First thing you need is a piece of PVC piping, cut to the length of stick you want to make, minus a couple inches.

Now cut a strip of foam, giving a extra inch on eash side. I used a piece of carpet underlay, it give good cushioning and is very durable.

Now to prevent the stick from sliding around inside the padding use a strip of double sided tape.

About every 6″ or so wrap the stick, this makes warpping the entire stick easier and keeps it lined up right for that.

Using a small piece of foam, fill the ends, this gives a little padding for stabbing strikes.

Seal off the ends by taping over the tips in a “X” across the top.

Wrap the entire stick in tape. Duct tape is good, but other types should work as well. Hockey tape is not a good option as the glue bleeds through and after a while it gets pretty gross and yellow with threads peeling off.

Now all you need is someone to hit with it.

First you need to get some handwraps (this should be obvious)

If they are cheap ones you got at a local fitness store and are about 8 ft long, go back to step one and try again

Really there are 2 basic styles, both of which need to be pretty long. There is the standard cotton style, and the Mexican style which have a little elasticity in them. I prefer the Mexican style as I find them more comfortable, a more snug fit, and less likely to slide around.

As far as wrapping goes, there really is no one set way, everyone will show you a little different, but the basic idea is still the same. Since we all like the protection in different places, and have differently shaped hands you will probably end up finding a way that works for you. Until then, imitate what others do, but don’t think of it as “this is the PROPER way”, there are many. Basically you want to support the hand to protect it, whatever your hands need is the proper way.

First spread your fingers, this will help keep you from wrapping to tight and cutting off circulation to your hand. When you make a fist, it will be bigger then when your hand is open, so stretch it out. Wrap snug, but not tight, and if it feels like your hand is cut off from blood, unwrap and try again a little looser. Likewise, if it feels loose and like it is going to fall off, unwrap and do it again a little tighter.

First the loop goes over your thumb, and wrap it around your wrist.

Wrap it around your wrist a few times, the exact number isn’t important, and is partially dependent on your hand size and the length of your wraps

Now take it up and over the knuckles, then back down to the wrist

And around the thumb. This can be done all the way around, half way, then around the hand and half way again, whatever you like. If you are using MMA gloves and have a tendency to catch your thumb, you might want to go a little heavier on the thumb, (or tuck your thumb in better)

From there I go around the wrist again

And then from the thumb through the fingers

Then go around the knuckles once more, and use whatever is left to go around the wrist and close it off

Hand wrapping is not hard, but it may take you a few times to get the hang of it. But do everyone a favour and spend some time getting it right. It protects your hands, and saves your partners some annoyance as you spend 10 mins trying to get your hands wrapped at the beginning of each session

Medicine balls are a great addition to any fitness routine, especially in the martial arts. I imagine just about every boxing gym has a bunch of them lieing around, but martial arts clubs often lack them. They are great for ab work, toning, plyometric training, and general next morning soreness inducing. Problem is, they can get pretty pricey, so here is a easy, cheap alternative that makes a good, sturdy medicine ball.

First, go out and pick up a cheap basketball. This is a mini sized one, which will fill to up to 10 pounds, for heavier balls, use a larger basketball. The weight of ball you should be aiming for is going to depend on how you plan to incorporate it into your workout routine. A full sized ball will fill to about 25 lbs using sand.

Cut a little slit in the ball, probably a good idea to let some of the air out first.

The slit needs to be just large enough to wedge a funnel in. Fill the bag with sand, rice or some other material. Sand is heavier, rice is lighter. Depending on how heavy you want your ball you may need a mixture. A 50lbs bag of sand will run you a few dollars, or if you’re really cheap, wait till dark, put on your ninja suit and head to the park to raid the sandbox. This has the added benefit of giving you a extra workout as you jump over fences and hide in peoples pushes while carrying 20lbs of sand. I opted for the 50lbs bag option.

Glue the little slit together, super glue or some rubber sealer should do the trick. And for a little extra slap a little duct tape over the hole as well. Wrapping the ball completely is also a option if you plan to be especially rough on it. Important thing is just to make sure the sand is going to stay in, and check it before you before / after each workout to make sure it’s still sealed.

And there it is, a homemade, $5 medicine ball. The one in the picture is mini-sized, and weighs about 10lbs full of sand. So forget the funky diet pills and enjoy your workout with a much cheaper home made medicine ball.