What do you find is a good use of the punching bag? I mean, do you:
** Tap it lightly to get good alignment like the wall bag…OR…
** Do you go nuts with a few chain punches to simulate how its going to be in a real situation for a burst of a few seconds?..OR…
** Do you chin punch, plam strike, elbows etc… various combination for as long as you can?..OR…
** OR do you think it has no use for wing chun training?
Opinions please… 
Most of the time I do chain punches on the bag (in a controlled manner, not going nuts). Sometimes, I tap lightly on the bag to work on my form. I also use the bags to work on my kicks. I haven’t thought about doing combinations of elbows, palms, etc.; but thanks for the suggestion. I’ll start working that into my workout as well. 
I would reccomend all of the above.
:eek:
Working bridging with low roundhouse and hand work
or
Handwork to knees
or
Handwork to elbows
or
Swing bag and stop kick
I try to work on speed and sharpness rather than power with the hands, but plow in heavy on the kick, knee and elbows.
Ok. Thanks for your ideas.
What about you old guys? Do you still use the bag?
What about you old guys? Do you still use the bag?
Can’t really speak for them since I’m only 48, but yeah, I still use the heavy bag.
Mainly controlled single strikes and combinations to develop power and anaerobic endurance. I too like the swing and stop kick.
Like any piece of equipment, it has its limitations and if you train on it to the exclusion of other aspects your overall performance will suffer.
An underated use for the heavy bag
Hey, I meant to say “experienced” guys 
Anerlich , because you’re a BJJ guy too, do you ever put the bag on the floor and simulate the ‘ground and pound’ method? If so what kind of attacks do you do?
Anerlich , because you’re a BJJ guy too, do you ever put the bag on the floor and simulate the ‘ground and pound’ method? If so what kind of attacks do you do?
S Teebas,
Excellent question!
I do a LOT of that stuff. G&P is as much dependent on being able to gain and maintain a superior position as is submission grappling, so I do a lot of positional work, e.g.
Top circle drill (side control/mount/north-south/sidecontrol/mount …)
Side control popup to knee on stomach
Mount popup to knee on stomach
Switch mount to sidemount
knee on stomach, jump across to knee on stomach other side
knee on stomach, spin around “head” to knee on stomach other side
Add punches in flurries in mount (both straight punches from high mount and hooking punches from the side when chest to chest) and knee ride, knees from side control or north-south, headbutts and elbows, this can be quite a taxing workout.
I’ve worked out ways to practice (selected) armbars and recoveries, choke entries, some guard passes and certain sweeps (including hip bump, helicopter reverse basic, reverse hooking) with a heavy bag.
I’ve worked out quite a few techs I can drill solo without the bag, and I made a grappling dummy as well out of an old steamer wetsuit, hooded sweatshort, old gi and LOTS of rags.
A lot of this stuff was just common sense I worked out myself due to being rather more rabid about grappling than most of my WC training partners. Or maybe it was my choice of deodorant … 
Thanks for the advice and ideas!
One question..
Switch mount to sidemount
I thought the mount was a superiour grapling position? So why would you practice moving from mount to side mount ? (if thats the case)
Honestly?
I find the mount FAR more difficult to maintain than side control. Side control and north south also have the wonderful, added benefit of knees to the head.
FWIW, heavy bags are great to work on power and on moving and throwing down. The bad news is that if that’s all you use you may develop a tendency to throw off balance shots, as the bag “stops” you from falling over.
Merryprankster is correct.
It is much easier, on average, to hold down someone you have in side control, than in mount, mostly because your COG is much lower and you have much closer control over his upper body and arms. Mount is supreme for straight punching on a supine opponent, but you can strike from side control as well, better with knees and elbows. Overall side control is a much safer and easier to maintain position with more options.
BTW, “sidemount” means different things to different people. Many use it to describe what the BJJ org I belong to calls side control, viz. you are on one side of the guy, who is supine, controlling him with your chest on his.
What we call sidemount is a variation of the mount, used when the guy turns on his side from his back - you move to have one heel in front of his stomach, the other knee up behind his head, your body turned sideways, looking straight down at his top shoulder. There’s an obvious armbar, and several good chokes from here. You can also pass his top arm under his head (pak saoing the elbow and grab it with your hand closest to his head for an “arm wrap”, from where you can punch with pretty good impunity, or move to a number of armlocks.
This isn’t as stable a position as side control either - if the guy can get his top knee between your foot in his stomach and himself, he can push you over to the rear, possibly attacking the leg on the way over, or at least force you to change position.
The bag stood on its end isn’t bad for practising certain takedowns, most notably the low single to the inside.
What we call sidemount is a variation of the mount, used when the guy turns on his side from his back - you move to have one heel in front of his stomach, the other knee up behind his head, your body turned sideways, looking straight down at his top shoulder. There’s an obvious armbar, and several good chokes from here. You can also pass his top arm under his head (pak saoing the elbow and grab it with your hand closest to his head for an “arm wrap”, from where you can punch with pretty good impunity, or move to a number of armlocks.
Ah! We call this “fatboy,” because if somebody is too big to mount properly, this is a good position.
I personally use fatboy over mount, anyway.
The one advantage mount has is that a person unfamiliar with groundfighting frequently just turns over, giving you their back. A natural response when somebody is playing patty-cakes on your face.
Pounding somebody from the top in half-guard is also good.
The bag is also good for backarch throws (Not to be outdone by anerlich, so there!)
Not to be outdone by anerlich, so there!)
MP, I can’t see myself outdoing you in grappling/groundfighting knowledge anytime soon. Appreciate your input.
i choose “E”, “All of the above”
that’s my final answer.