are we different?

[paranday]

I was talking to the manager of the local gym/recreation center, and she said that equipment that has a learning curve does not get used much. An example was the Nordic Track they got rid of, it took too long to learn the basic stride, so people pretty much didn't use it. Yet the Nordic Track can be mastered after a few tries, in my experience. (Haha, she also said it was too noisy).

The speed bag takes much longer to learn than that, yet we all seem addicted. If anything I'd say it's the challenge that makes the bag worth doing. The sound and fury, too, but the fact that the bag can make a fool out of you is a strong incentive to get back at it and practice.

Are we different from most people?

[fingers]

Not sure if it makes me different but i seem to set myself challenges and set about learning new things (my wife calls it obsessive) i once taught myself blues harmonica!! and ended up playing in bands for 12 years,when i was in my twenties i weighed 10 stone so set about building myself up and have trained ever since! the speedbag is another challenge (obsession) that i will try and master probably till i am too old to bag i think we are all different us band of bag brothers and sisters!! and i wouldn't have it any other way.

[ukspeedbag]

I don't think being different is the way to describe our obsession. For me, It's all about the challenge and variety of stuff that can be done. A gym I went to years ago had a platform and bag mounted. Training 5 days a week, I never once saw anyone hit that bag. When the place was empty, I had a little try at hitting this bag, I'll let you use your imagination on how useless I was.
Now if someone was there who knew how to hit a speed bag and showing others how it's done, I would have taken it up there and then.............Because I love a challenge.
Here's another thing, pumping iron and looking great is all good for the chicks, but showing off your speed bag skills at the gym has to be a bonus!

Fingers, I was 10 1/2 stone and decided to build up. I reached just over 16 stone in my glory days.................Yeah and the chicks loved it!!!! I was a very busy young man back then.

[fingers]

Fingers, I was 10 1/2 stone and decided to build up. I reached just over 16 stone in my glory days.................Yeah and the chicks loved it!!!! I was a very busy young man back then.

ha ha memories eh Vini!! i was married at 19 but i cant say the attention wasn't nice....male vanity eh!!

[Jordan]

I agree with UK, I think all it takes is a little interest, if people dont know how cool a certain thing CAN be they probably wont pay much attention to it.

[ukspeedbag]

ha ha memories eh Vini!! i was married at 19 but i cant say the attention wasn't nice....male vanity eh!!

Sam was the girl who caught me......lucky girl! Still not married though! Managed to escape that one so far, although we are talking wedding bells, but we have been for years.

I agree with UK, I think all it takes is a little interest, if people dont know how cool a certain thing CAN be they probably wont pay much attention to it.

That's just right Jordan. I have spent 10-15 minutes teaching someone how to keep the bag going with basic hitting. They were amazed they could do it! They went out and purchased a platform and bags of there own. Inspiration is all it takes.

[Mrs Mitts]

The speed bag takes much longer to learn than that, yet we all seem addicted. If anything I'd say it's the challenge that makes the bag worth doing. The sound and fury, too, but the fact that the bag can make a fool out of you is a strong incentive to get back at it and practice.

Are we different from most people?

I thought this was an interesting thought paranday and I like what you wrote here. I can relate to that.

I think many people go through life and hardly ever see a speedbag platform let alone be inspired by seeing someone using it. Especially before the internet. What makes us different is that somewhere, somehow we made that contact and it was enough for us to go to the effort of getting a platform put up in our own homes and garages and give it a try.

I have spent 10-15 minutes teaching someone how to keep the bag going with basic hitting. They were amazed they could do it! They went out and purchased a platform and bags of there own. Inspiration is all it takes.

And this is what we have got in common The enthusiasm and ability to show another person what can be so fun and cool about learning the speed bag.

[Speedbag]

....Are we different from most people?

Going back a few years to the old protest movement days, There is a phrase from an old John Hartford Song "Natural to be gone", that asks "what's the difference being different, when it's difference now that looks alike...." (:44-:48).

I think many people recognize speed bag punching from boxing and lots of folks have probably tried one, but a smaller group probably pursue it for any length of time. History bears out that since at least Vaudeville times, there have been a dedicated few who worked to excel at it. Trends in popularity come and go, but it appears that the current popularity in speed bagging is growing.... and I guess that is creating a lot more people to be "different" like us.

I would say this group is extremely different than most but they seem to have a few like themselves hanging around, so perhaps being "different than most people" is kinda relative to the company you keep.

[atgatt]

When I was hitting the speed bag around 1970, none of my friends hit the bag and I can't think of anyone else. I can't even remember if they were sold in stores back then. Don't know if I ever thought of myself as different, all I know is I LOVED hitting the bag.

Reading this topic, I wondered, who is more different, a speed bagger or a double-end bagger?

My guess is by popularity, it goes in this order:
1. heavy bag
2. speed bag
3. double-end bag

[Clubber Lang]

My teachers at school said I was different and that I needed to attend a special school.

I do not think they were talking about a speed bag school for gifted children.

Colonel Lang.
Recon.

[paranday]

So if someone wanted to get the speed bag established locally, it's probably going to require putting in some time to show people how it's done, not just hanging a bag expecting it to take off. Maybe want a platform painted with this inscription:

www.speedbagforum.com

...I've been going to a boxing gym for a circuits class for a while and in fact there are 5 speed ball platforms there...So I never really used them and in two years have honestly never seen them used....

Do you see them being used now?

[Tim]

So if someone wanted to get the speed bag established locally, it's probably going to require putting in some time to show people how it's done, not just hanging a bag expecting it to take off.

I've thought about this too. I would love to have a gang of local "regulars" who get together to bag once a week or something like that. The complicating factor is so few gyms have speed bags. The ones that do are usually $$$$ (boxing gyms). The bagging population is spread quite thin as well. In 4 years I've found only a handful of Orlando bag enthusiasts, and most of them aren't in to it for very long.

[Mrs Mitts]

So if someone wanted to get the speed bag established locally, it's probably going to require putting in some time to show people how it's done, not just hanging a bag expecting it to take off. Maybe want a platform painted with this inscription:

www.speedbagforum.com

Yes, I'd agree and advertising the forum is a great idea. I was thinking of a laminated poster idea that could be put up by the platforms in my gym. It could have some tips for using the speedbag and promote the forum, maybe have some eyecatching graphics. if anyone has any ideas, I'd love to see them.

Do you see them being used now?

More, yes! After the circuits class it's a chance for me to have a go on a different bag and swivel even though the platform is way too high for me People see it used and lately I've seen a few guys and a girl or two trying it out for themselves, some have asked me to show them how to do it. Last week there were three of us creating one hell of a racket.... RESULT!!

[Tim]

Yes, I'd agree and advertising the forum is a great idea. I was thinking of a laminated poster idea that could be put up by the platforms in my gym. It could have some tips for using the speedbag and promote the forum, maybe have some eyecatching graphics. if anyone has any ideas, I'd love to see them.

I made a cheesy sign on my ink jet printer and taped it to my platform. It gets the job done, but has a lot of glare in bright light (doesn't photograph well).

[Speedbag]

I made a cheesy sign on my ink jet printer and taped it to my platform. It gets the job done, but has a lot of glare in bright light (doesn't photograph well).

Nice Sign!