TRAINING: Shadowboxing Tips - part 1 by Joe Silvia aka Ausgepicht

Excerpted from the now defunct www.spladdle.com:

INTRODUCTION

B&S posted:

Shadow Boxing Tips

I think this is possibly the hardest thing to learn. Over a year later I still look like a drunk retarded bear in a mosh pit if I try to do it with any speed at all. Particularly when I try to throw a hook. Any help, if only for my own vanity?

Joe Silvia aka Ausgepicht, Xen Nova and I replied with some advice. Will post Xen's 1st reply tomorrow and mine on Friday along with Xen's 2nd reply. Follows is Ausgepicht's:

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Shadowboxing/wrestling is an art that as far as I'm concerned a person will be working on until his dying day. It's so fundamentally important, overlooked, and complex. It's a lost art, just like the mitts are.

Gable stated it was what separated him from other wrestlers. The sheer amount of time he spent shadow-wrestling. There isn't a single pro boxer that doesn't spend time doing it. Yet even though the greats in these sports do it, it gets understated in it's importance.

When you do it enough, you will reach a high enough level of visualization that you will have "sparring" sessions. You will hit a zone where you actually have an opponent fighting you, "hitting" you, and you are responding. Your brain barely discerns the two. I have actually improved technically and "fixed" habits from shadowbox sparring sessions.

I state this stuff for a number of reasons:

1. Man, you are on the right track by shadowboxing
2. There is more to it than punching air
3. You will recognize it's greater importance and value
4. Proper motivation is everything

Having said that, I will state that a shadowboxing session is really a Q&A. Follow me? You MUST understand this. I insist that you even call it or refer to it not as shadowboxing, but Q&A time. A shadowboxing session is asking one question at a time, getting feedback and asking another question.

We have to ask:

• When you shadowbox, do you have stated goal(s)? 
• Are you varying your pace, going slow when necessary? 
• DO I alter my rhythm & tempo? 
• Where is my tone? 
• What is my breathing doing? 
• Are you beginning by going over fundamentals? Footwork drills? Posture drills? Composure drills? etc. 
• Do you visualize your opponent or punch air?

I am not randomly throwing out questions...you need to answer each one for yourself or here.

For example:

• How far apart are my feet? 
• When I step forward, backward, laterally, or pivot do I maintain the distance of my feet? 
• Do I feel balanced when firing? 
• When moving in each direction? 
• What are my knees doing? 
• Where are my hips? Elbows? Chin? 
• Where am I staring?

I would spend a few days, 20-30 minutes JUST working on THE MOST IMPORTANT FUNDAMENTAL IN ANY SPORT ENDEAVOR:

STANCE AND MOTION

Match this with your breathing. Just doing this for a few weeks will improve every facet of your game.

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Next parts to this series can be found here:

• TRAINING: Shadowboxing Tips - part 2 by Xen Nova
• TRAINING: Shadowboxing Tips - part 3 by Stickgrappler
• TRAINING: Shadowboxing Tips - part 4 by Xen Nova