Some heavy bag training.

[Tony Dismukes]

More training.

More training.avi

I tried keeping my elbows tucked in more and look at the camera alot less this time, I notice the difference in that alone as I am quicker now than the last one. I did less "pushing" punches this time too, but as always any critiques, and other forms of advice of advice is welcomed.

Much better job looking at your target instead of off to the side!

You're still mostly pushing with your punches. I'd offer more specific advice on technique, but I don't know what style you practice and different arts have different approaches to power generation.

I'd put more hip rotation into your roundhouse kicks, but the same caveat applies - I don't know how your art teaches you to throw those.

Your elbows are still really far out from your body. Check with your instructor to see how he wants you to hold them, but as they are now your body is still very exposed.

 

[Bill Mattocks]

My advice is to get your corrections from your instructor. I have to assume there is a systematic methodology that you are learning, and that affects everything you do. The advice you are getting here may be valid in its own way but may also be contrary to the method you are supposed to be learning. Following advice from a bunch of strangers online can get you all mixed up, and then your instructor needs to help you correct it all. So, use caution about what advice you take to.

Agreed.

 

[Dirty Dog]

I'm late to the party (I've been in Belize SCUBA diving, and the sandy beaches seem to interfere with my WiFi connections...) but I do have a couple comments.
First off... kudos for being willing to put yourself on the spot and on your attitude towards the suggestions that have been offered.
I recommend people start with bag gloves and then, as their conditioning improves, step down to wraps and eventually bare hands. Not everybody will condition to that extent. Gloves interfere with developing proper punching technique, but the protection for the hand and support of the wrist makes them useful when bag training is first begun.
Others have commented on your elbows, so I'll just say I agree with them.
Your kicks...

In the first video, you're throwing a spinning hook kick. Sort of. But not really. I don't know what your training and experience is, but this particular kick needs a LOT of work.
Foot position: Your foot needs to be pulled towards your head, as in the picture posted (I think by Bill?). Impact should be with the back of the heel. You're impacting on the flat of the foot. Your foot should be parallel to the ground, not pointing upwards. You're halfway between a hook and a crescent kick.
Leg position: Your leg should be straight at the point of impact. Bending the knee prior to impact makes it difficult (or impossible) to strike with the back of the heel, shortens your reach, and steals power (leverage... a longer lever means more power...).
Turn your body and hip through the target.
I wish the video showed your feet, but from what I can see it looks like you're basically swinging your leg, mostly straight, from the floor to the target. This is an option, but I don't think it's ideal because it's slow and telegraphed. Try tucking the leg as you spin and basically throw a side kick 18-24" beside your target, then let your spin carry your foot into your target. That's not a great description, but it's hard to communicate a technique like this in a purely verbal manner.

For your roundhouses... bend the knee. You're swinging the leg straight, which, again, is slow and telegraphs the kick. And it would be, again, useful to see your feet. It looks (in the limited view we have) as if you're not pivoting your supporting foot. This limits your height, decreases your power, and can damage the knee on the supporting leg. The toes on the supporting leg should be pointing away from the target.

 

[Ironbear24]

Oh and just to clarify my stlyes are kenpo and judo. I mostly use kenpo though because it is hard to find sparring partners who are willing to allow grappling, which makes practicing my judo techniques nearly impossible.

My sifu became very ill and could not continue teaching so since then I have not been able to train in my original dojo.

 

[Flying Crane]

Oh and just to clarify my stlyes are kenpo and judo. I mostly use kenpo though because it is hard to find sparring partners who are willing to allow grappling, which makes practicing my judo techniques nearly impossible.

My sifu became very ill and could not continue teaching so since then I have not been able to train in my original dojo.

Kenpo encompasses many many systems, some closely related with a common history, others not at all.

Even within the same system you can find a lot of variation on how an instructor approaches training and building the skills. It's not cookie-cutter, even with schools that share a curriculum.

 

[Ironbear24]

Kenpo encompasses many many systems, some closely related with a common history, others not at all.

Even within the same system you can find a lot of variation on how an instructor approaches training and building the skills. It's not cookie-cutter, even with schools that share a curriculum.

Yeah as my sifu stated kenpo is more of a "foundation" art and once you have it you will build on it from there becoming a more unique martial artists.

No two of us were the same when it came to martial arts.

 

[Monkey Turned Wolf]

My sifu became very ill and could not continue teaching so since then I have not been able to train in my original dojo.

That's a really unfortunate situation, for you and for your sifu. By any chance, was there a 'head instructor' or senior student at your dojo before your sifu fell ill that you could learn from?

 

[Ironbear24]

That's a really unfortunate situation, for you and for your sifu. By any chance, was there a 'head instructor' or senior student at your dojo before your sifu fell ill that you could learn from?

There is his brother but he lives in San Jose. His friend teaches nearby me though. He mixed kenpo with escrima and various phillipino arts. I am planning on signing up there. On occasion my old sifu will go there and teach as well.

 

[Buka]

Best wishes to your Sifu.

How long have you been training, bro?

 

[Ironbear24]

I been training since I was 14. Took kenpo at 16 and been training on and off for 11 years. The past 2 years I began taking it very seriously.

 

[FriedRice]

The original purpose of the video was to prove tobthe user "friedrice" that I do in fact hit the heavy bag with no gloves on. For some reason he didn't believe I could do it.

Training.avi

Thanks for the video. You should have told me that you posted it. Insomnia brought me here by chance. I thought you meant that you hit a heavy bag hard, with full power. This is more like a 220-230 lb guy pushing it.

