How prepared is the average martial artist for REAL contact? Whether it be on the tournament floor, on the street, or even in a drill with a partner; a practitioner had better be prepared for contact just about anywhere on his body. If he is not, even those incidental bangs while executing the finest technique, can be damaging.

Many martial arts programs have toughening or "conditioning" exercises as a regular part of their training program. Pounding fists, legs, feet, hands and forearms against trees, boards, concrete walls, etc., as well as each other, are part of some martial arts toughening programs.

However, many programs, especially in the Western world, do not emphasize any type of conditioning exercises. It does not seem logical to spend one's time and energy getting "beat upon" during Karate training but that is the very thing that brings a heightened awareness in the individual of the frailties of the unconditioned flesh. The fear of blows to untoughened body areas instills a fear which in turn activates an instant withdrawal reflex. Proper conditioning results in the direct ability to absorb or deflect incoming strikes and to meet a confrontation with a much greater degree of confidence.

Once the striking and blocking surfaces used in any system are toughened, they become much more effective. A simple forearm block can become a painful encounter to the attacker without any conditioning to his own credit. Many systems concentrate on developing blocks and blocking portions of the body as being a deliberate destructive device. If the block doesn't cause substantial damage to the attacker, it certainly causes enough pain to momentarily distract him leaving him less than ready for an immediate counter attack. Still , other styles train to simultaneously attack the attacking limbs themselves, or parts of the legs repeatedly until they can no longer support the combatant. Conditioning is an integral part of these styles, as the practitioners are trained to give and receive these types of techniques.

The theory of conditioning is simple. By gradually working parts of the body with pressure or concussion exercises, the body reacts by desensitizing, strengthening, and toughening the tissues in those areas. A classic example would be the carpenters or masons hands verses the clerks, or consider a baby's feet as compared to an adults feet after years of walking, running and jumping on them.

One way for the martial artist to supplement his current program is with the "Iron Arm" martial arts conditioning hammer. It is a tool which allows an individual to condition those parts of the body appropriate to his style of martial arts and at his own pace. The device was developed and designed by Ihor Rymaruk, an Okinawan trained and certified Master Instructor in Uechi Ryu Karate, and is based on his 25 years of experience in the martial arts. The development of the "Iron Arm" hammer was influenced by two-man conditioning drills and some classical conditioning devices, such as, the Chinese Wing Chun dummy, the Okinawan Makiwara and striking pole, and even the Western boxing medicine ball.

The "Iron Arm" martial arts conditioning hammer is constructed from high-grade laminated hardwood oak and is approximately 1 1/2 inches by 2 inches and is approximately 20 inches long. The "Iron Arm" edges are rounded and it has longitudinal voids to allow the striking surfaces to "give" enough so that it is not destructive to the tissues being struck. Anyone who feels that they can start conditioning with a piece of 2 x 4 from their garage, will soon realize the importance of these features.

The "Iron Arm" martial arts conditioning hammer is used to condition various parts of the body. From offensive contact surfaces on the hands and feet, like the palm heel, knife edge, and ball of the foot, to defensive surfaces like the forearms, legs and the torso. A conditioning program should start with choosing portions of the body to be toughened and then tapping those portions with the end section of the "Iron Arm" hammer in three sets of 15 to 30 repetitions. The user should begin tapping lightly with the wider surface, near the end of the "Iron Arm". After several sessions, the "Iron Arm" will begin to produce a clacking sound when the split portions come together, helping the user to judge when he is using adequate force. Eventually, he should use the narrow surface of the "Iron Arm" in a similar manner.

Conditioning can be applied to most soft tissues such as muscle groups and connective tissues and even some bony areas of the body. However, the user should stay away from joints and other areas of the body which obviously cannot be conditioned. Moderation is the key to this type of training and the user should listen to any negative feedback the body may be giving him. Enough force should be used for the specific area being conditioned to produce gradual body toughening but not so much as to be self destructive.

After training with the "Iron Arm" martial arts conditioning hammer for a few months, a practitioner will begin to notice that his blocking techniques are becoming bone crushing, pain inducing strikes, and all the conditioned areas are becoming like iron shields. In the long term, proper conditioning will make a better martial artist and will help build a higher level of confidence with the personal knowledge of being TOUGH ENOUGH.