Knocking over the bag

[Kungfu boy]

This is kinda funny guys...

I was over at Bally's working out yesterday and was doing mainly cardio. I decided to go into their aerobics room(all the walls being glass, so people can see in) and practice some of my Thai on the 6ft wavemaster bags they have in there. Did some boxing drills at the beginning, then started adding some light kicks. I got the occassional glances(one group of guys were pointing at me and laughing) from people.

Then after a couple of light 3 minute rounds, I started putting some power into my kicks. Started really nailing this thing with round kicks, it was sorta tipping at this point. Then I started doing some real focused/hard kicks. People started looking a bit more. Then it happened .....I was working my footwork around the bag and was setting up the next kick. I just knocked this thing right over! I was surprised myself that I did it....let alone everyone in the gym that saw were giving me the "Ah ****!" look. I went picked it up and kept going at it. I ended up knocking it over like 4 times total. Granted, its not hard to knock the thing back a bit, but knocking it over kinda put a smile on my face.

I guess the moral of the story is if ya keep practicing, occassionally you'll surprise even yourself, let alone anybody watching.

Now if I could just do that with my punches I'd be set! You guys ever see the movie Snatch....? HAHAHA

Later

[dragontounge2]

Man those are EASY to knock over was it filled with sand or water? Try to kick a heavy bag and make it skim the roof Dats hard. Do you train with ankle weights if not you should.

[Cyborg]

I've never kicked the bag with ankle weights but I'm sure that I wouldn't run with them. That's very hard on the joints in my experience.

Happy training!

[Merryprankster]

Sigh.

Wavemasters are NOT easy to knock over with a kick. It can be done, but it's not that easy--especially if you're using a thai style roundkick, which "buries" rather than pushes or snaps.

If you're kicking the bag and it's hitting the ceiling:

1. Get a heavier bag or,
2. Learn to kick properly. It's like punching. If you're hitting the **** thing and it's swinging around, you're doing it wrong.

[Scarletmantis]

I don't understand why the people were laughing at you. Were you wearing funny pants or something? I see people working out on the heavy bag all the time in my gym and they usually look like they don't know what the heck thier doing. Maybe you should ask "the Chuckles Gang" to spar?:eek:

[dragontounge2]

Well heavy bags dont go higher than 140 I think?
The way I do A round house is I turn my whole body and really step into the kick visualizing im going to kick the wall. Works every time. Oh im not impling that I can get a heavy bag to hit the ceiling well probally with a flying kick. But can easily knock over a wave master.

[Merryprankster]

I guess it depends on the wave master. They come with different bases :) I can knock one over after I've practiced kicking for awhile... I don't do it much anymore.

As far as heavy bags--heavy bags come up to 200 lbs, and some have been designed that are heavier--but it shouldn't be swinging--shaking and vibrating, yes---but 140 lbs heavy bag should be moving more like you hit it with a baseball bat.

[dragontounge2]

200 lbs Where from wha store??

[Merryprankster]

www.ringside.com (http://www.ringside.com)


That's one site. They have a water and foam filled bag.

Title offers a 150 all leather heavy bag. I'm sure Ringside is comparable.

Note that something heavier than that would be special order.

[Kungfu boy]

1st the "chuckles gang" as you put it clammed up after I knocked it over. Kinda funny, and no it is not easy to knock down with a thai round kick.

Ringside is a great supplier. I get all my stuff from them.

Never really worked with ankle weights, they always felt really akward to me.

[Merryprankster]

Exactly KungFuBoy!

A thai style kick is supposed to get buried, not push something around. If you can bury it AND get the heavy bag over, that's pretty cool.

Ringside's open finger gloves suck though. I like Harbingers.

[premier]

What exactly are you meaning when you say "bury" ?

[Merryprankster]

You kick the bag like you're trying to make it fold over--or if you're hitting a hanging heavy bag like you are whacking it with a baseball bat. If you swing a baseball bat at a heavy bag, it doesn't swing around, it just hits and stops suddenly with a resounding thud.

[premier]

K. Thanks =)

[Cipher]

Cool, nice heavy bag tips guys. I will have to try out the bat and see the difference.

