Brining Methods?

[KOKarate]

Here:
"If at first they should get a little raw or rubbed, a few
applications of weak tannic acid solution, or rosin, or good
strong pickle out of the salt-pork barrel, will soon make the
hands and knuckles tough."
- Billy Edwards' "Art of Boxing and Manual of Training" from 1888

Sooooo you’re taking advice from an 132 year old book?....yeah makes sense

 

[Dirty Dog]

Here:
"If at first they should get a little raw or rubbed, a few
applications of weak tannic acid solution, or rosin, or good
strong pickle out of the salt-pork barrel, will soon make the
hands and knuckles tough."
- Billy Edwards' "Art of Boxing and Manual of Training" from 1888

I have a textbook that was widely used in medical schools around the time of WWI. It recommends treating heart attacks by immersion in ice water.
Some of us have learned a thing or two since the 19th Century. I highly recommend it.

 

[Buka]

You might want to listen to your mom on this one.

 

[Graywalker]

I have been mulling over the idea of brining my body for a long while ago. For about a 3 months minimum. Aside from the fact that my mother was in absolute shock when she found out, and that women don't like it very much, I feel as if it's necessary for me to do so to get an edge over my past self, and my future opponents. I have bought some coarse salt and I wanted to know what would be the best way to brine my hands and knuckles to make them less prone to cutting, and possibly my body too.

I have also read that rubbing alcohol works too. Could I simply rub a mixture of rubbing alcohol and coarse salt on my hands and body twice daily? If you've done this before, or have an idea of how I should do it, what would you recommend?

I am curious, what situations in your past, leads you to believe that this method is necessary for your training?

 

[Bee Brian]

I am curious, what situations in your past, leads you to believe that this method is necessary for your training?

I'm betting he saw it in an anime or manga.

 

[Deleted member 39746]

What is brining? i dont fully understand what this is?

 

[jobo]

What is brining? i dont fully understand what this is?

brine is salt water,( mostly) brining is soaking your hands in salt water

 

[Deleted member 39746]

brine is salt water,( mostly) brining is soaking your hands in salt water

I dont even know if that would do anything postive. That looks more like a treatment if you cut your hands up a bit to clean the cuts etc if you had nothing else.

 

[dvcochran]

Here:
"If at first they should get a little raw or rubbed, a few
applications of weak tannic acid solution, or rosin, or good
strong pickle out of the salt-pork barrel, will soon make the
hands and knuckles tough."
- Billy Edwards' "Art of Boxing and Manual of Training" from 1888

Ivan in all seriousness, you cannot shortcut the process. It takes time on a makiwara board, bag or similar to toughen up the hands. I suspect the person you quoted from the book had already significantly toughened up hands and was looking for an edge. Toughened up from acclimation and use is very different from roughened up in appearance.
Salt could work if you took a block of salt (available at farm supply stores) and banged on it every day but there are better ways.

 

[jobo]

I dont even know if that would do anything postive. That looks more like a treatment if you cut your hands up a bit to clean the cuts etc if you had nothing else.

salt water, sea water is reputed to have posertive health effects , i suspect the concentration is an issue,

that aside the book he is quotibg is talking about pickling your hands in extremly concentrated acetic acid (vinegar, ) i think that may indeed toughen the skin, but at the exspence of having hands that look like they have been pickled, not a good look to be honest

 

[Dirty Dog]

salt water, sea water is reputed to have posertive health effects , i suspect the concentration is an issue,

Reputed, sure. But I don't think there's any real reason to believe it. I've had cuts on vacation and even though I spent hours and hours totally submerged in the sea, they didn't heal any better. It's actually quite possible that you'd make skin more vulnerable, at least in the short term. When I come up after a 2-3 hours dive, my fingers and such are all pruney. And the skin in that condition is easier to tear.
On the other hand, sea water could help mentally. I mean, it's really hard not to be happy while you're sitting on a beach in the Caribbean with a frozen drink in your hand. I think my insurance should send me on a trip...

 

[dvcochran]

Reputed, sure. But I don't think there's any real reason to believe it. I've had cuts on vacation and even though I spent hours and hours totally submerged in the sea, they didn't heal any better. It's actually quite possible that you'd make skin more vulnerable, at least in the short term. When I come up after a 2-3 hours dive, my fingers and such are all pruney. And the skin in that condition is easier to tear.
On the other hand, sea water could help mentally. I mean, it's really hard not to be happy while you're sitting on a beach in the Caribbean with a frozen drink in your hand. I think my insurance should send me on a trip...

I have always heard it called 'Crepe skin'. I have had cuts from climbing back in a boat from the softened surface skin. I do believe it is a real thing. And I have never been down that long. I would say 1-1/2 is about my longest bottom time.

 

[Dirty Dog]

I have always heard it called 'Crepe skin'. I have had cuts from climbing back in a boat from the softened surface skin. I do believe it is a real thing. And I have never been down that long. I would say 1-1/2 is about my longest bottom time.

