[b]Punching heavy bag without wraps or gloves? Yes/No??

[ho_124]

Most of the people who do punching on a heavy bag aren't really into martial arts. But then again I might be wrong. Most people use wraps and gloves but I find this NOT practical although you run the risk of injury. WHY IS THIS NOT PRACTICAL?
Well because if you don't use gloves you don't condition your fists, and skin on your fists to take a beating. Trust me if you punch a heavy bag hard and for a while your knuckles will get bloodied and bruised. But after a while your bones will grow stronger and more resistant, also your skin on your knuckles will grow harder and have caluses. Also punching things like wood or metal will increase the bone density better than punching a bag. What benefit is this? Well if you do get in a real street fight, if you punch the guy you won't step back rubbing your fists because they hurt. No ones going to wait while you do that or wait for you to put on your UFC gloves so you can fight it out. Also having caluses and stronger bones on your fists are how you get knock out punches. If you punch someone with soft skin and weaker bones it won't likely be a knock out punch. One of my Sifu's (Kung Fu teacher) onced worked with a Chinese kung fu fighter who had punched metal since he was a kid. His bones in his fists grew so strong and had such hard caluses that he could knock out with just 10% punching power. Not to mention his singniture move was taking a persons skull and crushing it his hand which he practised on a wooden dummy and could actually perform. Just something to think about....

Post your opinion on whether you should wear gloves or wraps or if you think it's fine to just go bare handed. If you actually don't agree post something that PROVES your point don't just diss my post without saying anythign to back it up.

[b0ngman]

boxers and figthers use wrist support so that their wrists remain straight during an extremely hard punch. During practice, not every punch is going to be towards a perfectly flat surface, therefore, the hand may slip and cause damage to the wrist

[olympic]

Thats pretty interesting stuff.
I used to punch a hard bag with my bare fists- took only a few minutes for my hands to be bleeding all over the place.

I can see how this would toughen your fists up. However how can you train for it regularly if every time you get bruised and bloodied up? Maybe start off slow and build your way up to more frequency?

Edit: Please note my obvious sarcasm. Your reason behind not wearing gloves etc... was so that you could throw a hard punch in a street fight. What kind of nutcase gets into street fights! The kind of nutcase who carries a knife or gun. No amount of hard fist punching will block a bullet.

[rockhuddy]

boxers and figthers use wrist support so that their wrists remain straight during an extremely hard punch. During practice, not every punch is going to be towards a perfectly flat surface, therefore, the hand may slip and cause damage to the wrist

^^^^
Very true. Excellent point.

I never liked actual bag gloves, but I see no need to beat the hell out of my knuckles. I prefer a pair of cheap weight lifting gloves; just enough protection to keep my knuckles from opening up, but not so much that I can't feel the bag. Separate wrist support might not be a bad idea either.

[Broshious]

Yeah I don't like gloves either. I just use wraps.

[strawser9]

you need to make sure your wrist is supported...very important

[WillDeadliftForFood]

Wrist wraps. That way you can last longer than just a few minutes on a bag. My bag classes used to last 60-90 minutes. I'd rather work on form/speed/strength than have tough knuckles.

[Trabes]

wraps and gloves are a must. i hit my 80lb bag for over a year bare knuckle(w/gloves while healing) and no matter how big and tough my knuckles got the skin would still get torn off if i hit the bag too hard and i ended up breaking a knuckle and half my hand was bruised for about a month. now i have a crooked knuckle. gloves keep your hands looking pretty and let you hit the bag harder and longer. and you get very weird looks when your knuckles are always bleeding.

[Matt1975]

You need them...BAD.

I have been into martial arts for 20yrs and whenever I use any bag I use gloves/wraps or some kind.

I have found that even a good set of wrist wrap weight gloves work. Tape is ok too, make sure you tape the wrist well.

Just food for thought, in any fight without gloves, have you seen a knuckle or even a bone of a finger go straight through the skin? I have many times, and it isn't pretty to see, and judgeing from the expression on the faces...painful also.


If you wana harden your fists and knuckles. You don't even need to punch. Remember in Kickboxer(the movie) when Van Dam was useing his bare shin on the tree? Same thing, take a chunk of plywood(6" x 6") is more than big enough. And hit it lightly about 40-50 times per hand every day or 2. Belive me, your hand will toughen up. The skin on your knuckles will get tough and thicker. In other words, hitting a person or object with no wrap on the street won't bother you.

Many top Martial Arts Masters start with slamming hands into rice, then wood, and some move to an extreem...steel plate. Their hands become odd looking from calcium deposits that form. And you sure won't see them even flinching when they hit a brick full force...with or without proper tech.

Just don't sit and smack the hell out of the wood. Just hit it lightly(enouh that when your done, the knuckles are slightly sore and red), and over time you'll get what your after. It's about what happens when you do alot of digging with a shovel for a week. 1st few days your hands get torn up. But, after very little time, callous's(sp) form to protect the palm from the shovel.

I have seen some guys come into work and pound the heavey bag to death for 20-30min and not even get a drop of blood coming from their hands. And if you ask, they will tell you they do the same or close to what I said above.

Give it a try...it works better than a broken hand/wrist/ect.

[Dom_88]

LMAO!! Some guy used to crush a skull with his bare hands?

Anyway, I'd say at least use straps. You can get cheap gloves and re-useable straps and you're set. You don't need pro-quality sh*t. So don't go out there trying to be some renegade wannabe Bolo Yeung who's training for streetfights. When you get shot or stabbed it won't matter how "conditioned" you knuckles are.

[BigRagu]

it depends on how heavy the bag is. if your beating on a heavy bag for a while with no support u will hurt yourself (when i first started i busted a knuckle hitting incorrectly). also when u hit someone their body gives and moves but a very heavy bag will not give as much. i don't see cro-cop or fedor beating on pieces of steel but i would love to see your teacher last 5 min with them. hitting a bag with straps are still going to increase teh strength of your knuckles. as for the wrist support u get from the straps if u doign heavy compound movements your training your 4arms/grip enough.

use them

btw crushing a skull has nothing to do witht he strength of his knuckles or puching power

[ho_124]

Thats pretty interesting stuff.
I used to punch a hard bag with my bare fists- took only a few minutes for my hands to be bleeding all over the place.

I can see how this would toughen your fists up. However how can you train for it regularly if every time you get bruised and bloodied up? Maybe start off slow and build your way up to more frequency?

Edit: Please note my obvious sarcasm. Your reason behind not wearing gloves etc... was so that you could throw a hard punch in a street fight. What kind of nutcase gets into street fights! The kind of nutcase who carries a knife or gun. No amount of hard fist punching will block a bullet.

Um why else would u train for martial arts? So you will never use it ever in your life EVER!!

I agree you need wrist support but you still can practise if your knuckles are bruised and cut up. I put a towel over my bag to soften it up and put band aids on my cuts. Eventually they heal faster, I've done it.

[akbar]

ok...the way i use to do it was tape my wrist and bare knuckle punch a maki-wara...or how ever you spell it.. its a piece of wood with regular straw rope wrapped around it.

a good punch is to make contact with your two big knuckles...not the knuckle for the pinky...thats how people break their knuckles.

[zub]

protect your wrist dude!! not every punch is gonna go completely straight. Your wrist may hurt bad! The fist and the wrist must be completely in line with the target