Punching fast and repeatedly through the air

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I was feeling really lazy and tense today, and so from my lying position decided to practice something I've practiced repeatedly before: Punching fast and repeatedly through the air. It's simple: Twist arm forward as fast as you can (i.e. punch properly) and then twist it back as fast as you can (so you can be ready to punch properly again) and repeat over and over. I practiced with both arms multiple times. I felt a lot less tense after doing this. My breathing didn't speed up, but I did get a cramp in that funny central area where you abdomen connects to your chest. Practicing breathing exercises helped relieve the cramp.

Yes, I too find physical exercise very useful to relieve tension.

You might want to try to develop what you have described above. Eg start punching while lieing down, then punching while standing, then go out for a jog/running or something else you enjoy.

Even punching the air can qualify as an HIIT workout if you are operating at 90% of your aerobic capacity for short bursts with short rests of either low or no intensity inbetween.

Speed ball is also great for this. Lightweight, easy, but the rhythmic quality of it is oddly addictive and it's awesome for building up your arms without much effort.

Look up chain punching. It's a kung fu technique, mostly associated with Wing Chun.




If you can disregard the Deadliest Warrior Macho editing, they do cover the basic idea here. The technique is kinda iffy to get right, but once you can to this for short bursts, it's absolutely exhausting (and useful in a pinch).

That sounds like a great way to burn off tensions. I will give it a try!

I have trained for several years, the whole point of the punch is to be efficient an not expend more energy than you need to. However it takes practice and conditioning.

Chain punching despite the reputation isn't all of Wing Chun, but the drill to help you with general striking, and not just punches. Actually if you hit hard with an individual punch, flurries of strike can follow. The real concept is "returning hand". Which like a barrage or flurry.

However you will do have some advice relating to fitness. Do these reps:

100 x single punches
then 50 x chain of 3
then 25 x chain of 5
then 9 x chain of 9

What I mean by that is chains are fast as you can and the reps are a second each. Try it. Breathe normally, punch fully with straight punches don't do it speed ball style. However if you do it full kilter first time you may struggle to make it. However you the more you do it the easier it gets.

This can be done as air drill and with focus pads.

Do you train in martial arts? Maybe you should sign up at a martial arts gym and work on punching. Then you can learn to shadow box. I shadow box all the time and do what are called "forms" which are patterns of martial arts movements in a set. It really is good for you.

I am a Taekwondo instructor and know boxing, jiujitsu, and other stuff.

Thats fun to do to the "WHAM" sounds in "Eye of the Tiger". But you have to twist your fist like you do when you throw an actual punch for it to count.

You might like a speed bag. Ever hit one of those? It's hard to get the rythem going, but it's worth it.