I don't have my log here, but my longest dive was a bit over 5 hours. A 400' dive to visit a wreck. My air pressure gauge is clipped off on my left hip (that's standard for any sort of tech diving). I moved the D ring it clips to a bit further forward. Because with only a right eye, I couldn't see it without unclipping it and bringing it out. And the skin on the thumb would just be shreaded from opening the clip. By moving it forward, I can just grab it and turn the face forward and see it without unclipping it.

 

[jobo]

Reputed, sure. But I don't think there's any real reason to believe it. I've had cuts on vacation and even though I spent hours and hours totally submerged in the sea, they didn't heal any better. It's actually quite possible that you'd make skin more vulnerable, at least in the short term. When I come up after a 2-3 hours dive, my fingers and such are all pruney. And the skin in that condition is easier to tear.
On the other hand, sea water could help mentally. I mean, it's really hard not to be happy while you're sitting on a beach in the Caribbean with a frozen drink in your hand. I think my insurance should send me on a trip...

ive never really considered it to be honest, i dont like beaches, i dont like the sea, i dont like swimming, very little would get me in in the sea swimming, , so there would need to be some serious pay off from it

nb i like to walk down deserted beaches in the winter, but i keep well away from the sea

 

[lklawson]

I'm sorry to tell you all, but most of you are just flat wrong. Not only is this historically accurate but is a long standing tradition and it worked.

I honestly have never heard of anyone doing this. What benefits are expected from it?

Using brine is one component of a traditional method of skin toughening from the European tradition. It's similar to some Asian body toughening techniques, often accompanied with Jow.

Most of the information comes from 19th Century pugilism. The knuckles/fists are usually intended target for toughening, though the face is sometimes also. Usually there is some regiment of bag punching and then an application of a solution or tincture. Besides a (salt pork barrel) brine solution, various tanic acid applications were used. Dempsey recommended the application of a product called "camphor ice" which I've not been able to find any other reference to. Another period author referred to a commercial tincture he called "Tom Sayer's brew" which included "turps" and some unknown herbs. Some authors apparently suggested using rosin and there's a rumor floating around that some authors might have recommend the use of urine, though I have not found a source for this. The boxer "Ruby Red" Bob Fitzsimmons recommended a solution which included laudanum.

The brining and acid applications (tanic acid & urine) would help to cross-link the collagen in the skin which would toughen it up by maintaining the flexibility but reducing the elasticity.

Dr. Keith P. Myers (MD) did a lot of research on this.

Peace favor your sword,
Kirk

 

[lklawson]

I saw it in the anime Baki in Netflix. One of the characters claimed to make his skin tougher by rubbing salt on it. The end result, when he fought one of the villains, the villain wasn't able to cut him with his blade-like knuckles.

I think the OP might just be trolling.

Or maybe you don't know everything? That could be it too.

 

[lklawson]

Here:
"If at first they should get a little raw or rubbed, a few
applications of weak tannic acid solution, or rosin, or good
strong pickle out of the salt-pork barrel, will soon make the
hands and knuckles tough."
- Billy Edwards' "Art of Boxing and Manual of Training" from 1888

Yup. That's one of mine that I republished:
Paperback: Lulu
PDF: Lulu

Peace favor your sword,
Kirk

 

[lklawson]

that would be tanning like they use on leather?

Yes. Tanic acid.

and the strong pickle would be vinegar or acetic acid possibly with salt in it,

Yes.

 

[jobo]

I'm sorry to tell you all, but most of you are just flat wrong. Not only is this historically accurate but is a long standing tradition and it worked.

Using brine is one component of a traditional method of skin toughening from the European tradition. It's similar to some Asian body toughening techniques, often accompanied with Jow.

Most of the information comes from 19th Century pugilism. The knuckles/fists are usually intended target for toughening, though the face is sometimes also. Usually there is some regiment of bag punching and then an application of a solution or tincture. Besides a (salt pork barrel) brine solution, various tanic acid applications were used. Dempsey recommended the application of a product called "camphor ice" which I've not been able to find any other reference to. Another period author referred to a commercial tincture he called "Tom Sayer's brew" which included "turps" and some unknown herbs. Some authors apparently suggested using rosin and there's a rumor floating around that some authors might have recommend the use of urine, though I have not found a source for this. The boxer "Ruby Red" Bob Fitzsimmons recommended a solution which included laudanum.

The brining and acid applications (tanic acid & urine) would help to cross-link the collagen in the skin which would toughen it up by maintaining the flexibility but reducing the elasticity.

Keith P. Myers did a lot of research on this.

Peace favor your sword,
Kirk

i dont think anybody said it wouldnt work, just most people seemed to opinion that treating your skin like leather was a rather supid thing to do

its not even that cut hands gets the fight stopped,, so as well as stupid its pointless in increasing your fightibg prowess

 

[lklawson]

Yes and they also used to fight bare knuckle in limitless rounds until someone got knocked out people have gotten Smarter since then (some at least) and realized most of the stuff they did back then was stupid as hell

When I read that what I see is, "I don't know much about how the old boxing matches actually worked or what the rules really were but I've got an opinion anyway."

Yes, there were unlimited rounds. Strangely enough they didn't break their hands as often as people think and "punch drunk" wasn't really a thing like it is now. There's a reason for this.