Do very many of you include conditioning your shins in your conditioning regimen.

Chris,

Depends on what you mean by conditioning. Generally, if you do a lot of shin kicks to pads and heavy bags and also spar moderately using shin blocks and kicks, over time you will accustom your shins to taking the abuse necessary to impact hard for shin strikes and to be able to take some forceful blows on the shin.

The offshoot of all this training is to also learn small adjustments of the hip and the shin when sparring to not take the full impact of any one technique. You will be able to jam or dissipate some of the power of kicks after awhile...but only after practicing these things.

Basically, if you train long enough...you condition the shins...if your style is predisposed to shin kicks as mine is.

However, let me warn you about the stupidity others will present about banging your shins on hard surfaces or thumping your shins with a hammmer. I have heard of and even done, when younger, using dowels to roll on the shins to desentize them a bit.

However, I don't know if this worked and stopped it when I used to train for a short while with some fellas who trained Muay Thai in Thailand. Basically they said pad work and drills.

Don't risk injury if you are unsure what you are doing and go with competent instruction. Don't believe all you hear about training Muay Thai either for shin conditioning.

-B

Good post Brad. I don't intentionally condition anything for the sake of conditioning,I think it just happens with good training. I've banged shins with alot of people for a long time in sparring,that coupled with bag work has left my shins somewhat conditioned. I remember a couple of years ago when I was stationed in Ft.Sill,Ok. I had an MP friend who banged me on the shin with his nightstick and I didn't feel it much. We were both sitting there goofing off,he couldn't believe it. Never knew it myself until then.

To add to the list, blocking drills with shinai. Really good conditioning for the forearms and hands.

from my experience, as far as hand conditioning, I was starting to get leather knuckles until I changed only 1 aspect of training...from full-twist to vertical punch makiwara.

knuckle pushups for wrist and arm strengthening, fingertip pushups for hand/digits. vertical punch and ridgehand makiwara. open hand strikes and 3/4 punch on bag.

I'm currently experimenting with constructing a sage-makiwara (hanging makiwara). I'll start a thread if I find anything interesting about it along the way. I know 1 benefit will be that it will generate less noise, which is my motivation for looking into it since it will be in the basement.

also on my todo list are:
Makiage kigu - wrist roller (forearm)
and
Yari bako - bucket o' beans. (grip)

The wrist roller shouldn't be a problem to construct. anyone know where I can get the beans?

Kintama,

If you havent been to this site already, take a look some real nice clips on hojo undo, especiall the hanging makiwara.

www.okinawakaratedo.com

The whole sites worth looking over, but if you go to multi media and then the dojo training clip you can see a typical hanging makiwara workout.

that was a very cool vid of a suspended makiwara, thanks!