# Most Versatile Home Training Equipment



## Infinite (Jan 24, 2007)

First some context 

For us begginers who have not yet purchased a lot of equipment for training, what in your oppinion, is the most versatile equipment you have bought?

By versatile I mean, Trains the most Techniqes, or Trains the most muscles, or enhances a core quality needed by most martial arts like stretching.

I'm hoping we can put together some core equipment that lots of people seem to agree on. I am hoping to eliminate at least some of the purchases you make and then don't live up to expectations...

thanks,

--Infy


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## Andrew Green (Jan 24, 2007)

I think a medicine ball is the best cost to use piece of equipment.  You can make one for < $5 and it can do a lot of things.

Other pieces would be
- Chin up bar
- Dumbells
- Heavy Bag
- Skipping rope

I think those 5 pieces would make a great start for home training, and a couple are really cheap too


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## Blindside (Jan 24, 2007)

I'd go with the heavy bag, but I can see a good argument for the medicine ball.


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## SFC JeffJ (Jan 24, 2007)

Buy the heavy bag and make yourself a medicine ball.  Don't go cheap on the bag either, or you'll just end up buying another one too soon.

Jeff


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## rutherford (Jan 24, 2007)

I love my clubbells.  

But, I think my most versitile piece of equipment is my imagination.  Here's something extremely funny that kind of illustrates the point. 




Also, I think the problem with an idea of "core equipment" is that people have really different goals and its these goals that provide the context.  Are you trying to set up a gym area to support the differing goals of lots of people?


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## Infinite (Jan 24, 2007)

rutherford said:


> I love my clubbells.
> 
> But, I think my most versitile piece of equipment is my imagination.  Here's something extremely funny that kind of illustrates the point.
> 
> ...



Well I assumed that some things would be universal... like a heavy / medicine ball. Also I wanted people to chime in about what they are using frequently regardless of what they learn. Therefore if you got a Hung Gar Wooden Man and it was so worth it... that would be valuable to anyone thinking of buying one.


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## Xue Sheng (Jan 24, 2007)

Trees 

Actually I am serious there; they are great for practicing strikes and kicks.

But otherwise I recommend the Heavy bag and medicine ball I also like dumbbells


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## Andrew Green (Jan 24, 2007)

err...  I disagree, ignoring the fact that you are picking on a poor innocent tree that can't defend itself, which I imagine takes off the bark and leaves it open to disease.  Kicking and punching things as solid as a tree repeatedly is not good for your hands and feet.


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## Xue Sheng (Jan 24, 2007)

Andrew Green said:


> err... I disagree, ignoring the fact that you are picking on a poor innocent tree that can't defend itself, which I imagine takes off the bark and leaves it open to disease. Kicking and punching things as solid as a tree repeatedly is not good for your hands and feet.


 
Palm strikes and low kicks as well as forearm strikes are trained that way in Sanda in China and it works for them, it worked for my sifu and it works for me, but if you don't want to do that then that is ok too. That is why I also listed a heavy bag. And I just cannot bring myself to train the elbow strikes on trees so I use th eheavy bag. 

And if you can knock the bark and leaves off a 15 to 20 inch diameter maple or pine tree you are much stronger than I.

And to be entirely honest hitting a heavy bag is not all to good for the hands either


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## Marvin (Jan 24, 2007)

Andrew Green said:


> I think a medicine ball is the best cost to use piece of equipment.  You can make one for < $5 and it can do a lot of things.


Directions plz ??

med. ball
jump rope
quality timer with a loud beep
heavy bag w/wraps and gloves
dumbbells


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## Andrew Green (Jan 24, 2007)

Marvin said:


> Directions plz ??



http://innovativema.ca/forum/view.php?pg=buildamedicineball


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## searcher (Jan 24, 2007)

Heavy bag or a makiwara.   I could see a jump rope being one of the best pieces the equipment to buy.   An often overlooked and very good piece of equipment is the double-end bag.    It is a wonderful item to have.


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## pstarr (Jan 24, 2007)

Makiwara.  :whip1:


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## still learning (Jan 25, 2007)

Hello,  Look around at boxing gyms,martial art schools...what do you see alot of? ...punching bags!

Why?  because it is a very versatile training tool to use!  You can do all kinds of training with the bag!  Get a tall one aleast 36 inches or more in lenght.

