shadow boxing?

[HerbM]

I used to think shadow boxing was just a warm up and didnt help with anything besides warming. Then i talked to a guy at my gym who is a pro heavy and fought Holyfield and he corrected me. It was him who told me to visualize an opponent in front of me and focus on my technique. This may sound stupid has i have been hit in the head way to many times, but im still not sure how shadow boxing helps other than it is an exercise where you focus mainly on technique therefore improving it. All i know is that to this day it still helps improve my form. If i learn something new i apply while shadow boxing and use shadow boxing to sharpen what i learn. It helps to sharpen and improve your skills and technique. So visualize your opponent and focus on your technique and it will help you improve for sure.

It helps you techniuqed because the old saying "Practice makes perfect" is WRONG -- or at best incomplete.

"Perfect Practice makes perfect" -- doing the wrong thing will ingrain that just as surely. So shadow boxing gives you the opportunity to string together perfectly executed techniques into combos.

Yes, you most definitely SHOULD be visualizing an opponent, along with practicing in front of a mirror to ensure your technique is as flawless as you can possibly make it.

Even MENTAL practice is a good adjunct to your training -- in some cases mental practice has been found to be almost as valuable as actually doing the task to improve physical performance.

Mentally imagine your opponent, your defense and your counter attacks - in exquisite detail, going at least through an entire combo with unbroken concentration. See, hear, and feel everything.

Make sure to be "in your body" (not just SEEING YOURSELF) for at least some of this mental practice (well more than half probably, if not all of it.)

--
HerbM

[Scrap]

Some weeks thats all we do, shadowboxing and stretching to assist movement. There are so many permitations on the theme they are endless. Get people come in the gym, and the times Ive been asked, what are they doing. The looks on there faces when I say Shadowboxing, are priceless

[HerbM]

The only significant problem with shadowboxing is that it is generally NO FUN.

[Scrap]

The secret is to make it Fun.

[wesrman]

The secret is to make it Fun.

Ideas?

[Scrap]

Give you a few,2 fighters shadowboxing aline, Head Height corner to corner, trying to put the other guy the otherside of the line, and out of position by feinting. 2Shadow Boxing with partner taking in turns attacking then defending.3 Numerous ideas with elastic tide to anypart of the body for perception. 4 With eyes shut, working on feel. 5 Shadowboxing barefoot on 2 medicineballs, proreception, when good at it go blind on them.6 obsticals on the floor, where you go round or over. 7 woodybands loads of things you can do with them.8 fitballs same as the woodys loads of things. Shadowboxing Boring never in a million years.

[badr_hari]

Give you a few,2 fighters shadowboxing aline, Head Height corner to corner, trying to put the other guy the otherside of the line, and out of position by feinting. 2Shadow Boxing with partner taking in turns attacking then defending.3 Numerous ideas with elastic tide to anypart of the body for perception. 4 With eyes shut, working on feel. 5 Shadowboxing barefoot on 2 medicineballs, proreception, when good at it go blind on them.6 obsticals on the floor, where you go round or over. 7 woodybands loads of things you can do with them.8 fitballs same as the woodys loads of things. Shadowboxing Boring never in a million years.

thanks sir. As always great ideas from Scrap (the king of trainers).

and i think those who feel that ShadowBoxing is boring does not have sense for boxing.

[wesrman]

Give you a few,2 fighters shadowboxing aline, Head Height corner to corner, trying to put the other guy the otherside of the line, and out of position by feinting. 2Shadow Boxing with partner taking in turns attacking then defending.3 Numerous ideas with elastic tide to anypart of the body for perception. 4 With eyes shut, working on feel. 5 Shadowboxing barefoot on 2 medicineballs, proreception, when good at it go blind on them.6 obsticals on the floor, where you go round or over. 7 woodybands loads of things you can do with them.8 fitballs same as the woodys loads of things. Shadowboxing Boring never in a million years.

Thanks Scrap.

[Zelley]

The only significant problem with shadowboxing is that it is generally NO FUN.

It can be fun if you put your heart and mind in it

[ryanwolves]

I find shadow boxing great for footwork, we also do it with light weights helps you great for when you are fighting and you get tired hands and feel like you need to drop your guard!

[johnny@ExpertBoxing.com]

Shadowboxing is for speed, balance, coordination, self-awareness, technique refinement.

Other benefits of shadowboxing:
- balancing out your muscles.. and building the retraction muscles. It's too common for people to get use to punching at heavybags which "bounce" your hand back to you. When you get use to shadowboxing and punching at the air, your back and shoulder muscles will have to retract your arms back which better conditions you for fighting situations where you will hit a lot of air. I highly HIGHLY recommend shadowboxing. Do it more!

[WayneFlint]

Some days ill just do 9-12 rounds of shadow boxing.. work on openings and feints and counters, combos finished nice and balanced ready to slip or weave/roll afterwards, nowadays i try to make it a point to better finish the punches and combinations on balance with good foot, hand, elbow and knee placement for more mobility afterwards rather than concentrating on speed and power with the actual opening leads afterall its very rare you hit anybody with these leading punches no matter how perfect you throw them so its a waste as in most cases theyre just thrown to trigger reactions/counters that you want to counter in return and to set up the landing shots and its these shots i drill during shadow boxing because its these punches that need to be perfected and take more time to master, ofcourse thats after your able to throw the leading punches to a very good standard in the first place otherwise your rushing things.