Homemade Training Equipment

[grzegorz]

IMO the bulgarian bag is one of the dorkiest things to come out of this 'functional fitness' craze.

Not as Dorky as the Perfect Push-up!

[fuga]

I realize that it is just a glorified sandbag which is why I made my own rather buying one. Plus it actually kicks my ass.

Here are some good exercises from the Shuai Jiao world that I can do with sandbag.

[grzegorz]

Nice one Pete. That's how I do those "shoulder throws" too really explosive.

[grzegorz]

IMO the bulgarian bag is one of the dorkiest things to come out of this 'functional fitness' craze.

Tell that to the US Olympic Wrestling team.

[Ian]

-90% of those exercises they could do with dumbells, kettlebells, sandbags and gis. If people want to pay through the nose for a Bulgarian bag... well you know what they say about fools and their money...
-'Functional fitness', 'combat workout'... you mean you can't get a perfectly good MA workout the traditional way? Too many toys, not enough hard training.
-I've seen the us olympic wrestling team use this piece of equipment as well. Doesn't make it a decent training aid.

[grzegorz]

-90% of those exercises they could do with dumbells, kettlebells, sandbags and gis. If people want to pay through the nose for a Bulgarian bag... well you know what they say about fools and their money...
-'Functional fitness', 'combat workout'... you mean you can't get a perfectly good MA workout the traditional way? Too many toys, not enough hard training.

Fine then don't use one.

Years ago people said the same about KBs...

If it's not your thing no problem, it leaves more inner tubes for the rest of us. I paid a whole $5 for mine, the sand doesn't leak out and I don't have to ruin a gi.

So what's the problem?

[fuga]

-90% of those exercises they could do with dumbells, kettlebells, sandbags and gis. If people want to pay through the nose for a Bulgarian bag... well you know what they say about fools and their money...

Ian, the point of the thread is homemade training equipment, not buying Bulgarian bags. Both Greg and I have made our own versions of them. Mine cost me an old gi pant leg, free sand from the beach, and some duct tape I had laying around the house.

-'Functional fitness', 'combat workout'... you mean you can't get a perfectly good MA workout the traditional way? Too many toys, not enough hard training.

I found I wasn't getting a good enough workout the traditional way, so I have amped up my strength training and conditioning by bringing in other training methods, especially those that are more focused on grappling. I am not one to limit myself to a single tradition in anything in my life. Who's to say we aren't training hard with our toys?

Care to share any homemade training equipment you use?

[Ian]

Well props to you two for making your own. I have absolutely no problem with fitness, but when talking about MA skill development, that's a different equation entirely, IMO.

Take the musclehead doing swings on the first page. That's a good workout but is it a good MA workout?

You're talking about adding more strength training for grappling, but how did Kyuzo Mifune and Helio Gracie train?

A lot of IMA guys (apparently) work with KBs and whatnot, but how many train even the basics e.g. hold santi for an hour?

No disrespect meant and I'm not trying to mouth off... I'm merely curious about why people train the way they do.

Re: homemade training equipment.

Sorry, I don't use any

[grzegorz]

I used to stand in santi for an hour a day for about a year. But when compared to the Bulgarian it didn't help my grip that much.

Good point Pete, I think another thing that's cool about the Bulgarian is that when you grip it it's a lot like holding a thick lapel or a skinny wrist. With KBs and sandbags it's a different type of grip.

[canard]

I think Ian has it
"That's a good workout but is it a good MA workout?"
Not that I do any real weight training per se, but I think it would be valuable to get input from the more experienced guys (or dare I say one's teacher?) as to how to train with the various bits of equipment (modern or not) to develop actual skill within a particular art rather than just trying to do a strength routine from guys who are more concerned with overall fitness than for example developing an jing.

The venerable Ken Fish once described (long long ago) some homemade equipment for xingyi that sounded cool - if I remember correctly, one of them was some sort of spring suspension and a board rigged up to train piquan (both power and line of force). Would be very cool to get to nose around the more experienced generation's back yards for a few days to pick up some good training device ideas......of course there's always hanging off trees John Wang style

[johnwang]

I used to stand in santi for an hour a day for about a year. But when compared to the Bulgarian it didn't help my grip that much.

Agree! Standing in santi for an hour daily still cannot help you to develop the "body unification twisting power" and "footwork" go with it. This is why besides 13 Tai Bao (ZZ) and 24 Shi (solo forms), we still need "traditional" equipment training.

http://johnswang.com/Gon_twist.wmv

That's a good workout but is it a good MA workout?

This is the major difference between the "modern" equipment training vs. the "traditional" equipment training. Here is a "traditional" single head equipment training method that you can see the purpose is not just trying to build up "big muscle".

http://johnswang.com/single_head1.wmv

I found I wasn't getting a good enough workout the traditional way,

IMO, the purpose of the equipment training is not trying to have a good "work out" (the definition of "work out" is very vage) but trying to develop certain Jin that you just can't develop those Jin without it. For example, we don't twist our leg, horse back kick our leg, stick our leg, ... in our daily life, and we don't have those abilities when we were born either. Without those equipments, there is no way that we can develop those abilities.

[wiesiek]

ok.,but
bucklet don`t twisting back/even biggest ones/

good tatami is the best spending effords and money for equipment if we consider art of throwing
this allows you to throw and been thrown many times w/o worry about partners and your bones in one workout time
even more:
this is the ONLY way to do 10. 000 of rep. one throw safetly
and as we all know nothing compare to training technique fully from beggining to the end
all additional equipment is supplemental
for faster bilding up strenght in weaker parts
e.:
like http://johnswang.com/single_head1.wmv
ps
dog seems be most tired

[johnwang]

good tatami is the best spending effords and money for equipment if we consider art of throwing this allows you to throw and been thrown many times w/o worry about partners and your bones in one workout time

We don't have life training partner 24/7. The partners work (spar/wrestle, 2 men drills) that we do in school is the "school work". There are "home work" such as solo drills, equipment training, ... that we do at home when we don't have a life training partner.

ok.,but
bucklet don`t twisting back/even biggest ones/

Agree! Equipment won't fight back (CON). But equipment won't complain either (PRO).

No matter how many times that you go to school weekly, your partners still won't let you to throw him like this.

http://johnswang.com/head_smash.wmv

[wiesiek]

yes
for this kind of throw you need whole class waiting in line...
however
if you twist uke little bit /keepi`n his rght arm/ before end of the throw you can use him whole day /full judo kata guruma/
+ he will return for standing position for himself as a bonus

[johnwang]

if you twist uke little bit /keepi`n his rght arm/ before end of the throw you can use him whole day /full judo kata guruma/
+ he will return for standing position for himself as a bonus

That's the beauty of the sleeve hold/leading arm control (it requires strong grip). You can help your opponent to make a perfect rotation. One favor move that I like to do is to use "hip throw" to throw my opponent. I'll end with holding his body in the air (on the waist) and his body will never touch the ground. You can then gentlely put you opponent on the ground like a baby.