Boxing

E

eyeball

Moderator
any boxing freaks in here besides me?

speed bag: for speed
heavy bag: for power
double end bag: for a sense of range

besides the speed bag, heavy bag, double-end bag, what other types of equipment can be used to sharpen boxing skills.

and i know that sparring works and what not but i need to know stuff i could do that can be done without a partner.

oh, btw. my favorite boxers are Felix Trinidad and Mike Tyson.

thanks.



[Edited by eyeball on 06-07-2001 at 03:25 AM]
 
Some information here:

http://stickgrappler.tripod.com/box/box.html

(If anyone is wondering or cares, I ended up picking boxing as my "MA"- the gym was local and they let me use it free as long as I spar with them... seems everyone wants a shot at a 7'310lbs freak! ;) Krav Maga classes were cool but cost money and not as flexible or as close as the boxing gym)

Shadow boxing is a must... if you're looking for equipment add a full sized mirror. You need a jump rope, running shoes, weights, and an axe. Hell yeah, I said an axe! Chopping wood helps build your lats, but the "danger" factor maintains your awareness, sharpness, and control. Jog slow, hard, and long to build wind. The thing I love about boxing is that so much of it is just general conditioning. Less about "How to take a stronger opponent?" and more "Hey, just get stronger!!" ;)
 
My favorite piece of boxing/martial arts training equipment is focus pads (aka punch mitts, etc. Similar to Thai Pads). They let you work combos for speed and power against a "moving" target. Or you can use them for speed/timing by having your partner "flash" the pad at you.

Break down your techniques and take time to learn 2-3 counters for each one. Anyone can put up a good offense, some can take a good beating (fight Rocky style...get whupped for 11 rounds, then KO them in the 12th), but few ever get good at countering and defense.

Sparring is a must...something I didn't do enough of when I was boxing. If you can find it, the best book ever published on techniques, combos, etc. was the 1943 Naval Aeronautics Bureau V5 Boxing Manual.

Thread on "Combative" Boxing...
http://www.bladeforums.com/ubb/Forum35/HTML/000050.html

Info on Bare Knuckle Pugilism...
http://keith.martialartsman.com
 
eyeball, what I do when I train for boxing is I do some shadowboxing, but I put a 2-3 lbs weight in each hand when I do it. Try it out, you'll be surprised how much difference the 3 extra pounds will make in your training. Not only does it build power and endurance but speed as well. Also have you ever hit something hard? Like someone's skull? :rolleyes: You MUST train to condition your knuckles if you actually plan on using your boxing in a self-defense situation...

Dan
 
I have much respect for boxers and the "sweet science" as a form of martial art.

However, there is one aspect of boxing that often escapes the notice of those who intend to use it for self-defense (aside from lack of kicking, trapping and grappling).

The often missed fact is that that punching bare knuckles without any gloves, padding or wraps will likely incur some serious damage to one's fists and wrists, particularly if the object of punching is the human skull (arguably one of the toughest part of human skeletal system - for a good reason, too).

In this regard, I personally favor Jeet Kune Do style "straight blast" (series of quick, rather than powerful, vertical fists) to disorient the opponent and deliver the coup de grace with elbows and knees. If I must strike the head or face with power, I'd much rather use palm strikes, rather than full horizontal fists.

Skorzeny
 
Paladin:

From your link, it states...

Biomechanics of Punching: The old-time pugilism punched with a vertical fist. The horizontal fist only came into popular use in sport boxing after the introduction of thickly padded gloves. There was a good reason for this. A vertical fist protects the hand from injury.

If you go back to my previous post, you will see that I mention the words "vertical" and "horizontal" fists and also mention my preference for former, particularly in "straight blast" style.

It's my impression that a vast majority of boxing gyms do not really teach vertical fists anymore.

An additional benefit of punching with palms (actually more palm heels) is that you are less likely to cut yourself against the opponent's skull and contract blood-borne diseases. Not that important in a self-defense situation until you find out that your attacker has HIV or some other nasty stuff.

Skorzeny
 
Anyone who doesn't think that "boxer's fracture" occurs frequently is invited to cultivate an acquaintance with a radiology technician who works in an emergency department. Ask to see the films.
After seeing only a few, even a layman can identify both the fracture and the cause,i.e, hitting a hard object with the fist.

Usually the patient presents with a hand that is swollen like an overfilled balloon. Too swollen and too painful to use to function as a hand. And it is usually the patient's dominant hand.

Give yourself an edge. Only practice punches with the fist to soft targets if you are practicing for street encounters instead of formal matches. If you break your hand in a match the referee will stop the fight. If you break your hand in a real fight... If you must hit to hard, bony targets practice picking up improvised weapons and using those. Protect your hands. It's difficult to avoid getting the crap kicked out of your if you have a broken hand.
 
I'd submit that any such results would not quantify if boxers are harming their hands or simply people who don't know how to punch... it's unfair to say that because lots of people break their hands lots of boxers do as well. Anecdotal "boxer's fracture" is no more quantifying than saying the Chinese were boxers from the "Boxer's Rebellion".

Better to look at NHB-type striking events or trained boxers in barefisted incidents.

I can't speak for the majority of gyms but mine certainly emphasizes vertical punching, at least with me... hell, it's the only way I can hit people without leaving myself way open!
 
By "vertical" punching I assume you mean with the palm up ? Lots of gyms teach that, especially when throwing the jab trying to create a different angle. Thats not gonna make a difference what angle your hand is turned, you can still bust a knuckle, twist your wrist, catch your thumb, whatever.

Palm strikes and back handed punches (my favorite) should be practiced as well, but what advantage the boxer gains in a fight is not so much the particular weapon he uses (his fists), but the angles, the footwork/balance, the judgement of distance that are sorely overlooked in other martial arts. Boxing is still tops in many ways.
 
