Snap and Recoil

• It may be tempting to hurl your fist or foot into the heavy bag with all your might just to see how hard you can hit it. Don't. Bags may not hit back, but they are not soft either. Undisciplined striking will put your hands, feet and joints at risk. Approach the bag as if it were an actual opponent. Maintain your guard with your hands held high. Snap the jab into the bag and quickly recoil your arm back to your guard. Do the same with the hook and the cross. After snapping out the roundhouse kick, pull back the leg at the knee before replacing your foot on the floor. You can throw the front kick by either snapping the knee or thrusting the hip forward, but never leave your leg hanging out in midair (holding that "Karate Kid" crane pose will get your leg destroyed in an actual fight). Recoiling from your strikes will speed up your combinations, and the speed you develop will soon translate into power.
  
  

Circling

• As demonstrated on the Haryana Kickboxing website, circling the bag while delivering your strikes enhances your footwork and allows you to strike using different angles. You would not stand flatfooted directly in front of a human opponent. Bounce on your toes and shuffle around the bag. When you strike, the bag moves---and you should move as well. Slide to the side and strike from another angle. Move in and slip back out. You may find that your strikes lose power when you don't "set down," but when you deliver several quick strikes at various heights, you can finish your combination with a power shot. This exercise not only develops your hand/eye coordination, but it helps you work up a great sweat.
  
  

Evading and Counterstriking

• To practice evading oncoming attacks, swing the bag and then move laterally to avoid it. Don't move too far out of the way or you won't be able to counterstrike. Move within your own striking distance. Begin by swinging the bag straight back and forth, and then try spinning it so that it swings at you in a circle. Don't chase the bag around. Counter kick or punch when it comes to you. When you strike, the bag will change directions, so be ready to move, hold your hands up and keep your eyes open. Try to deliver combinations before the bag gets away. Don't worry about power. Just see how many strikes you can throw before the bag either swings out of range or comes to a stop.