- This topic has 9 replies, 6 voices, and was last updated 10 years ago by
.
-
Posts
-
Hello, I’m new here, but not to Krav. I’m a level 2 practitioner with an odd question that I couldn’t find an answer for with Google or on these forums:
Whenever I train with either the large kick pad or a tombstone pad on the chest with a partner punching it (or other strikes) I end up with this terrible soreness in my back/ribcage, such that it hurts to laugh or cough (sneezes are bad too) for a couple few days. (why not focus mits or thai pads for strikes instead? :o) )
This seems to be the reality, so the question is two part:
1. I’ve recently come back after a layoff and can’t remember whether or not this is a temporary thing based on a lack of conditioning of this very Krav specific requirement. Anyone else experience this and have thoughts on whether or not it is temporary?
2. I have been thinking about ways to alleviate/prevent this – if it is the strikes to the chest (through the pad) compressing the ribcage, will bracing with a full breath help or am I better served with a breath out at each strike (absorbing the force) (the latter has been what I’ve been trying and it hasn’t worked well). OR – since the pain is mostly on the back and ribs (not the sternum and ribs where the punches are actually landing) could this be caused by the torso being snapped back with each punch (quick slight spinal compression) and if so, could tightening the abs at each punch to prevent from being bent backward be a better choice for mitigating the nasty soreness?Kind of a long post (sorry), but this has been a problem – I love the bruises, muscle soreness, intensity and general flow of Krav, but this one thing (painful laughter for days) has been close to a deal breaker and any help would be appreciated.
Re: Crazy pad related soreness help request
I don’t know is this is relevant, but I’ll float it out there anyway.
I once cracked a rib. I had a weird feeling in my chest though for some time after the rib itself has stopped hurting. After some investigation it turned out to be blood acidosis. This arose because I’d been breathing somewhat shallowly whilst the rib was healing. This caused the acidosis, which affected my breathing, which exacerbated the problem, which caused the chest tightness etc.
Maybe it’s something like that?
Re: Crazy pad related soreness help request
quote MunkayDude:Whenever I train with either the large kick pad or a tombstone pad on the chest with a partner punching it (or other strikes) I end up with this terrible soreness in my back/ribcage, such that it hurts to laugh or cough (sneezes are bad too) for a couple few days. (why not focus mits or thai pads for strikes instead? :o) )Seems like the Tombstone to the chest for punch flurries is meant to toughen you up and get you used to getting hit by feeling the impact. But it hurts like hell if you’re not used to it and paired up with someone much bigger, stronger and/or more experienced. I’ve had a broken rib from a fight and it still comes back to haunt me after many years and I don’t like unnecessary impact on my ribs like this. Even with good ribs, I would not want to hold it up to my chest and take punches from someone my size and level, let alone someone much bigger and stronger.
Timing their punch and breath out as it hits you will help absorb the impact. This works especially well for body shots and also trains you to keep breathing.
Doing a lot of situps also tightens up everything in that general area, somewhat, and will help; including having nice abs. So at least 200 full situps a day.
The best way to lessen the impact on your chest and ribs is to meet the punches. Hold it a little away from your chest and time the punches by extending the tombstone towards the punch. The more extension you give it, the lesser the impact onto your chest (to maybe none if it doesn’t come back into your chest at all). But too much and it’s muffling your partner’s power and he may get pissed; but too bad because if you’re hurt, you’re hurt. He can just avoid pairing up with you next time. This works for Thai Pads, Focus mitts, etc. also.
Re: Crazy pad related soreness help request
When using a large kick pad (held vertically), I often angle my upper body a small amount so the pad is centered along a hip bone and one pec. Held like this, I can comfortably keep the pad tight to my body, no matter who is hitting. It presents realistic resistance to my partner and I don’t feel like I’ve had a beating afterward.
Re: Crazy pad related soreness help request
In Class on Sat…the instructor told me not to hold the large kick pad to the side (on my pec) because it creates a “pivot point” for the striker and could cause injury to them. Oh well, that idea won’t work…hopefully this is just a strange conditioning thing and it will just hurt less after a month or so.
