Iron palm

Iron Palm refers to numerous techniques developed within martial arts. These techniques are typically meant to condition the hands to allow a practitioner to throw very powerful blows without injury to his or her body. Iron Palm is not a specific term as there are many different ways of achieving these results. Consequently, many martial arts families teach a system of iron palm, and many disagree with each other as to whose system is best. Furthermore, many teachers treat their specific iron palm system as a closely guarded family secret so it can be difficult to acquire specific information about system without agreeing to not share that information freely.

In any case, iron palm development occurs in two parts. The first is to strengthen the hand. This can be achieved by repeatedly striking hard objects, breaking the bones in the hands so they heal back thicker, or chemically treating the hands, usually with plant derivatives. The second part is to learn how to strike with more power. In other words, hard hands are not enough, one must be able to apply that hardness with power and intent. Iron palm development can be truly substantial. Many iron palm practitioners can break stacks of boards and bricks. Combined with a knowledge of vunerable spots on the human body, a well developed iron palm practioner is easily a lethal opponent.

One varient of Iron Palm training consists of years of repetitve downward striking with all surfaces of the hand upon rough cloth bags filled with increasingly harder martials. In order of development (and difficultly)

1. mung beans
2. gravel
3. iron or steel shot.

Besides developing iron palm as a weapon, there are many breaking competions where practitioners break stacks of bricks and boards to compete with one another. A non-comprehensive list of breaking competitions:

• U.S. Open World NASKA Martial Arts Tournament