Hey all,
One thing I think is important is to understand WHY you do what you do in training. Every school has their own reasons for doing or not doing something.
Here is a little insight into the pad work we do in class, for those of you that don't know.
Pads is technical training. It's the best technical training because you've got an interactive human target and you can hit as hard as you can.
It's because of this, you need to start at about 60% max power (get a feel for your partner and your own technique), but then you need to be going full power once you are in the zone.
Muay Thai weapons are designed to be thrown with intent, and in a real situation that is how your technique would come out anyway. So, pad work is the most important part of your class in terms of working technique. If you don't use the proper power, you won't be learning the extent of your technique.
Imagine getting in the ring having never hit the pads properly. How will your technique come out? You'll probably be both messy and tired, since you aren't used to going full tilt.
* a side note: proper full power doesn't mean being tense. It means being relaxed and
letting your strikes go. Think about letting a rubber band fly, as opposed to throwing it in frustration (you can use all the muscle you want, it's less efficient to throw the band than it is to pull and fling it).
If you are making mistakes during pads: it's your partner's job to remind you about a hand dropping or anything else. It's also your instructor's job to come and feed you tips in increments while you hit pads. Keep hitting the pads with proper power and fix your technique according to the advice being given to you as you go along. Avoid wasting too much time. Work and correct as you go.
If there are glaring issues that can be fixed right away, your instructor will slow you down and go over them.
This will translate into partner-cross fighting drills. When you can hit the pads with proper technique and power, you'll be able to throw controlled techniques on your partner without compromising proper form. Many people don't want to hurt their partner in drills and end up using bad form when they do so. This is usually because they haven't properly worked the technique enough on pads/bags to control it yet.
Bag work is similar. The bag allows you to go as hard as you can and is a great tool in the absence of a pad holder for many different drills and exercises.
Watch your seniors or even videos of Thai's hitting pads/bags. They let their technique go and breathe out deeply with each strike.
Aaaand that's it. Keep in mind other schools may have different philosophies for their training, but this is ours.
