I am interested in members' opinions about the best way to teach fist rolling. For beginner's I like to use the inverted V that Alan discusses in his book, and I tell the student to crowd the bag and keep their hands up so it does not hit them in the face. I tell them to go fist over fist and overlap about 1/3 of the fists. This seems to work fine to get to the basic roll.
But, it is the next phase of fist rolling where I need help with the teaching method. This is the point at which the student wants to develop high speed. Fist rolling for maximum speed actually shouldn't have the fists rolling over the fists but the fists should be side by side. The smaller the circle made by the fists, the faster the roll. In fact, I think the fastest roll comes from motions of the fists that are actually more like alternating short chops, then circles. I find this difficult to explain. Reverse fist rolling is actually a chopping motion as well, rather than true fist-over-fist rolling.
A last issue I have is that fist rolling is easier when you crowd the bag, but many of my students are in wheel chairs with very severe injuries and cannot control their torso, and they would prefer to roll from a distance so that they can do other techniques in the same sequence. To crowd the bag, they essentially have to roll the chair in, and keep their hands up or it will hit them in the face. When they are in the chair-rolled-in position, they can roll great, but that is all they can do as they are too far in to do basic fist and elbow techniques. Ideas for controling the bag --when the student is not crowding it-- would be appreciated.
In any event, any opinions on effective teaching methods for advanced fist rolling are much appreciated, and if any of you are wheel chair athletes your insights would also be helpful to me.
Mike (in Seattle)
But, it is the next phase of fist rolling where I need help with the teaching method. This is the point at which the student wants to develop high speed. Fist rolling for maximum speed actually shouldn't have the fists rolling over the fists but the fists should be side by side. The smaller the circle made by the fists, the faster the roll. In fact, I think the fastest roll comes from motions of the fists that are actually more like alternating short chops, then circles. I find this difficult to explain. Reverse fist rolling is actually a chopping motion as well, rather than true fist-over-fist rolling.
A last issue I have is that fist rolling is easier when you crowd the bag, but many of my students are in wheel chairs with very severe injuries and cannot control their torso, and they would prefer to roll from a distance so that they can do other techniques in the same sequence. To crowd the bag, they essentially have to roll the chair in, and keep their hands up or it will hit them in the face. When they are in the chair-rolled-in position, they can roll great, but that is all they can do as they are too far in to do basic fist and elbow techniques. Ideas for controling the bag --when the student is not crowding it-- would be appreciated.
In any event, any opinions on effective teaching methods for advanced fist rolling are much appreciated, and if any of you are wheel chair athletes your insights would also be helpful to me.
Mike (in Seattle)
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