Strength Training for Monks

Bigger Stronger Leaner Competitive Bodybuilding
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I came across an area of strength training I know nothing about so I am reaching out to you all for help. It appears these began with the shoa lin (sp?) monks and are now used in okonowan (Sp?) karate as well.

Ishi-Shashi (stone padlocks)- I assume these are used in different forms (kata or whatever your system calls them) when you act like your are fighting but it is a rehearsed system. Are there other uses, what kinds of weights are common and could you get away with a dumbell or kettlebell in place of it?

Chi-Ishi (powerstones) - looks to me a bit like a sledge hammer. Looks though like it is used for arms extended type positions to devlop the delts, pretty much same questions as above except could you use a sledge hammer in place of it?

Nigri-Game (gripping jars)-does a person simply grip and stand, dealifting them from the floor or is there more to it than that?

Maki-stick - do you just hit yourself with this? That will sound funy to some of you but that is how it seems to me. IT’s supposeds to get you used to getting hig I guess.

There was another tool but I have lost track of where I saw it. IT was borrowed from the hawaiian islands by the japanese. It is this massive steel hoop that is like 6’ by 3’ or so. It has to do with training for throws from what I recall. Can anyone point me toward any amount of info on that one?

thanks

EDIT: to whatever mod changed my title, thanks. I like your better.

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I know of a few clubs that use these conditioning tools, along with Makiwara practice and heavy bag work. Conditioning is very prevalent in Kyokushinkai, they are big into their iron palm stuff and generally beating the hell out of each other.

I also know of a goju-ryu club that uses them, and it would seem that they (conditioning) were as much a part of karate training as the technique training was. This is not so much the case now however.

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Oh yes, to actually answer your question, I had a few magazines called Warriors Dreams with some stuff on it somewhere, I’ll see if I can dig it up.

I think the term was hojoundo? or something like that. I think the jars were referred to as hojoundo-chisi (but I can honestly not remember).

EDIT: My bad, the hammer thing is called chi-shi.

I found this page listing the various exercises, cannot vouch for the site though: Martial Arts with strong values - East Wind Budo Life Center