Exercise by Boxing For Anyone at Any Level , Wednesday, January 6, 2010 at 9:01 AM, in

Boxing is one of the most versatile ways to get in, and stay in shape. Even if you are working out alone there are many ways of building your endurance and strength. Just strapping on a pair of gloves and throwing punches at a bag can do wonders. The workouts are simple. Either use a stop watch or a round clock and build up your round lengths against the bag. Start short and be sure you warm up before each work out. Eventually you will be able to do several 3 min rounds or longer depending on your diet and work ethic with each workout. There are tons of articles and videos out there to learn and work on your technique. All I encourage you to do is GET STARTED. Technique and form will come in time, the important thing is to just get out there and get going. Realize how simple workouts can make you feel better. Punching is an awesome way to release stress and aggression. Working out by youself does have some advantages. The main one being cost. Once you get your own equipment you are set. You workouts are only limited to your imagination with the equipment you have.
Hopefully you do eventually find a workout partner. Maybe you start taking boxing, kickboxing, or some form of MMA class. These classes are great. I have taken kickboxing classes that were a great deal of fun and taught me a lot. I am also an assistant instructor on a military installation for the Modern Army Combatives Program. These classes are usually well planned and work on a multitude of aspects from technique to endurance. The same important thing stated above is important here, GET STARTED. Classes are often expensive so it is important you find one you enjoy and stick with it. Classes have the advatage of constent suppervision and critiques. Plus you have people there to help you stay motivated.




MMA is one the most popular sports in the world today. People everywhere are learning Mixed Martial Arts. Not only will boxing provide you with a great foundation if you wish to transfer over into MMA, but it will also give you tools for self defense.
Boxing brings lots of fun and challanges to all who wish to explore its enormous possiblities. Start small and work your way up. A question many people have who get started is what type of equipment they need. This depends on your goals. Good equipment is essential to good workouts and more important, keeping yourself healthy. Boxing can be a dangerous sport so the proper equipment is vital to all levels of participants.

Straight Left Punch , at 8:17 AM, in

A southpaw boxer's best punch is arguably the straight left hand. This punch is very important. The straight punch is almost perfectly aligned with your opponent. When you throw this punch, there is a high chance your punch will hit your opponent flush. As important as this punch is, inversely, your opponent's best punch to counter you is their straight right hand. In order to be successful with this punch, follow the tips below.

• Throw the straight left hand with speed.
• Instead of putting weight behind the punch, learn to throw the punch with explosive ferocity.
• Practice leading with the straight left instead of the jab.
• Aim to get your straight left hand as fast as your jab.
• Push off your back foot.
• When you move, keep your back feet low to the ground and take short steps.
• By keeping you back foot close to the ground, this allows you to instantly plant your foot and fire your straight.
• Rotate your hand clockwise. This raises your shoulder and protects your chin.

The straight must be thrown with speed and efficiency. Practice throwing this punch on a heavy back. Work on building your endurance. By repeatedly throwing this punch, your body will get use to it and compensate if you are wasting energy. The straight left hand is a power punch. Unlike a jab, you can't throw this punch often without getting tired. The key to keeping this punch efficient and saving energy is to throw this punch from you foot. You must dig your rear foot before you throw this punch. After your dig, rotate your hips, swing, and follow through. After you swing your hips, throw the punch from your shoulder. Focus on keeping your body behind the punch. This is what gives it power.

Wisedth Sar is a young and active author. Southpaw boxers must learn to fight differently than orthodox fighters. The straight left hand is a staple power punch. Southpaw Slugger is a place to learn southpaw boxing strategies and fitness training tips for boxing.

The Effect of Spectacular Science Fiction on Martial Arts , Sunday, January 3, 2010 at 3:29 AM, in

Many of the martial arts, like karate are fiction. Slam somebody on the nose with a palm and bone shards will spear into his brain and kill him, except there isn't any bone in the nose, its all cartilage. And all those old legends, a lot of them are good for washing the hog, if you have a willing hog.
But, there is a certain science that has proven true in the martial arts. This is the science of how to use geometrical energy potentials. I discovered this field while reading a series of books called the Lensmen Series.
I suppose the first time it hit me was when E. E. Smith, the author, described spacemen fighting on the hull of a space ship. They were hooking their feet under hand grips so they would not fly into space when they hit somebody. They were anchoring themselves so they could apply force, and not have the force dislodge them.
Soon I was swallowed by a universe where weapons created incredible geometries of force. A death ray was a beam, and it could be deflected by a well built shield. And if a shield could deflect, then a shield thrust sideways could slice the first shield apart.
Soon I was enraptured by images of fleets of space ships creating their own particular brand of strategy. Fleets of space ships would form globes around other fleets, and cones of spaceships would swallow globes of fleets. Each time a geometry was described, my mind struggled to keep up with the wash of new concepts.




Then, shock of shocks, fleets of spaceships gave way to mental powers. Those same rods and globes and cones and shields, made real in the extreme of space combat, became the stuff of mind to mind encounters. How do you slide your awareness through the grid of another but alien mentality?
And, ultimately, done with the books, I began extending these outer space alien mind combat strategies to the martial arts. I sank my weight and planted my stance so I would not fly back from my own force. I described cones with my arms, and engulfed globular fists as they flew out of space at me.
When I tell people about this they generally think I am a bit crazy, or they know me a genius. Reading sci fi for inspiration, who would have thought. Yet, isn't the martial arts an art, and shouldn't it be filled with creativity and expression and beams of force and mind to mind conflicts?