 

[Ironbear24]

Thanks for the video. You should have told me that you posted it. Insomnia brought me here by chance. I thought you meant that you hit a heavy bag hard, with full power. This is more like a 220-230 lb guy pushing it.

See the next video. Even in the first one they were punches with an obvious closed fist. And no I'm not 220-230 lb's I'm 205.

 

[FriedRice]

See the next video. Even in the first one they were punches with an obvious closed fist. And no I'm not 220-230 lb's I'm 205.

Ok, just saw it and it's still a lot of arm punches that's also pushing it. Someone your weight should cause much more impact with better techniques. Which my point was, it would wreck your hands going bare knuckles if you had better techniques for power. But since you're punching it with beginner's, pushing punches then it's not wrecking your hands. And I was pretty close on the weight

 

[Ironbear24]

Ok, just saw it and it's still a lot of arm punches that's also pushing it. Someone your weight should cause much more impact with better techniques. Which my point was, it would wreck your hands going bare knuckles if you had better techniques for power. But since you're punching it with beginner's, pushing punches then it's not wrecking your hands. And I was pretty close on the weight

You are clearly only watching the first video and not the second one where I followed the forums advice and "made the bag dance" as others put it by retracting the fists back faster, so it would not push the bag. Plus this is not the point, the point was you said I could not do it. Well I did it, several times and without push punches.

I got an idea, how about give me advice then? I will still hit it with no gloves doing every word of advice you give me.

 

[FriedRice]

You are clearly only watching the first video and not the second one where I followed the forums advice and "made the bag dance" as others put it by retracting the fists back faster, so it would not push the bag. Plus this is not the point, the point was you said I could not do it. Well I did it, several times and without push punches.

I got an idea, how about give me advice then? I will still hit it with no gloves doing every word of advice you give me.

The 2nd one is called "more training" right? But ok, fine...you can do it, but only because you're not putting out good power, especially for your size.

And not sure what that means about the bag dancing, but when you hit it, it should react like it wants to fold in a jerking, snapping fashion from the impact but not swing like that. When it's swinging far out like that, then you're pushing it.

 

[Ironbear24]

And not sure what that means about the bag dancing, but when you hit it, it should react like it wants to fold in a jerking, snapping fashion

Pretty much you got it, that's what it means.

So you got any tips for more power?

 

[FriedRice]

Pretty much you got it, that's what it means.

So you got any tips for more power?

For the right cross: as you throw the punch, shift most of your weight onto the front foot and flat footed....rear foot pivots on the ball of it (like putting out a cigarette)....but still firmly grounded......rear knee turns with the pivot.....throw the hip into that direction also.....shoulders loose....hands open (not in a fist) but as it travels towards target, it closes into a tight as possible fist right before impact while turning the fist to position the palm down and contacting with the 1st two knuckles....as the other knuckles make contact on their own, but less....causing a whip-like impact. Head stays right above the groin as much as possible and bend the front knee just a little bit like you're about to sit down on a chair, but very, very little.

All done in one motion and say bye bye to your fists after a few weeks, as your power is refined while doing this w/o wraps & gloves.

 

[Ironbear24]

All done in one motion and say bye bye to your fists after a few weeks, as your power is refined while doing this w/o wraps & gloves.

Thanks for being helpful, my instructors have always told me to keep my fists closed because if my fingers get hit they could break, but the rest of the advice sounds good and I'll take note of them. I'll try to get the camera better angled so everyone can see the footwork, I do pivot but I would like to know if I am pivoting correctly ect.

I been using the first two knuckles as the area of impact but I can definitely do some work on my knees being bent. It sounds like in general my stance needs to be refined. I will prove you wrong by the way and do it with no gloves on. My fists get stronger everytime I do this so long as I am using proper technique.

 

[FriedRice]

Thanks for being helpful, my instructors have always told me to keep my fists closed because if my fingers get hit they could break, but the rest of the advice sounds good and I'll take note of them. I'll try to get the camera better angled so everyone can see the footwork, I do pivot but I would like to know if I am pivoting correctly ect.

Keeping fists closed always, is not completely bad, but not a good way to get good, IMO.
1. your wasting energy and muscles vs. just relaxing hands
2. if you block with a closed fist, it could cause you to punch your own face
3. closed fists will angle the little bones in the back of your hand towards their powerful and much more solid knuckles flying towards them...you'll hurt more or break.
4. palms open and facing your opponent is how you should defend...by catching punches, especially bare knuckle fights...it's very easy to stop full power punches coming if you time the catch....closed fist then it's fist on fist, but again with your bony, weaker bones at the front line.

The bad would be, when you punch and you're not used to closing your fist fast enough, then you may land with a semi-opened fist, and you can break your hand. But if you train enough, it just becomes 2nd nature.

I been using the first two knuckles as the area of impact but I can definitely do some work on my knees being bent. It sounds like in general my stance needs to be refined. I will prove you wrong by the way and do it with no gloves on. My fists get stronger everytime I do this so long as I am using proper technique.

Dude, why? You're hands certainly will get conditioned & stronger, but it will never catch up to the science of good techniques to significantly increase punching power. Also, the better you get at it, the more your other joints will suffer....like the shoulders, elbows, etc....that's why Fighters will buy new gloves often....the foam wears out....and the foam is what helps absorb the impact ...but it still gets transferred....and this is w/o making mistakes, b/c mistakes will instantly sprain wrist, fingers, etc. Our bags are 150-250 lbs. I think I can't imagine hitting the long, teardrop Fairtex one at full power w/o protection.

 

[Ironbear24]

So I can stronger quicker.