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PASmith
PASmith's picture
Bunkai bagwork

Today I did some bagwork and hit on something (have that pun for free!) I've not done before. Usually I bung Iain's old bagwork podcast mp3 on and work through that. Love that little workout. This time my garage gym was in a state, I couldn't find it, so put the timer on my phone on for 2 minute rounds and made it up as i went along. A round of hands only, a round of head knees and elbows, kicks only, all-in, etc. All pretty standard. Then I tried a round of bunkai inspired bagwork. Flinch cover/knifehand into the bag, smashing in with a rising block, inward circular block forearm smash, using one hand to index/touch the bag. That kind of thing. Then I did a couple of rounds completely with my eyes closed! I figured I'd test the bunkai idea of setting datums and referencing/indexing targets with one hand and hitting with the other using a tactile rather than visual sense. It was quite the eye opener (another pun!). At first it was hard to trust myself. It's easier to be confident slamming an elbow or palm strike in than a fist without worrying about injury (less meed for alignment) but once you get going it really makes sense. Even the few times I lost contact with the bag it was relatively easy to find it again as the tactile feedback helped me know where the bag was likely to be.

Chris R
Chris R's picture

I'll have to try that eyes closed drill, I haven't done much eyes closed training and never on the bag, but I can see how it is beneficial. One thing I like doing for bunkai focused bagwork is to simulate limb control. You can do this a few different ways such as by using a belt, bungee cord, or stick. I find it makes sense since it incorporates the hikite hand which is always an important part of karate techniques.

Iain Abernethy
Iain Abernethy's picture

PASmith wrote:
Then I tried a round of bunkai inspired bagwork. Flinch cover/knifehand into the bag, smashing in with a rising block, inward circular block forearm smash, using one hand to index/touch the bag. That kind of thing. Then I did a couple of rounds completely with my eyes closed! I figured I'd test the bunkai idea of setting datums and referencing/indexing targets with one hand and hitting with the other using a tactile rather than visual sense. It was quite the eye opener (another pun!).

That’s a brilliant idea! So simple that I’m annoyed it’s never occurred to me before! :-) We regularly do sightless drills on the focus mitts, but it never occurred to do that when I was solo training on the bag! Next session I’ll include a couple of “touch only” rounds. Thanks for sharing!

All the best,

Iain

PASmith
PASmith's picture

I've been watching a lot of combatives stuff on YouTube and saw a clip recently of Mick Coup doing a blind paddrill. Then when I was doing a round of close in 'elbow stuff' on the weekend realised I wasn't really looking much at the bag anyway. Closing my eyes and seeing what I could still land just seemed a next logical step. It may be an artefact of having a 6foot tall bag but even knees seemed fairly easy to land so long as you had a grip up top.

Iain Abernethy
Iain Abernethy's picture

PASmith wrote:
Then when I was doing a round of close in 'elbow stuff' on the weekend realised I wasn't really looking much at the bag anyway.

Definitely. Elbows are primarily throw using touch for targeting. We are not using our eyes to any great degree; even when they are open.  That’s true of any strike were a datum is being applied.

PASmith wrote:
Closing my eyes and seeing what I could still land just seemed a next logical step.

It is definitely the next logical step … and that’s why I consider it “illogical” that I’m well into my 4th decade of bag work before this idea has cropped up :-) It’s a really good idea and I think it will be a great addition to the training routine of all pragmatically minded traditionalists. At close-range it is more about feel than sight. If people do a few “sightless” rounds they will find their striking immediately becomes very kata-like because it will demand two active hands.

All the best,

Iain