Level 3 – Solo Bag Class 2 (Part 1)

By the time you’ve reached Level 3, the heavy bag should feel like your training partner. This session is not about mindlessly smashing the bag—it’s about sharpening your technique, improving your timing, and building combinations that would work against a real opponent. In Part 1 of this advanced solo bag series, we’ll focus on structure and rhythm, setting the foundation for explosive combinations in the sessions to come.

Training Goals for This Class

1. Refine Technique: Every strike should be clean, with proper form and balance.
2. Develop Timing: Learn to flow from one strike to the next with natural rhythm.
3. Build Smart Combinations: Put together sequences that make sense in a fight, not just random punches and kicks.

Warm-Up (5–7 minutes)

• Shadowboxing with Bag Movement: Don’t hit the bag yet—move around it, shadowboxing lightly, imagining the bag as a live opponent.
• Footwork Circles: Circle left, circle right, always keeping stance intact.
• Range Check: Touch the bag lightly with your jab and teep to measure distance.

Technical Bag Work Drills

1. Precision Jab–Cross

• Throw single jabs and crosses. Focus on hand position, full extension, and immediate guard recovery.
• Goal: land each strike on the same spot, no wasted motion.

2. Adding the Low Kick

• Combination: Jab → Cross → Low Kick (outside or inside leg).
• Focus on pivoting after the cross to load your hip for the kick.
• Tip: Don’t rush—smooth transitions are more important than speed here.

3. Teep for Distance Control

• Drill: Teep → Step back → Cross → Hook.
• Use the teep not only as an attack but to reset range before re-entering with punches.

4. Three-Strike Flow

• Example combination: Cross → Hook → Round Kick.
• Keep the flow tight—no pauses between strikes. Imagine punishing your opponent for covering up after the punch.

Timing and Rhythm Focus

A good fighter doesn’t throw strikes at the same tempo every time. Mix your rhythm:

• Quick jab, pause, then heavy cross.
• Light teep, then explosive round kick.
• Two quick punches followed by a delayed heavy low kick.

The bag should swing in response to your strikes. Learn to time your next attack as it returns—this simulates hitting a moving target.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Overcommitting: Don’t lean too far into the bag. Keep your own balance.
• Random Striking: Every combo should have purpose. Think offense and defense together.
• Ignoring Recovery: Always finish back in stance, ready for the next strike.

Coach’s Notes

The heavy bag is honest—it won’t lie to you. If your technique is sloppy, you’ll feel off-balance. If your strikes are weak, the bag won’t move. Use this to your advantage. Treat each round like a conversation: you strike, the bag “responds,” and you adjust.

Part 1 of this class is about discipline and structure. Once you can flow through these technical drills with clean form, we’ll move into more advanced combinations and conditioning in Part 2.

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