Cheap but effective punching bag?

AAAhmed46 · Post by **AAAhmed46** » Fri Apr 15, 2005 9:46 pm

Can anyone tell me a brand of punching bag that is cheap but good? Oh and how much does a stand cost?

Harry Cook · Post by **Harry Cook** » Sat Apr 16, 2005 9:44 pm

Why don't you make yourself a punchbag? You can:-
1. Get an old military kitbag and fill it full of sawdust or old clothes. A core of old magazines surrounded by foam rubber or cloth works well.
2. Roll a load of old newspapers into a fairly solid tube, tape that up securely, then tape a layer of padding over that - something like pipe lagging is usually effective.
3. If you have some old baggy jeans or an old boilersuit, cut off the legs, tie one end closed with string, put one leg inside the other and fill the tube full of padding. Tie off the other end once it is full, hang it up and start thumping it.
4. You can use old mailbags to make a very useful punching/kicking bag. If you use three or four bags at the same time you get a good thick cover. You can fill it up with sawdust or whatever. I have a bag in my dojo made from old US mailsacks and it is really good for kicking.
Harry Cook

AAAhmed46 · Post by **AAAhmed46** » Sat Apr 16, 2005 10:02 pm

Thats pretty cool!

But i cant hang it in my garage, is it possible to make a stand?

Harry Cook · Post by **Harry Cook** » Sat Apr 16, 2005 10:27 pm

Yes. If you have a strong wooden beam on the side of the garage, or a brick wall you can buy a kind of tripod affair which fastens to the wall and from which you can hang the bag - usually available from martial arts supply stores. Of course if you know someone with a welder you can make your own.
If you want to make a stand you will need four fairly substantial 'legs' (4x4 are good) about 7ft high. Form a kind of box with sides about 6ft apart, make sure the joints are well formed and braced. Put a strong cross piece over the top and hang the bag from that. You will need to anchor the legs to the ground somehow to prevent them moving when you hit the bag. It is a good idea to hang the bag from a heavy spring to damp down the vibrations caused when you hit it.
You can also hang a speed ball from one end of the stand - I think the old top and bottom ball is better than the modern kind.
Harry Cook

f.Channell · Post by **f.Channell** » Sun Apr 17, 2005 4:39 pm

I recently picked up a 100 lb vinyl bag at a Salvation Army for $25.00 US.
If you have a similiar charity store up in Canada you might find one also.
They are normally $110 or higher.
F.

benzocaine · Post by **benzocaine** » Sun Apr 17, 2005 4:52 pm

I have a Wave master TM that I got at a used sporting goods store for $65 American Dollars. I like it because I can move it into the corner when I am done with it.

MikeK · Post by **MikeK** » Sun Apr 17, 2005 5:09 pm

I have one too and I like it. The wave master has it's strong points and it's weak points.

thumper_wabbit_dammit · Sun Apr 17, 2005 10:56 pm

Have you looked online at sport stores like Academy? I know they have a stand with speed bag and regular bag (70 pound I think) for about $160 US.

2Green · Post by **2Green** » Mon Apr 18, 2005 3:40 am

Hi Ahmed:

I use a 40-lb sandbag suspended by nylon line.
The top is softish, for conditioning and practicing real delivery of punches and elbow-type weapons into a heavy target.

The bottom half is generally too hard to hit but the weight provides mass to anchor the upper part.

These are cheap and readily available. Perhaps if you could vary the height, you could lower it to practice shin-kicking too.

NM

Bruise* Lee · Post by **Bruise* Lee** » Mon Apr 18, 2005 5:38 am

Harry Cook wrote:Why don't you make yourself a punchbag? You can:-
1. Get an old military kitbag and fill it full of sawdust

Sawdust will pack down really hard over time - the bottom of the bag will be more like solid wood than saw dust. Be careful with front up kicks or even more so, toe kicks.

Growing up I almost always had a bag to strike. When I was taking Karate in the 7th grade, I put some sleeping bags in an old duffle bag and set it on a ping pong table and would practice kicking it off. The wood made sure I chambered my leg high enough.

Then I hung it.

Then I bought an old football tackle dummy that was designed to be held by someone. It was the best. it had a wood or some sort of solid inner core, wrapped in cotton. I hung it from the ceiling on a swivel hook. Man, I loved working out on that bag.

Later I bought one of those upright bags that sit on the ground, you fill the base with water. I did not like that one so much. But I use to practice a technique taught in the Uechi Kumite book - called a running punch. I would extend it way up - it was like 6 foot 6 at the highest, and practice running punches on it - kidney punching it in the back as I ran past it for a second punch.

I need a bag to work out on. I am inspired

Stryke · Post by **Stryke** » Mon Apr 18, 2005 5:40 am

A freind of mine did something similar , he cut up a lot of foam and packed a bag ....

Unfortunately he scooped up the knife he used to cut the foam and it went into the bag ....

Fortunately he wasnt seriously cut ... Darwin awards huh

Bill Glasheen · Post by **Bill Glasheen** » Mon Apr 18, 2005 3:37 pm

Bruce Lee once said that boards don't hit back (Enter the Dragon).

I guess that doesn't apply to the bag though...

- Bill

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Mon Apr 18, 2005 11:08 pm

I got a new everlast bag for Christmas from my wife!

I've got a wave master that I don't like but it's headed to the dojo for the light weights to hit. I just knock it over.

I've got a small light leather bag you might enjoy. It's got a hole in it but the duck tape hasn't leaked.

If you need it heavier take some of the filling out and change it to sand.Nice thing about leather bags is you don't leave skin on them like you do with canvas.

I'll bring it to class Wednesday if you like it make me an offer.

Mike Mcquire of rising sun martial arts in
Edmonton should be able to connect you with a bag stand for a reasonable price.

AAAhmed46 · Post by **AAAhmed46** » Tue Apr 19, 2005 5:39 am

Yeah, ill try to work something out with you laird.