Heavy bag

[dortiz]

In all this talk about traditional TKD I started looking at how I came up training.
We used to work the heavy beg for hands but especially for our sidekicks and back kicks. A friend of mine on FB had a great photo of the bag going horizontal. A great measure of power.
In class I also like having a holder use the larger square pad and the attacker hitting it real time hard.
I think this last drill really teaches effective striking. I think the heavy bag also lets them know quickly if its right, wrong or has any or a lot of power.
Anyone else still work the bag?

Dave O.

 

[dancingalone]

Anyone else still work the bag?
Dave O.

Of course. I've broken both Wavemasters that I owned. A heavy bag is necessary if only to save money. I use a makiwara for punches too.

 

[ATC]

In all this talk about traditional TKD I started looking at how I came up training.
We used to work the heavy beg for hands but especially for our sidekicks and back kicks. A friend of mine on FB had a great photo of the bag going horizontal. A great measure of power.
In class I also like having a holder use the larger square pad and the attacker hitting it real time hard.
I think this last drill really teaches effective striking. I think the heavy bag also lets them know quickly if its right, wrong or has any or a lot of power.
Anyone else still work the bag?

Dave O.

Yep, all good stuff. We kick the shields all the time and use the hanging heavy bag to develop power. The hanging heavy bag vs. the standing ones is vastly different. The hanging heavy bag feels like a hanging brick bag...well at least ours does, vs. the standing bags that are soft padded. However both are good and should be used often.

However don't discount kicking air. Kicking air can be harder than kicking a bag due to the rebound effect. You thus need to use your own muscle to stop and recoil the kick. So really both are needed and complement one another. Kicking air teaches you what to do with your kicks or punches if you miss your target.

 

[dortiz]

"I use a makiwara for punches too. "

A. I should have known ; )
B. Also an important element and worth discussing.


Dave O.

 

[dancingalone]

"I use a makiwara for punches too. "

B. Also an important element and worth discussing.


Dave O.

I agree, Dave. I've outlined some thoughts I had about hand and body conditioning in a previous thread. Take a gander when you have a chance.

http://martialtalk.com/forum/showpost.php?p=1060310&postcount=6

http://martialtalk.com/forum/showpost.php?p=1060446&postcount=11

 

[dortiz]

Some great points:
"to actually practice it to the point that your 'blocks' can bring tears to another man's eyes"

Only certain people condition this hard. learning this was just as described. I was scared to hit my teacher because it was just going to hurt. After years of boots and sticks to shins and arm conditioning and makiwara I can now enjoy sparring like this and sharing back now with my students the lesson I learned years ago : o

When you are fighting (drops into Sanchin stance) you pull your shoulders down like this and tense your muscles, including those around your throat to make a shield. With your body round and compact and your muscles tense you are relatively safe and protected.

Iron Shirt! Yes!

Now, hand conditioning doesn't mean you hit the makiwara over and over again until your fists are bloody and broken. You sometimes only need one solid twack. Enough force to injure your knuckles, but not break them. Then you rub a good jow on it and let it heal for a week.
Yup, just enough so that swelling occurs kind of bridging them together. Makes for a tough job of holding my morning tea sometimes.

I think its important to condition as well as how to make and use your own Jow.

This is all under "Heavy Bag" but really a sub set of what defines "Traditional Martial Arts" against the newer sport focused to me. Not saying good or bad just different.

Dave O.

 

[ralphmcpherson]

Yep, all good stuff. We kick the shields all the time and use the hanging heavy bag to develop power. The hanging heavy bag vs. the standing ones is vastly different. The hanging heavy bag feels like a hanging brick bag...well at least ours does, vs. the standing bags that are soft padded. However both are good and should be used often.

However don't discount kicking air. Kicking air can be harder than kicking a bag due to the rebound effect. You thus need to use your own muscle to stop and recoil the kick. So really both are needed and complement one another. Kicking air teaches you what to do with your kicks or punches if you miss your target.

I find that kicking the air is necessary to keep my technique looking sharp. I also love to use the bag to work on power.

 

[TKDHomeSchooler]

I also use a heavy bag when training at home, but large targets when in class. I think the weight of the bag adds power, if you can move a 100 Lbs bag with a round house or side kick you will be able to break your opponents ribs (SD situations only).

Kicking air helps with balance and form, IMO.

Striking the heavy bag helps train you to support your wrists in a real contact, no gloves, situation as well as build up bone and muscle density for your strikes.

 

[xfighter88]

I would like to here more about this Jow stuff. I tend to swell my knuckles every time I train.