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Knuckle push-ups have long been a staple for karate training of all styles. As a Karate instructor, I frequently perform, and have my students perform, knuckle push-ups. The purpose of the knuckle push-up is to prepare the practitioner for the impact of actual punching. It does this by strengthening the chest, shoulders, forearms and wrists, as well as hardening the knuckles, preparing them for the actual impact of punching solid targets.

This is in addition to the benefits of the standard pushup, of course. However, I felt that if the knuckle push-up could more accurately simulate the twisting motion of the traditional karate punch, or any well thrown punch for that matter, it would be a more effective exercise.
The Genkaiko or Pivot-up Punch Trainer does just that, improving on the benefits of the standard knuckle push-up by adding a twisting action which more closely approximates the motion of actual punching. This pivoting motion strengthens the wrists even more than the standard knuckle push-up. It adds other muscle groups to the activity and by requiring coordinated muscular effort increases the work done by the muscles already involved, including the chest, forearms, shoulders, and lattisimus muscles of the back.

The Genkaiko (Japanese for ‘Fist’-‘Rotate’-‘Harden’) is designed to bridge the gap between push-ups and the actual mechanics of punching.

(Without getting into the various distinctions of different karate styles, it should be noted that some styles extend the arm fully, while others keep the elbow just short of fully locked out, while yet others only rotate the fist to a vertical position. In any case, there is a rotation in some degree from the chamber at the hip to the completion of the punch, and there is extension of the arm forward to one degree or another in most traditional karate systems. Yet other styles emulate a boxing type of punch delivery, such as a boxer’s jab and cross, which though not chambered at the hip, go through a similar rotation on delivery. *See various illustrations below.)

In order to strengthen the wrists, forearms, chest, shoulders, and harden the fists, most combat oriented activities use the push-up, or more specifically, the knuckle push-up. This puts the practitioner’s body weight on the fists, thus strengthening all the supporting joints and muscles involved in the delivery of a punch. The standard knuckle or fist push-up on a bare floor does not, however, address the twisting motion used in delivering the punch. Additionally, many hours, even years of practice, go into practicing the correct punching motion, from the feet, all the way up through the body to the fists. Emphasis is frequently placed on the use of the legs and hips to drive the punch, since they are much larger muscles than the shoulder and chest. Boxers who do not use this leg and hip drive get ‘arm weary’ easily, and lack any real power in their punch.

The same is true in karate. To punch with real power, the legs and hips must create the force of the punch. But if the full body is driving the punch, then the knuckles, fists, wrists, forearms, elbows, and shoulders must be prepared to bear the impact of that increased force!

To accomplish this, karate uses a punching post known as the Makiwara. Additionally, they may use a punching bag, just as boxers do. If unprepared for the impact, such punching force applied to the bag and Makiwara can injure the wrists, fists, and all of the aforementioned body parts. Boxers prepare for this by wrapping and taping the hands, as well as wearing protective gloves. Karate practitioners generally don’t use these protective wraps, do to the fact that when attacked spontaneously (the purpose of self- defense training being to prepare for such a scenario) there is no time to tell the attacker to wait while you wrap your fists in cloth or boxing gloves.

Using the Genkaiko
For beginners whose wrists and knuckles cannot yet bear their body's full weight, the padded side provides a softer training surface. This enables the beginners to hold themselves up without excessive knuckle pain. The padding is sufficient so that it most cases even children can safely perform the beginning exercises on them. At the advanced level, all exercises are performed on the wood side. Bearing the weight of the body on one’s fists can be difficult at first, so the beginner may want to use only one fist on the Genkaiko while the other hand is on the floor and rotating only the fist which is on the Genkaiko. You may not even want to be in push-up position to begin with, but possibly kneeling, or even sitting with the Genkaiko on each side of you where you can use as much or as little body weight as is comfortable for you.

Exercise #1 - Placing one hand on the floor and one fist or palm on the Genkaiko, rotate the wrist as far as desired, simulating the twist of a punch, or further as flexibility allows. This will build strength in the wrist and forearm being worked.
(All the exercises, full rotations and the full push-up, may also be done on the palms if the fist cannot bear the weight, still allowing for the pivoting motion to strengthen the forearms and wrists.)

Exercise #2 - Place both fists on the Genkaiko and bearing as much body weight as is feasible (sitting, kneeling, leaning), rotate both fists (or palms). This can be done slowly with as much rotation as flexibility allows, or more quickly to simulate punch rotation. This seemingly simple exercise will greatly enhance wrist, forearm, and shoulder strength.
As the wrists become sufficiently strong, these should be done completely in the 'up' position of the pushup, either on the padded or wood side of the Genkaiko, as you gradually accustom yourself to the pressure on the knuckles.

Exercise #3 - This is the same as exercise #1 except that the pivoting is done in alternating fashion, so that the palms face opposite directions as the wrists are rotated.
Again, the same exercise can be done on the palms, and the full pushup position can be gradually achieved by beginning with less weight carried on the fists and increasing to full pushup position.

Exercise #4 - Once the wrists have begun to bear the body’s weight, a full push-up may still be difficult to perform on the Genkaiko. In this exercise, using only one Genkaiko, place the other hand on the floor. In this position, a full push-up or only part of the push-up motion can be done with the stationary hand on the floor, the other rotating on the Genkaiko.

Exercise #5 - Using the padded side, perform full pushups starting with the fists in the traditional chambered position at the sides, and pushing up with a twist at the full extension.

Exercise #6 -The advanced practitioner can actually perform full range pushups on the wood side complete with the twisting of the wrist in traditional karate fashion.