Being able to strike, ACCURATELY, with speed and power is the cornerstone of KARATE. And because KARA (empty) TE (hand) is around 90% using the hands, hence KARA-TE, the hands deserve special attention when it comes to being necessary to put down an aggressive opponent – who may be bigger and stronger than you.
Therefore, your hands are the most important weapons in your karate arsenal.
Let us now look at the training device called the MAKIWARA. Essentially, a makiwara is a striking post. Here is what a makiwara looks like:
If you are wondering, the Japanese KANJI on the makiwara reads from top to bottom:
ZAN – SHIN – KAI – KARA – TE – DO. Which translates as “Awareness School Empty Hand Way.”
Striking a makiwara doesn’t need to make your knuckles look “ugly” but long-term training on it will lead to them looking like this:
However, striking with the open palm does not form callouses on the knuckles. But it does allow you to “feel” the power of your strikes. No human body is harder than a makiwara so when you can project the power of your strike into the makiwara you will know that your strike will be (more than) effective.
The founders of “TE” in Okinawa knew this and it is why they spent a lot of their training time toughening their hands. Back then life was a lot more harsh and confronting and combative than it is now. Arguments were settled with fists and hands.
Masters of TE were revered for their fighting ability. Because they were so respected (mainly due to their fearsome reputations), most people didn’t go out of their ways to upset them. This history can be read in many books on the subject, such as the ones shown below:
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