Fighting At Home

[mofosu]

Ok, first of all...I'm not quite sure if this is the place to post this. If not, would the mods please move it?
Anyhow, I was wondering if it was possible for someone to practice boxing (or any sort of fighting) at home with a punching bag and the punching bag that looks like a guy along with good guidance (DVDs, Books etc.)?

[kuri]

There are alot of good books and videos out there and yes, of course training at home is a good option.

Getting personal instruction is the best option, but it's possible to get a decent foundation with vids/bks.

Take a trip to your local bookstore and browse the titles. Bruce Lee's classic Tao of Jeet Kun Do shows the basics of punching and kicking. There are some good Muay Thai and boxing ones out there as well.

Youtube can be your friend too as there are a ton of instructional video clips out there.

Good luck

[mofosu]

Thanks, I've been thinking about getting a punching bag for a while now. I'll look into Bruce Lee's book. I do know how to define a good training book from a crappy one (I've got like a gazillion books that have been recommended here). However, I have no idea how to define a good fighting book from a crappy one. Any specific titles you recommend or how can I judge a good book from a not-so-good book?

[Irishdazza]

All true...BUT...there is no substitute for sparring with a resisiting oponent who is constantly changing distance and angles.

At some point you must train with others to progress beyond a rudimentary level.

[waynea]

My viewpoint is that if you have had martial training in the past (and that can include boxing), working a bag at home is a great option.

If you haven't trained before, learning solely from books and DVD's can be much more difficult. It is one thing to look at a book or video and try to apply it, it is another thing entirely to have somebody to show you what you are doing and to correct you as you go.

If you can't train with someone, start slowly and don't think about hitting the bag hard. Work your mechanics!! Speed and power will come with time.

If you goal is fitness, working a bag for rounds is a great form of interval training. You just need to make sure that your mechanics are good and that you don't put to much strain on the joints.

[sg516]

Originally Posted by kuri

but it's possible to get a decent foundation with vids/bks.

i disagree with this. the foundation and basics of any MA are the ones that need to be built the most firmly and without someone there to prevent you from developing bad habits you may be seriously screwing yourself in the long run. i would reccomend getting a very solid foundation with a trained instructor and then if you choose supplement/ maintain practice on your own. even still, like someone said nothing will improve your skill like live resisting partner training. it is the best way to learn applications, foot work, reactiontimes etc.

i have heard ppl tell beginners that books and vids are better than nothing and i whole heartedly disagree. vids and books are better than nothing if you are at an intermediate level or higher. just my $.02

[jvernacchio]

You can build up your stamina and get a general working knowledge of the actual mechanics of particular styles but nothing and I repeat NOTHING beats actually sparring or rolling against skilled opponents.

[kuri]

Needless to say having a good instructor is the best option, but I do know that there even a few pro MMA fighters that started out learning from books & vids (Evan Tanner being one if I remember correctly).

It doesn't appear Mofosu is looking to become "a fighter" but just wants to train and learn some technique, so in that case working out at home is fine. Better with partners of course, but it'll do.

For boxing videos you may want to check out Rob Pilger's website for a list of resources.

Duke Roufus has a muay thai vid series out there: Duke Roufus Muay Thai DVD set
I haven't seen it but the guy has many years of experience.

[mofosu]

Well, I've thought about this plenty. I might get a bag to work on the skills at home using some of Bruce Lee's books that he wrote (e.g. "Tao of Jeet-Kune-Do" and his "Fighting Method" series) and every weekend I'll head over to the dojo for some sparring. I guess my question is that is it essential to have someone show you the moves while I can learn on my own and then practice them with opponents?

[sg516]

the only issue is that if you misinterpret the moves and you continually practice them wrong (not generating power correctly, not having proper structure etc.) then you will be doing yourself a disservice. especially whe you will have to unlearn your bad habits and relearn them correctly. or even if you understand them correctly and you think you are doing them correctly it doesnt mean you are. its like when i first started doing deadlifts. i thought i was doing them right, just like the pictures in the book but then i had someone watch me doing them and i was arching my back, i thought i was being so careful not to but it turns out i was. so its the same thing with generating effective power in a punch or kick. it feels to you like you do it the way the book or vid tells you but unless you have someone that knows what to look at you ca't be sure. once you have the foundation laid and you have hte techs established and can be sure you are doing it right then learing from books and such is ok.

[mofosu]

Well, I had this issue in my head. So the trainer at the dojo turned out to be a friend (sorta, he's friends with my friend's dad). Anyways, I told that I'd be practicing at home and if I could spar on the weekends (When there aren't a lot of people) and he said sure, he also offered to point out if there were a few mistakes in the technique.