To develop power, CrossFit Striking’s George Ryan favors two pieces of equipment: resistance bands and the D-Ball.
“The resistance band is not going to develop the power, but what it is going to do, it’s going to help promote proper biomechanics in striking,” he explains.
With the band wrapped around a pole or column at shoulder height and a loop held in the hand, trainees learn how to move their entire bodies and find the proper path of their striking arm.
Next is the D-Ball throw. Pro MMA fighter Neal Abrams demonstrates the drill by firing the ball along a horizontal plane against a wall. Ryan catches it and puts it right back into Abrams’ striking hand for the next rep.
If you still haven’t had enough striking, there’s the ground-and-pound with a heavy bag assuming the role of an opponent. Athletes throw straights, hooks, elbows and knees.
“It’s a great, great finishing drill,” Ryan says. “It really challenges the metabolic system.”
Click here for more information and a list of upcoming CrossFit Striking Trainer Courses.
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Additional reading: Got Striking? by George Ryan, published Dec. 29, 2010.