Stealing Mike Brewer's ideas

[gregimotis]

This is the opening for a thread in the boxing forum which turned out quite well. Please post not just routines, but also Thai boxing/kickboxing related training drills.


Okay, I'm going to say it. I'm bored with most forums on the internet. Almost no matter where you go, it degenerates into a bunch of wannabes talking about stuff they don't understand. So, not being one to bitch without offering up solutions, here's what I propose we do about it:

Let's start talking training. Real training - not "look what I used to beat up this kid in 8th grade" or "I'll inflate my real routine to impress a bunch of internet jokers I'll never meet in person." I mean, let's swap some ideas here that can really and truly make us better. If you want to post your training routine and you're worried people won't think it's enough, post it under a new screen name. I don't care. I just want to see what some of you guys do to improve.

[speedkills]

hard enough for me

When i train, i usually start with about 30 minutes of hard sretching then i shoot off about 100 punches with no weight, 100 kicks then i'm warm. Then i throw on wrist weights and do another hundred punches ( my brother keeps track). Next i do a nice heavy bag routine which consist of puching and kicking combo's with lots of power. After that me and my group usually pair up and work on whatever we need to.I'm allways trying to weight train whenever i can.thats the truth!!!!

[Tom Yum]

Pyramids!!!

This is a drill to work on once you understand the fundamentals of how to throw a thai kick.

Have your partner hold the thai pads. He tells you you're going to throw 20 kicks. Most of us would say "you mean that's it.... "

He then explains, "Ok, throw a right thai kick, then a left thai kick....that's one. Throw two right thai kicks and two left thai kicks, that's two. Throw three right thai kicks, then three left thai kicks......that's 3. Throw 20 kicks. You should be throwing atleast 2 kicks per second if you've been training for atleast 1 year. 3 kicks per second if you've been training longer.... "

"During any time of the drill you get below your kick rate, you need to do 50 jumping jacks, 50 push ups and 50 situps. If you maintain it, you get to rest"

This will get you ready for long rounds of sparring in no time.

[chalambok]

When I get the chance to train regularly, I do 1 hour of Krabi-Krabong a day to get my aerobic conditioning. Then all I need for muay Thai capability is 15-20 rounds of pad/bag work on the weekend.

[OctaviousBP]

3 kicks a second would be 540 kicks in a 3 minute round. That is simply not possible... but i get the idea.

It depends on where I am in my cycle. I like 6-8 weeks to train for a fight. In the beginning of the cycle, I build my aerobic levels with longish slowish runs, and "over" rounds on the bag and pads from 5-10 minutes.

As I get closer to a fight, the focus is shifted to anaerobic and the rounds get shorter and harder. Sparring dies down a little, with focus on timing, and active pad holding intensifies.

The week before my fight, sparring (except clinch work) is 30% and below. It has been my experience that most injuries occur the week before competition.

As far as specific drills are concerned, in my opinion, there is no substitute for a good trainer with decent active pad holding skills. This works your conditioning, timing, and technique. It is the closest you can get to a full on fight where ideally, no one gets hurt. Sport specific training is the key to success in any sport.

Bag drills vary. During 4 - 3 minute sets, I will start the first round hands only, slowly and pick up the pace. The last thirty seconds I throw non-stop. The next round I do the same with kicks and knees. The last two rounds I start the round all out, and then normal the rest of the round, incorporating all techniques (hands/feet/knees/etc.) I feel this helps me flurry at the end when I need it, and the latter helps me keep fighting when I'm dead tired. During longer bag rounds, I'll work my jabs for a stretch, then add in the cross, knees, kicks, etc. until i start putting them in combos. Other days, I'll start on a combo, and just repeat the hell out of it until it is burned into my muscle memory. These are simple combos, like jab-cross-kick, or cross-hook-kick... nothing more then 3 moves.

If I have a mediocre pad holding partner, I will take the opportunity to work technique, or conditioning... usually not both at the same time with a lesser experienced pad holder. I find accidents can creep up here due to inexperience, but you have to work with what you got... which is fine. I'll burn a combo with footwork, but in a "set drill" context... nothing crazy. Last thirty seconds, I'll "punch-out" (straight right/lefts) or clinch knees till the end of the round. Another "punch-out" drill I do is like a punching pyramid of sorts. Throw 2 punches, sprawl for a pushup, get up and throw 4 punches, sprawl for a pushup. This repeats up to 10 punches, then back down to 2.

These are just some of the things I do. I find I have to keep it fresh, and keep it fun. None of us do this as a career... even professional fighters. If it's not fun, why do it? Mai sanook, mai dee. This turned out to be a late night ramble, but I hope it makes sense...

D