Aikido Grip

1. Spread your fingers out on a sheet of paper, but not too far apart. Mark the underside of each finger.	2. I placed a dot in the middle of each of my marks and then connected them. I then measured the distance of each line. I did this so that I could draw up a pattern on my computer.
You may not have CAD capabilities, in which case you could rough out a pattern as shown, or you could use my pattern by printing out this PDF File	3. Try out your pattern first on a thin sheet of cardboard to see if it feels right before cutting it out of plywood. I went through three patterns to get the one that felt just right.
4. Cut out a pattern for each handle and tape it to 3/4" plywood, put some nail marks around the circle to mark the location of the piping flange, and then trace around the paper with a pen or pencil. Cut the handles out with a jig saw. If you've made your own pattern, you could trace a flange on it. It's better to keep the flange closer to the thumb recess as that's where the "fulcrum" of your wrist is. You could also use just one pattern, follow the above, and then flip the pattern over for the other hand. Keep in mind that the handles are mirror images of each other and the flanges must be mounted on the proper sides.	5. Mount the flanges on each handle using 12X3/4 flat head wood screws. It's a good idea to put in one screw first and then center punch the other holes while the flange is held down tightly. Sand and round out the outer edges of each handle.

6. Take a 6 inch long 3/4" threaded PVC pipe and cut 1" in from the threads off either end, cutting out the manufacturer's bumps in the middle. You want 1" of smooth PVC beyond the threads. Clean up the cut marks and sand and smooth the outer edges.


7. Spread a liberal amount of Super Glue around the threads of the PVC pipes at the edges and then screw them into the flanges. Allow to dry several hours before exercising. Screw the pipes in using your hands as you don't want to deform or put marks on the pipes. Be careful not to get any glue on the smooth surfaces of the pipes.

8. I first cut a 3 1/2" length of 1 1/2" ABS so that I could brace it cross-wise in my mitre box, where I cut an approximately 3/8" slot, lengthwise.








9. Cut a 2" length off the end of the slotted ABS. Then cut a sheet of 1/4" rubber 2" x 3 5/8", and a 3 1/8" length of 2" webbing (or two lengths of 1" webbing). Singe the edges of the cut webbing with a flame to seal them and to prevent them from unravelling.












10. Roll the length of rubber up tightly and fit it into the ABS such that the gap in the ABS remains unobstructed. If all that is available to you is 1/16" rubber, laminate three sheets together using rubber cement (not four sheets).











11. Put a few dabs of Super Glue on the exposed surface of the rubber and press the webbing onto it, aligning the edges, and being careful not get any glue on the exposed surface of the webbing. Just a little glue is needed - just enough to hold the webbing in place.






12. Add two 1" steel washers to each PVC to keep the clamp centered and to prevent it from traveling over the exposed threads, and then, using the picture up top as a guide, assemble the Aikido Grip. Pry the ABS apart a bit to insert one handle, place a hose clamp around the ABS and then insert the other handle.

13. Some sort of traction is needed along the surfaces of the handles where you will place your fingers. I used tennis racket over-wrap which provides excellent traction. A wide rubber band cut to size could be used, or some friction athletic tape.

14. Now let the whole contraption sit for a long while to allow the glue to fully set, preferably over night.

And then have at it!

Addendum: Cut half the threads off of the PVC so that all of the threads are screwed into the flanges, eliminating the need for 1" washers.