Ergons speedbag journey (was Rebound board)

[Ergon]

Chris M. is right. In the beginning your face and eyes are looking UP and the angle of your upper arm is always UP, indicating the bag is really up over your head. your movements look pretty smooth, but you are hitting a little too low, or underneath the bag belly. Probably because the bag is so high. Your timing looks pretty good. The bag looks like it really comes close to the wall. (small rebound board. Nice home unit construction... )

other than that, I can't tell much about your contact or rhythm because the music really obscures the speed bag sounds. The bag sounds tell a lot about how your contacting the bag and your skills. Nothing wrong hitting the bag with music in the background when your training, but it makes it a lot harder to review a video like that, particularly when the bag beat and music beat are out of sync. at least for me, because It's like listening to a band with a drummer out of time or off beat.

so my suggestion for TEACHING purposes, is to either kill the back ground sounds OR use earphones with and ipod or mp3 player. And if possible, raise your camera up a little higher and wider view to show your upper body and shoulders. it helps to see more of YOU. perhaps move the tripod back a bit. or maybe your using a cellphone camera?

Thanks for the advise. You are right the ball is close to the wall when hitting but thats because i wanted a 9 inch ball or smaller. but the shop sold only one size. The bottom line is it doesnt hit the wall so its all good.

Ill shoot another video today without music. My arms arnt that bad so should be fine. Thanks for your comments

[Ergon]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zA-lwjsO9pc

new clip

I have basicaly got the basic shots. I am trying to do combos and stuff now whilst improveing the basic stuf. Anyway tell me what you think of this nwe video

[metaldad]

better video than before. I think you'll get a comfort zone with the bag in no time.

[Speedbag]

Thanks for the advise. You are right the ball is close to the wall when hitting but thats because i wanted a 9 inch ball or smaller. but the shop sold only one size. The bottom line is it doesnt hit the wall so its all good.

Ill shoot another video today without music. My arms arnt that bad so should be fine. Thanks for your comments

It looks like you're really punching "UP" on your reverse single punches, hitting under the belly and pushing the bag upwards into the swivel. I can hear it a lot and see your elbow is low on most of those punches.

Try doing more reverse punch isolation work keeping the elbow up and also do some Reverse Double Punching, (RDP) and Reverse Fist Rolling (R-Roll) to get your arm position better.

otherwise you look and sound pretty solid, good rhythm and timing.

[Ergon]

Hey

Well i tired today to put my elbows up a little bit. Its more tiring on the arms.. but yea I was a little better. At the end I was albe to go fast without screwing up much. One thing i hate about my speedbag is the swivel..its pretty crap i think. I hope to get one of those metal ball S hook things in the next couple week

But othre than that I am starting to practise side punches a little as well as continuing on what I have learnt. Getting better and faster all the time.

So speedbag please tell me if I am doing that elbow thing correct now. Should I be a little higher? Thanks

heres the clip..

http://youtube.com/watch?v=JVLipkbZ9lE

[Speedbag]

Hey

Well i tired today to put my elbows up a little bit. Its more tiring on the arms.. but yea I was a little better. At the end I was albe to go fast without screwing up much. One thing i hate about my speedbag is the swivel..its pretty crap i think. I hope to get one of those metal ball S hook things in the next couple week

But other than that I am starting to practise side punches a little as well as continuing on what I have learnt. Getting better and faster all the time.

So speedbag please tell me if I am doing that elbow thing correct now. Should I be a little higher? Thanks

heres the clip..

http://youtube.com/watch?v=JVLipkbZ9lE

OK, now we got something. Thanks for the longer, very good 7min video review. Now, I'm not picking on you here, just trying to help you (and others following...) by emphasizing your arm motions and position. It is a perfect example of a beginner, which is great.

the whole time, You did seem to be a bit better at passing through. Particularly your left arm, which really had near perfect position. Your right arm (elbow) still appeared to be a bit low, especially on the RSP contact. I stilled the video a few times on your fist hitting behind the bag, and your right fist is noticeably well above the elbow, with a sharp upward angle on the forearm. You also seem to be circling your right arm from the shoulder more than your left arm, which was cleanly circling from the elbow on the Front Circle Punch.

