# heavy bag ground n pound



## lonecoyote (Feb 12, 2005)

What are some good drills? I've read a little about it here, and also on another board, where a guy simulates a takedown with the bag, GnP, starting over again. Does anybody do this? any tips on how to get the most out of it? How about basketball spin drills? Anyone do those? Chest on basketball, read about them but haven't tried them.


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## Kembudo-Kai Kempoka (Feb 12, 2005)

lonecoyote said:
			
		

> What are some good drills? I've read a little about it here, and also on another board, where a guy simulates a takedown with the bag, GnP, starting over again. Does anybody do this? any tips on how to get the most out of it? How about basketball spin drills? Anyone do those? Chest on basketball, read about them but haven't tried them.


In the days before BJJ in America, some of David Germans guys worked "bag spins". Lay on the bag like you're mounted on a guy, then practice spinning to your 3:00, then to your 9:00, then staying balanced on the bag by your belly, and just going off on 360's in either direction. Helped a lot when I strated training BJJ...had a sense of that top balance sooner in the game than my compatriots.

D.


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## Cruentus (Feb 13, 2005)

lonecoyote said:
			
		

> What are some good drills? I've read a little about it here, and also on another board, where a guy simulates a takedown with the bag, GnP, starting over again. Does anybody do this? any tips on how to get the most out of it? How about basketball spin drills? Anyone do those? Chest on basketball, read about them but haven't tried them.



Although I am not really a MMAer or competitive grappler, we do grapple as part of the totality of close quarter defense training.

My thoughts are that these might be useful for solo training; meaning that you don't have a training partner available. Visualization would have to be a key component to make this useful.

Otherwise, if training partners are available, I would train this stuff on a live partner rather then in the air or on objects like a heavy bag. Live partner work is so important when developing grappling skills. There is nothing to really fully substitute live partner training, so one should utilize that option whenever available. This will avoid the developement of bad habits and such.

Paul


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## lonecoyote (Feb 13, 2005)

Thanks Kempoka, that's really interesting, I'll try it. I absolutely agree, Tulisan, and I don't think one can learn to grapple w/o live partners, I train and grapple regularly, but the thing is, it's really hard to realistically train ground and pound. We kind of mime striking on the ground sometimes, but you need to throw really  hard sometimes, to build power, and so that if you need it you've got it, kind of the same reasons to use a heavy bag for stand up striking, just a useful tool, maybe.


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## cashwo (Mar 31, 2005)

Kembudo-Kai Kempoka said:
			
		

> Lay on the bag like you're mounted on a guy, then practice spinning to your 3:00, then to your 9:00, then staying balanced on the bag by your belly, and just going off on 360's in either direction.


I did this for the first time last night.  We set the timer for 2 minute rounds and did just that.  From mount throwing elbows and punches.  Spinning to 3:00 and 9:00 throwing elbows and knees.  The last 30 seconds I would mount and then throw lefts and rights.  It was a great cardio workout too.


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## Handsword (Sep 20, 2005)

I sometimes use a punching bag on the floor as part of a timed circuit.  The drill is to strike from all different ground positions while on top.  I'll try and describe it here:

Start from mount.  It's easy to get carried away with the strikes and the fact that the bag isn't trying to escape, so squeeze in with your knees for a tight mount, work different punching angles, post and punch, pick up head (end of the bag) and punch etc.

Dismount to knee ride and strike from here.

Flatten out to side control.  You can practice knees and elbows from here (if they're allowed in the type of comp you train for).  Otherwise, the best way I've found to punch from side control is to switch base (facing hips either way) and use the top arm to strike while the other pulls in on the far side of the bag.

Work around to front control and strike from here.

Continue around to the other side and work all of the above positions in reverse back to mount.

Hope that makes sense.

Also, it can be a good idea to wear gloves and/or hand wraps as you get used to punching from different angles.

Regards,

- Slade


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## Andrew Green (Sep 20, 2005)

Mostly use it like you would a hanging bag, to work on power and rythym.  You can also work position transistions to some extent (footwork on the ground) but mostly, it's conditioning and learning to hit hard from the different positions.


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