So many different kinds of training equipment. A person could spend a fortune trying to acquire everything needed. But most people don't have the money to spare on crazy prices. Perhaps the most important skill to learn is creativity in improvising. We stress this skill greatly, as it is better to get out there and build your own equipment than it is to be lazy and throw money all over the place. Here I shall give examples of ways that we improvise in our training equipment. Below are listings of different materials that are easy to come by, and the various ways they can be used.
String & Rope
Get as must as you can of this. Its use goes on and on. Most of the following materials can be used with string and rope to create various useful training implements. As for rope being used by itself, here are some tips...
- To help with stretching.
- Thrown over a tree branch or whatever else, it can be tied to some sort of heavy weight and tied to the feet for lifting, or used in other weight lifting exercises. This should save you money on a universal gym.
- Leap over it. Tie one side to something, while resting it (unattached) over some object (or have someone loosely hold it). If you don't jump over it well, it'll fall with you, so as not to cause a serious injury.
- Climbing.
Old Socks
Washed, of course. Fill socks with pebbles or sand and you'll have something that has many uses.
- A makiwara striking bag, or iron fist bag.
- A conditioning tool, used to strike at various areas of the body.
- Many suspended from a tree, used as moving striking targets, which train accuracy and reaction, while conditioning the parts of the body that are striking.
- A single sand or pebble filled sock could also be suspended for training speed in kicking, or put high for spin kicks, teaching accuracy and balance.
- Weighted down with rocks or whatever else, socks can be tied around the ankles like ankle weights.
Dowel Rods
These things have so many uses. Who doesn't know of ways to use them?
- Strike against the body to condition. Start out with it padded.
- Hanbo, or a 3' stick (in catalogs often called an Escrima, even though Escrima is a Philopino Martial Art).
- Padded, one could be used like the foam bats shown in catalogs, which are mostly used to train kicking with a partner. Or use two.
- With a partner, practice evasion by having the other person try hitting you with the sticks. You can evade or block.
- Attach a weight (like a rock) to one end. Have you seen the Goju Ryu weights? Use it like that.
Trees
Trees are everywhere. Unfortunately, some live in places where trees are lacking. But for those who have them around, here are some tips.
- Use a branch as a pull-up bar.
- Wrap something around a tree (like an old shirt) for padding and kick it.
- Climbing. Also, use some sort of weighting when climbing as fas as you can.
- Hanging leaves make good targets for high kicks.
Stones
- Grip your fingers around a couple to help train the grip.
- Use them as weights.
- Padded, use to condition the body by striking them, but only with certain attacks, such as the forearm and knife hand.
Logs
- Suspended from a tree branch by a rope, a log would make an excellent striking target and conditioning tool.
- Carry one on the shoulders while running uphill.
Padding??
I certainly have mentioned padding a lot. But what are ya gonna pad things with? A favorite method of mine is to wrap a folded towel around something and tying the two ends with string. Pretty simple. Another idea is to use an old shirt with sleeves to tie it. Rope itself also works, though with less of a padding. Also, for the towel idea, it helps if you can fill it with gravel to add to the conditioning effect.
Another great padding is straw or weeds gathered into a bushel, with something wrapped around them to tie them tightly. This works great for making a Makiwara board.
Mats?
We don't usually need mats for anything, as the ground is soft enough. In fact, we'll even take advanced students to practice certain things on blacktop (like a basketball court.