Al Case has researched martial arts for 40 years. A writer for the magazines, he is the originator of Matrixing Technology. You can find out about Matrixing by getting his free ebook at Monster Martial Arts.

How to Ensure Longevity in Your Boxing Training , at 3:26 AM, in

To box, you have to be in great shape. The effort and time required to achieve this level of fitness is too intense for most people. You really have to tough it out to get a chance at the top levels of the sport.
But, surprisingly, what prevents most mediocre boxers from reaching their full potential isn't toughness or heart, it's their joints.
Without a conscious effort to protect the joints during training, you may suffer needless injuries.
Protect the ankles and knees during boxing training
Casual boxing fans hardly ever notice boxers' footwear. When they do, they probably don't give it a second glance. But good boxing boots are essential to boxers who want to stick with the sport for the long haul.
Boxing shoes are smooth-soled. This encourages pivoting -- an essential component of most punches -- without putting undue stress on the ankle and knee joints.
It is a mistake to use street shoes or shoes designed for other sports like basketball or jogging. The grippy soles and lack of ankle support will eventually damage the knee ligaments.
Protect the hands and wrists during boxing training
Most people understand that boxers' hands and wrists take a beating -- literally -- on the pads, bags, and during sparring.
What they fail to realize is that protective equipment like hand-wraps and padded gloves is essential for the long-term viability of these delicate joints. Without hand wraps, boxers would not be able to continue the sport past a few years, even if they never suffer a serious injury like a broken bone or a dislocated thumb.




Wraps change the hand from a delicate collection of small bones into a single entity capable of withstanding repeated blows designed to damage an opponent. Smart boxers know never to train without wraps.
Protect the lower back during boxing training
The lower back is the link between the legs and the shoulders. Boxers who weaken or injure their lower back during practice find themselves ineffective and injury-prone.
Since most fighters spend a good deal of time and effort strengthening their abdominals, they run the risk of unbalanced development in the lower back. Strong abs and a weak lower back is a path to injury that is easily avoided if back-strengthening exercises are incorporated into the workout routine from the very beginning.
Punches -- especially hooks and uppercuts -- put a lot of rotational stress on the lumbar region of the spine. It's imperative to have a strong foundation before engaging in intense punching training.

If you do it, do it right!
Want to be feared and respected? Then get some boxing training instruction. If you're just waving your arms around without understanding the fundamentals behind the sport, you won't succeed in the long run. Click this link: power punching techniques and start learning. Or increase punching power by getting some expert instruction.

Boxing and Sports Psychology , at 2:52 AM, in

What does it take to be a great boxer? What can fighters do to get mentally tougher? And what kind of mental training is helpful for fighters?
In the past, I have counseled a number of boxers, martial artists and mixed martial artists. When I work with these athletes, I usually also work closely with their trainers and their managers. This is essential, since these people are a vital part of the boxer's team. Everyone in the athlete's camp must be on the same page when the bell for the first round sounds.
For some reason, I have been contacted by a number of fighter recently. Several of these boxers are competing in The Golden Gloves Tournament in New York City.
Key issues for fighters include learning how to stay relaxed before the fight and once the fight begins. Some boxers are overly nervous or overly anxious before a bout begins.
Fighters also need to learn how to remain confident, calm and focused during the course of the fight. Teaching fighters confidence building affirmations can also help them to enter the ring with a positive attitude and a fighting spirit. I encouraged one fighter to think of himself as a ferocious tiger before he entered the ring. This image helped him to find stay calm and to find the kind of aggressiveness he needed to fight well.
Fighters also need to know what their strengths and weaknesses are so they can continue to get mentally and physically better as they train. Good boxers continue to sharpen their skills and work on their techniques throughout their careers.
Boxers are also encouraged to study film of their opponents so they can develop a fight plan for their upcoming fights. This kind of plan helps the fighter to focus more effectively during the course of the bout.




Fighters also need to flexible enough to change strategy and tactics if things are not going well as they would have hoped as the fight unfolds. Many fighters fail because they have only one approach or one style to fighting. A versatile fighter is apt to be more successful against a wide array of opponents than is a one dimensional fighter.
Boxers need to be able to find the right level aggressiveness and the right energy level for their craft. I teach boxers to fight in mental state which can best be described as a state of relaxed aggression.
Boxers also need to develop mental and physical resiliency so they can weather the physical
punishment which is part of boxing. Learning how to recover physically an psychologically from a heavy punch or from a combination of punches that land are essential skills for a fighter who competes at a high level.
Many boxers who I have coached seem to benefit from mastering self-hypnosis, meditation, visualization and guided imagery.

Jay P. Granat, Ph.D. is a psychotherapist and the founder of http://www.stayinthezone.com. He has written several books and developed several programs to help people perform to their fullest potential at sports, at work and at school. Dr. Granat, a former university professor, has appeared in The New York Times, Good Morning America, AP, ESPN, Golf Digest, The BBC and The CBC. He can be reached at info@stayinthezone.com. There are many articles, products, books and CD programs for boxers and other athletes at this site.