Conditioning Training

[Shorin Ryuu]

I prefer to use a 150 lb bag since it has plenty of resistance. With any luck, you'll have an instructor who can correct your punching technique as you hit the bag. I think it is a weakness of many styles that they do not implement enough bag work, which if you have an eye for, can tell you whether or not your punch has power. Of course, a lot of people end up push punching the bag anyway...

I don't recommend a speed bag, but that's just me. The type of coordination and timing you have for a speed bag is not the kind of coordination and timing you need for a strong punch. The specificity of training involved in a speed bag won't help your punch develop power. If anything, it will make it weaker. Simply developing speed won't either, since you lose the important aspect of timing your body when you aim for speed. I'm sure others will have differing opinions.

[bushido_man96]

I think that after some months of experience and training, working some speed bag work in with your heavy bag work can help out. However, when I used to punch the speed bag, I didn't do the ice-pick, rolling motion of punching, either. I did straight punches, either jabs or jab/cross combinations. I always did enjoy the speed bag, though.

However, I think that Shorin Ryuu makes some excellent points about the heavy bag work. Although I have never punched a bag as heavy as his, I do think that it is important of punch training.