# finger pushups and knife hand



## Deathtrap101 (Aug 27, 2002)

ive tried finger tip pushups and i can get on all my fingers, but they all bend at the first joint from the nail and i cant stay on my finger tips. What can i do about this?

 I have the same problem when i try doing one of those thrust knife hands.

 I heard using a bucket of those hard green beans. ANd doing knife hand into it would help, anybody have anything els i coudl use??


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## TLH3rdDan (Aug 27, 2002)

yeah that would help there are other variations on it as well... you can use sand or gravel as you get better to continue to strengthen and toughen your fingers


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## Deathtrap101 (Aug 27, 2002)

yea i just meant the beans or whatever for starting and gradualy move up to heavier substances. Its called iron palm training isnt it? eventualy use steel balls.


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## DJDragon (Aug 31, 2002)

The other day I did one Bruce Lee push up.  Two fingers only.  It's probably irrelevant but I felt like mentioning it.

Who can do push ups on all their fingers with no thumb?  I don't think I can.  Too hard.


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## theneuhauser (Aug 31, 2002)

there is a guy in china who can do a handstand on his index finger. he places his feet against the wall for balance and performs this "finger stand"  and hes probably pushing 90 years old! he can also do the chinese splits which is pretty impressive too. i cant remember his name but its funny because hes been doing the finger stand for so long that the end of his index finger is twice as fat as the rest of it!


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## KennethKu (Sep 6, 2002)

> _Originally posted by Deathtrap101 _
> 
> *yea i just meant the beans or whatever for starting and gradualy move up to heavier substances. Its called iron palm training isnt it? eventualy use steel balls. *



Just start slow with ball bearings (BB) .  Then increase force and speed as your training advance.   Don't use lead shots (duh! lead poisoning) 

Yes, it is one type of IronHand training.

Beans are too light. Gravel will cut your hand. nasty nasty. Unless you can find those nice , smooth and round river-bed gravel.


If you just want to do finger tip push up, then just practice daily. In 30 days or less, you will be able to do it with just the tips.  Nothing magical about it.


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## Deathtrap101 (Sep 6, 2002)

> If you just want to do finger tip push up, then just practice daily. In 30 days or less, you will be able to do it with just the tips. Nothing magical about it.



 Im kidna skeptical on that one, cause i used to do it almsot daily for a couple months a while back and i could do an easy 30 push ups on my fingers(front joint bent) and with my feet elevated and when my feet where down i dont remember being able to do them on the tips. ohwell....Iill try more.


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## Humble artist (Sep 28, 2002)

Besides numerous other finger strengthening exercises,if you do finger push-ups...DO NOT do them on tips of your fingers,but the flats of your fingertips (I hope this sounds clear)
Doing push-ups on tips of fingers stresses and damages meridian pathways (this is oriental medicine) and may damage health and generally speaking,eyes.
Same goes with striking hard areas/objects for finger conditioning (TIPS) such training can be dangerous if committed by a novice (not saying you are one)
I hope this helps a bit,even though is unrelated.
:asian:


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## KennethKu (Sep 28, 2002)

> _Originally posted by Humble artist _
> 
> *Besides numerous other finger strengthening exercises,if you do finger push-ups...DO NOT do them on tips of your fingers,but the flats of your fingertips (I hope this sounds clear)
> Doing push-ups on tips of fingers stresses and damages meridian pathways (this is oriental medicine) and may damage health and generally speaking,eyes.
> ...



I have heard many Chinese medicine practitioners making such assertion regarding finger conditioning. Just bear in mind that plenty of karate stylists train fingertips and can see just fine.  :asian:   Their methods of finger tips training are far more strenuous than finger tips pushup.


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## Richard S. (Sep 28, 2002)

deathtrap, be careful. done improperly iron palm training goes by another name, "arthritis".........


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## KennethKu (Sep 28, 2002)

Yes. You should not dive right into IronPalm or any of the hardcore conditioning w/o knowing how to treat the injury that comes with such conditioning. The most common way is to use the CHinese bruise liniment called Dit da jow, before and after training.


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## Humble artist (Sep 29, 2002)

"I have heard many Chinese medicine practitioners making such assertion regarding finger conditioning. Just bear in mind that plenty of karate stylists train fingertips and can see just fine.  Their methods of finger tips training are far more strenuous than finger tips pushup"

KennethKu,
Yes,I´ve heard the same,that is a point to recognize of course.
My point anyways,would be to note that there are things&exercises in MA which can be harmful to one´s health (such can be found from kung-fu as an example,like iron sand palm or some traditional very hard conditioning methods) even though they may not always appear so.
If you can change potentially harmful exercise into some of the as beneficial,but non-dangerous one´s,then do.
As one karate site mentioned on improperly done kata and other harmful things-"just because Joe Blow did it and survived..." or something like that.
Conclusion;better safe than sorry.


:asian:


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## KennethKu (Sep 29, 2002)

Yes Sir,  I concur with your point about being safe than sorry.  

It is just that there is no medical proof that finger tip conditioning can affect eyesight negatively or in any other way.  It is possible to injure your fingers in the process.  Beyond that, there is only Chinese medicine making such assertion based on their concept of Meridian pathway.  

However, since there is no way to resolve that given our current state of medical knowledge, you have offered  the best approach  : "If you can change potentially harmful exercise into some of the as beneficial,but non-dangerous one´s, then do."   :asian:


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## theneuhauser (Oct 5, 2002)

Maybe i can help a little here.


finger tip pushups are a very good training tool. if you do them properly, you DO use the tips of the fingers, that allows you to keep the joints in each finger slightly bent, whick keeps the energy path open. Here's how you test this for yourself, do the pushup and pay close attention to each one of your knuckles. if any of the joints straightens out from the pressure, then you are relying on the bones, not the strength of the fingers. this is an excercise designed to strengthen your fingers, all of them. so make sure that your joints are all slightly bent. (most people will see whiteness around the joint that fails you- that is the blood and the energy being cut off the pinky is the most common culprit). Start off by doing them on a slight angle against the wall, go slowly, if the finger joints fail you, start over at a more acute angle to the wall.
finger strength is awesome!!


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