Shadow Boxing

[MJS]

How many of you do it? Do you find it beneficial to your training?

Occasionally we do this in class, and at times I include it into my at home workouts. I think its a good way to focus on proper body mechanics, footwork and proper technique. Once you get going, it also provides for a good cardio workout!:)

Anyone else include this in your training?

Mike

[Kashi]

i never have, but i've heard it's quite beneficial as to helping improve many different aspects of one's fighting self. i would have a go at it, but have never been "taught" how? i've only heard of it mentioned in passing, never 'this is what to do'. can you shed some light on that, please?

[MJS]

i never have, but i've heard it's quite beneficial as to helping improve many different aspects of one's fighting self. i would have a go at it, but have never been "taught" how? i've only heard of it mentioned in passing, never 'this is what to do'. can you shed some light on that, please?

On way to think of this, would be to compare it to an empty hand kata. Without the use of focus mitts, a heavy bag, or another person, you're basically fighting an imaginary opponent. Doing this in front of a large mirror would also allow you to watch your form.

This is nothing that has to be done super fast, as I said, one of the goals is to work on proper body mechanics, footwork, and technique.

I hope that this was a help.

Mike

[samurai69]

I think it helps......especially infront of a mirror as i have anopponent to hit

first time i did it in a muay thai class i felt a real plank.....very awkward, but now its good, i get students to practice as part of their warm up every workout

[stone_dragone]

My students and I use it [shadow boxing] extensively in our training. I feel that it greatly improves the extemporaneousness of our combinations.

We usually start in fighting stance in front of the mirrors (we have them so we use them) and start out at about 25-30% speed and focus only on the range of motion for each technique without any tension, transitioning from punch to block to kick, warming the muscles up with "sport specific motions". After about a minute, we'll bring it up to about 50-65% and add some snap to it, but still focus on relaxed motion. Finally we'll do a few 2 min rounds at about 75-80% for cardio conditioning.

I find that this usually does the trick nicely and gets them sparked up for more intense partner drills.

My 2 cents

[searcher]

I have been doing it for several years. I started it after I took up boxing in '95. I have found it to be a great way to work out your technical flaws. This is best accomplished if you have a full length mirror. Nobody can ever tell you what is wrong with your techniques like yourself.

[samurai69]

extemporaneousness


Thats got to be a scrabble winner :)

[spinkick]

haha I never considered it doing slow I've always kind of used it as a cardio workout, however I think I will slow it down abit to work on my mechanics good idea

[IcemanSK]

I still shadow box (a hold-over from my kickboxing days). I do it both to loosen up & it helps me focus on training. I do it for a few rounds. By the time the round is done, I'm loose & ready to start training harder.

[stone_dragone]

Thats got to be a scrabble winner :)

I so rarely get to use it in a sentence... :)

[cfr]

I'm starting to use it more, and now in front of a mirror in order to see my mistakes when Im training alone. I personally dont think of it the same as kata. In kata, there are specific techs in a specific order, in shadow boxing, it it just supposed to flow freely.

[searcher]

cfr, I think that if you give it time you will find that it will make your kata flow even better. It is a wonderful tool that needs to be utilized more often by more MA students. I feel that they would improve at a higher rate. JMHO.

[tradrockrat]

use it all the time.

It's a warm up, cardio workout and muscle memory trainer all in one.

[Dark]

I basically use it as tae-bo with a purpose ;) I love doing shadow boxing it gives me tiem to perfect my comibnations and see which techniques flows better into the next.

[DeLamar.J]

How many of you do it? Do you find it beneficial to your training?

Occasionally we do this in class, and at times I include it into my at home workouts. I think its a good way to focus on proper body mechanics, footwork and proper technique. Once you get going, it also provides for a good cardio workout!:)

Anyone else include this in your training?

MikeShadow boxing, just kata for boxers.:boxing:

[cfr]

Shadow boxing, just kata for boxers.:boxing:

Not being big into kata, I could be wrong.... but isn't kata prearranged/ predefined/ static? I've only went to a kata school for a few months, but thats how it was when I was there. Shadow boxing is "make it up as you go". Very dynamic.

[IcemanSK]

Not being big into kata, I could be wrong.... but isn't kata prearranged/ predefined/ static? I've only went to a kata school for a few months, but thats how it was when I was there. Shadow boxing is "make it up as you go". Very dynamic.

In the sense that Shadow Boxing is unique each time, its different than kata. But in the sense that its based on, "my opponent does "X" so I'll do "Y", its the same. If a boxer isn't mindful of a imaginary opponent during Shadow Boxing (& is just throwing punches randomly) he/she is really missing the whole point of the exercise.

[searcher]

If a boxer isn't mindful of a imaginary opponent during Shadow Boxing (& is just throwing punches randomly) he/she is really missing the whole point of the exercise.

Agreed.

[cfr]

In the sense that Shadow Boxing is unique each time, its different than kata. But in the sense that its based on, "my opponent does "X" so I'll do "Y", its the same. If a boxer isn't mindful of a imaginary opponent during Shadow Boxing (& is just throwing punches randomly) he/she is really missing the whole point of the exercise.

I couldn't agree more. But to call it "kata for kickboxers" implies (at least in my mind) that when the trainee starts, they know exactly what they will be doing, from start to finish, as in kata. Perhaps a response is predefined, but the attack doesnt have to be, as in kata.

[IcemanSK]

I mean no offense in the comparison: & there certainly are differences (as you've pointed out). However, saying it's like shadow boxing is the best way to describe kata to new MA-ists. And saying shadow boxing is like kata, is a good way of describing SB to MA-ists. They have the same purpose. For practical purposes, they are similiar enough to make that comparison.

[cfr]

Fair enough.

[MJS]

Iceman summed it up very well IMHO. Its like kata to a point, but where as the kata has to be done in order, move by move, shadow boxing allows for a wide variety of things. Its amazing what a little creativity can do as far as keeping this interesting.

Mike

[MRE]

I think shadow boxing is great for all the reasons presented in the previous posts. While doing it, I can take all the movements I have learned and try to tie them together so the transitions flow a little better. I always try to shadow box in front of a mirror. From my boxing days, I have found that mirror work definitely helps with strengthening technique, and is excellent for promoting head and body movement (slips, bob & weave, etc.). When I first started boxing, I got hit alot and couldn't figure out why. I was quicker than alot of the guys, but I couldn't avoid getting nailed. When I started mirror work, I noticed immediately how stationary my head and body was. I guess I concentrated so much on moving my hands that I didn't think about moving everything else. After I got my head and body moving through shadow boxing in front of mirrors, I got hit less and I increased my punching power.