Originally posted by Tim
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The "agenda" of something like this really depends on how many people are there, the reason for they are there, how many speed bag units are available and how many others are around that can help teach either beginners or teach someone with more advanced skills. Other than most people wanting to see me hit, I personally never know what to expect, and I'll flow with whatever the group wants. For large groups, or people who don't know about or use the SBB, I usually talk a little about my "system" of hitting, and explain the basics of punches, elbow strikes, four areas of the bag, rebounds, position, bag setup, difference between techniques and combinations etc.
I might not really have to do that this time, since most people here are already familiar with that.
For people wanting to learn, especially beginners, the smaller bags are pretty much a waste of time, because beginners can't really learn on them. Several speed bag units allow for several teaching stations, (if there is someone else who can teach...) But can also be a pain if someone is constantly pounding away right next to us while we're trying to talk.
If there is a pretty small or medium size group (say 10 to 15...) then I like to spend some personal time with each person for at least 10 -15 minutes 1 on 1. I like them to hit a little so I can watch and listen to their normal punching routine (That lets me see where they are skill wise) and get a sense of what they want to know, what they can learn and maybe figure out how they best learn. Some people learn by seeing, some by hearing, some by counting, some by doing combinations backward - it just depends. I really like everybody to learn at least one or two new techniques or combinations, depending on their skill level. And with this group (forum members) I may actually get to learn a few new things myself, as their are a few here doing some pretty cool stuff I have yet to do. But then again, My left shoulder as yet doesn't allow too much hitting at one time, so I imagine I'll be watching, listening or talking more than hitting too much. I'm still only going about half speed for short periods of time.
I always hope for good turnouts to these things because I personally love getting under the board with people and spend some time teaching "live", instead of keyboarding. I have found that IF someone already knows the "system" in the speed bag bible, terminology and basic philosophy of how I hit, they can really learn a lot in a short time. That should include most members of the board here, which is really great. If there is a boom box or CD player that can get loud enough, maybe I could teach a few tricks on HOW I hit to music. There are a few ways to do that and I'll explain that if anyone is interested.
Thanks, Tim for finding a location. If any of the local members of that gym want to join in, that's fine by me.