Advice for beginners, "Don't overdo it. Fifty punches a day are enough. Practice gradually, to harden the skin that covers the joints first ... If the pain is too intense, surround the makiwara with a sponge or foam to soften the contact ... "
... "At the beginning, the skin tears. It is imperative to stop. Thoroughly disinfect the wound and wait until it is completely healed ... ... Once the skin has hardened, striking the makiwara will no longer cause pain ... But it can happen that blisters appear. It is therefore necessary to stop, until complete recovery.
... Once the kento (calluses) appear, they will protect from the pain, so we could hit with all of our strength the makiwara as if we were facing an opponent. You have to work two to three times more with the weakest fist ... ".
Extract from the book "karate-do okinawa goju ryu" by Morio Higeaonna
Today the makiwara is only present among a handful of diehards, who want to be faithful to the classic way of Japanese karate. It should be emphasized that the fortification work of which the makiwara strike is a part is still a very important part in training in Okinawa, and is very different in its principles and in its spirit, from that of Japan better established in the West.
Karate is an art of Chinese origin in, nobody disputes it anymore today despite the fact that the Japanese wanted to destroy all origins,. It was established in Okinawa, even if it is the Japanese who popularized it in the world, and this is why the karate of okinawa (okinawa te) remained very faithful, as well on the plan technique than in training methods, to its original spirit.
Okinawa karateka consider karate as an art of self defense.
In the event of an attack, the real combat is a very short distance combat. We must be able to fight back, from a solid posture, and a powerful technique, in order to neutralize our opponent. In such a situation, it is not excluded that we are hit by our aggressor , but you must however be able to generate maximum power to defeat it.
This means first of all that you have to strengthen your body to take a hit, but also to develop, by specific training, each part of your body to make it a natural weapon. This is the spirit of the teaching that all karateka must receive.
Among all the strengthening exercises, it is the one with the makiwara which is the most popular, to the point that Master Morio Higaonna could affirm that it is the fundamental exercise of karate. It allows you to develop maximum power in an attack.
Whatever one might think, in a fighting art, whoever has the strongest physical or mental weapon is more likely to survive. Having a strong body and powerful techniques were factors that increased the chances of not dying during an attack. This is why practitioners sought to develop their self-confidence, by forging a strong mind and a steel body.
Extract from martial arts magazine N ° 27
The makiwara is a wooden pole planted or fixed against a wall and the place where you strike is made with braids of rice straw. Today this rice straw is replaced by modern materials, felt or foam plates
The posts in China were covered with dog skin.
