all the frills of the martial arts that throws off the effectiveness of the training. These are the easiest aspects of training and, unfortunately, the least combat oriented. People get caught up in belts, forms, fancy outfits, sifu this, and sensei that, because they are the easiest to practice. They allow one to feel as if he/she is practicing true martial arts, without hard training. Back to my analogy, what good is lifting a weight in perfect form, if you are curling only five pounds? Fighting is hard. It hurts. Training for it is always a struggle. Some instructors don't want hard fighting students because they chase away all the others. Let's say, for instance, that one in ten students has true fighting spirit and potential. One of ten does not pay the bills. The instructor chases that student away for "excessive contact" and nurtures the remaining nine who will keep him in business. This is how martial artists get a reputation for not being able to fight. The fact is, most can't. Many are attracted to martial arts schools because they can't fight. They want to learn how or, at least, they think they do. Unfortunately, the instructors do not teach them how to fight, because fighting hurts. Many instructors themselves don't know how to fight. The benefit to learning from professional teachers is that they can devote all of their time to teaching. The downside is that they have to make a living off of it. It is a business first. You must also take into account that, unlike the old days, people now like to file law suits. Having students break ribs can lead to big legal troubles. When the time comes, they advance students in rank, regardless of ability. Everyone advances, everyone is happy. Sure, the student may not be able to defend himself, but he has a belt that says otherwise.

For those who are just beginning training in the martial arts, I always recommend hard fighting karate over kung fu. This says a lot since I really do prefer kung fu, perhaps due in part to my Chinese background. Still, I recommend karate because it is generally less clouded with mysticism and empty promises. Hard fighting kung fu schools are a rarity, but one can still find hard fighting karate. This style does not promise you something for nothing. There are no doubts regarding effectiveness, as there always are with fancier techniques. If you miss an opponent, practice your aim. If your strike does not produce the desired result, hit harder. Straight forward. Just practice. Then, when you learn how to fight, you can look to expand the depth of your knowledge with the more internal aspects of karate or kung fu. Then you have a strong base. Let's say that chi gung is a farce. Let's say that it is a waste of time, superstition, blind faith. Still, you already know that you can fight so you have nothing to lose. The iron body training techniques work, plain and simple. I won't kid you about chi, meditations, prayer, whatever. If I were to tell you that I know "metaphysical" training works, I would be lying. If I were to tell you that I know it doesn't work, would also be lying. In the end, you must decide what you will put into your training and, in turn, what you will get out of it. You are the martial artist.

COMBATIVE MA : APPLICATIONS
-all techniques are for educational purposes only. practice them under the supervision of a qualified instructorPOWER STRIKING AND COMBAT: The size and strength, as well as technique, of an individual are important factors in determining the victor of a confrontation. An individual with superior strength and mass has an advantage over his opponent which must be compensated for with skill and speed. This is why large individuals often lack superior technique. They simply do not feel a great need for it. This is unfortunate as it can result in a surprising loss to a smaller opponent with more skill. A large individual would be a smart fighter to focus on technique, thereby taking advantage of his natural strength. For any size fighter, strength is a must to a certain degree. By this, I do not necessarily mean muscular strength. A fighter must either be strong enough to apply a finishing lock or be able to create enough devastation with a strike to incapacitate the opponent. An individual with enough power to incapacitate with one strike can theoretically defeat any opponent. Of course, the trick is in scoring that strike before getting knocked out yourself. In any case, with the proper power, you are always only one strike away from victory. SIMPLICITY OF MOVEMENT: Martial artists have a habit of devoting a great deal of time to practicing set routines of self defense. These range from somewhat practical and believable to the highly dubious and overcomplicated. The idea behind these is to practice a routine to give a basic sense of a maneuver and then to use your own variation as necessary in a real life confrontation. Still, I find that most of these routines are nothing more than an awkward combination of very basic techniques. For example, an instructor will counter a would-be attacker with a block, grab, throw, then strike combination. Students are then left to practice this highly conditional routine. I am a firm believer in the basics. Basic strikes, grabs, etc. are the moves that you will need for sparring and self defense. Why block, grab, spin, throw, and so on, when a simple evasion and punch to the face is obviously the most efficient and effective? I also believe in a student's ability to use good common sense. There is no need to practice a set self defense routine unless performing for an audience or trying to keep inexperienced students busy. Teach the basics and a good student will know how to put them together. When a guy charges you, should you spin, sweep him, roll, kick him on the ground five times, then rake his eyes? Of course not, when a swift kick to the groin will do the trick.

