Punching thin air

[Abyss]

At my dojo we train hitting the makiwara, pads, and a heavy bag. For my first few weeks there the only thing I was hitting was blackbelts. While I still get to hit my sensei alot, I tend to work on the makiwara and the heavy bag more. At least they make some noise when you hit them, my sensei just smiles at me. I think he knows it's a great way to make me train harder.

[DaChroniclez]

its actually bad to right off the bat hit hard stuff, as you said you do in your dojo. The reason for this is in the long run, your power wont be as strong as someone who started at training only Technique, then progressed to adding speed, and then progressed to adding strength. Power comes mainly from a perfect technique and executing it with speed, strength only adds to that already existing power. The single most important part is to perfect you technique and you cannot do this punching hard stuff. You have to do it shadow boxing, or "walkin up and down the dojo" as you mentioned. I'm sure you sensei must know this?!?!???

[Omega14]

Hitting a heavy bag is also different from hitting a person. THe biggest problem with hitting a heavy bag or pads is that people tend to hit it with the maximum amount of force possible. By this, I mean, they try to hit the object such that it will swing/move back as much as possible. However, this is really dangerous. In most cases, people do not realize our wrist cannot handle such pressure. As a result, intial training with pads/bags may not be a good idea. One should master to control their punches, and test it out on the pads.

[AngelaG]

A heavy bag is most useful when you have someone behind it or it'll give a completely false sense of power

[senna_trem]

What would be the definition of shadow boxing?

[VinnieDaChin]

shadow boxing is practicing boxing movements with air.

 

anyway, people need to realize that pads, heavy bags, and shadow boxing are important. they all should be started as soon as you start training striking.

 

as to the original post- that happens a lot with those traditional martial arts- the teachers and practicioners get so caught up in the tradition that they refuse to do things that just make sense (like use heavy bags.)

[Omega14]

shadow boxing is practicing boxing movements with air.

 

anyway, people need to realize that pads, heavy bags, and shadow boxing are important. they all should be started as soon as you start training striking.

 

as to the original post- that happens a lot with those traditional martial arts- the teachers and practicioners get so caught up in the tradition that they refuse to do things that just make sense (like use heavy bags.)

 

Actually, in most karate clubs, it is traditional to supplement "punch in the air" training with Makiwara pads. However, most clubs have questioned its use in the earlier stages in training, which is why it has been faded out. Although I advocate that pad training is necessary, I don't believe it shoud be started "as early as possible". Without sufficient training, most people are damaging their joints without themselves knowing. The long term consequences are often ignored.

[pers]

I don't know what Shotokan your instructor did, but we hit impact pads and heavy bag too. The fact he had a bad instruction in early days doesn't mean Shotokan is bad

 

100% agreed ! standard of the dojo is more important regardless of the style .

[Shorin Ryuu]

A properly designed makiwara has "give" to it, making it "Joint-friendly".

[VinnieDaChin]

are makiwara pads like focus pads? if so, its not hard to not hurt your joints when using them. boxers start out with them all the time, they dont have problems. in fact, the most likely place to hyperextend something and hurt your joints is when punching the air.