# Punching bag



## Windsinger (Aug 28, 2008)

Let me start off first by saying that if this has already been covered, my apologies. I searched, but didn't come up with anything (although it could be just bad use of keywords).

Anyhow, here's what I would like to know: I started TKD a few months ago, and am looking at picking up a punching bag for practising at home. I'm looking at one of the free standing bags, as the room it's going to be in isn't overly large (about an 8'x8' room), so I don't know if a hanging bag would work. That, and I'm not sure if I can afford a good hanging bag with a rack to mount it on. Also, the bag I'm looking at goes right down to the base, so it'll be good for practising low kicks.

I know that bags come in different weights. What I'm wondering is how would I go about finding out what weight bag I would need? Should I just spend the extra and go for a bag that may be overkill for what I'm looking at, or are there some problems I could encounter by doing that?

I figured I would come here to ask, as I've come to trust the opinions of a lot of people here on Martial Talk.

Thanks in advance, and, again, my apologies if this is a repeat thread.


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## Hyper_Shadow (Aug 28, 2008)

Dunno about for TKD but I'd go for as heavy as you possibly can. That way to even get any move on it you gotta put some power into your kicks. It'd really help build your core strength.


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## MattJ (Aug 28, 2008)

Ditto what Hyper_Shadow wrote.


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## Brother John (Aug 28, 2008)

for "Free-standing" bags, anything but the very HEAVIEST bag is worthless unless it's for a child.

I own a free-standing, and a heavy one at that....and I really don't like it.
(Hint.......make an offer, ya never know)

The free-standing ones can't take much power at all. But if all you need is a semi-stable target....get the heaviest one.

Your Brother
John


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## JadeDragon3 (Aug 28, 2008)

I got a 75 pound bag and a metal frame stand to hang it from.  The bag was $95.00 and the stand was $99.00.  I got both at Dick's Sporting Goods.  I did have to but some weights to hold the stand down in place.  The weights cost me $25


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## zDom (Aug 28, 2008)

I agree with the above advice.

I don't like free standing backs and I really have my doubts about them as far as a tool to develop power.

I recommend a BIG, firm (but not completely rock hard) hanging bag for developing power.


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## JadeDragon3 (Aug 28, 2008)

Everlast is the brand I have.  They make various sizes and weights.  I would recommend the 75 lb. bag.  Its not to heavy but its not to light either.


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## Windsinger (Aug 28, 2008)

Thanks for the replies, all. It's really been helpful (like I expected any less from the Martial Talk crew). 

I'm heading out in the morning to do some looking around, so now I can sound like I just might know what I'm talking about.


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## Skpotamus (Aug 28, 2008)

I've played with a few free standing ones and only found one that was worth anything.

A wavemaster XXL when filled with sand should work well for any beginner.  Below is a link to an article by a boxing coach/trainer/cyborg named Ross Enamait who tried out the wavemaster XXL

http://www.rosstraining.com/articles/freestandingbags.html

While the bag will still move, even when filled with sand, with good footwork you should be ok.

Your best bet is to figure out a way to hang the bag with a nice wide open area (frame mounts suck).  Barring that, give the XXL a look.


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## Windsinger (Aug 29, 2008)

The perfect article for me to read. Thanks, Skpotamus. That's actually the one I was thinking of getting.


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## Skpotamus (Aug 29, 2008)

Not a problem.  I did the same search a while back and ended up buying a freestanding bag that didn't work well at all, regretted it, and ended up with the XXL after reading ross forum/article.


If you really want to get motivated, (or depressed), check out ross' other articles and his videos.  The man is in seriously good shape and has some great ideas for workout tools and workouts in general.


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## zDom (Aug 29, 2008)

JadeDragon3 said:


> Everlast is the brand I have.  They make various sizes and weights.  I would recommend the 75 lb. bag.  Its not to heavy but its not to light either.



I disagree. 75lber may be OK for hand strikes, but for kicking you want at least 100 lbs, maybe 120 lbs.