This is partly why I believe so much in breaking and conditioning. Breaking insures that you hit hard, very hard. If your strike is true, one will do the job. Keep things simple. Practice the basics. Have students practice without set routines and without a designated fall guy. If you find that you cannot apply your maneuver in a sparring situation when the opponent is really resisting, keep practicing. When my father practiced martial arts in his youth, his father once warned him of using karate in a fight because the other guy might not know it. He was suggesting that martial arts would only work on an opponent practicing the same art. This was in the early days of karate in the U.S., and such a comment seemed ridiculous to my father at the time. Even so, what my grandfather said, as an offhand remark, holds more truth than he realized. Practitioners become so involved with practicing against opponents of the same style that they are caught off guard against unorthodox street fighters. Remember, there is no such thing as an illegal move in a streetfight. TECHNIQUES AND TARGETS: Different styles have a variety of forms and meditations, but when it comes down to it, the hand and foot strikes are essentially the same. The reason for this is simple, the human body can attack in only so many ways. Basic strikes are the tools of success. Make your hits count. THE PUNCH: The punch requires little explanation. You can punch the face and almost any area of the body. Aim for the chin, jaw, nose, and back of the head. Remember when striking the body that, unlike bricks, it flexes and may collapse your wrist if you aren't ready for the different kind of impact. Practice for this on the heavybag and think penetration. THE PALMHEEL: Thrust this into the face, head, and chest to stun the heart. It is very unlikely you will hurt your hands when using this technique. THE KNIFEHAND AND HAMMERFIST: These work on the side and top of the head, the collarbone, the neck, and the arms. When sparring, chop your opponent's forearms, biceps, and triceps to paralyze his means of attack. Be careful about breaking bones. In lethal self defense, chop the neck. IRON PALM: Slap the chest, back, and side of the head. Palm heel iron palm strike to the top of the head.

SUPPLIES: DIT DA JOW (BRUISE LINIMENT)

Dit da jow is common to almost all types of iron palm training and should also be used when working with the makiwara. The purpose of this liniment is to aid in healing sprains and injuries resulting from impact. It is also supposed to prevent chronic injury and long term damage from severe training. Dit da jow (literally, hit wine) can be found in many forms and can be purchased as a commercially made product. You must find one that works well for you. I make my own version from a good recipe which is of better quality than anything you will probably find on the commercial market (though several smaller companies are now producing good jows). Many commercial dit da jows tend to be weaker in order to provide a cheaper product as well as make it "safer" for public use. Still, I have seen jows sell for as much as $20 US per 2 oz bottle (I have even purchased some). They worked well enough for training but certainly not well enough for the price. My home made version is very good and relatively safe but does contain some herbs that should not be ingested, so it should be handled with due caution.

$15.00 per 8 oz. bottle or $25.00 per 16 oz. bottle or $122.00 for case of 12-8oz. bottles

SUPPLIES: IRON PALM BAG

Simple Bag
No bells or whistles. Open top bag measures about 11"wide and 26" long. Heavyweight cotton duck canvas with strong stitching at the seams. Hand made. Fill bag about 1/3 way with striking material and then fold over.

