Strengthening the Grip

[seienchin]

I used to share house with a mountaineer guide who used to do chin-ups in the doowarys of the house, just holding on with his fingertips hooked over the door jamb. Impressive.

[Dent]

Osu!

Originally Posted by seienchin

I used to share house with a mountaineer guide who used to do chin-ups in the doowarys of the house, just holding on with his fingertips hooked over the door jamb. Impressive.

One of my old Dojo mates, and still a very close friend used to irritate me in exactly that fashion. He used to climb the outsides of tall buildings and all that silliness.

Osu!

[Kansetsu]

OSU Dent-san!

As a power lifter, you have to have a STRONG grip in order to hold onto all the heavy weight (no straps allowed in competitions). There are several things that one can do...

1: Pinch Hold. This is were you hold a weight (depending on your strength) with only your fingers for a length of time. Old Okinawa Karate training has something similar like this...this training comes from the old Shaolin Temple days, Utilize a Jar filled with water and hold the jar by the tip (forgot the name of that particular Jar).

2. Exercise: Basic training is just that. Workout with heavy weights. Meaning, Heavy Farmer's walks, Heavy Deadlifts, etc.

3: Equipment: Can utilize grip training equipment. For example, the Captain's of Hand Gripper. These gripper range from lowly 90 pounds all the way up to 400+ pounds per hand.

There are more, but can't seem to remember them.

[Dent]

Osu!

Originally Posted by Kansetsu

OSU Dent-san!

As a power lifter, you have to have a STRONG grip in order to hold onto all the heavy weight (no straps allowed in competitions). There are several things that one can do...

1: Pinch Hold. This is were you hold a weight (depending on your strength) with only your fingers for a length of time. Old Okinawa Karate training has something similar like this...this training comes from the old Shaolin Temple days, Utilize a Jar filled with water and hold the jar by the tip (forgot the name of that particular Jar).

2. Exercise: Basic training is just that. Workout with heavy weights. Meaning, Heavy Farmer's walks, Heavy Deadlifts, etc.

3: Equipment: Can utilize grip training equipment. For example, the Captain's of Hand Gripper. These gripper range from lowly 90 pounds all the way up to 400+ pounds per hand.

There are more, but can't seem to remember them.

Nice to have you here, Kansetsu!

1) Sanchin or Nigiri Game. Have 'em, love 'em.

2) Getting those Olympic bar calluses back now. (Wouldn't mind a real Bar visit now and then either...) Legs are coming along, but that lower back is still struggling. Makes squats, deads and the Olympic lifts hard.

3) Got three of the Captains on hand. (If you'll pardon the pun. ) One hand was broken a few years ago, and I didn't heal it as well as I should. Now the grip on that side is a pathetic imitation of the other.

Keep 'em coming!

Osu!

[Kareyn]

While you are sitting at your computer, pick up all the stuff on the floor with your toes. (Sorry, couldn't resist!)

For grip, give massage to self or another daily. You, or another, deserve it anyway.

[Dent]

Osu!

Originally Posted by Kareyn

For grip, give massage to self or another daily. You, or another, deserve it anyway.

Yes, massage is surprisingly tiring on the hands. Good idea, Kareyn.

Osu!

[milwaukeecop2]

I found that lots of grip fighting in judo has helped my hand strength for karate.

[Bloke]

Become a carpenter!!! We have a few of them training with us and they have the most incredible grip strength.

[EnterTheirMinds]

I do a few things for grip strength. First, take a dumbell and put however much weight on it. I use around 30-50 pounds (in total, not on each side). Have your arm so the underarm is facing up and simply use only your wrist to move the weight up and down. Do it slowly. Second, using also the dumbell, turn your hand so your forearm is now up and do the same thing. Do it slowly. Third, take something like a brick or a dumbell and hold it. Ideally, hold it out so it's inline with the shoulders or hold it so it's straight out. That way, you can exercise something else also. Fourth, pushups on fingers or knuckles. Fifth, take a dumbell and only put weights on one side. Hold this next to your side and only use your wrist to move it. The longer the bar, the harder it is with the same weight.

