| I first learned about combining sparring with bag | | | | have ever watched a women's self-defense |
| training when I was working with full contact stick | | | | course, you might remember a padded up |
| fighting. We would each gear up in full Kendo | | | | opponent with a HUGE head. This outfit was |
| Armor Outfits (used for bamboo sword sparring) | | | | designed so the women could kick, scratch and |
| - get a pair of sticks, nunchaku and of often even | | | | gouge the eyes of a fake opponent without any |
| the traditional bamboo swords (known as Shinai in | | | | injury to the person inside. |
| Japanese) and have at it. At first the focus was | | | | Macho even created a full suit of armor out of |
| on the weapon strikes, blocks and movements. | | | | their lightweight foam products called the Red Man |
| However, as the battle gets heated up, it isn't | | | | Suit. Another company called FIST also had a |
| long before kicks and punches start to play an | | | | great outfit. I remember when we first got the |
| integral role. | | | | helmet we practiced jumping spinning round kicks |
| We soon learned that this protective set up could | | | | to the face and the face shield held up. |
| also be used as an amazing mobile bag workout | | | | Whatever you design - just make sure that the |
| while improving your sparring capabilities. Let me | | | | person wearing the gear is fully protected. The |
| explain: | | | | idea behind the concept is that person A (the |
| Okay, the gear that we would wear was armor. | | | | Giver) can throw every punch and kick they want |
| This meant that when a partner swung a stick at | | | | at full speed while person B (the Taker) can |
| you at full speed, you did not feel it. The pain | | | | simply move around like the Incredible Hulk. |
| factor was removed, so you could focus purely | | | | Try 5 minutes of full contact punches and kicks |
| on your movements. | | | | on a moving opponent and you will really get an |
| To focus purely on a workout what we did was | | | | amazing workout. I would suggest the following |
| take away the weapons and started using only | | | | workout strategy: |
| punches and kicks. This was great for the | | | | 5-10 Minutes of light punches and kicks moving |
| receiver (as they still did not feel any pain) but | | | | around the room with your partner. |
| the hard shell like surface of kendo armor limited | | | | Then, 15 seconds of full power, speed and effort |
| an all out blast session. You can imagine kicking | | | | followed by 45 seconds of light movement, |
| and punching any type of armor and how that | | | | punches and kicks. Repeat 5 times for a great |
| might feel. Though it was great for forcing you to | | | | 5-minute workout. |
| target, it did not allow you to get a full workout. | | | | Note: the person wearing all of the gear is also |
| What we wanted was a full on hard-core workout | | | | getting a great workout too as they are moving |
| that simulated having a moving target. Imagine if | | | | around, taking punches and kicks and can even |
| you punching bag could step back, forward, or to | | | | throw a few of their own from time to time. |
| the side and how this would affect your training. | | | | Start slow and get creative. If you do not have a |
| It is the perfect combination of sparring and bag | | | | suit of armor look through a martial art supply |
| training. | | | | store and build one yourself by picking and |
| Therefore, we altered the receiver's protective | | | | choosing various pieces of gear. |
| wear by dumping the armor and using instead | | | | NOTE: Do not full blast to the head unless you |
| something more durable that could withstand | | | | have a piece of headgear that can take such |
| even the hardest of blows to the body. There | | | | blows. I would suggest leaving the head out of |
| are too many ways of doing this to list them all - | | | | the early sessions and focus on getting a workout |
| but I am sure that you have seen a few. If you | | | | with attacks to the body. |