The Making Of The Perfect Wall Mounted Makiwara – Part 1: Using The Right Materials

In spite of the incessant harassment from the mosquitoes inside the thicket, and the nagging pains in his wrists, the ancient master thought that all this time spent over the years hitting large tree trunks with his bare fists like a madman had been well spent; the neighboring clan leader sitting across him and stuffing himself with nuts and berries, was visibly cowed and reluctant to fight: no sense aggravating these “iron hands” that could penetrate between the 2nd and 3rd rib of an opponent to tear the heart out of his chest, and held it red and dripping, warm and still beating in broad sunlight, raising it to be savagely devoured before the eyes of the dying… The story was working its magic.
The old man’s eyes wandered on the visitor’s small party that were leading the horses brought along as bribes in support of a soon to be asked favor; his mind was at peace, there was no way he’d be able to mount a horse again, ahhh, if only his rival had brought him that daughter’s daughter he’d heard about… That, he could still ride: young fresh flesh and honey like fruits… He barely repressed a chuckle thinking it might ease his wrist pains, but quickly caught himself back to the present --- history was being made today.
-“What secret exactly are you asking me to part with?” he asked to play time.
- Then continued, not having listened to the question being repeated: “To tell the truth, I am afraid there is no secret neighbor. Hit hard, again and again, is all it takes.”
“How far can I take that one?” the old master reflected… For a moment he had thought the guy was making fun of him, but now he was astonished, his neighbor, a well respected clan leader was behaving like the village idiot, requesting, no, insistently imploring him to reveal the magical secret of his “iron hands”!
-Will you give me your Granddaughter?
The fool won’t do it thought the elder; he cannot be THAT stupid! WHAT? He just offered me the girl and the ruling of his tribe? Some offers, you just can’t refuse, right? My secret right now, is to bite my cheeks and tongue so it hurts to tears and I won’t betray my real feelings… but you’ll never know that one! The other secret is that to cure the thickheadness and idiocy of yours would take sitting you on a spring sapling and waiting for the darn tree to grow full into your bowels damn it! – But you are so out there that you’d probably never know it did! Okay, so here we go, neighbor, while I can control my laughter:
-“Very well, in that case I will reveal my secret…”
-“It all comes to the choice of materials: you will choose 1,000 seeds out of 100,000 collected in the forest. These seeds will have to be kept preciously, out of the reach of insects and animals for 30 moons; during that time, the ritual of counting them and turning them over must repeat every 10 days; on the days of the ritual, you shall not touch your wife or mistresses. When the 30 moons are over, you are to take them to the sacred thicket, at night and plant them in an area previously fertilized with the droppings of 30 infants. Every 12 years after that, and for 12 cycles, 8 out of every 100 trees must be felled (please deliver the logs to my family); after 12 cycles have elapsed, you will chose one tree; this will be the makiwara tree. (at that moment, all remaining trees must be felled and the logs delivered, you know where…). The makiwara tree is the one that will provide the material for your “iron hands” training. This process is to be repeated every year; the secret is to be transmitted via your eldest son “.
-“Your family is now the keeper of the secret. Be worthy of it”…
-“…and… er… please have your Granddaughter visit me later today, eh? I must now retire for I am exhausted; my purpose on this earth is fulfilled”.
In the secrecy of his hut, the old master allowed his face to show the rarest and faintest of smiles… Not a bad day after all; I just secured centuries of cash flow for generations, and this fool is convinced he is on God’s mission to protect the tradition and secrets on earth… not a bad day indeed, he thought again. Now, where are these aphrodisiacs? I have a visitor this afternoon…
I am the great great great …. great Grandson of the old master… and yes, the fool’s Granddaughter was my great great etc… Grandmother, you have guessed it! For everything related to choosing makiwara materials, you can trust me, so watch and listen:


Yesterday I went to B&Q and found a mostly straight 2x4; I checked it for cracks and avoided the ones with too large knots. B&Q lumber department graciously agreed to cut it to length, after I had paid for it.
Out of a 4m 2x4, I now have the material needed to make 3 wall mounted makiwaras. Here is a photo of the materials needed to make one wall mounted makiwara. (the long part is 100cm; the short one is 33cm --- add it up x 3 + saw kerf = 3 makiwaras out of a 4m long 2x4")
Of course, I recited the incantations and chanted the chants, but that I can't tell you; I am the keeper of the secret after all!


Osu!