Hi Tim:

I was wondering if you know what excercises
can be used to develop an eagle claw type of
piercing grip. I took a seminar with a famous
master some time ago, and the power in his hands and fingers was unreal. Whenever he grabbed to demonstrate a joint lock, It felt like iron nails piercing through the skin and muscles. Are internal excercises (ie. zhan zhuang)necessary ? Empty air grasping doesn't seem to develop this
type of piercing power. Thanks for any help.

Two restaurant pickle size jars. Fill maybe 1/10 with sand. Hold for 10 minutes and increase the time. Gradually fill more with sand, increase time. Begin to hold with horse stance. Can walk around while holding them.

Only problem I heard was that you lose the training/strength if you stop so you must continuously train.

There really are very few exercises for this. Just stay with it.

Which brings to mind the exercise routine that was recently recommended to me now that I am almost a senior citizen:

"For those of us getting along in years, here is a little secret for building your arm and shoulder muscles. You might want to adopt this regimen. Three days a week works well.

Begin by standing outside behind the house with a 5 lb. potato sack in each hand. Extend your arms straight out from your sides and hold them there as long as you can - try to reach a full minute. Relax.

After a few weeks, move up to 10 lb. potato sacks, and then 50 lb. potato sacks, and eventually try to get to where you can lift a 100 lb. potato sack in each hand and hold your arms straight out for more than a full minute.

After you feel confident at that level, start putting a couple of potatoes in each of the sacks, but be careful not to overdo it."

Wantclaws,
I know of several methods to develop the grip and finger strength.

Isometrics are good (any variation of pushing your fingers or trying to bend your wrist against an immovable object).

Fingertip pushups are excellent. Squeezing exercises are also very good (using a tennis ball or something similar).

Bar hanging by your fingertips is one of the best methods of increasing power in your grip and fingers.

Finally, contact training (slapping/clawing a heavy bag, or throwing and catching bags filled with BBs) is another way to increase gripping power.

Old time catch wrestlers would lift/throw heavy sand bags. This practice is excellent for coordinating grip strength with the strength of the rest of your body.

For pure finger and grip strength, Zhan Zhuang is not necessary.

Wing Lam has chin-na stones. Try them.

He should drink more water.

Water? Yes, indeed. Drink water.

Chigu!