Bare Knuckles

You would think, as someone interested in the martial arts, that the martial arts workout for the week would be something I would be interested in. Yea, that would make sense. Unfortunately, this is more of what I would call "aerobic martial arts." Don't get me wrong, I actually do enjoy it, but the simple fact is that if you had no other training and you expected anything that you do in this workout to be practical, you would have your ass handed to you before you got the first punch out. I think I figured out how to make it worthwhile though and that has me somewhat more optimistic about doing it.

Today, I knew I really wanted to get on my punching bag again. I had let it slip since I started The X-Factor workouts because I wanted to follow the program as closely as possible. Well, my unofficial A.D.D. has kicked in and it was time to mix it up. While I love wailing on my bag, it doesn't keep me motivated for any length of time past about ten minutes. This prompted me to mix my bag with the "aerobic martial arts."

As I began with the simple combos to start, I quickly realized that at the steady pace we were going, I could focus on how I was punching. Granted, I wasn't going full force as to burn myself out (I did need to be able to last for an hour), but I could focus on my knuckle placement. This was ultimately the best part of the workout for me.

Anyone who has taken any kind of boxing or martial art which teaches you to punch, the instructor has hopefully explained to you the importance of knuckle placement when you strike. It can make the difference between hurting you and hurting your target. Two things always need to be considered when striking - knuckle placement and a strong wrist. Either one of these things get left out and you're likely to break your hand or your wrist, which could leave you useless for the rest of your fight.

As not to confuse anyone, though Krav Maga tends to focus on palm striking as to avoid the possibility of these injuries, I'm still a fan of boxing and therefore do focus on boxing combinations when working with my bag. Being able to utilize this time to have a "focused" bag routine was great and I know that "muscle memory" was helped with the time today. I solely focused specifically on knuckle placement as opposed to force and I definitely felt good by the end. In fact, that proof was written all over my knuckles when my workout was done. Some may shudder at the sight of bright red knuckles, but I love it. It's proof that I was working hard and doing it right.