Your Front Fist Rolling (F-Roll) appeared and sounded clean, but I would probably move you foreward a bit closer to the bag. You seem to be reaching out for it. You can really stand in close to the bag when rolling, since your fists are up protecting your face. (just remember to step back or lean out of the way when you end the roll....)

Your Side Double Punch (SDP) is really very typical for a beginner, holding both arms out to the side and swaying them both (and your body) back and forth sideways through the bag. Your arms are almost straight from 1:16sec - 1:32sec. Unfortunately, that is a great example of how NOT to do it, for that is a very inefficient swinging motion, but very typical for a someone to do. In fact, you did it better at the end, (1:32sec to 1:48sec) trying to do Front Circle Punches (FCP) with your right fist while holding your left out to the side and trying to bring it in. (this bends your lead arm, in a normal swing movement..) You missed with your second fist left a few times because you would swing "Right" then "left" separately. You did it right at 1:50sec., when you moved both fists at the same time. With only one rebound inbetween, you cannot wait to move the second fist. They actually move at the same time. The lead fist should hit the front area of the bag (kind of moving sideways a little, but that is really not necessary..) and the second fist hits the side-rear panel of the bag. Actually, the second fist movement should be from the elbow, (not shoulder), and bring the side fist to the home position under your chin. Your second fist moved way across your body out of position, because you're swinging was from the shoulder. The easiest way to imagine the SDP home position, is to imagine your standard hand position, both fists anchored at your chin, elbows up. Then, just extend one of the fists outward to the side area of the bag. Not all the way, just enough to clear the side of the bag. Starting from that position, you can almost imagine just slowly changing their positions. start with the fist by your chin - just slowly stick it out to the side while moving your side fist back to the chin. sort of like winshield wipers, but hinged from the elbow, not the shoulder. The shoulders do not have to move very much, just hold the elbows up.

From 1:50sec to 2:15sec you are trying alternating Side Single Punches (SSP), which really shows how hard this combination is to do. It is really a difficult combo because of the rebound angles of the bag, but your demo really emphasized your swinging from the shoulder. It also highlights how you put one arm down almost completely as you punch with the other, and then swing the other UP from a low position to enter on its turn - Which usually misses, hitting a bit late, because it was out of position.

I suggest when you are going to practice a combination like that, or any other, get BOTH fists up and ready. Letting one drop down during a one-arm solo will often find you bringing it in a bit late, swinging up an in at exactly the precise moment it should have moved in from your chin - not your waist. The extra distance is the problem, and if you cover that extra distance by going faster, you will hit the bag harder, changing it's speed and the timing required for the next punch.

Your Reverse Fist Rolling (R-Roll) looked pretty good. Hey, that's the hardest technique so it takes a while.

keep practicing. you're getting better. Again, thanks for the great teaching video. Doing the same combo over and over helps to really see and hear how you're doing it, and puting your whole body in the scene also helps see and hear what your really doing.

[metaldad]

Hey

Well i tired today to put my elbows up a little bit. Its more tiring on the arms.. but yea I was a little better. At the end I was albe to go fast without screwing up much. One thing i hate about my speedbag is the swivel..its pretty crap i think. I hope to get one of those metal ball S hook things in the next couple week

But othre than that I am starting to practise side punches a little as well as continuing on what I have learnt. Getting better and faster all the time.

So speedbag please tell me if I am doing that elbow thing correct now. Should I be a little higher? Thanks

heres the clip..

http://youtube.com/watch?v=JVLipkbZ9lE

Reverse punching after three days? Pretty good! I'm still learning just like you...and I'm barely getting the double punching down...How much time do you spend a day?

