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* Speed Bag Sounds
* Speed Bag Rhythms
 Triplet
Rhythm
Double
Punch
Double
Bounce Rhythms
* Fist Rolling
* Rules of Rhythm
Hitting the Speed bag creates a unique cadence
of accented and unaccented beats as the bag is struck and rebounds
against the board. This sound can be an integral part of the training
experience and tells you what is happening. The accented or loudest
sounds come directly after a fist or elbow strike the bag. The harder
you hit the bag, the louder these accented sounds will be. The unaccented,
or softer beats, are created by the bag swinging freely back and
forth in-between each strike. The longer the bag swings without
being hit, the lower these sounds will be. The bevy of sounds created
by repetitively hitting the bag can be categorized into several
distinctive rhythms
• Triplet
Rhythm. This is the most common rhythm, created by repetitively
hitting the bag after three rebounds. You will see and hear this
during most boxing demonstrations or pre-fight interviews, and it
is probably the easiest for most people to learn. There are three
distinct sounds in this pattern. The first is the loudest when the
bag smacks the board quickly after being hit. The bag then freely
swings to the other side of the board for the next rebound, and
then swings back again for the third rebound, which is the softest.
This puts the bag in the correct position to be hit again, and the
pattern can be repeated. The word “triplet” reflects
the three rebounds. You can count this rhythm as “1-2-3, 1-2-3….”
When done rapidly it is a very pleasing and distinctive sound. Most
people immediately associated this as a speed bag. In fact, this
is often called the “Basic Rhythm”. The most important
feature of the triplet rhythm is understanding that all the punches
on the bag come from the same side, such as punching only from the
front or only from the back. The
triplet rhythm, or three rebounds, occurs between all techniques
that strike the bag from the same side.
Triplet Rhythm picture. Note the bag
takes Three rebounds.
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• Double Punch Rhythm.
This rhythm is created by repetitively hitting the bag with
Double Punches from the same side. You can use several Front
Double Punches (FDP) or several Reverse Double Punches (RDP).
They make the same sound. There are several distinct sounds
in this pattern. The first is the lead fist and second fist
hitting the bag. Both of these are accented and the second
fist is usually a little louder. Then the bag freely swings
to the other side of the board for the next rebound, and
then swings back again for the third rebound, which is the
softest. This puts the bag in the correct position to be
hit again, and the pattern can be repeated. Since the both
fist contacts are accented, it is best to count each as
“one”, since they accented. You can count this
rhythm as “1-1-2-3, 1-1-2-3….”. Click
here for demo of Double Punch Rhythm.
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Double Bounce Rhythm. There is no requirement to always
hit the bag from the same side. You may want to hit the bag
from the front, and then from the back. To do this will create
a totally different sound, and a unique rhythmic pattern called
the double bounce rhythm. This name indicates that there are
only two rebounds between the bag strikes. There are a couple
of distinct variations on this sound depending on how many fists
are involved.
1. Single Fist Pass through. A single accented
pattern created as one fist hits the bag from the front and
the back repetitively. This is a quick sounding rhythm, with
the first “punched” beat being the loudest (accented),
and then one swinging, or unaccented rebound. The bag is then
hit from the other side, so every other beat is accented.
An example would be a Front Circle Punch and then a Reverse
Single Punch. This is distinctively different than the triplet
rhythm, and sounds much faster, because there are only two
rebounds between the fist techniques instead of three. You
can count this rhythm as; “1-2, 1-2….” Click
here for Single Fist Pass through sound.
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2. Double Fist
Pass Through. This is similar to the Single fist
except both fists hit the bag repetitively from opposite sides,
and there is a distinctive double accented sound. You can
also count this rhythm as; “1-1-2, 1-1-2….”
An example would be a Front Double Punch and then a Reverse
Double Punch. This rhythm sounds even faster than the single
fist pass through, because are more accented beats. Note the
position of the elbows. The secret is simply extending your
fists out and back. Click
here for Double Fist Pass through sound.
Picture of single fist pass through
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This is the fastest sounding rhythm because every rebound
is directly off the fist. There are no free swinging rebounds,
and all the sounds are accented. This is creating by quickly
hitting the bag in succession by either a Front or Reverse
Fist Rolling technique. This sounds like a machine gun, and
you can count it as: 1-1-1-1. Click
here for Fist roll sound Demo. |
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These distinctive rhythms
can be used individually, but normally are connected to each
other in a non-stop array of accented and unaccented sounds.
It is easy to hear the stutter in the sound of the double bounce
rhythm in comparison to the triplet rhythm, but the sounds can
quickly run together until the untrained ear is lost.
This is very similar to a drum solo, where the constant connections
of sounds hide the individual sticking rudiments that created
them. Click
for Demo of mixed rhythms... |
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Most people do not hit
the bag only once, but at least two or more times, ( hundreds
of punches in a normal workout). The secret to the various
rhythms can be broken down to three simple rules based on
the direction of the next strike.
Rule 1: If the next punch comes from the
SAME side as the last one did, it must occur on an ODD number
of rebounds. ( 1, 3, 5, etc.) This explains the triplet rhythm,
since three is an odd number. It also explains the Fist Rolling,
which occurs after one rebound.
Rule 2: If the next punch comes for the
OTHER side, then if must occur on an even number of rebounds.
( 2, 4, 6, etc.) This explains the double bounce rhythm. This
rule covers hitting front-to-back and side-to-side.
Rule 3: If the next strike comes from DIFFERENT
side than the last one did, it may occur after an odd or even
number of rebounds. We do not always hit front to back or
side to side, but may hit with a front punch and then a side
punch. Or a reverse punch ( from behind) and then a side punch.
And many of the techniques have two fists or an elbow connecting
the technique. It all happens very quickly. Rule 3 also covers
some of the variations created by the angles of fist entry
and bag rebound. |
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