Neck development

[Jason H.P. Yoo]

What are safe, effective ways to strengthen one's neck? I'm curious what a martial artist's point of view on this would be, as most information out there on this subject is aimed at bodybuilders.

Thanks,
Jason

[Joseph Svinth]

E.J. Harrison, on that very topic (from http://ejmas.com/jcs/2004jcs/jcsart_Harrison_0704.htm ):

In the case of Catch-as-Catch-Can, in which we are more particularly interested, the student cannot hope to make much headway without possession of a strong neck and strong hands. Without a strong neck, he will not be able to make proper use of the so-called "bridge," i.e. the position in which the wrestler raises his shoulders off the ground by arching his back, with the crown of his head and the soles of the feet as sole support at the other end, in order to avert defeat at critical moments; while without powerful hands and wrists, he will find himself severely handicapped in ground-work, more especially when trying to apply the various nelson holds. For both these branches of muscular development ordinary dumb-bells and bar-bells may be used to advantage. When practising the bridge, for example, the student should hold out the bar-bell at arm's length behind his head; then raise and lower it slowly at regular intervals, endeavouring at the same time to arch the back to the utmost extent. A really supple young wrestler can thus bend back so far as to almost touch the mat with his nose and mouth! Another favourite method among Russian Graeco-Roman wrestlers of my acquaintance, when I myself practiced that art at the then Petrograd "Sanitas" Club during the war [World War I], was to get a comrade to sit astride one's chest as one formed the bridge, and then to lower and raise the torso with this super-imposed weight, without, however, allowing the shoulders to touch the mat. Many of these young bloods had in this way attained a degree of suppleness which placed them almost in the contortionist class; they could indeed bend and arch the back to such an extent that head and heels almost met, and from that position they could easily rise to their feet again.

[Robc]

Here's a link to an explanation of several methods. Worthwhile for a martial artist? Absolutely. The stronger your neck the less your brain will jar when you catch a shot to the head. I, for one, find it difficult to function when my brain takes a nap.
Any martial artist concerned about self defense will benefit from a stronger neck.

http://www.mmaringreport.com/columns/lee_4_neck.htm

[the Khazar Kid]

Some methods I like:

Headstand on three points held stationary for at least count of 30, sometimes 100 or longer sometimes lose count and meditate in this position, generally either head and backhands with bent wrists, or head and fists. You can stand on five knuckles like your whole body is a fist: the first two knuckles of each fist plus the "big knuckle" of the skull.

From the previous precious headstand controlled fall directly to an ideally no hands nose to ground back bridge. This is a tremendous exercise in and of itself.

Bridging held stationary for count of 30. Front bridge same as a plow pose halasana. Back bridge is nose to ground hands together on chest sometimes in sun & moon mudra sometimes in pharaonic mudra, you can experiment with tiptoes for more neck pump power or flat feet for more of a back crunch and front stretch.

Back & Forth rolling bridge. Rolling from the front bridge described above to a full splits with your forehead on the ground and back again, or rolling from the back bridge described above to celibate pose brahmacharyasana lying flat on your back hips between heels legs bent as far as can go and back again. I usually do 12 reps of each of these, sometimes as many as 21 each.

Circular neck rolls on the ground. Saw a video on the internet of Scott Sonnon doing these flat on the mat face down rolling his head completely under him, haven't tried that variation yet. Usually I do these from front bridge which is the easiest, back bridge neck rolls are harder I practice them rarely. Generally 3 circles one way, 3 the other, 2 one way, 2 the other, 1 one way, 1 the other is the sequence I use.

Side to Sides on the ground might come next 6 alternating sides from front bridge straightening one leg bending the other trying to bring my ear to the ground as if listening for the thundering hooves of a far army. Then another round of circular neck rolls followed by the back & forths.

Practicing your headbutts is also good. I did this a lot in college, don't do this so much now that I live with my family again
because these are noisy. Practice on posts, walls, hanging concrete block, use forehead, crown, back of head, upwards, forwards, downwards, different angles and levels.

Jesse Peters