Portland Thai Boxing : Focus On Fundamentals : Shadowboxing

Portland Thai Boxing: Hello to everyone in the state of Oregon, the Portland area and the rest of the entire world that’s interested in learning more about being a good martial artist!  So, the last blog post I introduced a hugely and I MEAN YUGELY important concept that helps you get way better at Muay Thai or Western Boxing: and that is the importance of Shadowboxing or doing Shadow Muay Thai, for the sake of the article we will call both ‘shadowboxing’

So, yeah we understandand now that  it is a very important thing to do, but why though?

One of the most important reasons shadowboxing is so important is because it focuses on specific movement patterns . If I had to choose between jumping rope and shadowboxing, I would say shadowboxing was a more meaningful warmup

It elevates your heart rate similar to running but being a good runner is not going to help you out in the ring. Sure, people gas and I know what you’re thinking. But being a good marathon runner is not going to win you any cage fights. Shadowboxing gets you used to the muscle memory.

Visualization is another powerful tool that is under-utilized in the gym, in the fight camps, and in shadowboxing. Picture yourself squaring off with your opponent. That creates mental pathways in your brain that you are practicing your movements in an adversarial context. It helps you mentally prepare for a fight, and also helps you strategize for your gameplan.

If you are an aspiring fighter, if you only take away one thing from this blogpost; let it be this: that the type of fighter that you are in the gym is the type of fighter that you are in the ring. Shadowboxing exposes bad techniques. The MIRROR DOES NOT LIE: YOU ARE PROBABLY DROPPING YOUR HANDS.

“What? Nah, I’m not dropping my hands.”

“Bro, I am gonna go ahead and say you were dropping your hands a lot.”

“Really? Man I thought that I was keeping them up the whole time….”

Just know, that these are the types of conversations that happen all the time between the coaches at our school and the guys that are seriously training for fights.

Portland Thai Boxing: Again, shadowboxing allows us to feel what good technique feels like. It helps you to go inside yourself and tap into your own fighter psychology. What’s that person like? Are you sure that your technique is rock solid? Technique wins fights, not brute strength.

So, don’t go in there and wing it. Train like a pro. Pros shadowbox. They do it for a reason. The only thing that actually matters in a fight is the muscle memory you’ve developed, especially your first couple fights.

So my recommendation is to shadowbox at the beginning and the ending of your sessions. It will make you a better fighter, and is a strong predictor of your success in the ring.

BTW guys we offer a free 30 day trial, so make sure to check us out. You can try us out for free! It’s a great way to see if Muay Thai is a good fit for you with no risk!