Now to decide hanging ones or the floor ones with the wide plastic bottoms?   I have both and each has it advantages.  I than to lean more to the hanging ones...just my opinion here.........Aloha

PS: way is find those empty bags and stuff your own...


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## Carol (Jan 25, 2007)

Mats! 

Mats help in stretching, calesthenics, they protect your knees and back, they protect the floor from dropped weights and dropped people... 

Mats are good.  I like mats.


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## bluemtn (Jan 25, 2007)

Carol Kaur said:


> Mats!
> 
> Mats help in stretching, calesthenics, they protect your knees and back, they protect the floor from dropped weights and dropped people...
> 
> Mats are good. I like mats.


 

I'll stick with mats.  Mats are your friend, whether you're a beginner or have been into MA for 50 years.


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## Infinite (Jan 25, 2007)

Have you noticed only the girls have mentioned mats?

All the guys are touting punching bags.

I see a gender rift!

BACK ON TOPIC:

So far I have for anyone new:

Punching Bags, hanging seems to be the most versital but standings do have some advantages. 

Medicine Ball, Either a bag or a ball it appears or both but not none.

Mats, For all those time you wish you had one now you will!

Jump Roap, why else have mats if you do'nt jump on them?

Makiwara, (I had to look it up) For when you really want to hit something no I mean really want to hit something.

Runner Ups!

Timer, So you know when to start and stop conditioning takes disciplin not approximation.

Chin Up Bar, My personal favorite but hey its not versital it is just a great piece of equipment. Lift yourself up and tick off your muscles at the same time!

Dumb Bells, I think most people assumed these were a given  but only mentioned twice. When you really want to feel tired try club and or dumb bells.


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## Xue Sheng (Jan 25, 2007)

Mats are for sissies; they didnt even have them when I started in Jujitsu :uhyeah:

But speaking as a sissy I think there a good idea I will probably even think they are a better idea when my sanda Sifu starts slamming me on the ground outside his house.


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## jks9199 (Jan 26, 2007)

Nobody's mentioned a mirror yet...

A decent mirror can be very helpful in home practice, so that you can see whether what you think you're doing matches what you saw your teacher do.  And a full length "dressing" mirror or two is big enough...  And relatively inexpensive.

I'd also suggest chalk or tape for marking the floor without harming it.  Often, being able to draw a line can help you measure or correct a movement pattern.

Finally -- a stop watch or inexpensive round timer, paired with a good book of bodyweight type exercises and/or plyometric exercises.


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## shrek (Feb 2, 2007)

Infinite said:


> First some context
> 
> For us begginers who have not yet purchased a lot of equipment for training, what in your oppinion, is the most versatile equipment you have bought?
> 
> ...


 
If you wish to do it on the cheap, it's not that hard!!  

Heavy Bag - big green Military duffel bag...the more recent Marine ones have a rubberized innerliner meant to keep water in/out...fill with sand, hang on a rafter.  Use for YEARS!

Wing Chun wooden man - watch for a car crash where a telephone pole was broken.  Wait for repair guys to arrive and ask them if you can have a chunk of it.  Use powersander on it, drill your holes, make the arms & legs & mounting...slather on several layers of clearcoat & you're good to go!

Makiwara - there's enough websites on pole-mounted/wall mounted to fix anyone up.  

Hope that helps


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## Cris (Feb 3, 2007)

Oi Medicine ball.... just thinking about them gives me a headache. Last time I used one they had me and someon else tossing it back and forth and the person I was with threw it just a little too hard and it landed on my forehead >.> blacked out for a few seconds.


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## Carol (Feb 3, 2007)

Cris said:


> Oi Medicine ball.... just thinking about them gives me a headache. Last time I used one they had me and someon else tossing it back and forth and the person I was with threw it just a little too hard and it landed on my forehead >.> blacked out for a few seconds.


 

Ouch!   

That's something that I never quite understood....why a medicine ball?  Seems like the risk of a head injury outweighs the benefit of strength gained by tossing a heavy ball around.  

Or am I not understanding its use?


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## Cris (Feb 4, 2007)

usually its not thrown quite so high. The guy got VERY carried away. Also I was a little kid at the time, so it didn't take much to get up to head height. Funny thing though, all my memories before that are very fuzzy, but that instant is clear as a bell


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