Training aid
- Thread starter Swanson
- Start date
Headhunter
Senior Master
Well if you've already got a punchbag and kick stuff really don't see why you need another striking bag
Headhunter
Senior Master
And you can't use a punch bag for that?
I can see (superficially) two advantages to Bob.
Firstly, the psychology of hitting something person shaped, like shooting at a silhouette. I've seen plenty of people who can beat up a bag, but balk at hitting a person (even kitted up).
Secondly, the reaction. Bob will fall over or move when you hit, a heavy bag won't. For something like a reverse spinning heel I can see how that could help learn landing after striking through your target, rather than to your target.
I think you can definitely improvise the second quite well, the only other real way for the first is plenty of sparring...
Firstly, the psychology of hitting something person shaped, like shooting at a silhouette. I've seen plenty of people who can beat up a bag, but balk at hitting a person (even kitted up).
Secondly, the reaction. Bob will fall over or move when you hit, a heavy bag won't. For something like a reverse spinning heel I can see how that could help learn landing after striking through your target, rather than to your target.
I think you can definitely improvise the second quite well, the only other real way for the first is plenty of sparring...
You can simulate those just as effectively with a freestanding bag (with focus mitt taped on top).
For specific facial targets, stick a photo of your least favourite politician to the mitt...
You can. It's just much easier, cooler, and more expensive to do on BOB.
Seriously, it's just easier to move among targets when they all exist. I can practice accuracy on specific points of a focus mitt or some other target attached to a bag, but the proportions are already there on BOB, so it's easy to practice a shot to the ribs, a backhand to the temple, and a downward strike to the clavicle.
I really wish I had one for stickwork.
I'm not saying they're bad at all, but that ease doesn't (for me) go far enough to justify the cost.
I can see an issue using them for combo attacks though, they don't move like a person would - let yourself get too programmed into nose-jaw-clavicle-rib on a static target and it could lead to trouble against a person that'll dodge.
Headhunter
Senior Master
Agreed there's nothing you can do on those things that you can't do on a regular punchbag. I'm an old school guy who's first karate club was in a school hall and the only equipment we had was focus mitts and kick shields and we did fine with that. All this new equipment that keeps coming out is a nice moneymaking device for someone people buying into this new device that'll make them so much better.
The one thing a punchbag doesn't do is train you to psychologically accept hitting a person shaped object.
But that's what sparring partners are for
JR 137
Grandmaster
I own a BOB XL. Like everything else, it another tool; it excels at what it’s meant to do, and doesn’t hold up to what it’s not meant to do.
The BOB XL is excellent for targeting strikes. Hitting a heavy bag, you’ve got to use your imagination for specific targets. Not so with the BOB. You know exactly when you’re punching ribs, stomach, liver and spleen area, neck, throat, etc. You know exactly how high you’re kicking in relation to an opponent. You know if you actually hit your target or if you missed.
I bought it because I couldn’t hang a bag in my basement. There was no option, so I bought the BOB XL. After living with it for a while, I can easily forgive its faults. It’s a lot more fun to go 12 rounds with it than a regular heavy bag. Seeing an opponent and hitting it exactly where I’m aiming is far more satisfying than imagining an opponent. I know it sounds stupid, but it is what it is. If you fill it right, put it on the right surface, and actually hit it instead of pushing it, it won’t move and topple over very often. Filled with 6 50 lb bags of pea gravel and on top of an industrial floor mat, I have yet to knock it over or have it slide around. I don’t do running, spinning, jumping kicks; I just do regular karate stuff.
When the day comes that I can hang a bag, I’ll buy a Muay Thai bag. But I’ll definitely keep the BOB XL too. It’s too good at doing what it does to get rid of it.
The BOB XL is excellent for targeting strikes. Hitting a heavy bag, you’ve got to use your imagination for specific targets. Not so with the BOB. You know exactly when you’re punching ribs, stomach, liver and spleen area, neck, throat, etc. You know exactly how high you’re kicking in relation to an opponent. You know if you actually hit your target or if you missed.
I bought it because I couldn’t hang a bag in my basement. There was no option, so I bought the BOB XL. After living with it for a while, I can easily forgive its faults. It’s a lot more fun to go 12 rounds with it than a regular heavy bag. Seeing an opponent and hitting it exactly where I’m aiming is far more satisfying than imagining an opponent. I know it sounds stupid, but it is what it is. If you fill it right, put it on the right surface, and actually hit it instead of pushing it, it won’t move and topple over very often. Filled with 6 50 lb bags of pea gravel and on top of an industrial floor mat, I have yet to knock it over or have it slide around. I don’t do running, spinning, jumping kicks; I just do regular karate stuff.
When the day comes that I can hang a bag, I’ll buy a Muay Thai bag. But I’ll definitely keep the BOB XL too. It’s too good at doing what it does to get rid of it.
Yep, the same issue we have with pretty much any training aid that isn't a person. It's all about degrees of utility. And there is a reason I haven't bought one for myself yet - same reason you mention. I think they're quite worthwhile, and worth having at a training center, alongside a heavy bag (or preferably a number of heavy bags). That way, they become useful in teaching targeting, learning to work on taller/shorter opponents, giving a good visual, working against a human-shaped target (shooting training results seem to indicate this is beneficial), and other stuff - spread over a larger number of people.
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