Makiwara
You want to know how to tell just by looking if a Martial arts school is worth your time? Seems kind of unfair, just looking around the school and deciding but there is a very easy way to find out how “tough” a school is and the training methods of the instructor. Many talk a good game in Martial arts, and Augketing often amounts to telling people what they want to hear whether it is true or not. Many Martial arts were a form of hand-to-hand combat at one point, but they gave up many of their self defense aspects so they could become competition sports. Combat sports are meant to be safe and have rules and rely on these safe techniques rather then brute force and ruthlessness. When you’re visiting a Martial arts school whether to train or you’re thinking about signing up yourself or your child ask if they have a makiwara and if it is used in training.
A makiwara or striking post is a straight board that is designed to strengthen the body. It gives students a feeling of resistance to hand and foot strikes, and has some “give” it so when it is hit students won’t injure themselves like they might if they hit a stationary solid object mounted on the wall. The makiwaras that are kept outside are usually buried in the ground a few feet while others that are kept inside the Martial arts studio are mounted in a flexible stand that allows some movement when a student strikes it hard enough. It is used heavily in traditional karate, but it is also used in styles like Jujutsu that have a lot of striking involved. A student might hit it between 50 and a 100 times with each hand practicing edge of hand strikes, punches, knee and elbow shots, and kicks.
Sadly the makiwara has disappeared from many western training schools. Sometimes for practical reasons like repeated strikes by a teenage student who is still growing can cause problems with their development keep it out of training, but if hit by an adult properly there is no long lasting damage. Karate has been weakened and reduced down from a once potent Martial art meant for soldiers and police officer to a game for children to play and compete in for trophies never realizing its true power. Using a makiwara is essential to real training.
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