mysteries of the speed bag
as a new boxing poser i underestimated what can be learned by using a speed bag. having long seen clips of boxers using it well, it was a shock to try it the first time.the speed bag mocks the beginner. to keep the rhythm requires speed, strike accuracy, hands aloft, and sharp eyes. a slightly off-center punch spins the bag on its swivel mount, and you've launched a silly top instead of a rebounding target. as i've gotten slightly better (still a rank newbie), i've learned somewhat how to get a spinning bag back in the groove, but more often i give up, settle it down, then start again.
don't want to base my boxing training on Million Dollar Baby, but i have found it a helpful footwork reminder. shifting my weight to the foot opposite the striking hand helps me get a square hit, and sometimes when i'm lucky it all comes together for a sweet, albiet brief, speed bag dance.
as an outsider hoping to spar eventually, i do worry about some of the more predictable exercises of training, including the speed bag. speaking with a kickbox guru from my gym, she said she has trouble with the predictability even of sparring partners, and before an important fight looks for partners whose moves she hasn't learned. dumb as it may sound, i knew what she meant simply from my experience with multi-player doom, where opponents were sometimes beaten through their predictability, at the same time weakening the victor by not offering fresh movement. it was to evade predictability that we were driven to hook up the multi-player rig, because the monsters were far worse.
even with the lifelessness of the training gizmos and techniques, i am digging this boxing gig more every workout. still can't go 3 minutes worth a damn on a heavy bag, nor keep the speed bag thwapping for even 20 seconds. but wonderful! next stop, jump rope champeeeeeen.
Labels: boxing
posted by saltypig @ 21:42
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