Body Hardening: A Necessary Pain

During combat, there is a high probability that the body will be put under intense pressure from attacks by opponents or enemies. A martial arts practitioner must be able to deal with many elements which may bring much pain and discomfort, whether from strikes or even weapon attacks. In order to continue effectively, and not be hindered by pain resulting from intense physical attacks, the body must be hardened.

Body hardening has been used by almost every combative art ever practiced to help the body endure and resist pain. Martial artist who go to battle must develop their body to withstand attacks from opponents. Many tactics should be used to harden the outer body until it becomes like armor.

There are many ways to harden the body. The hardening process is one of the most difficult and unpleasant skills learned in any martial art. Witnessing different forms of body hardening can seem almost like torture to the participant, but it is necessary to prepare the body before battle. An example of body hardening is arm conditioning, which requires the practitioner to repeatedly hit their arm against a hard object such as a tree, or the arm of a fellow practitioner.

All areas of the body should be hardened to withstand an opponents attacks. Using body hardening techniques, many warriors have been able to accomplish seemingly impossible feats such as breaking bricks with finger strikes or laying on razor sharp spears without being penetrated by the point. Shaolin monks would use hundreds of methods to harden the body. These methods include things such as slapping water on cold days, punching walls to strengthen the fist, and banging their heads against a sandbag for hours to strengthen the skull. Shinobi (Ninja) would train to harden their entire bodies for battle except the palm of their hands, which they used to feel and navigate during the night.

Mastering body hardening can separate true warriors from novices. Those who have hardened the body can go to battle with an increased confidence level, knowing they can withstand any attack and continue fighting. The difficulty of hardening the body can seem unbearable at times, but it must be done in order to withstand the pain of combat.

Author: Jason Gandy

Published: June 19, 2013

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