Martial arts conditioning apparatus, gyro-shaft apparatus, and coupling mechanism for the martial arts conditioning apparatus

Abstract

Martial arts conditioning apparatus and methods of manufacture and use. In one embodiment, the martial arts conditioning apparatus includes a mounting post that includes a kicking post, the kicking post including a hemispherical structure disposed on a shaft of the kicking post; a base support structure that is configured to be mated with the hemispherical structure, the base support structure including a surface that is coupled to the martial arts conditioning apparatus via one or more of a first resistive apparatus and/or a first dampening apparatus; a multi-rod height adjuster assembly that is disposed adjacent the base support structure; and a resistive ball-socket mechanism that is coupled to the multi-rod height adjuster assembly via the use of a coupling mechanism.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A gyro-shaft apparatus, comprising:
 an inner ring comprising a plurality of first apertures and a plurality of first studs;   an outer ring that is larger in diameter than the inner ring, the outer ring comprising a plurality of second apertures and a plurality of second studs, at least a portion of the plurality of second apertures configured to receive the plurality of first studs;   a fore shaft comprising a first threaded interface, a back shaft comprising a second threaded interface, the fore shaft and the back shaft configured to be received within respective apertures of the plurality of first apertures, the first threaded interface configured to be mated with the second threaded interface;   wherein the back shaft is configured to have one or more resistive and/or dampening elements attached thereto.   
     
     
         2 . The gyro-shaft apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the fore shaft comprises a first diameter at a first portion of its length and a second diameter at a second portion of its length, the second diameter being larger in dimension than the first diameter. 
     
     
         3 . The gyro-shaft apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein one of the plurality of first apertures of the inner ring is sized so as to receive the first portion of the fore shaft, the second diameter of the fore shaft being larger in dimension than the one of the plurality of first apertures of the inner ring. 
     
     
         4 . The gyro-shaft apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein the back shaft comprises a first diameter at a first portion of its length and a second diameter at a second portion of its length, the second diameter being larger in dimension than the first diameter. 
     
     
         5 . The gyro-shaft apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein another one of the plurality of first apertures of the inner ring is sized so as to receive the first portion of the back shaft, the second diameter of the back shaft being larger in dimension than the other one of the plurality of first apertures of the inner ring. 
     
     
         6 . The gyro-shaft apparatus of  claim 5 , further comprising a shaft stabilizing structure, the shaft stabilizing structure comprising a tubular structure where an outer diameter of the tubular structure comprises the second diameter of both the fore shaft and the back shaft, and where an inner diameter of the tubular structure is sized to accommodate both the first diameter of the fore shaft and the first diameter of the back shaft. 
     
     
         7 . The gyro-shaft apparatus of  claim 5 , wherein the first portion of the fore shaft and the first portion of the back shaft both comprise a threaded interface, the threaded interface allowing the fore shaft to be screwed together with the back shaft while the fore shaft and the back shaft are mounted to the inner ring. 
     
     
         8 . The gyro-shaft apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein the plurality of studs of the inner ring are received within respective ones of the plurality of second apertures of the outer ring. 
     
     
         9 . A martial arts conditioning apparatus, the martial arts conditioning apparatus comprising:
 a multi-rod height adjuster assembly, comprising:
 a bottom frame; 
 a top frame; and 
 a plurality of rods disposed between the bottom frame and the top frame, each of the plurality of rods comprising a plurality of first apertures. 
   
     
     
         10 . The martial arts conditioning apparatus of  claim 9 , further comprising a gyro-shaft apparatus, the gyro-shaft apparatus comprising:
 an inner ring comprising a plurality of first apertures and a plurality of first studs;   an outer ring that is larger in diameter than the inner ring, the outer ring comprising a plurality of second apertures and a plurality of second studs, at least a portion of the plurality of second apertures configured to receive the plurality of first studs;   a fore shaft comprising a first threaded interface, a back shaft comprising a second threaded interface, the fore shaft and the back shaft configured to be received within respective apertures of the plurality of first apertures, the first threaded interface configured to be mated with the second threaded interface;   wherein the back shaft is configured to have one or more resistive and/or dampening elements attached thereto; and   wherein the gyro-shaft apparatus is coupled with one or more of the plurality of rods of the multi-rod height adjuster assembly.   
     
     
         11 . The martial arts conditioning apparatus of  claim 9 , further comprising a coupling mechanism that couples articulating apparatus to the one or more of the plurality of rods of the multi-rod height adjuster assembly, the coupling mechanism comprising:
 a slider clasp comprising a plurality of second apertures;   a slider lock configured to be received within individual ones of the plurality of first apertures and individual ones of the plurality of second apertures;   a rotating clasp that is configured to be coupled to the slider clasp; and   a rotating lock that is configured to be received within both the rotating clasp and the slider clasp.   
     
     
         12 . The martial arts conditioning apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the rotating lock comprises a shaft having a plurality of points that each run along the shaft of the rotating lock. 
     
     
         13 . The martial arts conditioning apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the plurality of points enable the articulating apparatus to be oriented at a plurality of angles with respect to the multi-rod height adjuster assembly. 
     
     
         14 . The martial arts conditioning apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein the articulating apparatus is selected from the group consisting of a gyro-shaft apparatus and a ball socket apparatus. 
     
     
         15 . The martial arts conditioning apparatus of  claim 9 , further comprising a coupling mechanism for use with the multi-rod height adjuster assembly, the coupling mechanism comprising:
 a first element comprising a star-shaped aperture; and   a second element comprising a star-shaped rod, the star-shaped rod being sized to fit within the star-shaped aperture of the first element, a combination of the star-shaped aperture and the star-shaped rod enabling positioning of the first element with respect to the second element at one of a plurality of different orientations.   
     
     
         16 . The martial arts conditioning apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein the star-shaped aperture comprises a plurality of points that are located at a first distance away from a central point of the star-shaped aperture, wherein a curved surface is disposed between adjacent points of the plurality of points. 
     
     
         17 . A coupling mechanism for use with a martial arts conditioning apparatus, the coupling mechanism comprising:
 a first element comprising a star-shaped aperture; and   a second element comprising a star-shaped rod, the star-shaped rod being sized to fit within the star-shaped aperture of the first element, a combination of the star-shaped aperture and the star-shaped rod enabling positioning of the first element with respect to the second element at one of a plurality of different orientations.   
     
     
         18 . The coupling mechanism of  claim 17 , wherein the star-shaped aperture comprises a plurality of points that are located at a first distance away from a central point of the star-shaped aperture, wherein a curved surface is disposed between adjacent points of the plurality of points. 
     
     
         19 . The coupling mechanism of  claim 18 , wherein a center point for the curved surface is located a second distance away from the central point of the star-shaped aperture, the second distance being larger than the first distance. 
     
     
         20 . The coupling mechanism of  claim 19 , wherein the star-shaped rod further comprises a plurality of points that are located at a first distance away from a central point of the star-shaped rod, wherein a curved surface is disposed between adjacent points of the plurality of points; and
 wherein a center point for the curved surface is located a second distance away from the central point of the star-shaped rod, the second distance being larger than the first distance.