in kuntaw there is no such thing as to "toughen a hand. we try to develop three things for what everybody calls toughening. first is how to make a proper fist. the knuckles that are the striking part of the fist has to be in a straight line and very strong. if they are allowed to round, you can injure your hand, and the hit will not be solid. then you have to make up your mind if you will use the first two knuckles or the last three. both are okay, but they have to be trained to be used. when you practice, or THINK, about hitting with the kind of fist you will use, then your hand will make the proper fist automatically and you dont have to think about it. you should be able to open your hand, then quickly closed your hand and make the right fist, already tight, without checking if everything is good (the lining of the knuckles, the wrist is straight, the fist is tight).
the second part is the strength of your hands, wrist, forearm, and fingers. we do this by opening and closeing the hand more than 100 times each set. you can do it fast or slow. but the more you practice this movement the stronger your important parts they become. those parts must be strong enough to pack the bones together for a fist thats like a brick (instead of a fist thats like a piece of meat, which is most people out there). also, if your bones move when you make contact, that takes away from your hit.
the last part is the mental part of using the fist. you have to hit things, soft and hard, so you get use to making that kind of contact. if you dont, your wrist might buckle, you might not form the fist in time, and the pain will shock you. another important part is learning to ignore the pain, which never really goes away only how you can ignore it. you can do this by hitting a flexible object like a wood fence, or a young tree. they are hard surface, but they give, just like when you hit a man. its not the same as you hitting a solid thing that wont move. but your mind has to get use to hitting things.
when you do all of that, you will feel like your hands are weapons. the difference in the guy whos fist feels like a dangerous weapon when he closed it, and the guy who just punches pads and learns combos and drills, is that the man who made his fist into a weapon is not going to need one, because he carries one everywhere he goes. since he did so much damage with them before he doesnt carry a fear, and doesnt have to think about "what if i use it? what will happen to me?" the guy who hits the pad have to carry knives and brass knuckle to feel safe on the street, but he is still scared to use it. the one with the "tough" hands has nothing to hide behind.
oh yeah i forgot that your stick training will make your forearm, wrist and hands strong for fighting too. try this, in three minutes, swing 150 powerful stick strikes, any number. when you can do that then do it in 2 minutes. and then try three rounds of that, your arm should feel like a stree branch.
, the bag gloves are still being used.
