How to Punch the Bag, Including Instructions for Fancy Bag Punching

[paranday]

First written ca. 1905, this book contains insights into bagging as it was in the early days. This edition from the 1920s shows a platform that is smaller than the earliest platforms, the rebound arc was shorter; seems the platform was already in transition towards the smaller sizes of today. The bag was still monster size, though.

This is from a series of Spalding Guides. Spalding had most sports covered back then, the Library of Congress has over 1000 of these guides in their collection, and have made some available online, but not this one yet.

The file is too big to attach, you can download a scan of the book here.

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[MsDeville]

Ooooo. This publication also includes "Instructions for Fancy Bag Punching." Cool!

Thanks for posting so much cool vintage stuff, Jim. It's fascinating! Now, if you can find information about a "George Foreman speed bag (it's an Everlast bag) that Trainer Raul used to work out on, he'll be a happy camper. He's all about getting the "biggest bang for his buck" so to speak... or, rather the maximum workout for his punch.

Here are a couple of pictures of one of his old speed bags. I don't remember this, but Raul said this is the bag that I tried working out on 8-10 years ago... I lost interest after 2 or 3 days hitting on this monster bag! The first image shows its size compared to the big red Everlast bag I bought a few months ago that I did a review of...

I measured it, but have forgotten what the girth is, but I think it's about 14 inches in length/height, or whatever ...

[paranday]

I'm hoping Dutch can fill us in about the George Foreman bag. Hopefully a nice one will turn up for sale, that one looks pretty well barbecued.

[juxt]

thanks , that was a great read

[Mrs Mitts]

Thats a gem of a book!

Would it be possible to set up a Speed Bag History category in the 'goldmine' part of the forum and keep all these great images and historical information together?

[Tim]

Great find Paranday! That is a fascinating read. Be sure to check out the section starting on page 75 where Gus Keller laments the wide spread, scattered distribution of bag punching experts and the lack of formal competitions which average less than 1 per year. Things haven't changed much in 75+ years!

[Tim]

Thats a gem of a book!

Would it be possible to set up a Speed Bag History category in the 'goldmine' part of the forum and keep all these great images and historical information together?

That's a good idea. I'll do that shortly.

[paranday]

...That is a fascinating read. Be sure to check out the section starting on page 75 where Gus Keller laments the wide spread, scattered distribution of bag punching experts and the lack of formal competitions which average less than 1 per year. Things haven't changed much in 75+ years!

How right you are. Other things haven't changed, either. On page 8 it says:

"In fact, 'once a bag puncher, always a bag puncher' may well be said to be the case."

There is one more old time book coming soon, Harry Seeback's "Scientific Bag Punching" from 1913. Hope to have it posted early next week.

[MsDeville]

I wonder why...

Great find Paranday! That is a fascinating read. Be sure to check out the section starting on page 75 where Gus Keller laments the wide spread, scattered distribution of bag punching experts and the lack of formal competitions which average less than 1 per year. Things haven't changed much in 75+ years!

Why do you think this is? Is it because it's such a solitary sport? Are speed baggers indeed few and far between? Is speed bagging even recognized as an actual sport? I don't follow sports much... so I'm curious to know if there is speed bagging in the Olympics. But, maybe we don't hear about it because it's so obscure. There have been a lot of sports events in the Olympics throughout history that were, well, unique, to say the least... I'll post just a few here:

So (according to this link http://www.asylum.com/2008/08/06/the...ghout-history/), there was Rope Climbing; Solo Synchronized Swimming (...solo...synchronized...oxymoron...?); and then there was Club Swinging. No, Alan, not the kind of clubbing you did with disco balls and illuminated dance floors ...

It just seems to me that there must be some sort of speed bagging event in the Olympics and their keeping it a secret. There's a lot of skill, artistry and endurance involved. And, it could certainly be considered a competitive sport, don't you think? There are a lot of intricate and fast punches and combinations...

Wouldn't it be awesome to see someone like Skunk or Adam up on the winner's podium with a medal around their neck, listening to the National Anthem? NO! Make that PUNCHING along with it!

[crapshoot]

If memory serves, club swinging USED TO BE an Olympic event, but was dropped in favor of what the IOC thought was the more rugged ribbon floor routine

[The Baggist]

Great find Paranday! Hope you and Dutchman keep diggin up the GOLD!!!

[Dutchman]

Dee, is Raul's bag still have the logo on it? The reason I ask is that the style of seam stitching on it is unlike what Everlast has used from at least the 1940's untill recently. I don't know for sure if they would have carried anything with his name on it since their big draw was Muhammad Ali.

[MsDeville]

Dee, is Raul's bag still have the logo on it? The reason I ask is that the style of seam stitching on it is unlike what Everlast has used from at least the 1940's untill recently. I don't know for sure if they would have carried anything with his name on it since their big draw was Muhammad Ali.

I can't find any logo on it...it might have been worn off... According to Raul, he bought the bag in a sporting goods store in Seattle, probably in the mid-80's. It was on display, claiming to be the "George Foreman Special." I can't find anything on the web in regards to this bag... it's a mystery...

[spdyTommyT]

I Dig Speed Bag History. These are too cool, Thanks.