Heavy Bag Routines

[shift]

I know it is best to practice with a partner, however many many times I find myself unable to go to the gym to spar with partners. Is there anyway I can create routines that can prepare me for all aspects of fighting?

Example.

Muay Thai
Sanshou
Wresting, Juijitsu

both defense and attack?

Are there ways to help simulate take downs with a swinging heavy bag, Or throws, defense for strikes etc.

Let me tell you what I can come up with.

1. Throwing combinations of kicks and punches then sprawling for 5 3 minute rounds.

2. Throwing kick and punch combos and shooting on the bag and lifting it up.

3. throwing punches on the bag and covering up your head when the bag swings back on you, making sure to practice side stepping, spinning out and countering when it does.
Are there any other drills you can think of? I really want to be the best in my gym whether or not I can get in the gym and spar with partners.

[Fire-quan]

Every training method has its up side and down side, pretty much. Working the bag is a useful training process, but obviously it doesn't train the awareness and response that you get from a live partner - which you know, obviously. It might even de-train you in that area if you haven't any live partner to compensate - i.e. you get used to not being hit/expect to not be hit.

After training your combos, think about how to practice more "live" stuff - i.e. think about footwork, torso and head movment; basically, think about ring-craft - stepping in, out, round, the way you move, fakes, side-steps, dodges etc. I call it "switching on" i.e. going from a kind of dead, rote, repetitive practice in to really imagining a partner there, and moving, thinking very "live", like punches are coming in, etc.

After a combo, do you just freeze? When you go more "live" you have to train that out of you - combo, then lively movment - withdraw, shift, dodge, continue to press and so on. Look at how you move before, during and after the combos. Best advice of all is to become more aware of your own movement - analyse it to see where the next step of improvement is.

Incorporate live footwork, ducks, dives and shoots in to the basic combos. Probably the best advantage you gain from that kind of thing is self-coaching; i.e. each time you improve on something, think about how to take it to the next level of difficulty/training.

Fitness, also, is obviously one of the key attributes you want, so if you can stylishly hammer the bag for a few rounds, you should have a good fitness level reasonably appropriate for the ultimate task.

But - a live partner as well, when the time comes, is pretty invaluable.

[shift]

thanks great advise

[shift]

Any good combos you recommend to focus on with the heavy bag?

[Southpaw535]

form the little i know you could practice throws with bags and ive seen fighters do it. I would reccomend making sure you can pick it up first though :p