Been hardening my knuckles...

[Douglas]

So what proceedure are using to toughen them up ?

Slow and sure I hope .

I rap them a thousand times against a big hard metal tower that has something to do with our water heating system out in the backyard. But I do it VERY LIGHTLY. My rule of thumb is [color=green]"if your knuckles start hurting before your able to get to a thousand, then YOU'RE DOING IT TOO HARD"!!![/color=green] You can't expect to have brick-breaking fists in only a few weeks time.

There is a way. buckets of sand punch down into them.
few weeks later change the courseness o f the sand to beach sand then gravel .
next stage little polished stones .
next sharper gravel etc etc .
volcanic rock. metal.


By the way none of those things punch back and not many people stay still like holding a plank out in front of them ready for you to break them.

How many times a day should you punch into them?

And it's true none of those objects hit back. However, UNLIKE a human opponent, those objects can pretty much withstand ANYthing I try and dish out on them.

[Andre]

Everyones different ,ITs to toughen the skin before you get into the harder hits routine that your doing now . repitition not power is the key.
If your skin isnt ready to move to the next level or course grade ,you'll know cuase it'll get sore or rip up.
This helps to stop you gettting arthritus later inlife cause your conditioning the skin and tendons and ligaments around the knuckles first before the bone crunching stuff that your doing at the moment.
A chinese herbalist may be able to make you up a mix (worth a phone call into china town).
We used to soak our hands in a tea of chinese herbs immediatly after the work ,little gas flame under it to heat it up with your hands in it.
Makes your skin go like leather then like iron when you tense up afterwards.
After the sand and rocks you can fill a few bags with lead shot and dump them on a table in front of you and do all the strikes off them.
we used to do finger strikes ,side strikes punches etc.It works too I seen the damage done from a miss hit that didnt even have any power on it. Nasty like a slice open along the jaw line.
Keep your hands warm for a few hours after this type of work gloves would benifit in winter especially.
If your going to make stuff up your self to soak in, Hot spicey herbs done in thin liquid is best, not made from oils or cream rubs like dencorub that soften the skin.