How well you apply your art depends on how well you are physically conditioned with the science you understand. Every martial artist should incorporate physical conditioning into his workout schedule. There is a standard of conditioning that comes with the stretching, kicking, punching, forms, and cardiovascular routines. The kind of conditioning involves the tempering of flesh and bone.

In hung gar we condition our forearms, hands and legs to prepare them for any confrontation that might occur. After 35 years of training I have discovered that most people have a tendency to stop upon contact with an attacker when simulating attacks in class. When exercising hard blocks, soft blocks, redirecting blocks or attacks, there must be a follow through. Direct your energy not just to the target but to the other side of the target. There will be times when you won’t have adequate time to respond and you will instinctively be forced to deal with an attack with hard physical contact. If you have not taken the time to prepare, you could be on the receiving end of an attack that you cannot stop.

Most martial arts students acquire their knowledge through forms, kicking, and punching practice. They do little about conditioning their bodies to help them put that knowledge to work. If they use different types of conditioning to prepare the body, upon bridging with an attacker they will create a diversion, which will allow them to complete their attack. Knowledge with conditioning is an unbeatable combination.

Iron Forearm Gung

The only way to acquire a level of proficiency is with diligence and persistence. You must set aside time every day to accomplish this phase of training. In the hung gar school, we use the three star blocking methods to prepare our forearms for the ultimate test—hitting trees. When you begin hitting trees with your forearms, approach the contact point with enough force so that you cannot stand the pain; then back off until you reach a point where you can barely stand the pain; then stay consistent on the force of the strike. This level will be your starting point and your advancements will come naturally and subconsciously.

If you hit too easily, your progression will be slow and unproductive. This will cause you to give up or try to exceed the force of your strike and you will suffer injuries. If you attempt to go too hard and fast in the beginning you will only sustain injuries, setbacks and frustration. Hit medicine (dit da jow) is a must for anyone hoping to complete the iron forearm gung smoothly and successfully. The hit medicine promotes chi flow and circulation for faster healing. Avoid hitting on the inside of the forearm; there are too many nerve endings that could be damaged. When I put myself through this type of training, I started at 6 a.m. and spent 20 minutes a day on a fruitless mulberry tree. When I could hit the tree with enough force to witness about a six-degree bend without damaging my forearm, I knew I was ready for any confrontation.

How far are you willing to go to elevate the highest level of proficiency in your art form? How deep is your passion?

Poison Hand Gung

The practitioner must also condition his hands and at least one leg. Your pain threshold must be very high to condition both legs. Your leg must be conditioned if you are going to put yourself in a position to use iron broom gung.

There are several methods to preparing your hands. The first would be to strike the backs of the hands together, with one hand open in the kui sau position (hung gat method) and the other a fist. Repeat on both sides for 15-to-20 minutes. Secondly, start training for the poison hands by slapping your hands on a bean-filled (or steel shot) bag. Strike the back of the hand, then the palm and finally the edge of the open hand. Repeat this order to develop a rhythm. Do not use over-excessive muscle power when hitting the bag. Go slowly, relax and exhale as you strike the bag with each hit. Lift your hand only shoulder high and slap the bag evenly. By doing this routine for 20 minutes, your hands will be ready for work within four-to-six months.

Hit to a degree that is barely manageable, then stay consistent; the power of the strike will grow naturally. If you hit too hard too soon, you will bruise the internal organs. This is very uncomfortable and hard to live with while you are waiting for them to heal. Hit medicine is a must. Apply before and after each session. When using for the first time, thoroughly massage the hands with dit da jow and let them dry by air. After that, apply dit da jow and massage until hands are hot to the touch.

Iron Broom Gung

This training method is the most painful of the three. There is no such thing as getting it done quickly in any these three methods. The true best answer is time and persistence. If at any time during your conditioning or training you sustain an injury, discontinue until everything is healed and back to normal. This injury could include discoloration of the skin and pain with inflammation. If this occurs, use the hit medicine at least three times a day, massaging the inflamed areas thoroughly with light-to-moderate pressure. Never apply this medicine on cuts or open skin areas.
When training the leg, one popular method involves rolling a rolling pin up and down the leg for 15-to-20 minutes. I prefer using 6-gauge wire. Buy 20 feet of 6-gauge wire, cut it in one-foot lengths, put them together to form a brush and tape one end four inches up to form a handle. Let the other end stay loose, so when you strike your leg you will receive the impact, but the wire will separate and distribute the impact evenly. When striking the leg, go up the front of the skin bone then down from one side to the other.

You must go to the threshold of pain, then back off a notch. Stay consistent there for 20 minutes a day using the hit medicine before and after, massaging thoroughly. When you no longer feel discomfort, move on to the next stage. Bury a three-quarter inch dowel deep into the ground and then forward iron broom sweep with the leg you have been conditioning. You should be able to break this off clean. Continue to practice until you can break it cleanly without discomfort.

Every facet of training requires caution and diligence. Then you progress to three-inch dowels. After this practice you can sweep a tree in the fall. If the leaves drop from the tree, you have established the strong iron broom gung. You would only use this in a life and death situation. Because of the high level of conditioning, the leg becomes a lethal weapon; it would cut your attacker’s leg like a sword slice.

The result of this training will be unstoppable martial arts power, which is sure to resolve any confrontation. Street confrontations should last no longer than 10 seconds. Always remember to exercise mercy on those who would want to harm you; your ability and conditioning make you their master.

Conditioning is only one phase of martial arts. Correct combat science from an experienced instructor will complete the training. Having knowledge with no conditioning or having good conditioning with no knowledge is like going into battle with no armor or weapons.