[Ergon]

Reverse punching after three days? Pretty good! I'm still learning just like you...and I'm barely getting the double punching down...How much time do you spend a day?

hehe well i was on school holidays so whenever i was free i would use speedbag..however I start school again today so wont be able to spend as mcuh time..but meh..

And again thanks speedbag for that post. Been reading it and trying to fix my style. I am trying to keep my elbows up for one thing.. which is a pain as it tires your arm quicker..but soon enough i would be able to hold them up

ill post another vid after school (12 hours)

cya

[Ergon]

Hmm firstly do you think its possible for a mod to change the topic name for this thread to something else? Like Ergons speedbag jounry or begginer speedbag or watever.

Anyway today I decided to basically just do normal workout keeping my elbows up, and working endurence. And Trying to perfect the things I know before learning more stuf..

So yea nothing to special but here it is

http://youtube.com/watch?v=FafykSlo5xM

i hate my stupid swivel btw need to find nice ball one =[

[Ergon]

http://youtube.com/watch?v=Zbxi1espmjU **

first one is not working O_o

edit*

After watching the video myself i see i need help of the side punches..

Is what im doing to practis good or what :S what are some more effective ways of learning the side punches.. :S

thanks

hehe and another edit

just curiious how long it took some of you guys to get proficent at speedbags..

[Tim]

Hmm firstly do you think its possible for a mod to change the topic name for this thread to something else? Like Ergons speedbag jounry or begginer speedbag or watever.

Done!

[Speedbag]

http://youtube.com/watch?v=Zbxi1espmjU **

first one is not working O_o

edit*

After watching the video myself i see i need help of the side punches..

Is what im doing to practis good or what :S what are some more effective ways of learning the side punches.. :S

thanks

hehe and another edit

just curiious how long it took some of you guys to get proficent at speedbags..

I've seen people learn the "seven basic punches" (4 front, 3 reverse), linking from any one to any other, and do it smoothly with speed in a few months. They struggled at first, then with time and practice it all came together. It helps to practice with a purpose, (not just mindless pound the bag....) and have an "eye" and "ear" for what you're working on or what went wrong. That's a little tougher, for it's hard to critique yourself if you're new. But with your desire to practice, and a purpose to your time spent under the board - I would say in a few months you'll be doing much better.

Unfortunately, I wouldn't have someone new working on more advanced combinations such as Side Double Punch (SDP). That single technique by itself isn't hard, but getting in and out of it from all around that bag is a lot more difficult. You have to have excellent control and punching ability from ALL around the bag with both fists nonstop to really use that technique. Virtually every other technique combines with it after TWO rebounds, which is really fast consistently. I know it's a cool technique and fun to do (and watch..) but your practice time right now might be better spent on more basic combinations. When you can keep your elbows up consistently, and pass single and double fists through, from Reverse Double Punching (RDP) and Reverse Fist Rolling (R-Roll) and can really feel that double bounce beat and move your hands easily within it, then you can better focus on the Side Double Punch. (SDP).

of course, that's just my opinion, but If I was standing there watching and working with you, I would probably redirect your attention back to the basics.

[Ergon]

haha sweet

well right now my only aim for the speedbag is to hit to music, impress people and yea thats about it. Ive jsut wanted a speedbag for the last 2 years and now I have it i want to use it as much as possible

Its fun in general aswell

Anyway I might cut down on the videos like 1ce a week. Thanks for help guys

[Ergon]

well I made a speedbag video yesterday but something happened and the file was currupt and i cbf making another one yet.

Right now I am more concertrating on strenght in my arms, and keeping my arms straight and only moviing at elbows. I can tell I am getting faster, and I can keep hitting for longer except I can feel my left arm is slightly slower than my right.. but anyway thats an update. i might post another vido to day if I get bored

[Ergon]

http://youtube.com/watch?v=_PcPtQqBTLw

here we go..day 8