How to train on your own?

[Watashi-sama]

I have not been to my dojo for some months now (forgot to renew my registration), and I'm worried my skills are starting to get a bit rusty. Beating up my punching bag and kicking the air five dozen times a day helps, but it can only get me so far. Does anyone have any ideas what I can do to train? (Sparring is out of the question, as the only potential sparring partner around doesn't want to help, and I know him too well to bother trying to convince him.)

[bushido_man96]

If you want to work on your reaction time, without a sparring partner, a good way to do this is to use the TV or radio. Set it to some kind of news channel, one where there is always talking, and then, pick a word, like "the" or "and" or whatever. Whenever you hear that word, throw a technique, whether it be predetermined or random. To really spice things up, pick two or three different words, and a different technique to go with each. That will help you to work your brain a bit as well.

[Watashi-sama]

Thanks, that seems like it would help.

What about blocks, though? Is there a way to practice those? My instructor always put great emphasis on blocks. And what about one-steps?

[white owl]

Hang a tennis ball from where you hang your heavey bag Unless you have bare rafters about face level and light practice your strikes on that it will swing at you and you can react or get hit by it.

[bushido_man96]

Blocks, I'm not as sure on. You really need something to block. One-steps are usually fairly static, so practicing them on your own shouldn't hurt you too much. Anymore, I question the validity of one-steps as anything more than a tool for low-ranks to learn to aquire targets.

[Watashi-sama]

What about throwing a tennis ball at a wall, and then trying to block it as it bounces back at me? Do you think that would help?

[white owl]

I do not no, I would think not because you can not control the bounce I would think. But hanging it from a ceiling it always is going to swing at you.

[Watashi-sama]

Thanks for all the help, guys. I really appreciate it.

[white owl]

Your welcome, I hope it help. best thing to do is get back in class.

[tallgeese]

For defensive movement I think the double ended striking bag has no peer for solo training. With the right tensions, it will bounce pretty well and force you to react. You can cover and move real with with this thing. I have one and I don't use it nearly enough. Mainly because I don't have it permantly affixed. But I should.

Shadow boxing workks real well too. Make certain that you are visualizing your attacker as best you can. This will add to the effects of the training. Practice the basics a bit, then move into free form work. It will serve you better with limited training options.

I agree with bushido man, one steps are limited in their usefulness as taught in most school. Focus more on sponaneous response to threats, even in your shadow boxing. Break this down and work on different aspects of your fight game each round. Then throw a few in to integrate you skills. This advice applies to your time on the heavy bag as well.

I also think that a couple of longish makawari are useful drilled into a stud. Mine are a couple of feet long and positioned at shin/knee height and then again a head height. They are simply 2 by 4's padded wiht about three layers of the camping foam you can by at wal-Mart, they duct taped down. These let you thowo good kicks to the shin and work knees as well as strikes flowing to elbows and such up top. I often use them while integrating trapping during "class time" at my house. They work pretty well.

Just some thoughts. I too spend alot of time solo training. It's useful to try and develop some partners, even if you have to train them youself to serve as sparring partners.