Thx for the replies.
Re: Crazy pad related soreness help request
quote MunkayDude:In Class on Sat…the instructor told me not to hold the large kick pad to the side (on my pec) because it creates a “pivot point” for the striker and could cause injury to them. Oh well, that idea won’t work…hopefully this is just a strange conditioning thing and it will just hurt less after a month or so.Thx for the replies.
I wont argue with your instructor, but will say that I have managed to keep the pad solidly braced enough that it doesn’t pivot. You may be able to make small adjustments that change where the bulk of the force is hitting you without destabilizing the pad.
Re: Crazy pad related soreness help request
quote FearTheFighter:The best way to lessen the impact on your chest and ribs is to meet the punches. Hold it a little away from your chest and time the punches by extending the tombstone towards the punch. …. This works for Thai Pads, Focus mitts, etc. also.Holding a tombstone pad is Not the same as holding focus mitts or thai pads – the main difference being that with focus mitts and thai pads you have your hand or arm bracing the pad directly on the other side of where the impact is taking place. When you hold the tombstone with the outside straps, unless you have your chest or some other body part behind the middle portion, there is nothing bracing the pad. Holding the pad away from your body presents a soft, wiggly surface for your partner to hit, increasing the chance that your partner tweaks/injures his/her wrist.
For the vast majority of our students, we tell them to keep the tombstones braced against their upper chests to provide a solid target for their partners to punch and we’ll keep it that way for open hand strikes and hammer fists too (although with those, less chance of tweaking wrists should the tombstone be unbraced). And we teach them it’s ok to “punch out” with the pad against kicks.
When I’m training people small group or one on one, I prefer to use focus mitts and thai pads – way more versatile. That being said, feeding pads is an art form in itself and takes time to learn how to do it well/properly (reducing chance of injury to trainer/trainee and not developing bad habits/training scars). I usually teach how to hold focus mitts/thai pads during instructor school or with more advanced students but for most beginner/intermediate students, tombstones is generally easier and safer.
Re: Crazy pad related soreness help request
quote Don:Holding a tombstone pad is Not the same as holding focus mitts or thai pads – the main difference being that with focus mitts and thai pads you have your hand or arm bracing the pad directly on the other side of where the impact is taking place. When you hold the tombstone with the outside straps, unless you have your chest or some other body part behind the middle portion, there is nothing bracing the pad. Holding the pad away from your body presents a soft, wiggly surface for your partner to hit, increasing the chance that your partner tweaks/injures his/her wrist.For the vast majority of our students, we tell them to keep the tombstones braced against their upper chests to provide a solid target for their partners to punch and we’ll keep it that way for open hand strikes and hammer fists too (although with those, less chance of tweaking wrists should the tombstone be unbraced). And we teach them it’s ok to “punch out” with the pad against kicks.
When I’m training people small group or one on one, I prefer to use focus mitts and thai pads – way more versatile. That being said, feeding pads is an art form in itself and takes time to learn how to do it well/properly (reducing chance of injury to trainer/trainee and not developing bad habits/training scars). I usually teach how to hold focus mitts/thai pads during instructor school or with more advanced students but for most beginner/intermediate students, tombstones is generally easier and safer.
Don – As an instructor, do you ever have any students complain of chest pain after holding pads agaisnt the chest for strikes? (to the questions in the original post)
Re: Crazy pad related soreness help request
Hi MD,
Yes but more discomfort than pain and nothing quite like you’re describing. It almost sounds like to me that you might have some “bruised” or cracked ribs or may have strained/torn some intercostal muscles (but I’m no doctor!).
FWIW, there are days when taking impacts bothers me more than other days too. Some days I’ll go round after round of taking shots with no problems but every now and then the jarring really gets to me right from the first drill – in my upper chest, neck and especially my brain bouncing around from the shocks… probably low physical biorhythm days or maybe that time of the month for me… rofl2
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.
