Importance of Shadow Boxing

Shadow boxing is important in helping you practice techiques and working your mind. The technique benefit is obvious - the more more practice a particular punch, kick or combination the better you get at it. The mental side assists you in imagining your opponent and visualizing what he or she would do in different circumstances and what you response will be. I like to approach shadow boxing as an active form of visualization - you visualize an opponent and you actively practice techniques against him or her.

Thursday Thai Practice

This Thai practice my objective was to introduce more combinations and include more work with knees since our prior focus has primarily been on working the Thai round kick.

Roll Call: Tony, Mike

Warmup:
We followed our usual full body warm-up
2x3min/1min jump rope (final 30sec each round double unders)
2 circuits – 10 pull-ups, 3 ring dips, hip stretch, 10 body weight squats, 10 situp on Roman Chair, 10 back extensions on Roman Chair

Agility/Footwork 2min/30sec rounds 1 circuit
Forward and Back on the line with side to side movement (slips) with each step.
Side to side added using some bob and weave with puching
Hop back to front – Thai evasion defense (focus on being ready to return with a kick)

Defense Circuit 3min/1min 1 circuit
Maize ball
Slip line
Heavy bag

Shadow boxing 3min/1min
Round 1 - Thai round kicks with full spin
Round 2 - Front kick round kick combinations (lead front kick followed by Thai round kick - both left and right)

Pads and Heavy Bag 3min/1min

• Rear knee
• Front knee
• Front angled knee with hold

We performed this with 1:30min rounds run continuously. One person on bag the other on pads, switch next round then a 1:30 rest followed by the next technique. The Forward angled knee with a hold was done either grapsing the bag with both hands or holding onto the neck of the Pad holder.

Heavy bag 3min/1min
Round 1 - Jab Cross Jab (or hook) rear round kick
Round 2 - Jab Cross front round kick

Finisher 5 rounds
30sec 20lb ball slam (lift up to behind head slam to ground and repeat)
30sec 75lb overhead press (clean once and keep pressing to lockout)
30sec Zercher Squats with 70lb bag
5 seconds between stations to get set

The ball slams were definitely the easiest but the squats and presses ended up being killers. I usually have a “Finisher” set before the workout but this one I thought up on the fly and it worked very well – we were all toasted at the end.

(post questions, comments or suggestions to “comments” below)