There are many ways to develop your hands for striking. One that I particularly enjoy is Iron Palm training. Many people have bought into movie and magazine hype about Iron Palm training and, unfortunately, have wasted a lot of time doing exercises that have not developed their hands in the least. They've also made mistakes, such as ignoring proper warm up procedures, using the wrong types of liniments, and abusing the hands.  Doing things to your hands like dipping them into scalding hot sand or water may lead you to hurt yourself rather than condition your hands.

For starters, a proper warm up is essential for hand conditioning. At the Syracuse Wing Chun Academy, we start by standing in a horse stance and swing one arm for about 50 rotations.  We then rotate the other arm and repeat the cycle.

The next warm up exercise involves standing straight up and flicking the arms out like whips. This is almost like flicking water off the ends of your fingertips. We do this 50 times. The purpose of the movement is to get the blood and energy flowing into the hands.

Now we are ready for the bag. In the beginning, start with a mung bean filled bag. Some martial artists believe that mung bean, when beaten, will begin to break down into a powder that is absorbed into the skin, fortifying the hands and protecting them from injury. [Editor's note:  There's debate about the benefits of mung bean as a topical treatment, but it can't hurt.]

Mung bean-filled Immortal USA single-section wall bag.

Use a stool or any flat surface that is about waist height and that can take a pounding, place the bag in front of you. Get into a horse stance facing the bag about two to three feet away (depending on the length of your arms).  You don't want to be too close and you don't want to be too far away.  Hit the bag with this sequence:

Palm strike.

Backhand.

Chop.

Claw/poke.

The hands should start from head level and travel no higher or lower. Do not use force. Instead, allow the weight of your arm to drop into the bag with a relaxed hand, concentrating your energy and attention into the bag. Do this for 15 minutes or more, but don’t overdo it. Changing stance every so often is effective in relieving sore legs during the exercise. You attention should always be focused on hitting the bag.  You don't want to be distracted by discomfort in your legs.

After you have completed hitting the bag you must now turn your attention to hand massaging with a liniment called Dit Da Jow (hitting and falling wine). Dit Da Jow is a liniment for bruises, sore muscles, and Iron Palm training. Brewed from select Chinese herbs, Dit Da Jow is excellent for relieving minor aches, tired muscles, and injuries as it conditions your skin. It also is a critical ingredient for Iron Palm Training.

Rub the Jow liberally into the hands, keeping them soaked at all times. After about 2 minutes, work the Jow from the tips of each finger up to the hand using a little pressure.

To quote Wing Chun Sifu John Crescione “It should be noted that one of the secrets of the magical Jow formula is in the rubbing. Remember way back as a kid, when you got a cold and Mom or Grandma would come in and rub you down with alcohol or Vicks. The secret was in the rub. Soft tissue manipulation alone will promote many of the qualities without the Jow, though the medicine speeds up the healing time and prevents improper drainage and stagnation problems.”

Do this for 1/3 to 1/2 the amount of time you spent hitting the bag. For example, if you hit the bag for 15 minutes, you should spend a minimum of 5 minutes on hand massaging with Dit Da Jow. When you are done, leave the Jow on for about 1 hour without washing it off.

Students at the Syracuse Wing Chun Academy also learn a 12-step Iron Palm sequence that they perform on Immortal USA's single-section wall bags:

11-STEP IRON PALM EXERCISE

	Flat palm slap
	Reverse palm slap
	Ridge hand
	Palm heel
	Tiger claw
	Leopard paw
	Phoenix eye knuckle
	Horizontal fist
	Hammer fist
	White Eyebrow Knuckle
	Elbow strike and breath release

Every school that has Iron Palm practice will vary in its approach. What matters most are the results. I personally have found the practice rewarding on many levels. One of the benefits of the training is increased sting in my Pak Saos (slapping hands) during Chi Sao (sticky hands) and combat drills.

The other obvious advantage to Iron Palm training is the ability to hit harder with less risk of injury.