practicing defense alone

[jonbonez152]

I am a college student in the middle of nowhere and there are no martial arts gyms any where close. I have boxed for the past few years and want to get back into it. There is a bag at the school gym which i hit and i also shadow box. Is there any way for me to practice my defense other then just shadow defense drills? thank you

[Dave1066]

You can also practice your defense drills in front of the heavy bag. But doing defensive shadow boxing and defensive boxing on the heavy bag is barely adequate.

Put some posters up around the school. Advertising boxing. Get some new guys. Teach them what you know. Then go get a head guard and spar. Sparring is the best way to learn defense or any skill. Although to behonest the best defense is an aggressive offence. Better to do the punching and hit your opponent than to be getting hit. Although you will have to learn how to take a punch in boxing.

I take it if your learning to defend. That your footwork is 100% and you've learnt every boxing punch under the sun? Including all the different combinations? Basicly what I'm saying is. You've learnt every bit of offence before going on to learn defence. If you train to early on in defence, it may give you a defence complex. Ideally if you do get some other people interested in boxing. You want to learn all the punches and footwork on pads, moving around inside a ring. Doing the correct footwork whilst moving round the ring is important. So that you do not get knocked off balance, expose yourself or a part of your body, and finally so that you can deliver all the power behind your punches.

Gone a bit side tracked, hope you don't mind. You may already know the above. Good luck.

[jonbonez152]

Thanks for the help. The college I go to is really small and I cant find anyone with any real interest in boxing. I have boxed for a decent amount of time before college so I have all of the fundamentals down. I mainly just want to stay sharp so when i go home i will be able to spar with some of the lower level people.

[Dave1066]

Yeah, what your doing already by keeping your nose in, should just about keep you sharp enough. When I train on the heavy bag at home. I will punch the bag hard, to get the bag moving. I mean really get it swinging sometimes with a combination of punches. I then will react to the bag, when the bag is swinging I will weave out of the way and punch a counter punch at the same time.

[jonbonez152]

I like that tip im going to start doing that. Thank you.

[JakobM]

I like that tip im going to start doing that. Thank you.

There's lots of defensive action you can do alone with the bag.

I just want to point out that I'm pretty sure Dave didn't mean for you to "push/punch" the bag....

DON'T EVER DO THAT!

We react the way we train and you want to STRIKE the bag.... Not ever push it.

Also, beware of leaning on the bag..... It's an easy thing to do without necessarily being aware that one is doing so.

Actually push the bag to get it moving.... step in/step out..... pivot..... practice tons of footwork..... Take a tall stepladder and wedge some broom handles through the rungs.....Put the ladder behind the bag so the handles stick out on either side and viola, the bag now has arms.....
practice slipping.... weaving.... whatever you want...

Get creative!

ummmmmmm, something about necessity being the mother of invention...

CREATE!!!!!!!!!!!

Maybe you'll come up with something revolutionary and then you'll never have to work and you can box all fucking day long and....... errrrrr wait a minute that's MY dream....

Also, hang up some tennis balls at varying heights, then smack em.... That'll work your defence.

Make a homemade maize (slip) bag.... fill a stinky old sweatsock with some beans and hang it up with some string.... Total cost.... prolly about a buck.... if that.

Possibilities are endless!

Go and get ya some!!!