What is shadow boxing?

[Kung Fu Wang]

- What is shadow boxing?
- Do you just punch any way that you like?
- What's the difference between shadow boxing and pre-defined combo (such as jab-jab-cross)?

Some combo makes sense (such as jab-jab-cross). Some combo doesn't make sense (such as cross-cross-jab). IMO, if you just punch any way that you like, you may train something that won't make sense.

What's your opinion on this?

 

[skribs]

Shadowboxing is sparring with an imaginary opponent. It's not just doing any punch any way you like. It's visualizing the opponent reacting to your punches and countering with their own.

I consider it to be one of the intermediate striking training methods, between that of drilling techniques and sparring. My theory is a 3-tier system for training striking.

Tier 1: Solo Form Drills
Solo form drills are drills that you do with the purpose of learning the technique, combination, or concept that is being worked on. Look at the "Jab-Punch" combination being drilled in the Cobra Kai studio when Daniel walks in for the first time in Karate Kid. A bunch of students in formation, just working on a jab-cross combination in unison. There's no pads, no partner, just you and the technique. This may be done on the heavy bag, if you're exclusively training form and not power.

Tier 2: Intermediate Training Methods
In this case, I don't mean "Intermediate" in terms of rank or experience, but rather as a middle-ground between solo form drills and sparring. This includes a few different concepts.

• Shadowboxing - sparring against an imaginary opponent, so there is less risk of injury and you can have more control over what to drill.
• Bag Work - hitting a heavy bag with the intention of developing power in your techniques, or working on your combinations with an emphasis on power. Can also be other targets (such as a training partner that is padded up like a bomb squad member).
• Pad Work - hitting pads with the intent of building speed and accuracy. This could be something like punching mitts in boxing, elbow pads in Muay Thai, or paddle targets in Taekwondo.
• Partner Drills - light-contact or no-contact drills against a partner to develop reactions against incoming attacks, and work on your accuracy, range, and timing against an actual person.

Tier 3: Sparring
In all of the above situations, you either have complete control over what's going on (shadowboxing and bag work) or you know ahead of time what's coming (pad work and partner drills). At the very least, you have a good idea of what's coming, even if your pad holder is giving you a random target out of a couple of possibilities. Sparring is where you put it together against an unpredictable opponent.

 

[Jared Traveler]

As a coach it is often used as a warm up, and also a diagnostic tool. Either have the student shadow combinations the student imagines or have him imitate and repeat combos after you.

This is why all Muay Thai gyms have mirrors. So the coach can be leading a shadow boxing session but also watch and diagnosis his students.

Sometimes the shadow boxing is strategic in that it covers combos or techniques sprinkled in, that will be worked on later in the class. For instance if the pad holder wants to work on a body kick then-shin block-and body kick again combo, he might start by incorporating that into the shadow session. But then working on that with Muay Thai pads later, and maybe into a controlled light sparring session at the end of class. As a way of progressive skill development.

Or the shadow boxing might be a fishing expedition, to reveal something that needs to be worked on. For instance the instructor throws an elbow-then spinning elbow combo. The student struggles to repeat it. Now the instructor decides to work that combo on the pads until the student feels comfortable doing it.

These are just a few examples.

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

So shadow boxing is when you throw a punch, you image your opponent may respond in a certain way, you than take advantage on his respond.

For example, if you throw a hook punch, you may image that your opponent may dodge under your hook punch, you then change your hook punch into a vertical back fist (to strike on top of his head), or a horizontal back fist (to strike on the side of his head).

So shadow boxing is the same as a predefined punching combo. Am I correct?

 

[Jared Traveler]

So shadow boxing is the same as a predefined punching combo. Am I correct?

This would be correct and incorrect, because this can be shadow boxing or it can be done for other purposes.

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

This would be correct and incorrect, because this can be shadow boxing or it can be done for other purposes.

What are those other purposes?

 

[Holmejr]

So shadow boxing is when you throw a punch, you image your opponent may respond in a certain way, you than take advantage on his respond.

For example, if you throw a hook punch, you may image that your opponent may dodge under your hook punch, you then change your hook punch into a vertical back fist (to strike on top of his head), or a horizontal back fist (to strike on the side of his head).

So shadow boxing is the same as a predefined punching combo. Am I correct?

Yes, it’s totally up to your imagination. It is a great way to practice footwork, body movement, rhythm, fluidity and planting for the hit without worrying about the bag or physical opponent. You can almost tell the quality of a fighter by their shadow boxing. I have my students shadow box at the beginning of each class.

 

[Holmejr]

Here is GM Pedoy shadow boxing

Your not locked into just hands and feet

 

[jks9199]

Nice question.

There are different types of shadow boxing, in my training.

The simplest is a pure endurance exercise. The goal is to simply constantly be punching and kicking, moving non-stop. There's minor emphasis on form or technique -- it's about getting worn out. I've used this especially to prep for fights; the idea is to be busier in the shadowboxing drill than I'd ever be in the ring.

Kind of the next step up is more or less drilling in fighting stance. Now I'm working techniques and combinations in stance, but I'm doing it by "rote" or using pre-planned techniques. It's kind of like grinding a form or drill -- but I've moved it to a fighting stance situation.

The last is free from flow, aiming to experiment with how to connect techniques and strategies and principles. This might be fast, it might be slow... it's really about understanding how to connect the proper techniques and principles.

Each has a place and role in training.

 

[Buka]

I refer to Master Ken for all things shadowbox.

 

[skribs]

So shadow boxing is when you throw a punch, you image your opponent may respond in a certain way, you than take advantage on his respond.

For example, if you throw a hook punch, you may image that your opponent may dodge under your hook punch, you then change your hook punch into a vertical back fist (to strike on top of his head), or a horizontal back fist (to strike on the side of his head).

So shadow boxing is the same as a predefined punching combo. Am I correct?

By the very nature of providing yourself with two options, you are already making it so that it is not a predefined combo.

Kind of like @jks9199 said, there are different ways I shadow box.

Sometimes it is improvisation of technique and combination, just to move around or try out new combinations and how well they flow together. Kind of like a guitar player just improvising instead of playing a song that's already been written.

Sometimes it is like you said, work through a technique or combo, think about how my opponent might respond, and then how can I respond to that? For example, in Taekwondo, if I start with a roundhouse kick, how can I respond if my opponent moves left, right, forward, backward, or any diagonal combination of two of the above? What pairing of footwork and kick will land a technique on them in that position? Then I have 6 different combinations to drill (because back-left and back-right put them far enough away I might as well reset).

Sometimes it is doing the technique and seeing what you leave open. For example, if you a basic jab-cross-hook-uppercut combo and you notice your hands are down for the last two punches. Because you're the only thing present (no heavy bag, no opponent), you can focus more on what it is that you're doing, instead of on a target.

I think one of the biggest things is it gets you away from just doing rote drills. Even if you're working on a specific combo or theme, you should be putting in variations in things like footwork, angles, follow-ups, head movement, etc. To use your example from the OP of a jab-jab-cross, you might have the following progression:

1. Jab-jab-cross in place
2. Jab-jab-cross moving forward aggressively
3. Jab-jab-cross moving diagonally aggressively
4. Jab-slip-jab-duck-cross to mix in headwork
5. Jab-jab-uppercut because your opponent might have ducked
6. Jab-jab-elbow because your opponent might have closed the distance
7. Jab-jab-kick-cross because you're not doing boxing

You can do these on the heavy bag or in a number of different drills, but you can be more fluid in how you adjust them in shadow boxing.