Grip strength; hand conditioning

[Louis Gordon]

So I have done a search and personally I did not come up with much on this topic and if I missed something please feel free to put a link in this thread.

I have noticed a lot of guys that use tape on the sticks and even the gloves to some even minor degree aid in gripping the stick (can be knife or other weapon as well). This aid can aid us in maintain a good grip on our weapon even if our actual grip is on the weaker side. This makes me think of a couple things right away. First what if are picking up a weapon that is not our own that is not a nice stick like the ones we use in training and there is no grip tape? The other thing is how do we improve our grip beyond the use a larger diameter stick concept?

For me, starting out as I am in this game currently a focus I have as you can tell is to improve me grip strength on the stick so I do no fear when I hit that the stick will go flying. I know eventually a disarm or the right shot will make me lose my grip.

I am very interested in some traditional Filipino based methods used to improve this area.

Thank you.

Louis

[sting]

There are many methods to "game" the gear ranging from taping the stick to stickie soccer goalie gloves.  I think it's fair to make up for the loss of grip due to the use of gloves which in turn are added to reduce hand damage from striking the abrasive screens of fencing masks.    I'm not into gaming the gear to gain some sort of tech advantage, though I did add some heavier straps to my fencing masks to avoid the constant adjustment that plagues stock fencing masks.  A side effect of that is that fencing mask does not wiggle as much on impact and offers less impact absorption than a stock mask.

As you hint, it's better to increase grip strength, but a lot of the grip problems are due to grip timing rather than inadequate grip strength.  I've met a lot of men with impressive grip strength that lose their sticks on light impact.  

I'm pretty sure you want to increase impulse grip strength, but I'm waiting to be corrected by some of the lifelong stick swingers.  For my office worker hands, the best increase in *my* functional stick grip strength is an increase thumb pinch grip strength.  This inadequacy in my hands may have more to do with loss of hand strength from nerve clamping due to repetitive typing motions and office posture than anything else.  Weight-lifting helps develop the other four fingers unless you find the large diameter barbells that help to include include the thumb.  

Impulse strength is increased by striking something hard.  Hold grip strength is developed with hand grippers (Captains of Crush).   A variety of grippers help, but surprisingly, I find that clicking rhythms with the lighter gauge grippers helped more for sticks than the slow crushing  motions with the heavier gauge grippers.  There was a time I swung pipes, but that led to inflamed wrist and tendons.  So, I stick to swinging aluminum training swords and iron wood (kammagong) sticks.

[Crafty_Dog]

Louis:

A lot of good wisdom in that post from Baltic Dog!

Since you asked for Filipino training methods I will add to what Baltic said by sharing that my teacher PG Edgar Sulite would hold sticks in reverse grip with just an inch or two protruding from the thumb side of his hand (think saber grip) and do pushups.  It's been a long time since I've done this one.  Thank you for reminding me of it!
 

[Tony Torre]

Here's some of what I do.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HRTSQBxgxFw

Tony Torre
Miami Arnis Group
www.miamiarnisgroup.com

[bigdog]

It's evolutionary, my Dear Watson:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-20790294

[Crafty_Dog]

Here's some additional takes on that:

Protective buttressing of the human fist and the evolution of hominin hands
http://jeb.biologists.org/content/216/2/236.full.pdf+html
The Journal of Experimental Biology, January 2013 issue
Related articles:
Fighting Shaped Human Hands
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/12/121219223446.htm
ScienceDaily, Dec 19, 2012 article
Fine Hands, Fists of Fury: Our Hands Evolved for Punching, Not Just Dexterity
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/12/121219223158.htm
ScienceDaily, Dec 19, 2012 article

[G M]

Here's some additional takes on that:

Protective buttressing of the human fist and the evolution of hominin hands
http://jeb.biologists.org/content/216/2/236.full.pdf+html
The Journal of Experimental Biology, January 2013 issue
Related articles:
Fighting Shaped Human Hands
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/12/121219223446.htm
ScienceDaily, Dec 19, 2012 article
Fine Hands, Fists of Fury: Our Hands Evolved for Punching, Not Just Dexterity
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/12/121219223158.htm
ScienceDaily, Dec 19, 2012 article

I dunno. Boxer's fractures can be a permanent disability and even on very robustus male skeletal specimens, those bones are very fragile when compared to skull or jaw bones.

[Crafty_Dog]

I don't have the URL handy, but one scientist's response was that this was a "just so" story.

[bigdog]

#Invalid YouTube Link#

Hand/forearm conditioning

[Louis Gordon]

Thanks for the tips!

I was looking specifically for traditional Filipino type drills only for the fact I am a certified personal trainer so grippers and such are common tools I already employ.

Louis

[Crafty_Dog]

One traditional Filipino method is designed to balance out the flexors and the extensors because people who grip a lot, be it sticks, gis or whatever, often have an imbalance which leads to mysterious elbow aches.

I learned this from Guro Inosanto:

Make a crane's beak with your hand (all 5 fingers together).  Doubling it up as necessary, place a rubber band about the fingers.  Spread your fingers as fast as you can as many time as you can.  Not only will you get a great pump, but you will restore balance to your flexors and extensors.

This will help you grip.