On my hand, i have one huge index knuckle. The rest are of average size and pretty equal in size, but this index knuckle juts out like crazy. Now this knuckle can be quite painful to eat but it can also hurt me because it makes my knuckles uneven, thus, making the wrist prone to bending. What do boxers do about this? anyone here have a similar circumstance? thx in advance.
ya i have the exact same thing but its with my middle finger knuckle and its quite huge compared to the one on the other hand...but i never really have a problem hitting things
if you re-read...i said its quite huge compared to my middle knuckle ON MY OTHER HAND...meaning that its even bigger, and sticks out even further
My left knuckles are like sharp pointy knives (with a degree of bluntness), and I use them for body hooks. My right's are double jointed, which sucks because they often "soften" upon impact. They are more 'beefy' to put it nicely, and are better used as hits to the jaw then hits to the ribs.
I am sure most people have that same issue to some degree. The key is to hit with the proper form, which is suing only the two fingers next to the thumb. If you learn to do this, you will increase the stability of your wrist, since these two fingers will line up with the center of your arm. It will also increase the power of your punch since the wrist will not give out. This is how we have learned to punch in my TKD at least, and we constantly work on strengthening the mind and body to do it this way. For example, we do pushups with those two knuckles on bricks on either side of the body, and our feet on a platform even slighly higher.
If arthritis were a concern, heck...I would have to quit most of the training I do. Not sure why people pipe up with one liners that have no substance, but I will take it for what it is...which is nothing really.
I think what he meant was that there are other ways to toughen your power than knuckle push-ups, like a good old heavy bag.
Osteoarthritis (OA) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are the most common forms of arthritis of the hand. Like the disease in general, OA in the hand occurs when the protective cartilage between the bones wears away from injury or overuse. OA of the hand primarily appears in 3 places: Base of the thumb, where the thumb and wrist meet. Middle joint of a finger. Tip of a finger. OA commonly affects the joints of the fingers, knees, hips, and spine. Other joints affected less frequently include the wrists, elbows, shoulders, and ankles. When OA is found in a less frequently affected joint, there is usually a history of injury or unusual stress to that joint. What causes osteoarthritis? Although the exact cause of OA is not known, some scientists believe that joint damage begins in response to physical stress (such as an injury or repetitive movement). Also known as "wear and tear," this stress can erode the cartilage that normally encases the ends of the bones in a joint. Cartilage serves to cushion the bones and to help the joint move smoothly and easily. As cartilage breaks down, the ends of the bones thicken and the joint may lose its normal shape. With further cartilage breakdown, the ends of the bones may begin to rub together causing pain. In addition, damaged joint tissue can cause the release of certain substances called prostaglandins, which can also contribute to the pain and swelling characteristic of the disease. Factors that may increase your risk of developing OA include4,9: Age. Age is the strongest risk factor for OA. Although OA can start in young adulthood—often due to joint injury—it usually occurs in older people. By 2030, 20% of Americans—about 70 million people—will be age 65 or older and will be at risk for OA. Female gender. Before age 45, OA occurs more frequently in men; although after age 45, OA is more common in women. OA of the hand is particularly common among women. Joint injury or overuse caused by physical labor or sports. Traumatic injury to a joint increases your risk of developing OA in that joint. Joints that are used repeatedly in certain jobs may be more likely to develop OA because of injury or overuse. Obesity. The chances of getting OA generally increase with the amount of weight joints have to bear. In the knee, which is a major weight-bearing joint, being overweight during midlife or the later years is the strongest risk factor for developing OA. Joint alignment. People with joints that move or fit together incorrectly, such as in bowlegs, dislocated hips, or double-jointedness, are more likely to develop OA in those joints. Hereditary gene defect. A defect in one of the genes responsible for a cartilage component called collagen can cause deterioration of cartilage. Certain diseases. Some diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, change the normal structure and function of cartilage and may increase your risk of developing OA. From www.arthritis.com
Wow, that was a whole lot of wasted space. If arthritis were a concern from physical stress and repetative movements, then martial arts would be something to stay away from. Anyhow, the reason to do pushups on bricks is for a couple of reasons. First it forces you to hold your wrist properly...the way you would/should hold it if you were striking an opponent; that is, with the first two knuckles next to the thumb hitting the target flat. Second, it allows you to drop your body even lower and really get the maximum benefit of the pushup.
Where was all this information when we were beating the markiwara to death back in the "good-ole-days" of MA training..
At first I wrote a sarcastic reply to this but decided not to post it. So instead one question to mariobro... Do you honestly believe that all the info i put on there is untrue, a myth invented by medical science, that there is no link between joint injury and repitative movement and arthrits?
If you have actually used a heavy bag (bare fisted), you will realize the benefits of it are the exact same as knuckle push-ups, just your hands actually retain the normal skin look, instead of the battered, scarred look that looks horrible and doesn't scare anyone. A knuckle push-up is a bodyweight exercise, just on the knuckles. So, your upper body weighs about 60-120 pounds. That weight is pressing down on your knuckles. But instead of scratching your knuckles and bearing pointless pain, you could just punch a 70-100 pound heavy bag, which WILL strengthen your wrists, without callousing your knuckles skin. Even doing knuckle push-ups on wood is better than having bloody knuckles. But if you like them so much, go ahead. Just don't call other people's posts a waste of space.
Oh no...don't get me wrong, and I apologize if I offended you. All I was saying is that it is pointless to post a write-up on the effects of impact and repetative movement in a MA forum... I appreciate you refrained from the sarcasm, and again I apologize for sounding sarcastic myself.
Actually, I do use a heavy bag daily. We have a 100 lb at my dojo, and I have a 70 lb bag in my garage. I do not agree that you can get the same benefit from a heavy bag as with knuckle push-ups...they are very different. I never want to imply that my methods are better than anyone elses, I simply want to point them out and those who want to try them out can do so. If you are scratching up your knuckles badly, then you may be doing something wrong...and sure, wood will work as well. As well, I have not found pain to be pointless in MA training...I feel it is vital that we do experience pain in training. Without the pain experience, it will be more of a shocker when you do feel it during a fight. But again...this is just my opinion and I apologize if I offended anyone.
Boy, after reading back to some replies I give...I am kinda sarcastic! Sorry to anybody who has been offended or cares...I will try to refrain in the future.
Dude, i totally disagree, the best place to post stuff that is related to training, i.e. long term effects HAS to be posted on these forums, that is kinda the point of em. You know the intelligent, informed discussion thing. Ignoring the long term possible effects of training in these forums, would lead to any safer training methods or practices not being discussed and brought to as many people as possible.
mariobro you're lucky you're not posting on the health and fitness forum. You'll be a pile of ashes in a few minutes in that forum. Seriously though, smart MAists care about future health. I've done knuckle push ups before and they dont help jack s**t. One is b/c there are better wrist strengthening exercises, and two b/c its just killing your nerves in the knuckles and weaking the bones. And when you're in fight, you wont feel anything anyways b/c of the adrenaline rush.
