Grip strength

[Fubo]

Something I was thinking about today.

How important is grip strength to your training. How much time do you spend on specific grip strength training? What kind of training do you do for it? Or do you train it as a by product of other training?

[nianfong]

very important for shuai-jiao.

I train grip strength several ways:
holding bricks with stances/moving stances
shot-bag training
belt cracking
sledge hammer training
kettlebells

[Fubo]

very important for shuai-jiao.

I train grip strength several ways:
holding bricks with stances/moving stances
shot-bag training
belt cracking
sledge hammer training
kettlebells

Sounds good... I too believe in the importance of grip strength as I train Judo.

For grip strength I like doing...
Kettlebells
Pull-ups to hanging on the pull-up bar
Rope climbing
And I feel my Zhan Zhuang practice helps with isometric grip strength
I'm starting to attach weights to a thin rope on one end and a short stick on another... using both hands on the stick to twist the rope around it to lift the weight, and then reverse to lower the weight - I find it's good for grip and wrist strength.

Nianfong,

Is belt cracking specifically for grip strength?

[dragontigerpalm]

Generally I do grip training 2-3 times per week. I use heavy grips 150# and 200# for warmups and 250# for sets both regular grip and inverted. I use a shot filled bag for strike and grab and I use a roller bar with rubber grips that have to be compressed to keep the dowel from slipping. I do this training just for myself and don't believe it's necessary for ILC but it might be beneficial for chin na, though in our system that is for the more advanced than my present level.

[CaliG]

Climbing a rope is also a good one.

[middleway]

Suburi... especially with one of these bad boys ....

[GrahamB]

Like Middleway, I just train with heavy objects a lot

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=-AKYYWyGlZk

[Finny]

wrist rollers

isolation wrist curls, forward and reverse

kettlebells

heavy weight work - deadlifts, T-Bar Rows etc, no gloves, no chalk, just grip

[Toby]

Ironmind's got everything you need. I used to train a bunch of grip exercises (Ironmind CoC grippers, wrist rollers, etc) but not any more these days. Deadlift helps develop grip strength a lot, still do that. Some of the MA training I do is geared towards hand strength development too.

[C.J.Wang]

Localized grip training - No.

Grip training involving whole body - Yes.

[Bodywork]

Solo training without weights.... to get by entire body to wind from my feet to my hands and fingers. My grip often leaves bruises. Then again perhaps of equal importance is-what are you doing with that grip strength, and what power drives it? There is an old judo (actually it comes from jujutsu) test / explanation of "Ju" that is nteresting. The judoka holds out his closed fist and asks someone to pry it open. There is a whole class worth or discussion on how the grip remains closed and "feels so strong." None of which has to do with the modern forms of muscle building. The "empty gi" that judoka sought for generations isn't found in gripping kettlebells and pins.

[Shanghaijay]

Do some old fashion farm work. Try milking cows by hand for an hour a day for a few months you will get a grip that transcends strong or do some manual labor with a sledgehammer or just work some heavy Indian clubs or club-bells. you don't think about the grip it just happens.

Jay

[Ian]

Finger strength is important too. Without finger strength, all your fish-hooking goes to waste.

[Chris Fleming]

Don't you know that strength training isn't internal???? You're grip will get stronger without training your grip!!!!!!

LOL just kidding!

Check out www.strongergrip.com

[Bodywork]

Don't you know that strength training isn't internal???? You're grip will get stronger without training your grip!!!!!!

LOL just kidding!

Check out http://www.strongergrip.com

Did you miss the parts about training your grip?
Yet oddly I have seen the hands of some very large power lifters get pried and popped off by smaller men with a body driven connection to their grip.
And again, oddly, so strange.. there were methods to train for "stronger grips" in the older arts that involved the body connection and they weren't concerned with isolated weight training either since the grip "strength" was not what was perceived ...hmm
Those old martial artists...man they were so stupid huh?
Imagine teaching anything without truths and understandings of modern sport science? What a bunch of idiots they all were. Or maybe....I dunno....uhm...maybe...the internal arts can teach you to connect your grip to your body in another way..and grip training has a whole new meaning and sport science were the idiots after all.
So... standing there witrh me offering a hand, and you have difficulty prying it open and I am not flexing my fingers tight but it feels so strong...what am I doing?