Lessons From the Makiwara

Friday Knight News

There are numerous lessons that we can garner from utilizing the makiwara. In my forty plus years of martial art training I have only utilized the striking post for the last thirty five plus years, (often alongside iron palm training). Once I had reached physical maturity I began incorporating the makiwara into my training schedule. I made sure to consistently devote a portion of my daily training (five or six days a week), to the makiwara. The routine that I perform has been a gradual process. Initially on the advice of my sensei I merely pushed against the padded post.

It takes longer to develop in this manner but there is a benefit of not damaging your body by taking this approach. Everyone that I have counseled others on this training have been given the same instructions. Most individuals seem to discard this one major recommendation and jump right into the water, as it were. These individuals generally quit within the first week. Some of them quit due to the pain and others quit unfortunately due to injury. If their egos had been in check I am certain they could have continued to train and derived some of the many lessons furnished by makiwara training.

This first lesson is patience, you must lay a solid foundation upon which to build and pushing the makiwara is the footer to this foundation. Patience is a long-term lesson it does not end once you have learned how to structure your body to deliver your strikes effectively. Patience continues to grow gradually over a period of time while you build up the repetitions and the power delivered in your strikes.

Another lesson that is taught at the same time is that of focus and awareness. The seemingly similar terms different meanings when applied to makiwara training. I utilize the term focus as the concentration of attention to a single point. On the other hand I utilize the term awareness as the expansion of concentration to surround yourself spherically while utilizing all of your senses. It is no use to develop a tunnel vision approach to combat applications.

The makiwara teaches relaxation and self-control along with target acquisition and weapon development. Every type of striking post can teach you about the delivery of power and various types emphasize the need for accuracy, and control more than others. This is due primarily to the size of the target surface. When you utilize a springboard striking post you also learn about rhythm and timing.

I have found that I have become more introspective due to the utilization of this device. Utilizing this type of training; more so than any other element of martial art practice makes me feel connection to the past. I understand that most of society sees little value in this type of training. In fact most martial artists seem to look at this practice with disdain. I have often heard various individuals in styles that once held this type of training in esteem tells me or others around us that it is no longer relevant. Still I wonder, even though breaking bricks, ice concrete blocks, boards and coconuts rarely comes up in a self-defense situation; I have found that I have often been able to drop the attacker’s merely from punching their arm or leg.

I use the makiwara in both my kempo training and my jujutsu training as my jujutsu is an atemi based art. From the days of my youth I’ve been told that this type of training will cripple me with arthritis by the time I’m forty years old. Yet I remain and I am still training in much the same manner well over a decade past that date. I have had many injuries that have affected me over the years but none due to this practice.

I no longer do 10,000 strikes a day for months at a time; these were things that I have done periodically throughout my life as shugyo (harsh training). Although, for shugyo on New Year's Day  I will from time to time often including the makiwara as my means of expression. Still some days I ponder who will strike the makiwara after I’m gone? 

My stories are about martial arts adventures that are intertwined with paranormal or supernatural events. The following links are to the Kindle version books from the "Dream Walker” series. Our adventurers find themselves on a quest where they are confronted with both conspiracy and mystery. Their challenge is to unite their mind and body skills together utilizing what they have learned in the martial arts with the transcendental power of dream mediation. They attempt to do this while they are trying to make a life for themselves and elude those that seek to use and control them.

Conversations with a Sage (Book 1 of the Dream-Walker)

Conversations with a Sage: This explores Xander Davidson's early encounters with the mysterious fog like Dream Walking martial art sages. He ponders if they are real or if they are only remnants of his dreams. He mainly keeps this secret world to himself as he tries to copes with abuse, growing up without support or guidance and the mystery of his family's past. 

Xander and the Assassins Gift (Book 2 of the Dream-Walker)

The Assassins Gift: Xander Davidson struggles with the conspiracy of his family and the group that is actively trying to manipulate him to join them or die. The young Dream Walkers learns an early lesson to be careful about whom they let into their circle.


Warriors of Perception (Book 3 of the Dream-Walker)

Warriors of Perception: Xander Davidson and his band of friends embark on a mission to free themselves from their oppressors. They bravely face the challenge all the while vying for the right moment to turn the tables.

Jace Lee The Shift (Book 4 of the Dream-Walker)

Jace Lee The Shift: We find a new apprentice, Adam, that is fighting for his life. He is struggling to understand the amazing skills of his mentor, Jace Lee; a younger man that has trained under Xander Davidson. All the while his mentor attempts to reconcile the fact that his skills do not match up with the other Dream Walkers.


Jace Lee No Agenda (Dream Walker Book 5)

Jace Lee No Agenda: Jace Lee attempts to find himself on a self-imposed vision quest of sorts. Instead he finds himself being stalked by the same group that had previously sought after his teacher, (Xander Davidson). Instead of mastering his odd Dream Walking skills he finds love and the potential loss of his powers.

Jace Lee and the Tutelage of Ming Wu: Dream Walker 6 

Jace Lee The Tutelage of Ming Wu: Jace Lee rejoins his teacher Xander Davidson as they cope with a possible combined threat (the mysterious), Ming Wu and the Council that has continuously monitored the Dream Walkers.