By "Vertical punching", they mean you hold your fist up & down, like holding a pistol. By horizontal, you turn your punch over at the end, ending palm down.

Hand fractures are VERY common in any sport/art that punches. The bones in the back of your hand are small, and if you can punch with any power, your run the risk of breaking your hand. The skull is very hard and solid, and build to deflect blows (that's why it's round - arches are stronger & don't offer a square surface to hit). We won't even get into what happens when you punch an elbow... Another, slightly less common fracture is a fracture of the knuckle joint or the slipping of the cartlidge cover over the knuckles. I've known plenty of people that have done all of them at one time or another... And I know a fair number of martial artists that developed arthritis in their hands and feet at an early age from "repeated trauma" to the joints (like me)...

I think one of the big reasons palm strikes were developed is the likelihood of breaking the hand when striking. That, and the fact that a lot of the old "hand conditioning" methods inevitably lead to tissue ossification (calcium buildup) & joint degradation before 35. So if you lived to see the ripe old age of 35, you might not have been able to make a good fist anymore because your joints were fused... Don't buy into "hand conditioning" - your hands/feet will take enough punishment without intentionally and repeatedly damaging them.
 
Danger Dave:

Right on target, in MHO!

In the early days of NHB fighting, hand wraps were not allowed and many strikers (and non-strikers who bothered to punch) had to drop out even after victorious matches from swollen/broken hands.

Currently, a vast majority of NHB fighting events mandate 1) gloves, 2) mouth protection and 3) groin protection.

In Jeet Kune Do, a "straight blast" of rapid vertical punches are used to disorient and "back up" the opponent, rather than to inflict hard blows a la boxing, so that elbows and knees can be used. Elbows and knees are much more rugged for striking than fists ever will be.

Folks who "condition" their fists with things like Makiwara simply do not understand what is going on medically.

Skorzeny
 
When I was in my teens I boxed for a few years with some great Golden Gloves fighters. When it came to tactics for the street our favorite technique was the ear-slap, same motion as a hook but with an open palm to your opponents ear. It's much easier on the knuckles and WILL debilitate your attacker if you land it hard. We trained to use it in a 3 punch combination; right to body-left to body- right ear slap. (the first 2 punches are with closed fists) I've taken one of these shots and can tell you they hurt like hell and disorient you. The body shots don't usually hurt your knuckles as much as head shots. You can practice this on a heavy bag. Try it, you'll see!

By the way, my current favorite boxer is Sugar Shane Mosely. Best combination of speed and power I have seen in a long time-if ever! Some of my favorites from the past are Marvin Hagler, Alexis Arguello, and Ken Norton.
 
That "palm heel hook" isn't unique to boxing - I've seen it in several styles of unarmed combat. Keep your fingers together & curled & tuck your thumb beside your hand. You can use the flat of you hand to the ear, or if you slightly bend your wrist back, you can use the heel of your palm as the striking surface for the chin, temple, etc. Since you're taking the carpal bones out of the equation, there's less chance of injury to the striker. And it's still a solid blow...

Skorzeny, I think the advent of hand wraps and gloves have increased the incidence of brain and hand damage in combative sports. Because the wraps/gloves increased the hands ability to strike hard surfaces (like the skull), people have become so focused on the single punch KO that they forget to attack their opponents entire body. The results are that the head gets hit way more often than is healthy, and the hands take a repeated pounding against a hard object. Since most boxers (& martial artists, too) only train with contact while wearing wraps & gloves, they never learn the risks of striking their opponents harder body parts and how to avoid them. Of course, closed-finger gloves also dramatically reduce the risk of infection from scratches (a cut from a human fingernail is a nasty injury - trust me) and eye injuries (accidental or otherwise). A lot of the sparring I've done is "medium" contact - mostly without safety gear - and believe it or not, I've seen a lot more injuries with "safety gear" than without (I wouldn't think of full contact sparring without it, though).
 
Danger Dave:

Again, I agree with you there...

I personally would like to see NHB (and maybe even boxing) use NO gloves or protection equipment (except groin cup).

It seems to me that all that padding allows fighters to exchange REPEATED blows (to heads and teeth particularly) that are, in the long run, very unhealthy to both the hitter and the hit.

Also, I want the round system gone, too. Folks tap out, quit and tire much more quickly when fighting continously and really save their long-term health in the end. When you allow fighters to rest every three minutes and keep them going just when they can't take it anymore otherwise, I think the chances of serious damages increase.

BTW, does anyone know much about the Russian sport of hand slapping? I hear that some Russian players can deliver knock-out quality slaps with cupped hands!

Skorzeny
 
I've never punched anyone with a roll of coins. Just thinking about it, I think it would increase the force of the punch without adding any (or enough?) protection to the hand.

I can say from experience that sawn off shovel handles and concrete blocks work well in protecting your hands. I know a guy that prefers to grab opponents by the nape of the neck while landing a body blow(s) with the other hand. Then using the hold at the nape of the neck to propel his opponent's face into walls, trees, cars or whatever massive object is available in the vicinity. I've watched him do it. Works very well for him. He likes guys with ponytails:D

For myself, I will not be delivering full power blows with my fists to an opponent's face or head in a real fight as opposed to a formal match.
 
Danger Dave,

First of all, I'm not referring to a palm-heel strike. I said "slap" and I meant slap! The fingers are not curled at all as it is an open-handed strike.(which is illegal in boxing) The impact is VERY different. I also made no inference that it is unique to boxing. As a matter of fact, it has very little to do with boxing and everything to do with self defense or street fighting.
 
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