Grip Training And Its Importance!

 

 

 

 Grip strengthening is an often over looked, and incredibly important, aspect of self defense and martial arts training. A strong grip is needed in almost every single art to carry out various techniques with ease and efficiency. Judo and BJJ practitioners rely on their grip to hold onto, throw, and submit resisting opponents. Various Kung Fu and Karate styles require your grip strength to complete numerous standing locks and chokes. Regardless of the art you study, your grip strength could always be improved and should be trained in order to not only make your techniques more powerful, but also allow you to perform them with less effort.

 

 Grip strength training is something that can be trained in a number of ways, and doesn't need be trained on its own. Your grip strength training can actually be thrown into your strength and conditioning workouts ... or it can be done on it's own as a separate workout. There are two types of grip training you'll want to incorporate.

 

Grip Strength Endurance:

 

 With grip strength endurance, we're talking about your bodies ability to grab a hold of something, grip it hard, and not allow it to drop of fall out of your hand for a period of time. It's the type of grip that is required while holding onto a wrist during a lock or that allows you to hold onto the gi of an opponent in order to perform a throw while they resist.

 

 Kettlebells are an excellent option when looking to increase your grip strength endurance. The centre of gravity of the kettlebell is further away from the handle (unlike a dumbbell) and is always pulling away from your hand. Kettlebell work with a medium to heavy kettlebell that has a fatter handle is an excellent option for increasing your grip strength endurance. If  you're interested in kettlebell training I have a bunch of great kettlebell DVD's available from my Personal Training and Fitness Website!

  

 Another option is to simply switch to fatter bars or using fat grips during your workouts can help a lot. By using a fatter bar during exercises like pull ups/dips, deadlifts, and bench press etc. your grip will be forced to become stronger in order to hold onto the now larger surface. Another great option is to grip a towel, or a gi that has been hung over the bar during body weight rows or pull ups!

 

 

(Towel Grip Pull Ups)

 

 

Crushing Grip Strength: 

 

 Crushing grip strength refers to your ability how much pressure you can produce while closing the hand. This is the type of grip that is used during Eagle Claw attacks to the throat that crush the wind pipe or dig into muscles. This is the kind of grip we would see during some small joint manipulations or eye clawing techniques. 

 

 In order to build this crushing grip strength you'll need to actively be squeezing objects that challenge your crushing grip strength. There are numerous products on the market, such as rubber webbing, stress balls, grip strength "clamps", or small rubber "doughnuts". Most of these tools can be purchased at any local sports store and come in a variety of difficultly levels (the amount of resistance they produce).  Start with something that provides enough resistance that it's not easy, but not impossible. As you get stronger switch it up to tool that provides a greater amount of resistance.

 

 

(Grip Strengthening Clamps)

 

 

What ever art you practice, remember, you're only as strong as your weakest link. A weak grip could mean the difference between a 1st place trophy, a championship belt, or life and death. Start training your grip today so you won't regret it tomorrow!

 

 

- Tim