Over the years, mixed martial arts has increased in popularity and that has lead to an increase in use for the free standing heavy bag. When compared to traditional hanging heavy bags, they have a lot of benefits. Even boxing studios have discovered these benefits and only the boxing purists scoff when they see this type of boxing bag at a boxing school.
One of the big benefits this type of bag has over the older hanging boxing bag is the additional striking surface area. This is vital to those practicing mixed martial arts because punches are used along with knee strikes and kicks. A well designed free standing bag will accommodate all of these attacks much better than a hanging bag.
Even a double mounted hanging bag will sway quite a bit if kicked, which is the second advantage of the standing bag. A free standing heavy bag weighs quite a bit more than even the heaviest hanging bag. A water filled standing bag weighs around two hundred and seventy pounds and can easily weight more if filled with sand, as many are. This gives a much more stable bag to punch and kick.
To lessen the movement, a free standing heavy bag relies on extra padding which helps to cushion the blow and prevent swaying. The feel can still be altered though. For example, fill your bag with stand (as opposed to water) to get a more firm and substantial feel. Many boxing gyms have both types of bags available for you to choose from; you can test out both the sand filled and water filled bags to determine which one provides you with the best results and fewest movements.
Also, freestanding bags are more portable than hanging bags. A small karate dojo, for instance, can have these lined up on the walls and will only roll them out to the middle of the gym when needed. A free standing bag is also ideal when you do not have enough space needed for a wall mount or a ceiling mount.
Another advantage of the standing bag is cost. Because the end user simply puts water or sand into the bag, the amount of materials needed to produce each unit is dramatically lower than most of the hanging bags. You will also find less labor is needed, which also results in saved money. Most of the labor of a hanging boxing bag is in the sewing of the pieces together by hand. Because of the design of most standing bags, there is much less hand sewing need.
Finally, you also save money on the cost of shipping. Because it is shipped as a bulky but incredibly lightweight item, the shipping is much less than that of a typical heavy bag. Plus, due to their size and weights, some retailers limit their delivery locations. Many more destinations can be reached by a standing bag.
For most people, a free standing heavy bag is a good choice and a wise investment. Between the cost, space saving design and the fact that multiple styles can use them they become increasingly popular at not only sparring centers but even gyms.
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October 21, 2009
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