Reverse punching

[Jordan]

Say Alan,

I don't know if this is just something that comes with practice or what, but I've gotten linking down fairly well (not perfect by any means) The problem I'm having tho is that once I try to speed up a routine, or really just any time, I find that instead of hitting with the ring finger knuckle, my thumb knuckle gets in the way on my right hand....I don't really know why this might be, but if you would have any excersizes that might help I'd really appreciate it. If needed just let me know i can throw up a video showing what I mean (don't know if you can really see it from a video tho) Anywho just thought there might be a trick to it or something not mentioned in holy bag bible :D

Oh ....also I was wondering....I've been working on downward elbow strikes, and I actually find it more comfortable to hit the bag D-TES as L R L, basically fist elbow fist instead of elbow fist fist. I was just wondering if there was any reasoning behind you making a D-TES in the order you did or whatnot.


--Do not worry about your difficulties in Bagging. I can assure you mine are still greater.
Albert Einstein

[Speedbag]

Say Alan,

I don't know if this is just something that comes with practice or what, but I've gotten linking down fairly well (not perfect by any means) The problem I'm having tho is that once I try to speed up a routine, or really just any time, I find that instead of hitting with the ring finger knuckle, my thumb knuckle gets in the way on my right hand....I don't really know why this might be, but if you would have any excersizes that might help I'd really appreciate it. If needed just let me know i can throw up a video showing what I mean (don't know if you can really see it from a video tho) Anywho just thought there might be a trick to it or something not mentioned in holy bag bible :D


If I understand your description, It sounds like you are hitting the thumb on Reverse Single Punching (RSP) instead of the index finger? That could be from a few things, such as the position of the bag, (too high), or the position of your elbow, (too low, making your punch upwards to the bag) or just an angling of the fist by "rolling" it as you pass front to back. It's hard to say without seeing it, but it should not be any problem unless it causes the bag to rebound weird. That would indicate a poor fist position on contact but I'd have to see it to be more exact. Sometimes I hit on the thumb area also on RSP and it usually doesn't cause a problem.


Say Alan,

Oh ....also I was wondering....I've been working on downward elbow strikes, and I actually find it more comfortable to hit the bag D-TES as L R L, basically fist elbow fist instead of elbow fist fist. I was just wondering if there was any reasoning behind you making a D-TES in the order you did or whatnot.

Hmm. Your description and symbols don't exactly match. You wrote:
"..hit the bag D-TES as L R L, basically fist elbow fist"

If you hit the bag with a D-TES it would have to be L-R-R or R-L-L, not L R L. The D-TES is a Fist-Elbow-Fist, and the last elbow fist are on the same arm.
The Outward Triple = O-TES is has an E-F-F order, and has the two hits on the leading arm: L-L-R or R-R-L. There is no L R L elbow strike. Maybe just a typo?No biggie, because I think you're asking why did I put the O-TES first in the elbow strikes. The only logical reason I can give is it was the first one I learned. I didn't do the Downward Elbow Strikes for the first few years of punching. The guy that taught me didn't do them at all, and they never occured to me until a few years later. Most people learn the Outward movements easier than the downwards, and when I wrote the book I included the Outward Elbows in the chapter of "beginning techniques" to get people into using the elbows early in their training. The O-SES, O-DES and O-TES are natural extensions of the basic setup, just turning the body a bit more to get the point of the elbow facing the bag. In the Downwards you really have to alter your arm position to raise it up, and I felt like that was a more difficult move for most people. But you raise a good point, because once people learn the Downward motions they find them as easy if not easier then the Outward. When I'm rippin' close to top speed I often choose the D-TES over the O-TES. But that's why I put them in the order that I did.

You might notice in the "Video" series I did not use that order, saying the basic seven punches were four from the front and three from the back. Then I had a whole section on the elbow strikes. From a video format, particularly for the 4-DVD series, that order made more sense, Puting the fist punches first and keeping all the elbow techniques as their own section. I also re-edited the book text that way, but never put it in a printing.

I hope that answers your questions....

[Jordan]

gotcha