MobilityWOD Leopard Claw and Paw
Learn moreMobilityWOD Leopard Claw and Paw
This tool was inspired by the ancient Chinese recovery technique of Gua Sha, now known to trainers as Instrument Assisted Soft Tissue Mobilization. It allows you to "scrape" damaged muscle tissue, which can improve blood flow and thus promote faster healing from soft tissue injuries.
The modern design of the Leopard Claw tool is made from medical grade stainless steel and has raised leopard spots to make it easier to grip. It has three edges that can be used for treatment, with each edge playing a different role in recovery:
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Convex Edge: allows you to scan muscle tissue to detect any abnormalities, such as knots. Once you find something that needs worked on, you can increase frequency of scraping above and below the knot to desensitize the tissue
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Concave Edge: this side allows you to increase the surface area of the tissues being treated
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Claw Ends: the ends on either side allow you to scrape smaller areas, and can also be used to scrape muscle fibers, or go against the grain.
The Leopard Claw recovery tool is 10.25" x 1" and weights only 0.52 lb, making it easy to take with you wherever you're going. Use this ancient Chinese technique to take your recovery to the next level!
The Leopard Paw is made with medical grade stainless steel. "Its features include either raised leopard spots or laser engraved leopard spots for good grip. The Paw was designed for the practitioner in mind. It feels good in the hand and is a little shorter and can easily fit in your pocket. Just like the Leopard Claw the Paw has a continuous treatment edge."
How We Use It:
We like to use this tool when we have a sore muscle that needs more than a foam roller. These are especially great for shin splints. Be sure to use some type of lotion or emollient to allow smooth gliding over the skin. During a treatment session, it's recommended that you stop using the tool on targeted areas once you see the appearance of little red spots called petechiae. Further use will result in bruising, which is counterproductive.