Makiwara Vs. punching bag?

Makiwara training forces you to develop your aim and accuracy more while also hardening those areas that you are striking, punching, and kicking with especially at a specific spot. The target area for a real makiwara board is not very big, usually only 4x5". Hitting anything else but that portion of the padded board causes injury in a lot of cases. Sometimes though it keeps some people from developing their ability to hit other targets at different heights or different locations as well as does not allow people to develop their raw power as much.

For developing raw power in a technique the heavy bag is better as well as gives a person more opportunity to develop combinations and the the ability to hit or kick multiple targets at varying heights and locations other than directly in front of you.

I have trained with both and the first is why I have very good accuracy especially with things like a reverse punch or front, side, round house kicks, shutos, and back-fists. Also it developed those areas that I make contact with and my technique to a very fine edge so that I don't flinch or maybe pull or turn my hand or foot away just before making contact like some tend to do. So it also develops your confidence to hit with the proper surface or area of your hand and foot.

The second is great for developing combinations and also maybe hitting targets that are removed or not directly in front of you. A hook or a ridge-hand come immediately to mind for instance and when hitting the side of the bag in combination with other techniques. Martial artists should train with both if they want to develop their skills to the highest level.

I've never used a makiwara, so my answer may be one-sided.

But I observe a few differences, the biggest is that the punching bag provides more resistance; this makes a strike on it more representative of what it'd be like hitting a person. Here, then, follow-through is extremely important. A makiwara doesn't give that tactile feedback, and a followthrough would allow over-extension of the strike.

Both can be used for conditioning. Both are difficult to anchor or hang, making location of their placement important. The hanging bag can create problems with the structure from which it is hanging - so it can loosen joists and make your training loud in the house. This can be compensated with stand-up heavy bags, making them no different than makiwaras.

However, some styles - I'm guessing Karate - they prefer not to follow through with their strikes, creating as short a contact in the strike as possible. This is an impulse strike. Such strikes, I think, are probably easier to execute on a makiwara than on a punching bag, where the effects are not as easily seen. A makiwara can be gauged to be struck and then moved a certain distance, the greater the distance, the shorter the strike must have been thrown.

Though I don't know much about the makiwara, the videos I looked at to see how they're used tells me that I'd prefer to use the punching bag. My style prefers a follow-through and not an impulse strike. Therefore, my training is more suitable to be used with a punching bag. But others, I think the makiwara is more suitable.

So I think real pros and cons are the placement of the devices, not in their training. They are used for different goals, and I don't think it's appropriate to compare them, despite that sometimes, they have overlapping purposes (eg, conditioning).

Makiwara Board

Makiwara

This Site Might Help You.

RE:

Makiwara Vs. punching bag?

What is the difference in training between these two punching targets?

Advantages and/or disadvantages of both or either?

I know what I think, but I would like to know what you think, so please post your thoughts.

I'm not going to go into too much detail. But I will say this that most people that use either one do not use them correctly.

The makawara require a more focus strike to help improve technique and helps to develop more accurate strikes. It is a smaller surface in which to hit. Therefore it should resemble how you should strike in a fight. If I want to hit a joint I should hit that joint. If I want to hit the bridge of the nose my strike must be accurate to hit that target with just 2 knuckles.

The heavyweight or punching bag tends to lead to improper striking and possible injury. Most people you see hitting the punch bag wildly strike and or kick.

Possum I don't know what is that impulse strike that you are speaking about. There is a follow through in karate. We believe that you are supposed to strike through your target. By doing this you will cause in injury or death. You do this without wasting energy or leaving yourself exposed to being countered. Our strike are supposed to be to specific targets. It is not just supposed to hard and hope to hit something. A strike to the rib is supposed to be to the rib that is easier to break. But unfortunately today many are no longer training like we should. There has been too much emphasis on tournaments. That has in my opinion ruined or hurt our arts. There is no purpose to kicking a person with a roundhouse kick to the chest other than to score a point. That will not end the threat. There is no point of punch a guy in the chest. Again it will not end the threat. then you are fighting not using martial arts.If the strike is not being done to distract, take the breath, blood, balance or to destroy a limb it is wasted energy.

Check out Hojo Undo by Michael Clarke, and save yourself a lot of time and trouble.