Belly Pad Drills
I've said it many, many times. Boxing is without a doubt one of the best forms of exercise for cardio conditioning, stress relief and improved coordination.
It's fun too which makes it easy to start motivated and see your workout through... the same cannot often be said for the treadmill or assault bike.
Today we're going to look delve into a number of combinations that utilize a belly pad, if you don't have access to a belly pad or a training partner however, the same drills can be performed solo using a heavy bag.
Here's a refresher on the strike we're going to be throwing using the belly pad and a pair of focus mitts (or as mentioned, a heavy bag!)
Punches We'll Be Using
The Jab
Begin with your gloves tucked in front of your face, elbows pointing down.
Drive through your hips as you twist them while extending your lead (left) hand outward to punch - your punch should go straight out from your chin level - no dropping of the hand.
Just before your glove makes contact with the kick shield rotate your fist (often calling 'turning it over) so your knuckles are horizontal to the floor as your glove hits.
As soon as your jab connects bring it back in front of your face and return to your elbows tucked in position.
The Cross
The #1 key when it comes to throwing a cross is to remember that the power comes through the lower body and hip rotation, the power does not come directly from the arm... as such if your stance, footwork or pivot are incorrect then your power punch is going to lack power!
Begin with your gloves tucked in front of your face, elbows pointing down.
Pivot on your rear foot as you drive through your hips while extending your rear (right) hand outward to punch - your punch should go straight out from your chin level - no dropping of the hand.
Just before your glove makes contact with the rotate your fist (often calling 'turning it over) so your knuckles are horizontal to the floor as your glove hits.
As soon as your right hand connects with the focus mitt or heavy bag bring it back in front of your face and return to your elbows tucked in position.
The Left Hook
Begin with your gloves tucked in front of your face, elbows pointing down.
Drive through your hips as you twist them to the right while pivoting on your front (left) foot.
Your left glove should not drop down at all, in one fluid horizontal motion your left glove should fire from your chin to the side of your opponents chin as you maintain a slight bend in your elbow.
Strike the mitt or heavy bag with either your knuckles parallel to the floor or horizontal to the floor (personal preference)
As soon as your left hook connects with the focus mitt, opponent or heavy bag bring it back in front of your face and return to your elbows tucked in position.
The Shovel Hook
Begin with your gloves tucked in front of your face, elbows pointing down.
Take a step with your front (left) foot while loading your hips slightly to the left.
Drive through your hips as you twist them to the right while pivoting on your front (left) foot.
Drop your left glove slightly as you fire your punch on a 45 degree angle (between an uppercut and a hook)
Strike the mitt or heavy bag while ensuring your right hand remains glued to your cheek.
As soon as your shovel hook connects with the focus mitt, opponent or heavy bag bring it back in front of your face and return to your elbows tucked in position.
Kicks/Knees We'll Be Using
The Push Kick
the push kick (also known as a teep) works wonders as both an offensive and defensive strike - allowing you to maintain distance from your adversary.
Begin by lifting your knee up to around chest height (if you can bring it higher, even better)
Extend your hips and push, as if you were trying to kick a door open.
Note that all of the power and force behind your push kick is coming through the hips.
Immediately return your leg to its original position, same sort of speed as if you were returning one of your punches - ensuring it's back to your guard as fast as possible.
You may keep your hands glued to your face or you can opt to swing your arm down (same side that your kick is coming from) to generate some additional power - once again just ensure that hand returns to your face promptly.
Knees
Technically not a kick but we're going to be incorporating them into our belly pad drills too as they add a degree of flow to many of the combinations.
Begin by stepping forward with your front foot and pushing your hips forward (as once again, this is the source of power) while lifting and pointing your knee at the kick shield.
As your knee is about to make contact with the shield begin to lean your body back slightly to accentuate the amount of force in your shot.
You can alternate styles of knee, throwing front knees, rear knees, accentuating the angle of the knee on your kick shield (coming in from a side angle as if you were striking an opponent in a clinch situation).
Here's The Belly Pad I use & Recommend
You can easily spend double the price on a belly pad, however I've personally found there to be very little difference besides the brand name on the front of the belly pad!
You can pick up a Combat Sports belly pad here to get started with your belly pad drills.
The Belly Pad Drills
Perform rounds of 2 - 5 minutes focusing on one drill, take 60 seconds between rounds before performing another 2 - 5 minute round of another belly pad drill, continuing to mix it up for 40~ minutes for a full workout.
Drill 1
Jab
Slip Left
Left Shovel Hook
Drill 2
Jab
Cross
Push Kick
Push Kick
Left Knee
Left Shovel Hook
Drill 3
Left Knee
Right Knee
Left Shovel Hook
Right Shovel Hook
Push Kick
Jab
Cross
Slip
Cross
Drill 4
Push Kick
Right Knee
Left Shovel Hook
Right Shovel Hook
Jab
Cross
Cross
Drill 5
Jab
Cross
Jab
Cross
Left Shovel Hook
Left Hook
Left Shovel Hook
Cross
Drill 6
Left Knee
Right Knee
Left Knee
Right Knee
Straight
Straight
Left Shovel Hook
Right Shovel Hook
Push Kick