I have not used a wave master but I think a full size 6' one would be hard to knock over.

Should have asked the chucklers to come in try to knock it over without breaking their legs. Ha ha ha.

[dragontounge2]

Yeah I gotta full size one its not easy but its not hard. With the thai kick do you hit with the chin? If you do you cut allot of your piercing power and momentum down.:confused:

[Merryprankster]

It's a shin kick.

And no, you don't cut the power down. Trust me. A Thai roundkick is widely regarded as a remarkable little beast you would rather NOT be on the receiving end of. It's unchambered.

[GunnedDownAtrocity]

thai kicks are awesome. one of the first things we learn. i don't see how you could get more power out of a round kick. the only thing i don't like is no matter how fast you are, they can be seen comin a mile a way.

[fa_jing]

The thing is, your shin bone is really hard, and has an edge that allows you to put some hurt on your opponent.

-FJ

[taijiquan_student]

Also, you'll probably be aiming for that nerve on the side of the thigh. Ouch!

[Kungfu boy]

Thats exactly where we aim. I'm okay at actually hitting the nerve but there's guys at my school that can hit it every time without even thinking about it. But its generally frowned upon in sparring.... unless you really deserve it. Good part is that you don't have to hit it(the nerve) hard for it to work.

Its the automatic setup, you hit it, they wince for a sec then you open up. Its cool.

[IronFist]

Kicking with ankle weights is bad.

IronFist

[yearofdragon76]

I have actually seen a Thai fight in Thailand and let me tell you I would not wish to get hit with any kicks the fighters were throwing!!!!!



But along with thai kicks comes alot of cleg conditioning not seen in other arts.


:) :D :) :cool:

[SevenStar]

Originally posted by dragontounge2
Yeah I gotta full size one its not easy but its not hard. With the thai kick do you hit with the chin? If you do you cut allot of your piercing power and momentum down.:confused:

Nah, the kick is different from most other roundhouse kicks. Power is not from snapping the leg back rapidly as with the instep snapping variety kicks. The power comes from a solid blut object (the shin) being buried into it's target. Have a friend hit you fill power with a clib or baseball bat - that is what a thai kick feels like.

[Kungfu boy]

There is a definte need for shin conditioning in Thai. If your putting any real effort into your training, you'll leave with bruises for the better part of 3-4 months depending on who you train with, how good they are and how hard your hitting the pads or heavybag.

Thats also what I love about it though. If you do it right you can basically stop most other martial artists in their tracks with a simple shin block. I shin blocked a tkd friend of mine about 2-3 times(not hard, just well placed) and he was at a loss. He switched leads real quick, the hurt leg going to the back.

There used to be a clip circulating around on the net of a guy getting his shin bone broken in a thai fight. Wish I had the link, its kind of funny but also causes sympathy pains. Its one of those "Oh my God, what the?! I gotta see that again!"

If ya find it, I hope you've got a strong stomach. My brother saw it too, he was half watching tv and half the computer for a download and saw me watching the clip. He labeled it "disturbing" by his standards.

[Kuen]

I got a 200lb Thai bag at Title boxingTitle Boxing (http://www.titleboxing.com/) they've got good products and great customer service. Those Wavemasters are a hoot but the one I bought only lasted a few months before that plastic neck inside split. The funniest thing I've seen was a kid did some sort of flying kick on one at a gym I work out at but it was empty so he busted his a$$ in a most humiliating way.

Merryprankster-I love those Harbringer gloves. I use 'em for sparring. Did you leave the bar in the palm or remove it? I had my wife use a seam ripper and take it out and to me it makes it a better glove for sparring. I didn't feel I could make a good fist with the bar there.

[Kungfu boy]

I don't see the 200lbs. thai bags in their catalog, was it a special order for you or something? Did you fill your own? Thats what I'm thinking of doing, getting an unfilled one and stuffing it with shirts etc. Thats what the one at my school has in it. Has a good weight to it, not too hard on the shins but can be.....

[Merryprankster]

Yup! I got rid of the palm bar. Took a seam ripper to it. Beautiful little things.