Making Your Own Portable Makiwara
by Jim Marinow, Canada
Text is taken from «IOGKF International News» #35 (December 1993)
Training with makiwara (striking post) everyday is essential as we all know, but often not
practical. Especially if you travel often, or don't live close to your dojo, or if you are an
apartment dweller, it is almost impossible to train with makiwara daily. I'll personally testify
- I have resorted to everything from driving my (semidetached) neighbors crazy to wrapping a tree
in a nearby park with twine. Of course I've almost always installed my own makiwara where ever
I've lived, but the problem with that was, I couldn't take it away for the weekend, nor could it
be transported for a day of outdoor training.
If this makiwara costs you more than $10.00 to make, send me the bill-and I'll take it under
advisement. This tire makiwara will give you almost identical resistance as a traditional 'planted'
makiwara. Higaonna Sensei first saw the original at Kyose Dojo in Japan (an Aikido Dojo). I have
Sensei Miko Peled to thank for letting me steal the idea from him.
Here is what you need:
- an old car or truck tire, condition unimportant, radials work best
- 6 feet of chain, heavy enough to suspend the tire
- approx. 1 1/2" - 2" eye boll with a nut and large washer (1").
- a piece of l' x 6' hardwood, about 2 feet
(at least as long as the diameter of the tire) - 2 bolts or wood screws if you don't have a drill, 2" long with large heads and accompanying bolts and large 1" washers
- a 6" x 6" square of leather or hard rubber
- contact cement or all purpose glue
- an 'S' hook that will fit both the chain and the 'eye' bolt
- a small bottle of Dit Da Jao
- 2 ground squirrels
By this point its so obvious I don't even need to explain but I will anyway. I'm assuming you have removed the rim and hub from the tire (that's saved for a different level of makiwara training). You should have only have the circular rubber portion left.
Lay the piece of hardwood across the opening of the tire and anchor it to the tire with the 2" long bolts, one at either end, affixing the nut and washer on the inside of the tire. (If you don't have a drill use long wood screws and never mind the nuts and washers.) You can also do as I did and puncture a hole in the tire with a utility knife to get the screw through it. You needn't worry about the screw coming loose, as soon as it is in any good tire the rubber will tighten around the screw on its own. Designate either end of the wood as the top of the makiwara. Ok, got it? Through that end insert the 'eye' bolt into the tread part of the tire and affix the nut and washer on the inside of the tire to hold it in place. Find the center of the wood. Cover a 6 inch square with contact cement, over that place and secure your leather or rubber patch. Put the 's' hook through the eyebolt and attach the chain.
Now you have a portable makiwara which you can hang over the branch of a tree, from a nail etc. The 's' hook will give you an adjustable height variance, when you need to hang it from different things. Try making two and keeping one in the trunk of your car, that way you will always have a spare!
ChiBariyo!