In judo and grappling, you need strong wrists and grips.

I found the person at my dojo with the strongest grip is the oldest, around 60 years old or so. He's a mechanic for a factory (i think paper factory) and has an incredibly strong grip.

Also, a way that may have not been thought of - serving food. Yes, you can get nice tips but also have to carry so many plates (and sucks when they're heavy) all day long, ideally in both hands. Carrying around one heavy plate isn't so bad but doing it for hours, especially while moving around makes it harder.

[Dent]

Osu!

Originally Posted by Bloke

Become a carpenter!!! We have a few of them training with us and they have the most incredible grip strength.

And plumbers! Now, if only they could keep their Dogi pants up...

Osu!

[Dent]

Osu!

Originally Posted by EnterTheirMinds

Also, a way that may have not been thought of - serving food. Yes, you can get nice tips but also have to carry so many plates (and sucks when they're heavy) all day long, ideally in both hands. Carrying around one heavy plate isn't so bad but doing it for hours, especially while moving around makes it harder.

Thanks for the suggestions, EnterTheirMinds. I must say, you must get better money than I did, back in the day...

Osu!

[Kansetsu]

Originally Posted by Kareyn

For grip, give massage to self or another daily. You, or another, deserve it anyway.

OSU!

I have a friend who does massage, chiropractic, bone and muscle, etc etc for a living and his hands are MASSIVE! I thought i had a strong hand shake but when i felt his mitts on mine when we were introduced...i felt like i had girl hands and he giant hands. It wasn't big as in he can palm a basketball, but thick and powerful...

OSU!

[Dent]

Osu!

Originally Posted by Kansetsu

OSU!

I have a friend who does massage, chiropractic, bone and muscle, etc etc for a living and his hands are MASSIVE! I thought i had a strong hand shake but when i felt his mitts on mine when we were introduced...i felt like i had girl hands and he giant hands. It wasn't big as in he can palm a basketball, but thick and powerful...

OSU!

I'll bet you don't want him anywhere near your feet right now!

I went for a foot reflexology session, and I wondered if either I'd done something to upset the guy, or whether his wife had just burnt his favorite suit?!

I'm not sure it was good for me, but I was grateful I could limp out of there...

Osu!

[BigAl]

I personally have been doing a lot of gripwork since 2005, started off because I wanted to get my grip stronger for the sport of strongman but now I enjoy doing all sorts of different things for it. There's a few exercises I enjoy immensely, but the one exercise and training tool I think is invaluable for karateka is block weight tossing.

To make a block weight, all you have to do is cut off one head of a hex-headed dumbbell. (The bonus of this is now you can use the other part that has the handle and extra head as a chi ishi). A 25-30 pound dumbbell is a good start, that should give you a 12.5 to 15 pound block weight. If you have big hands, you can try a bit heavier, but you definitely want to start out light as it's harder than it looks.

The actual exercise itself is easy to learn but will give you a great workout. You simply stand normally, holding the block weight palm down. You toss it up in the air, then catch it with the other hand palms down, then toss it back and keep going for as long as you can.

Here's a video: YouTube - Block weight juggling

Training with block weights will not only strengthen all your fingers (including the thumbs, which are often neglected in many grip exercises) but it trains hand-eye coordination and explosiveness (you need to close your hand quickly around it, which IMO can help punching power). You can do a lot of different things with it. I once took my weight (I have a 40# head, so it's about 20 pounds) for a walk up and down my street, just tossing it back and forth to myself the whole time. It was tough but fun.

If you're serious about grip training, it's well worth the investment.

[Dent]

Osu!

Nice one, BigAl! I use a shotput, but without much to grip on, it soon becomes as much about quick footwork and hand strength.

Osu!

[BigAl]

That's a great idea as well, Dent. OSU!