Helpful Hints for the Beginning Striker and Kicker
For those of you who may be throwing punches and kicks for the first time in your lives, please remember a few simple things to keep your introduction to Krav Maga techniques as safe and injury free as possible. Remember to start off gradually, because getting injured is counterproductive to both your personal fitness and Krav Maga goals. You can't train at 100 percent if you are hurt. A few other points to keep in mind:
Start out your punch routines with shadowboxing.
Once you feel comfortable with the technique and your performance, make light contact to a flexible target such as a striking shield or focus mitts.
Slowly work your way up to the heavy bag.
Pay attention to the point of contact, making sure that your range is good and that you are not going to injure yourself once you begin making contact to a target.
When delivering a strike, you want to make sure that you make contact at the sweet spot. This means that you are at the proper distance from your target (not coming up short or jamming your attack) and are making contact at the most powerful point of your attack.
It simply can't be stressed enough — do not just let your hands fly when you are throwing punches at a target. This is imperative! Remember the proper punching technique and be aware that the position of your hand and points of contact in these punches are a certain way for a very good reason: to prevent you from breaking your hands! Don't get lazy with the form of your punches. You might end up paying for your laziness with a sprained or broken hand or wrist.
