Filling a heavy bag

[jonprc]

hey,
i was shopping around for a 6' thai heavy bag and want to save money and get one unfilled. i was just wondering what i will have to fill it with, because i know those bags definitely arent sand.
any help would be appreciated.
jon

[JIMI]

fill it with old clothes, or go to a thrift store and buy a bunch of junk clothes. then after a little while when they settle, just fill with more. eventually it will get really packed, and it will get harder and harder as you progress. which is good conditioning for your shins, if you kick the same bag forever without filling the bag time after time to increase the stiffness then you really wont progress. good luck. p.s. i have also heard that you can do partial sand and partial clothes, but usually the sand will settle to the bottom. then when you least expect it crack you break your toes or foot. just my 2cents

[jonprc]

awesome. thanks for the tips.
another question, this is my first heavy bag and i was wondering if there was a preferred method to hanging one in your home?
i know it seems like attaching one to a stud would be fine, but with all that kicking there might something more to do.
thanks again.
jon

[mike]

jonprc,

Im not sure where you are hanging your heavy bag, but if you are planing on hanging one in your garaqe and have exposed beams ringside makes a mount for use between two beams for added support.

http://www.ringside.com

[Brian Patrick]

If you do not have a good place to hang your bag, like a garage, then Ringside also sells a heavy bag holder that adjusts up to 7'8". This limits your ability to work only 180 degrees around the bag, but it is better than nothing.

[chalambok]

Master Chai told me....

Okay, first some info: I have trained with Master Chai for 20 years now, in America, Canada and Thailand. It was he who introduced me to the Buddhai Swan (invitation-only at that time) and he always told me the softer the bag the better. Why, because if it hurts your shin you won't kick it as much. And besides, the shins will always hurt because because there is only skin covering bone. His advice to me was to fill the bottom foot with sand and from there up with straw. This has the added benefit of causing you to expend all of your energy pushing the bag because there is no rebound, then you have to pull your leg back, exercising a whole new set of muscles.It used to be tradition in Thailand that a student owned his own bag, and started with a very soft bag, which his khru would fill gradually, say one cup a week of sand. So as his shin got conditioned the bag would get harder. But think how many cups of sand it takes to fill a bag? So you would have to train for 60 years to have a concrete-hard bag, like the one Master Apidej has at the Fairtex Camp. It is so hard he is the only one who will kick it!

[terry]

Chalambok, I know of no 20+ year students of Ajarn Chai that also trained in the Buddhai Sawan other than Steve Wilson. Unless somebody else have moved there it must be you. Correct?

Terry

[chalambok]

yep, it'sme

hi Terry, yes it is I, Steve Wilson. Another person was using my name for awhile but was kind enough to let me have it back. I am very happy to have found this site and from the looks of things it is the best thing going here in the States