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## JadeDragon3 (Aug 29, 2008)

my everlast bag is dead solid though.  It may be 75 lbs but it feels like 100 pounds because its so solid.  Anything heavier you would probably have to hang from the cieling which is hard unless you have a steel beam or super dooper wooden beam to be able to take the impact of a good kick. Drywall will just crumble.  At my school we had to weld a metal hook to the metal beam that was above the drop cieling.  The hook was long enough to come down through a whole in the tile cieling and then we were able to chain the bag to the hook.  That bag was a 100 pound water bag.  I'm thinking it was called the wave.


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## MilkManX (Aug 29, 2008)

The free standing ones are never heavy enough. It will either slide or topple once you get some serious power.

Get a stand and a 75-100lb bag.

I have the Century Stand w Speedbag attachment.

Works great with my 100lb bag and I have about 100lbs of weights holding it to since I go all out on my punch drills.


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## Skpotamus (Aug 29, 2008)

The big problem with the bag stands though is that they stop you from working angles on the bag.  You're essentially stuck in front of the bag.  

That and if you don't anchor the stand itself, you will still tip it over, a lot of times easier than lighter freestanding bags.  We have one in our weight lifting room at work with 270lbs of weight plates on the thing to hold it down.  I rock it back and forth and even make it tip somewhat when I throw hooks and crosses on it, I'm scared to kick it.  Since the 70lb bag is hanging off center from it, it makes it a lot less stable.  




Slightly off topic:  
One tip to hitting a heavy bag, make sure you're impacting it and not just pushing it.  When you go into a boxing gym you don't see the guys hitting the bag and making it fly, they pound it into funny shapes while the bag maintains a fairly stable position.  Same thing with the Muay Thai gyms I've been to.  You want the bag to fold around your leg, not swing away from it.  http://www.leeskickboxing.com/images/training5.jpg  is a picture of a kickboxer kicking a heavy bag. You can see how the bag caves in around the kickers leg and doesn't move very far.  

http://www.ifight.tv/kirik/image.php?img=kirik_solo1.jpg  Another picture of a good kick on the heavy bag, notice how bag it caves in?  

http://images.inmagine.com/img/digitalvision/dv1081/dv1081025.jpg  Another picture, this time with a side kick, you can see how the bag caves in with the impact.  Will the bag swing after hte kick?  ON this one it definitely will (flying kick), but the impact is what causes the damage.

http://images.google.com/imgres?img...ges?q=cro+cop+kicking+herring+ribs&um=1&hl=en  Click on the picture titled "Middle Kick lands hard" for what you want your kicks to do to a person. That's Cro Cop kicking Heath Herring in the ribs btw.  

See that video from rossboxing, Ross Enamait is in better shape than probably 99% of the people out there (I'm definitely in that 99%, even when I was fighting), and he's not knocking the XXL bag over.  Check out some of his conditioning videos to see how much power the guy has in his punches.  http://www.rosstraining.com/articles/hardcore.html  The round bag he's pounding on in this video is rated at 75-80 lbs.    


YMMV


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## zDom (Aug 30, 2008)

Skpotamus said:


> Slightly off topic ...



Great points!

I always tell students to try to "puncture" the bag or "fold" the bag, not push it.

First picture is a good shot.

Second one looks like an understuffed bag: makes for great pictures, but not so great for getting good results.

(I remember seeing some great pictures of Hee Il Cho folding heavy bags &#8212; even BUSTING heavy bags )


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## Skpotamus (Aug 31, 2008)

Thanks zDom, it's the things we've done for so long that we simply forget to tell our students (like puncturing the bag) that help them out the most it seems 


That second pic is of a guy 6'4" and a truly amazing kicker.  I trained with a guy that knows him and got to hold pads for him.  He said it hurt all the way through heavy bags when he threw a round kick.  That's an actual 70lb everlast bag he's kicking.  It's just always left hanging, so it's settled somewhat. Still an impressive kick though and a great example of what we're talking about.  

The 3rd pic is Bas Rutten, the 4th a very brutal fight in Pride.


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## qwksilver61 (Sep 20, 2008)

Get one you can stuff with rags,training with a bag is indispensable.Good luck!


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