Morik's Bag work progression.

Finally got around to getting my bag set up in the new house--this is the first bagwork I've done in a few months.
For context, I'm training Muay Thai with a little less than 1 year of experience.

What I see:
I'm dropping my guard on the opposite side when striking & kicking. I often need to keep it at the top of my mind during class, or it slips like that. I wasn't thinking about it at all in this clip.

I was also jutting my head forward on some of those punches like Simon talked about earlier in this thread.
I think I wasn't distancing myself well a lot of the time as well.

My teep wasn't straight-on as it sent the bag spinning.
My switch kicks were not as high as they should be, same with some of my rear kicks.

 

You're hands seem glueso to your head which is a bignore one for beginners.

I'd say maybe you want to relax slightly. You're torso is very stiff so your head isn't moving much. You also might want to start travelling around the bag a bit more rather than returning to the same spot.

Your combinations are solid. Hitting the body and coming back to the head, finishing with kicks etc are all fundamental to a good combination.

 

Sorry--I'm not sure what you mean. Do you mean my hands shouldn't be kept so close?

Re. Traveling around the bag, the stand has legs that extend out and make it hard to circle/go to another spot. When we get the basement finished I may look into hanging it from the ceiling instead of the stand.

 

I meant it as a good thing. So many begivers let their hands drop. It's a good thing you keep them glued to you.

Yeah but you should still be coming off that center line even a little bit. Going straight back is a bad habit.

 

Like pip said it's good you keep you hands up I'd just suggest throwing your combinations from your high guard, it's a give away when someone goes from a high guard to hands by there chin that they are about to throw, try to finish your punch before your next one goes out, bring it back to your chin before throwing that will help you stop dropping your hands mid combination. Also when throwing to the body bend your knees don't punch down to much.

On the movement thing practise throwing getting off the line then reset and go from the same position if you can't move around the bag and strike freely, that will get you used to throwing and not being there when he counters

 

My instructors tell me to not change levels when body striking, as it is really risky for getting kneed/kicked in the head. They say to strike downward without changing level.

I'll try to make another bag video soon and see if I understand you guys about getting off the line. Basically you are saying to move in, strike, retreat from another angle than I came in on, and then due to bag positioning with my stand, I can just reset to the center again?

 

For pure Muay Thai you're supposed to stay upright. In everything else though, switching levels is better. Also I wouldn't say it's "really risky" but it can and does happen.

 

I assume you include MMA in everything else--isn't the risk similar in MMA though?
Do the benefits of level change outweigh the risks outside of pure Muay Thai? (Are there more things you can do from there in MMA that alleviate the risk?)

I may have inserted the 'really' into risky--not sure if instructor actually said 'really risky'.

 

Yes, I might be shooting for a leg attack when I change levels in MMA. If you kick or knee every time you risk giving an easy take down.

 

That makes sense--I don't have any instruction on how to change levels properly, and will be drilling without doing that in class, but maybe I will practice level changes in my bagwork.
Basically you bend your knees to lower your torso & head, nothing above the waist is part of that movement, right? (I don't want to bend my torso/bend my neck or head, right? Just lower my torso by bending my knees.)

My goals right now are somewhat fuzzy, but it is more likely than not that I'll eventually learn more grappling & get into MMA as well.
I do have a little wrestling & bjj experience, and in a physical confrontation outside of a sport context it sounds like changing level would be fine.

 

True but I've seen way too many knockouts from hook punches and head kicks when people punch downwards like that not to be wary of doing it, even in Thai sparring

 

Yup. Better to drop down IMO. If you do it correctly the risk of a knee is minimal. People drop their level but they also lean forward. That's what happens when you're tired.

 

To drop levels, you literally just bend your knees. Everything from the waist up, stays the same.
There is a overwhelming urge to bend your back but that's where knees come into it.

In regards to bag/pad work. Don't worry about power. Do a round where you use maybe less than 50%.
Aim for a spot and just pitter patter that spot with full concentration on technique.

Then another round of circling the bag and then touching the bag when comfortable.

Blasting the bag is always fun. I usually start with blasting the bag hard, sometimes technique be damned
But then for the next few rounds, I'm legit tired, so I use them for focus, aim correction and combo practice. ... and then the last round doing fun stuff.

Enjoy

 

I didn't make it to class today but I did do some bag work.
I did 3 minutes of jump-rope and then two 3-minute rounds on the bag.



I tried throwing my punches from high guard rather than dropping my guard down first, but I do see that I'm still dropping on some of them. And dropping basically always on the kicks.

I tried to focus mainly on a simple combo (jab cross hook kick, or jab cross hook cross switch kick).

I experimented with level changing; looks like I didn't go down very far, and think I was leaning forward a bit. I also noticed my head leaning forward a bit, both on level changes & in general.

I didn't really get off the line much at all... I will have to think about that more next time.

I can't tell if I'm not distancing myself well on jabs & crosses, or if the camera angle just makes it look like I'm closer than I need to be. I'll try a different angle next time.



I was a bit tired from the previous round still, and gassed out halfway through this round.

I had a hard time dialing the power down--I certainly tried at the start of this round, but it didn't last long.

I'm getting off the line a bit more but still not doing it consistently at all.

I was leaning forward, especially while changing levels.

Both in this one & the prior round I wasn't really turning my hip over on kicks.

 

Don't try to work on too much at once! You'll overwhelm yourself.

I'd suggest working single shots to nail that firm down a bit more for now. Then building them into combos when you feel more comfortable.

Great space you have there by the way!!

 

I'd say your second round when you were tired was probably better, your hands stayed up higher and returned to your chin more between punches. As knee rider said might be an idea to limit your combinations to straight punches until you feel comfortable moving 8n and out of range. You have started angling off which is really good, try to add in using your jab to cover distance and set range, rather than standing still in front of the bag use the jab to advance and move in when you make good contact and know you are in range throw the cross.

Tell jab should be your distance finder and the punch that gets you into range and back out of trouble, it should set your power punches the cross uppercut and hook up.

But looking a lot better well done

 

Like icefield just said, move in and out. Use the step from your jab to get you into range.

What I also see is before you even throw your punches you turn your hands over. First, this is a tell and will lead you to be easily countered or someone could just step back the moment they see your hands turn over and theyre out of range. Second you get more speed and power if you turn your hands over close to the end of your punch, keeping your hands pretty much vertical until the last 10% or so of the punch makes things alot snappier and it seems to help me get my guard back faster as well. last, when one hand is working the other stays in position (guard) drilling a punch while holding something between your elbow and your ribs will help you break that habit but being mindful while shadowboxing would do it too. Keep at it bud, just remember to be mindful of the key points until its second nature.

PS
Its great that you analyzed your video yourself, keep doing that. Video is honest as long as you can be honest with yourself like your doing.