Boxing and kickboxing coach Bill Packer, leader of Albuquerque's legendary Bad Company fight team, led his athletes through countless hours of agility training. This practice was in part responsible for the five world championships won by his fighters. Agility includes disparate elements, each of which can be improved by one or more drills.
Speed Bag
The speed bag is a small bag on a swivel mount. Hitting it with the right rhythm creates a specific, workable pattern. Hitting it out of rhythm results in the bag swinging out of control. Working the speed bag with your bare or wrapped hands helps to build speed and timing, key components of agility. This is especially true when you practice changing rhythms without pausing.
Footwork
Most important aspects of boxing come from your footwork, says Dave Coffman, black belt instructor at Portland, Ore.'s Bushido Martial Arts. A punch comes from the hips, or even the feet. Bobbing and weaving as as much part of where you put your feet as where you put your head. Boxing coaches use dozens of drills to improve a fighter's footwork. Some examples include jumping rope, tire drills, footwork patterns, even dance routines.
Combinations
Practicing combinations until they are part of your muscle memory means you don't have to think about each punch as you throw it. Instead, your mind sends one instruction and your body takes care of the rest. The only way to develop effective combinations is to practice them. Packer ran his "Bad Company" boxing team through progressions of working combinations in the air, then on a bag, then on shields and finally in the ring. Practicing your combinations in varying environments helps you commit them to muscle memory.
Sparring
Although you can practice the components of any skill, it's using that skill in context that creates mastery. According to both Packer and Coffman, there is no substitute for getting in the ring and training up your agility under the circumstances in which you plan to use them. Sparring can be hazardous, so only practice sparring under qualified supervision and while wearing all the appropriate protective gear.
References
- Bill Packer; Boxing and Kickboxing Coach (dec); Bad Company; Albuquerque, NM
- Dave Coffman; Martial Arts Instructor; Hillsboro, Oregon
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