Technical Field

Martial Arts Training & Stretching Aid

Background Art

A typical piece of training equipment for a Wing Chun Kung Fu practitioner is an item referred to as a wall bag. This is a bag filled with either, rice, dried peas or small gravel and any other preferred materials and is available as a single, double or triple section bag. The filling material is kept inside the bag by use of either a zip or velcro fastening to the rear. Once filled it is hung onto hooks by the use of nylon straps and D-rings. Once hung, the filling material sinks to the bottom of the bag and causes it to bulge out so that the top of the bag is empty. This limits the target area and angle of attack for the person using it. When the bag is struck, the material in the bag becomes compressed and has to be loosened again in order to continue. Over time the filling needs to be replenished as it seeps through the material of the bag and also through the fastenings. Another problem is that the bag can only be struck from face on due to its relatively flat surface. You could stand at 45 degrees to the bag and punch it but you would a) not be able to use your full power because there is no surface area parallel to your punch and b) your punch may skim across the surface causing injury or damage to your knuckles because the surface of the bag is flat. This limits the type of strikes and striking angles available for training. For example, an upper cut or hook cannot be used on the wall bag because the striking area is parallel to the wall so does not allow you to circle the arm in the correct manner as required for both these punches. One more problem is that due to the surface shape of the bag, the users only option is to gain contact with the wrong area of the fist or palm in order to strike the bag. This encourages bad technique. Due to the shape of the

striking surface, the user is unable to use any side palm techniques (palm rotated to the left or right) because they would risk spraining or breaking the wrist or fingers against the bag because the wrist does not bend backwards at a 90 degree angle.

Disclosure of Invention

To overcome these problems, the present invention proposes a wall mounted back plate with integrally attached hemispherical striking surfaces constructed from rubber, moulded foam or other suitable materials and does not require a filling of any kind. These hemispherical striking surfaces allow the user to strike from any 1 80 degree angle horizontally and any 360 degree angle vertically to the hemispherical striking surfaces and also allows the correct area of the palm or fist to contact with the hemispherical striking surfaces. Brief Description of Drawings

An example of the Invention will now be described by referring to the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 - Single Integrated Hemispherical Striking Surface Front View.

Fig. 2 - Single Integrated Hemispherical Striking Surface Side View.

Fig. 3 - Double Integrated Hemispherical Striking Surface Front View.

Fig. 4 - Double Integrated Hemispherical Striking Surface Side View.

Fig. 5 - Triple Integrated Hemispherical Striking Surface Front View.

Fig. 6 - Triple Integrated Hemispherical Striking Surface Side View.

7 - Attachment holes for back plate to wall or vertical surface.

8 - Attachment holes for back plate and horizontal track.

9 - Back Plate.

1 0 - Hemispherical Striking Surface.

1 1 - Front view of Wall Bag.

1 2 - Side View of Wall Bag.

Fig. 1 3 - Horizontal track.

Fig. 14 - Flexible Resetting Device.

Fig. 1 5 - Cylinder.

Fig. 1 6 - Side View of 6, 1 3 and 14.

Fig. 1 7 - Vertical Wing Chun Punch Contact Area.

Fig. 1 8 - Side View of Vertical Wing Chun Fist.

Fig. 1 9 - Horizontal Karate Punch Contact Area.

Fig. 20 - Side View of Horizontal Karate Fist.

Fig. 21 - Vertical Straight Palm Contact Area.

Fig. 22 - Horizontal Palm Contact Area.

Fig. 23 - Side View of Vertical Straight Palm.

Fig. 24 - Wing Chun Guard Position.

Fig. 25 - Punch to Top Hemispherical Striking Surface.

Fig. 26 - Punch to Middle Hemispherical Striking Surface.

Fig. 27 - Punch to Bottom Hemispherical Striking Surface.

Fig. 28 - Contact Area and Angle of Punch for 24, 25, 26.

Fig. 29 - Palm to Top Integrated Hemispherical Striking Surface.

Fig. 30 - Palm to Middle Integrated Hemispherical Striking Surface.

Fig. 31 - Palm to Bottom Integrated Hemispherical Striking Surface.

Fig. 32 - Contact Area and Angle of Palm for 28, 29, 30.

Fig. 33 - Ready Position for Karate.

Fig. 34 - Inside block to Mid-level Protruding Cylinder.

Fig. 35 - Mid-level Straight Punch Counter Attack.

Fig. 36 - Contact Area and Angle of Karate Punches to all Hemispherical Striking Surfaces.

Fig. 37 - Wing Chun Punches to a Flat Surface.

Fig. 38 - Wing Chun Palms to a Flat Surface.

Fig. 39 - Karate Punches to a Flat Surface.

Fig. 40 - Right Turning Punch to Top Hemispherical Striking Surface.

Fig. 41 - Right Turning Punch to Hemispherical Striking Surface.