KARATE MAKIWARA METHOD

Remember, training is not recommended at all for those under 16 years of age. Those individuals under 18 years of age must get permission from a parent or guardian before starting training. Always consult a physician before beginning any exercise program. Train at your own risk. These training methods only reflect personal experience, and Wesler's Karate, Inc. cannot be held responsible for any injury resulting from attempting to train in these techniques. The karate (Japanese) method of training the hand is the most common type of hand conditioning. It is found in most hard styles of karate and crosses over into tae kwon do, which is extremely popular and accessible in my area. This is the kind of conditioning to which I was first introduced. Karate conditioning focuses primarily on the use of the makiwara. Makiwara come in various sizes and shapes, but basically consist of a slightly flexible wood post wrapped with rope. The makiwara is struck repeatedly with increasing intensity, resulting in toughened, calloused hands and enlarged (calcified) knuckles. Seiken (forefist) and tegatana (knifehand) are the two primary techniques, but any surface such as palm heel, elbow, knees, and kicks may be used. You can make a simple makiwara by digging a 1'x 3' hole in the ground, filling it with quick dry cement, and planting a 4"x 4" wooden post in it. The post should stand at least head high. Straw was traditionally used for its rumored antiseptic properties, but in this modern age, cotton clothesline will do fine. Wrap a double layer (or more) of the clothesline around the targe t portion of the makiwara (shoulder height). Wall mounted makiwara are available at martial art stores, but they are often too padded and soft for proper training. A hand held makiwara is also suitable and can be made by wrapping clothesline around a 14" section of 1"x 2" wooden plank. Training on the makiwara is fairly basic, simply hit the post as many times and as often as you can withstand without injury. If you suffer a bruise or break in the skin, you should hold off training until the wound is healed. You can also supplement your training by striking into a bucket filled with sand. Liniment is often neglected in this form of training, but some karatekas do employ the use of dit da jow liniment. In my opinion, a good dit da jow should always be used before, during, and after training to prevent injury and discourage the development of arthritis down the road. Find a dit da jow that works well for you. The effects will vary depending on your personal physiology.

Makiwara should be trained daily, but there is no strict set regimen. The key is not hitting the makiwara so hard that you hurt yourself, but repetition and consistency. The down sides are a tendency to neglect training due to the lack of schedule, conditioning only selected surfaces of the hand, possible slow to medium progression, and extensive callousing and/or scarring of the hand as well as an eventual possible loss of dexterity. However, hand held makiwara can be very convenient to carry with you and use all day long. Makiwara trained hands are rather noticeable and can be ugly (though I personally find them quite beautiful in their deadliness, but that's my problem). If you like to show off, they are a sure sign of dedicated training in the old ways. Mas Oyama (known, at times, as the Godhand), founder of Kyokushin Kai and world famous for his tameshiwari skill, developed knuckles on the makiwara that could withstand the blow of a hammer. He was best known for fighting bulls and severing their horns with his fearsome knifehand.

CHINESE IRON PALM METHOD (GUNG FU)

Remember, training is not recommended at all for those under 16 years of age. Those individuals under 18 years of age must get permission from a parent or guardian before starting training. Always consult a physician before beginning any exercise program. Train at your own risk. These training methods only reflect personal experience, and Wesler's Karate, Inc. cannot be held responsible for any injury resulting from attempting to train in these techniques. The iron palm method is the hand conditioning regimen that I prefer. I enjoy the set schedule for training, the relaxed method, and most of all, the speedy results. I also prefer this method because it trains the palm heart, or the flat of the palm. In my opinion, the flat palm slap is the trademark strike of fighting gung fu. Iron palm is the essence of the gung fu of legend, not the watered down version that so many modern practitioners bring to fights, only to be crushed. There is no mistaking an iron palm slap for boxing, karate, or mindless street brawling. As for its application in tameshiwari, the iron palm is unrivaled when it comes to breaking solid objects. Though you might be inclined to think otherwise, it is much easier to break a brick with the iron palm than it is with a punch, chop, hammerfist, or palm heel strike. I know this from experience. Iron palm is also noted for its capability of breaking the bottom brick in a stack without spacers. Such a practice is known as selective breaking. Ku Yu Cheong, one of the most famous masters of iron palm, reportedly could break bricks selectively in a stack. Iron palm falls short only when it comes to breaking flexible objects (wood, baseball bats) and objects with spacers. I explain it to people with this example- the palm slap can move anything it strikes one half an inch. Since cement cannot flex, it breaks. If the object, such as wood, can flex farther than that, it will not break. This is only an exaggerated example mind you, and only an example of my personal theory at that. As for spacers, the palm has difficulty sending energy through "hollow" area. There are many variations of the iron palm conditioning process and each usually has a set amount of time for the initial phase. During this first phase, training must be done daily. After that, maintenance training varies. The first phase ranges anywhere from one month to three years or more. There are also advanced levels of the iron palm as well as internal and external conditioning. The regimen I use is a variation of the traditional 100 day method and combines both internal and external training. This method produced good results for me in minimal time. Many others have also reported favorable results. I will honestly tell you that 100 days is not enough time to produce an invincible palm, but it will create a hand that is dangerous

