Different / Alternate Training Ideas

[Chris Nagel]

Lights, camera, action...

A great way to test your technique while sparring or punching the heavybag is to set up a video cam and tape yourself, and when you watch the tape, you can see your mistakes.
(If it's your 1st time, you will find a shitload of mistakes)

Upping the ante a little more, solo training exercise number two requires a TV. This particular drill takes the dynamics of shadow boxing to another level with the incorporation of "outside" visual stimuli and unpredictability. Here's what you do. Watch any boxing match on TV/Video and while doing so, strictly focus on one combatant, assume the role of the other fighter in your mind, and interactively shadow box him as he is fighting the other guy. You can work on the full spectrum of boxing skills with this exercise as well as isolate any particular element you'd like. In keeping with your inquiry, just isolate this exercise to work your defense only. Take note, one problem with this exercise is that your opponent is not front-facing as he would actually be. This can be a disorienting element for some. With that said, take this drill for what it can improve--recognition and reaction time development.

Alrighty, the final solo training exercise I'm gonna share requires a bit more time and effort to set up but is probably the best drill you can do to improve punch recognition, reaction time, and defensive timing all by yourself. Videotape yourself throwing front-facing punches at the camera (better yet, have a friend do it so you can incorporate more footwork). Start by following the same protocol I delineated for shadow boxing. Staying on track with defensive skill development, make videos that isolate each punch individually, both to the head and body. Initially film them rhythmically then progress to off-rhythm cadences, culminating with videos that incorporate all the punches coming at you head and body in free-form fighting fashion. For instance, have a friend film you strictly throwing jabs to the head at the camera. Begin with a rhythmic cadence with a sufficient time lag in between to allow you to work on single shots deliberately. From there, you can film yourself throwing single jabs to the head in faster frequency. You can proceed with double jabs integrating them with single jabs and doing so first with rhythm, ascending to off-rhythm, isolating head and body then integrating head and body shots together. Do this with each punch then integrate them all together. Anyway, use the videos you film to interactively train and fight yourself. So, after you make your videos, put 'em in, stand in front of your TV, and interactively fight yourself. In this case, practice your defenses against your video-persona throwing punches at you.

[Chris Nagel]

Jabbing technique:

To stop the elbow lifting with your jab, stand with your left shoulder against the wall, in the boxing stance throwing the jabalong the wall .You will feel it in your shoulder after about a minute, relax, then have a rest, then do it again. This will help the muscle imbalance you have in your shoulder, And help your muscle memory

[Chris Nagel]

Oral Perception, speed and awareness:

Ill give you a cracker, but you must have the basics before trying it you also need a partner of the same or simular standard. Get two valcro headbands and 4ft of elastic rope tie the velcro to the headbands, then each of you put them on. the secret is to always have tension on the rope and both move with your eyes shut. At first there will be a few problems with distance but given time it will give unbelievable awareness and speed, also oral perception its a cracker.

[Chris Nagel]

Blocking Bodyshot Drill:

One way you can try but you need a partner. Get the partner to get 2 towels and put knots in the ends of both then holding them in either hand get him to try and hit you with the knots good fun teaches you the principle without the pain take it in turns

[Chris Nagel]

Z Ball
This is a soft solid rubber ball with six protruding areas, so that it has an unpredictable bounce. It is useful in training eye-hand coordination when the subject has to catch the ball after it bounces, but it is not measurable.

"EYE-HAND SPEED is the time required to perceive and respond with the hand(s) to a visual stimulus. It is the ability for the eyes and hands to be not only highly coordinated but fast. The best boxers are often said to have 'fast hands', ie, they can throw a volley of punches in a second. Table-tennis players, too, have very fast hands. A deficit in this parameter makes for slower responses, poor timing, and the sportsperson may appear sluggish."

The Poor Man's Solution, get a soft solid rubber ball (about the size of a soft ball is good, depends on your preference), and glue bits of rubber for an unpredictable bounce.

[Chris Nagel]

I'm having trouble jabbing fast while moving to the right during my heavybag drills (orthodox stance). I usually do jab-step left-jab quickly while moving LEFT but when I'm moving right, it becomes real slow and awkward. Any advice?

Youre having trouble because of eyes not balancing with your movement and distance. Elastic rope tied round bag and yourself, 3" longer than your jab when hitting the bag . Play ring around a roses with the bag youll soon pick it up

[Chris Nagel]

What causes mixed up biomechanics are the pscyhcodynamics by the change of structure to skills and posture.

What's the best material to use for that Scrap?

Md, They sell elastic rope in sailing shops different sizes, also if you can pick up rubber called Super Red but you have to look about for it and have to pop rivet the stuff

So a stretch band is not quite what you wanna be using for these exercises then Scrap? Why?

Sharla, they usually have handles on them, but thinking about it as long as the ankle is padded you could use it.Its just that I have always used elastic rope for convenience I make all sorts of contraptions with the stuff, its easier. Plus you can alter distance better and its pretty cheap. But if you have a band try it. If you have a velcro ankle strap all the better

[Chris Nagel]

You havent mastered the basics sounds like thats the problem. Movement of feet, theres many ways to try ,your problem is moving the front foot first when going forward making the feet to wide then you reach to compensate with your punches losing balance as you do also notbeing to move back because youre of balance. The best way you could try to help the problem is get some elastic rope and tie your feet the same width as the shoulders and practice foot movement. Getting use to moving the back foot to go forward and the front to go back or go to the thread you want fast feet theres a couple on there.

