New Rule For Challenge Bars

[David Horne]

New rule for the 'normal' bending rules devised by Pat and I is that 2 pieces of material are to be used and these cannot be wrapped so that they overlap in the middle. Simple. I will add this onto the rules page.

All official bends and contests using the Challenge bars are to use this rule now.

David

[Jedd Johnson]

Will there be a rule to govern the length of the towel that hangs over beyond the edge of the nail?

Thanks for the clarification, David.

-Jedd-

[David Horne]

Jedd,

No.

David

[CMunger]

Does that mean no more single towel wraps?

[David Horne]

For your own training etc you can use whatever you want, but for certification or competition with these bars then it has to be as I have stated.

David

[bigstew123]

Good rule. I am convinced that the single wrap gives more leverage over the double wrap. I have been a double wrapper from the beginning.

Dave Stewart

[denver]

I feel I get about the same towel leverage with one or two towels if I take the time to wrap the towel very tightly. In fact, I first learned how to use the towel to gain leverage when I switched to using two towels. I have since gone back to using one towel.

However, I am no expert.

[amaury]

Well cool. Like this we are sure that those that prefer to use two towels have no disadvantage compared to the "one raggers".

Well if there was a disadvantage why don't they use one rag ? Because it is TOO easy that way. Ok. One day a freak may come and will be able to bend with no wrapping at all. If that guy happens to be the current best bender in the world no doubt he will call cheaters all those that don't bend like him. And yeah that's a slack to Pat, who i still admire for his strength and integrity, apart from this new rule which i think is inappropriate (but who cares ? ).

I guess i'll keep bending for my own pleasure.

Amaury.

[Bearcat 74]

I guess i'll keep bending for my own pleasure.

Amaury.

No disrespect but since you are bending for you own pleasure, there's no reason to bitch about a new rule.

I know nothing about bending. As an observer, when you see someone bend with 1' of towel hanging out of their hands it looks funny. There would be nothing wrong with bending with 1 piece that was 2-3" over the ends, but when you wrap a 6" nail in a 6' beach towel it just looks wrong.

[Zach Passman]

David and Bill-

Would you be kind enough to post a new video on "how to bend a challenge bar?" If the older video now demonstrates the wrong way to bend for certification, I'd like to see an example of the acceptable method.

Thanks-

Zach Passman

[amaury]

No disrespect but since you are bending for you own pleasure, there's no reason to bitch about a new rule.

Heath : I don't feel offended It's just that i used not to bend just for my own pleasure. That's why i certified on the 230kgs challenge bar. But from now on i will, and that's what i meant.

[David Horne]

Zach,

The style of my bend will be the same, the only difference will be that 2 pieces of cloth are used, and are not overwrapped as per the rules. I will actually use the same small tea towel but just cut it in half.

I will try sometime and get a new video done.

David

[ianders1]

As a novice, I'm feeling less and less interested in any kind of certification with the constantly changing rules. First the credit card fiasco, then this whole thing along with the two pieces of leather thing.

For my and I imagine many others' perspectives, it's just not worth the hassle of trying to keep up with all this. It seems like the ones that work are the Mash Monster with explicit rules, Tetting's certs with essentially no rules and no way around the challenge, and the two pieces of leather bending rule.

Just my observations.

[austinslater]

I like the new rule. I am much stronger with 2 rags rather then one as your not fighting the rag. I think this is why Shrug, Rob V., Steve, Dave etc. have switched to 2 rags as well. I think its a good move on davids part and most will be happy with the new rules in place. Thanks again David for all you have done with the challenge bars!

Austin

[amaury]

Just tried the new rule. Doesn't make much difference indeed ( i use David's style).

I am much stronger with 2 rags rather then one as your not fighting the rag

MUCH stronger ? Geez i don't know how you wrapped your nails Austin, tight as hell and with a very thick and unflexible material ???

[supersqueeze]

The 27 evolving rules of bending. As Clay said, "You guys have fun writing rules, I think I'll go bend". I'm a die-hard, old-school, free styler.

Sorry. Too little sleep last night and too much coffee today!

Mike M.

[Rick Walker]

I never paid any attention to the bending rules anyway-cause lets face it-right now, I cant bend.

However, I will say the choice is yours to certify. If you are bending for show-say on stage, or in front of people-it isnt going to make a bit of difference how you bend. You could brace like crazy, and there is a 99% chance that no one in the audience is going to be close to doing what you do. The crowd is just amazed you can do it.

To me, tearing cards is now an easy feat. Even when I show guys who are stronger then me, they are still amazed.

However, if you plan on certifying, then you have to buck up and follow the rules.

Personally, I just like to bend for show. When, and if, I can ever bend again, it will be for show...

Rick Walker

[austinslater]

Amaury I could of used a better choice of words. I will say that im stronger with 2 rags. With one rag your pulling against the rag and with 2 rags everything after the initial bend is much smoother.

[Mikael Siversson]

As a novice, I'm feeling less and less interested in any kind of certification with the constantly changing rules. First the credit card fiasco, then this whole thing along with the two pieces of leather thing.

For my and I imagine many others' perspectives, it's just not worth the hassle of trying to keep up with all this. It seems like the ones that work are the Mash Monster with explicit rules, Tetting's certs with essentially no rules and no way around the challenge, and the two pieces of leather bending rule.

Just my observations.

The adjusted rules were aimed, I believe, at those who may have used the one piece cloth to gain leverage, mainly in the double overhand position. The majority may not experience any major difference at all between using two cloths instead of one, especially not using the underhand style (other than an easier second half of the bend). Needless to say, the rules apply to certification and competition. Most of you do not compete so there is no need to get upset as the change of rules do not affect your bending in any way.

[ianders1]

I never said that I was upset about anything, and personally, I've torn two towels almost in half using the single towel method becuase I've had to fight the towel. I'm all for the 2 towel / 2 leather pad method. It's just that I've seen a lot of rule changes in the mere 6 months I've been on the Gripboard and it's kind of disconcerting. Any yes, I don't compete, now, but someday I might. I was just trying to bring that perspective to this.

[Clay Edgin]

This is a rather insignificant rule to get up in arms about...

[nils]

I never said that I was upset about anything, and personally, I've torn two towels almost in half using the single towel method becuase I've had to fight the towel. I'm all for the 2 towel / 2 leather pad method. It's just that I've seen a lot of rule changes in the mere 6 months I've been on the Gripboard and it's kind of disconcerting. Any yes, I don't compete, now, but someday I might. I was just trying to bring that perspective to this.

Those six months are more or less the entire history of short bending competitions and certifications with defined rules.

I would consider virtually all grip rules at the moment so be alfa tests of rules for this very new sport. It is must better if they change often the first years and become good then having to change later when people might have trained for a specific rule ten years and any change would be very difficult to make.

[amaury]

That's very valid points Nils. Let's see if the guys in charge of all this manage to make a sport out of grip training. A standard rag (mostly) along maybe with a way to wrap the nail (but less important if the rag is well designed) would be the way to go IMO.

[gripmaniac]

2 pieces of material are to be used and these cannot be wrapped so that they overlap in the middle.

David,

May I ask why this rule has come about? It is because using only 1 towel gives greater leverage?

I'm not about start whinging over this additional rule (well. . . . maybe not yet anyway ).

For what it's worth I've only been bending for 5 months, so I guess I should be able to 'learn' to bend with 2 towels. (sigh) I've not yet attempted to bend using 2 towels . . .but I'll give it go when I've got my technique ironed out and my wrists are a LOT stronger.

David