enough for combat, as well as allow you to break red bricks. This regimen conditions the entire hand. Train at your own risk. I do not recommend training for those under 16 years of age.

Materials Needed:
-10" wide x 24" long (or larger) canvas bag -approx. 1" round river rocks (enough to fill the bag half way) -old towel -cinder blocks (support stand) -dit da jow The method is as follows: Set up the cinder blocks so that you can sit on one and the other(s) create a stand in front of you that is about the height of your naval (while seated). If the surface of your stand is not level due to the shape of the cinder block, you may have to lay an additional concrete slab on the top for a nice flat surface. Place the towel (in single layer) over the support stand. This is your striking surface. Fill the canvas bag with the rocks and fold the remaining half of the bag over to create a side that is double layered. Tape the bag shut (masking or duct tape will do). Place the bag on the stand and your simple setup is complete. **When striking for training, it is important to stay relaxed and allow your hand to drop onto the surface. Do not tense the arm or shoulder, or exert strength while striking. Always breath out as you strike. Exerting strength or failing to breath out is said to stress the heart. Granted, thousands of karateka pound on the makiwara without regard to this and still do not suffer heart attacks. Even so, I choose not to tempt fate and try to keep my arm relaxed as possible. You do what you like at your own risk. Apply dit da jow to hands and massage before and after each set PART ONE

1. Drop your flat palm on the bag 30 times, shake out the hand, strike another 20 times,
shake out the hand and flex.

2. Drop your knife hand on the bag 30 times, shake, 20 times, shake and flex. 3. Repeat for the palm heel surface. 4. Repeat for the back of the hand.

PART TWO Remove the bag so that you are now striking the cement/cinder support covered with the towel.

1. Drop your knife hand 30 times, shake, 20 times, shake and flex. 2. Repeat with the palm heel. 3. Repeat with the flat palm. 4. (optional) Strike with backfist 30 times and repeat with straight fist.

Optional training: You can supplement with a bucket of sand. Straight punch the sand 30 times and repeat with the backfist. Do 100 spearhand thrusts into the sand. You can also rub the sand between you hands to toughen the skin. Some iron palm practitioners feel that it is unwise to train the knuckles of the fist because of possible long term joint damage. This is fine for strict iron palm fighters, but if you train in any fist striking art, it may be wise to strengthen your knuckles. Chinese acupressure teaches that training the fingertips can weaken the eyes. Take this into consideration when training spearhand but also realize that plenty of karate stylists train fingertips and can see just fine. Different teachers advocate different numbers of strikes per session. Some use hundreds or even thousands of repetitions. Some say to train three times a day, others say you must train the exact same time everyday without missing a day. Maybe these routines are ideal, but with the method I outlined above, you can train whenever and even miss a day or two. The less days you miss, the better it will be for you. You should achieve impressive results after 100 days of training. At that point, you should be able to break a single patio block with a flat palm slap (use a towel padding at first). If it helps, mark the days off on your calendar. If you don't keep a record, you may not be training as often as you think. Good Luck!