| All martial arts that include striking use pads to help | | | | after a combination from the striker. For advanced |
| develop a practitioner's punches and strikes. If they | | | | students these can also come before a combination |
| don't they should start using them! Whether you train | | | | is completed, to test the defences, for example. |
| with the boxing style mitts or the larger Muay Thai | | | | Distance training - once more mimicking a real |
| pads these five tips will help you get the most from | | | | opponent the padman can move in and out of range |
| your equipment. | | | | forcing the striker to move accordingly. If the striker |
| Big Fat Head - often the pads are held too wide | | | | is in range but inactive the padman can throw a shot |
| apart. The key is to be able to strike the pads as if | | | | at the striker, to test his defence and to remind him |
| you're striking an opponent's head, to enable this, the | | | | of the range. |
| pads need to be held close to the padman's face. To | | | | Timing training - the padman can throw a series of |
| avoid the padman getting hit in the face, punches | | | | punches which can be used to develop good timing. |
| should always be thrown diagonally. That is the right | | | | The striker has to throw his shots between the |
| hand strikes across to the left, which is the holder's | | | | strikes. This takes skill on the part of the padman as |
| right pad and vice versa. A badly directed strike will | | | | he must return the pad to a position that is hittable! |
| then slip off the pad to the outside. | | | | Through experimentation these tips can be employed |
| Human's can move - often the padman stays rooted | | | | to develop drills to greatly enhance the skills of a |
| to the spot and in effect becomes the equivalent of | | | | martial artist regardless of style. By keeping these |
| a static hanging bag. A good idea is to mimic the | | | | tips in mind when making the padman as much like a |
| movement of a real opponent. It is essential to | | | | real opponent as possible, while retaining the role of |
| include lateral and backward/forward movement. | | | | pad holder, greatly expands the possibilities for using |
| Human's can return fire - again mimicking a real | | | | these essential pieces of equipment. The martial artist |
| opponent punches and kicks can be executed by the | | | | can then train as closely as possible to real very |
| padman. These can be performed either before or | | | | safely. |