Many Thanks to Richard “Army” Maguire for this article.
How to make the M.A.C. Gada ©
We will be making the Gada on the left the one on the right is made from weight plates and is very heavy at 40lbs. There are two collars at the bottom of the plates to secure them for swinging.
I have been also using a Gada for many years as a conditioning tool. Here is a very simple but strong method of making one in your garage or home for practice. I have given these away in the past to many friends. Some were wrestlers others arnis parishioners.
Swinging the gada will improve core strength as well as hand grip, back, arm and legs. It is a complete tool for conditioning or what I refer to as M.A.C. ©
Maximum, Athletic, Conditioning .
Gadas have been used for conditioning for years by Kushti practitioners or wrestlers of India .
I like to share my ideas for free so others may enjoy the old school training at an inexpensive price. Too many people today are marketing items that may have a great deal of value but the cost is inflated. Here is a very inexpensive tool. The directions follow for FREE!
Go to any local bowling alley and ask for the old or damaged bowling balls. The balls are usually 12 lbs or 16 lbs. This weight is plenty when you are first learning the routine of swinging .You are simply going to and a handle from which to swing the weighted ball . This handle is two parts a four foot piece of ¾ inch gas pipe and a one foot piece which will be driven into the ball. You will most likely have to enlarge one of the existing finger holes already in the ball. This will be easy to enlarge because the balls are made of resin and the centers are usually cork or a soft composite. I use a round abrasive bit with a standard drill to increase the hole size. Go slowing and check frequevtly to see if the pipe will snuggly fit into the ball. I will insert the one foot piece of pipe into the hole with the threads of the pipe capped with an end cap so I do not damage the threads 
When tamping the
pipe on a hard concrete surface. You may add JB Weld or epoxy to the whole if you feel that the pipe is not snug enough.
I will slam the pipe as far into the ball as possible. I then remove the cap adding it to the longer handle.
Here is a photo of how the pipes are fitted before joining them together.
Here they are connected.
This whole process of drilling and connecting the pieces may take 30 minutes to construct your M.A.C. © Gada.
I have made these using one solid piece of pipe but find I can change out the handle for a three foot or even two foot piece of pipe by using the adjustable coupling. Having the ability to break this down also helps in transport. You could make one with more pieces and couplings if you like.
The bowling balls are usually free .The two pieces of pipe end cap and connector may set you back 6 - 8 dollars.
I fill the additional finger holes with bits of wooden dowels then sand and paint the Gada for a better appearance.
Enjoy and be safe in training. After you have mastered the two handed swing one hand swinging is the next challenge.
This gives swinging a whole new dimension.
Army M.A.C.guire