Fig. 42 - Right Turning Punch to Hemispherical Striking Surface.

Fig. 43 - Right Turning Elbow to Hemispherical Striking Surface.

Fig. 44 - Right Turning Elbow to Hemispherical Striking Surface.

Fig. 45 - Right Turning Elbow to Hemispherical Striking Surface.

Fig. 46 - Hamstring Stretch.

Fig. 47 - Midway through Front Heel Kick.

Fig. 48 - End of Front Heel Kick to Middle Hemispherical Striking Surface.

Fig. 49 - Splitting Block to Hemispherical Striking Surface.

Fig. 50 - Rotating Block to Hemispherical Striking Surface.

Fig. 51 - Block and Attack to Cylinder & Top Hemispherical Striking Surface.

Fig. 52 - Alternate arrangement of Cylinders with Flexible Resetting Devices. Best Mode for Carrying Out The Invention

The advantage this invention has over the conventional wall bag is that the Martial Arts Training and Stretching Aid is ready to use as soon as it is mounted to the wall or vertical frame. The hemispherical striking surfaces are integrally attached to the back plate and secured onto the wall or any vertical surface through various securing points. This then allows the user to strike the hemispherical striking surfaces from any angle without the fear of lifting the back plate off the wall by use of an upper cut punch for example. The fact that no type of filling material is required, allows the user to train continuously without the need of loosening any filling material. If a single hemispherical striking surface is mounted onto the wall at mid-chest height it would give the user the option to strike from a 1 80 degrees horizontally and 360 degrees vertically along any axis. The hemispherical striking surfaces allow the user to train with all the punches, palms and elbow techniques as well as all the kicking techniques of their martial art. The back plate also allows for the attachment of a horizontal track and a cylinder which when attached protrudes outward form the back plate or horizontal track the user may use to practice all the blocking techniques of their martial art. These attachments may also be used to practice the footwork by moving around them while keeping them within arm or striking distance in accordance with their relevant Martial Art. The training and stretching aid may be used on an exterior wall and left there in all weather conditions due to the materials used in its construction. The hemispherical striking surfaces may also be used as a stretching aid as they allow room for the user to rest their foot on them whilst stretching their hamstrings or any other part of their leg muscles such as the quadriceps or inner thigh.

Detailed Description

A Martial Arts Technique and Stretching aid Fig. l Fig.3 Fig.5 comprising of a back plate 9 with integrated hemispherical striking surfaces 1 0 which can be secured to a wall or vertical frame.

The Martial Arts Technique and Stretching aid Fig. l Fig.3 Fig.5 can be constructed from rubber, moulded foam or any other suitable material to form a striking surface. This will make the invention ready for use as soon as it is secured to a wall or vertical frame both indoors and outdoors. The integrated hemispherical striking surfaces 1 0 can be constructed in various sizes and densities as required for different users i.e. adults and children and for use in clubs or at home.

The back plate 9 can be secured to a wall with fixings which may be plugs and screws, bolts or wood screws depending on the construction of the designated wall or frame, through fixing points 7 and 8 in the back plate 9. Rubber washers, spring washers or any suitable materials i.e. carpet or underlay, may be used behind the back plate 9 to reduce impact sound and vibration as an option. This is not the total embodiment of this invention as other materials and fixing methods may be used.

The integrated hemispherical striking surfaces 1 0 may also be used as a stretching aid Fig.45 as they allow room for the user to rest their foot on them whilst stretching their hamstrings or any other part of their leg muscles such as the quadriceps and inner thigh. Optional attachments to this invention include a horizontal extrusion Fig. l 3 constructed from rubber, moulded foam or any other suitable materials and incorporates a horizontal slot or track made from metal, wood or any other suitable materials. A protruding cylinder Fig.1 5 constructed from rubber, moulded foam or any other suitable materials with integrated flexible resetting device Fig.1 4 made from steel, wood or any other suitable materials. The horizontal extrusion Fig. l 3 may be attached to the single integrated hemispherical striking surface Fig. l but will require additional support at the bottom of the back plate 9 in order to secure it to the wall. The support will be secured to the wall using the correct fixings dependant upon the construction of the wall or vertical frame. The horizontal extrusion Fig. l 3 may be attached to the back plate 9 of either the double integrated hemispherical striking surfaces Fig.3 or triple integrated hemispherical striking surfaces Fig.5 without the need of additional support, using the same fixings and holes 8 that are used to secure the back plate 9 to the wall or vertical frame. The horizontal extrusion Fig. l 3 allows for the attachment and positioning of a numer of protruding cylinders Fig.1 5 anywhere along the length of the horizontal extrusion Fig. 1 3. Protruding cylinders Fig. 1 5 attached to flexible resetting devices Fig. 1 4 may in turn be attached to the horizontal extrusion Fig. 1 3.