Focus targets

[akqjt]

My girlfriend just got me some focus targets for my birthday, as something we can do together and I will still enjoy. Thing is that I have never hit or trained with focus targets before, only focus mitts (for anyone who, like me, didn't know what a focus target was - follow this link: http://www.macho.com/products.jhtml...subcategory.id=12&category.id=4&product.id=42

I don't know how to instruct her on how to hold them. I assume you hit them the same way as you hit focus mitts (or really, the same way you hit anything).

I would rather use focus mitts, but I don't want to hurt her feelings and besides the fact, she went to the store and asked for mitts, the store guy said they were out and that targets are better anyway because they don't hurt the person holding them as much.

Some help?

 

[Gregster]

That type of focus target is best suited to kicking, mostly TKD. They can be used for punching but they're not as good as mitts as they develop something of a different type of focus.

 

[agu0001]

yeh Im a TKD boy and we use those to drill accuracy with kicks, they are good for practicing your cro-cop high roundhouses

 

[Rudy Richter]

They are good for practicing round house kicks etc. because the target is a lot smaller. They are in a way the equivalent to focus mitts just for kicking.

 

[Rudy Richter]

That type of focus target is best suited to kicking, mostly TKD. They can be used for punching but they're not as good as mitts as they develop something of a different type of focus.

I see you got tired of the WR lately too huh? That place is getting over run by mma forum level posters lately.

 

[possenti]

That was very sweet for your girlfriend to buy you something like that - and to be willing to help you use it. I've been married for 14 years, and I still have to drop MAJOR hints about the gear I want for Christmas. My wife: "Honey, why don't you just ask for tools and football jerseys like most men?" And there's no way she'd help me with target training. I still love her, though...

Those targets are pretty cool, especially for roundhouse kicks, as others have mentioned. I used them a lot in my TKD days, and have practiced about every type of spinning/circular kick on them imaginable.

I don't think you mentioned what type of stand-up you do, but I would bet that they'd also be useful to practice most punches on them, with hooks and uppercuts being the best. Hmmm - my daughter has one of those around here somewhere for her TKD training. I think I might try that out...

Correct- the target will keep her from absorbing as much impact as she would with mitts. You do understand that the skinny end is the "handle", and you hit the wide part so the two halves "clap" when struck, right? Have fun...

 

[Gregster]

I see you got tired of the WR lately too huh?

Naw, not really, dude. Been busy with work lately, and when I have bothered to check in, I've not seen any new threads that have taken my fancy.

 

[Reakt]

No offence but the guy at the store was an idiot, i don't know what stand up you do but unless you do TKD those would be fairly useless, focus mitts would be alot easier to feed multiple punch combinations with, plus punches to slip, weave and parry, and as for not hurting her when shes holding them you could just hit with speed and/or focus on technique.

 

[akqjt]

I train Muay Thai for standup.

 

[Evil Eye Gouger]

Those pads are only useful for round kicks and hook kicks. Can be used for axe kicks too.

You can't punch those in any meaningful fashion.

As people said, they are a TKD requisite, used for speed/precision kicking drills.

 

[Rudy Richter]

I train Muay Thai for standup.

Then you can definitely use it for your kick. I have one of those things and it's great to practice precision.

 

[meng_mao]

If you put up a really high guard, you can hold each target downwards so that each target area is beside your elbows, roughly at face level. That would let you work on a few kinds of combos, but they are still inferior to mitts.

 

[Reakt]

I train Muay Thai for standup.

Thai pads would be the best then

 

[Mu Bai]

akgjt,

I thought it was odd at first, but my Muay Thai instructor actually drills us using focus paddles on occasion. I think it's because they're easier to manuever (lighter) than Thai pads and don't put your hands at "risk" if you were to use mitts for receiving kicks.

He got the idea from his instructor (Saekson Janjira) and I've seen videos of Saekson doing the same thing with his students as well. Granted they don't give the same "weighted" feeling that Thai pads or even mitts give, they worked well when doing kicking and punching combinations as a speed or reaction drill...