Hi, I've invested in my first set of focus mitts and gave them a good work at this weeks karate session, my sparring partners liked the change, but I'm curious to how I can improve the workout Ok so heres my routine so far: Hold pads out at chest level, let my partner do a couple of minutes of punches/strikes/backfists etc to get used to making contact with a pad Then I start walking, walking forwards into them, to the sides etc, to make them think about positioning and how an opponent won't stand still Next, I throw in the odd kick, whilst retaining pads up. This makes them be aware of kicks coming in, to block them, and then to counter with a strike Next I give their arms a break (and mine too), and lower the pads to waist height, and get them to side/front/round/crescent kick for a few minutes Then, pads back up, I continue walking towards them, throwing kicks, expecting blocks+counters, and also swinging the pads in at them to get them to block/dodge etc This whole routine lasts around 8 minutes per person. Its the first time I've actually used the focus mitts so had to come up with this routine out of no where. Can anyone advise me on some good/better things to try? It was really good fun and look forward to next week (maybe I can actually have a go then )
I think you can be quite specific about what you want to work on. They're not just a general thing to hit, they're a tool for developing different aspects of your skills So you can do reaction speed drills eg hide pad then show it. Single technique drills eg do a specific technique to a specific target. Linked technique drills where you flow from one thing to another eg cover and counter, strike to different targets etc Build a series of basic combinations and then repeat those moving around more freely. Cover drills eg striking pads but pad holder occasionally striking back. Link striking to grappling. There's really a huge amount you can do with them, get creative and have fun Mitch
Personally I'm not a fan of just holding focus pads out there. IMHO they should be lowered, then put up for each strike or combo. This adds reaction time to the other attributes already being trained. Also I think its better to pick three (or more if the person hitting them is experienced) or so combos/techniques and for the pad holder to select which one to throw and hold the pads up accordingly. Its also a good idea for the pad holder to move around and to throw the odd 'strike' out at the hitter to test their footwork and their guard. These can be light or quite heavy if the hitter is experienced. Have a look at some boxing pad work on youtube, I'm at work so haven't got access to it at the mo so I can't post a specific example but there a lot out there.