Hi Scrap,

I was wearing a stretch band tied on my ankles a month or so ago to make sure remembered to bring my back foot up when I moved foreward. I thought it was pretty good but then started to think I was making the step with my front foot too small because I had to fight the resistance band to move it foreward. Ever had this problem? Suggestions on how to fix it?

Hi Scrap,

I was wearing a stretch band tied on my ankles a month or so ago to make sure remembered to bring my back foot up when I moved foreward. I thought it was pretty good but then started to think I was making the step with my front foot too small because I had to fight the resistance band to move it foreward. Ever had this problem? Suggestions on how to fix it?

What youre telling me sounds like you havent got the concept. The front foot is there for balance and direction the back foot is your distance, when throwing punches the nearer the head to the back foot the better otherwise your chin is nearer the thing thats trying to hit you throwing a long shot you cant make the fist go any furher from your chin if thrown correct. What people do is reach giving poor balance by leaving the back foot behind and all there weight on the front foot, now knowing the law of psyhics it tells you thats not a good place to be when theres something hard coming your way and the law of gravity is not what it should be in relation to where you are and the biomechanics arent in a position to assist the problem. Theres a how to do stance thread been put up, its wrong in my eyes you dont move the front foot first to go forward you slightly lift it and push of the back foot otherwise you lose oral stability, lose that your lost. Hope that makes sense just woke up

[Chris Nagel]

Maybe im a scrub but I cant get my hooks to flow correctly. Im a southpaw and I have decent reach so im all about jabs and straights. I still cant find myself being able to flow my hooks and uppercuts correctly. My footwork just seems sloppy and I know practice makes perfect but, I need to know how to practice. Thanks for any help in advance...

The long ones are long and it sounds like your reaching with your uppercut and hook. You want to get elastic rope tied to ankle on your back leg and ring post, so you are centre ring. Move back so you are under tension throwing jabs going back. Then move forward doing same, it will teach you to take your back foot with you, and stop you reaching, which I think is your problem

[Chris Nagel]

Another little game you can have a lot of fun with,You with a partner. Put a rope across the Ring below ear hight, stand facing each other. Moving along the rope shadowboxing each other,try kidding each other to try and get the opposite side of the rope from your partner. Two evenly matched fighters can learn the mechanics of movement,distance,levels and laterel movement, take it in turnto try and bluff each other.Good fun ,gets you fit

A little game we play could help. Get a line acrossthe ring thick elastic preferd, get a partner about the same size on the same side as yourself then take it in turns trying to get the other side of the line from where your partner is by feinting by using your feet with head movement to con the other guy into moving the wrong way its a lot of fun and works

[Chris Nagel]

This little trick should help you all out. And a 60lb bag is all you need. Weight lifting belt round your waist, and belt round the bag, peice of 15mil elastic rope 4 inch longer than reach, tide to the bag and yourself through the belts.It makes your balance better gives corr stababity makes you move,is hard work makes you punch in balance, now you are punching your body weight, the bag is as heavy as you want it And it dont cost F*** all

[Chris Nagel]

Great Elastic Training idea by Scrap: http://www.saddoboxing.com/boxing_fo...c,34425.0.html

[Chris Nagel]

Actualy a good way to practice the biomechanics of it is get afit ball put the ball against thewall and your back against it . Then do 6" squats rolling on the ball while shadow boxing on the spot, slightly pushing against the ball for feel.

Actualy a good way to practice the biomechanics of it is get afit ball put the ball against thewall and your back against it . Then do 6" squats rolling on the ball while shadow boxing on the spot, slightly pushing against the ball for feel.

Do we stay in normal boxing stance for this? Interesting exercise thanks Scrap

Yes put the ball on the upper back between the shoulder blades put the feet central to the ball, so youre not square with the wall but central to the back. you will feel it in the lower back, and can move 6" side to side with the feet and get a nice rythem going lateraly pushing into the wall.

[Chris Nagel]

RE: Speed and Power

Get a stake metal one 30 metres of bungy rope go to a track stake in the middle of the bend 40 metres back and run the bends both ways thats overspeed and theres lots of other ways of doing it thats one way. Another get a shoulder harness with 2 metres of bungie on the back stap get your partner to hold you back while running as fast as you can after 10 metres let you go youll fly been doing that one 30 years.

[Chris Nagel]

Throwing to Wide:

So yet another question on the elbows.... yesterday trainer was noticing I swung the left arm out too much when throwing jabs on the bag. He pushed in my elbow and told me to throw from there, but it felt almost unnatural. I normally try and keep the elbows in as much as possible, but it felt like he pushed my arm too far in. Am I supposed to have my body that compressed when throwing?

Youve probably got a muscle out of line usualy its the trapezius, deltoids, or over large pecks there are streches for it you can do with a broom handle youre going to have to wait . But a good way to put it right is, sit against a wall with your jabbing arms shoulder up to it. Then jab along the wall pushing the shoulder into the wall as you do, and dont let the fist leave the wall. After 1 min youll feel the shoulder, rest and go again spend 5mins on the routine every day. If you do it against a mirror or something smooth all the better. Give it a week and it should solve the problem