Looking for suggestions or help re: my pad holding above

[MadelineGrace]

So I’m 5’2” 118lbs ( female) and started Muay Thai 8 months ago. I want to see if you all have insight or advise to make me better at pad holding or even insight as to the reason. ( body size/strength/relative inexperience ????? and so on)

this happens when I hold pads for people better And stronger than I:

either we go slower and I think I can provide a decently solid pad for them to punch as well as I ‘ meet them’  with the pads to provide resistance or whatever you call it. 

Or - especially if they want to go faster -  I try soooo hard but i can tell and feel my pads are ‘ wobbly’    

Know what I mean?

Like not ‘sturdy’ and strong for them to land punches on, there’s sometimes a bit of a wobble to it. I mentioned it to my partner yesterday and she said ‘ yes, I can feel that so I'm not hitting as hard’  ( she is much more advanced and good. And younger than I  - ie late 20s) that bums me out. 

( incidently she recently commented out of the blue  that I look strong . I’m middle aged , was never an athlete , but I’m trying to get some Sara Conner arms ie from the terminator movie) I strength train with a trainer  2 x a week w/out fail for the past 14 months!  I work out 6 days a week. Occasionally 2 x. I do Muay Thai no less than 3x a week. Starting to go more often.

So for you experienced people or trainers  out there- what is the deal with my ‘wobbly armed pad holding’ when I’m with more advanced people or else men or some women who are stronger that I and punch harder?

I mean - sometimes the pads are awkward to hold and after many drills maybe a bit of arm or wrist or hand fatigue occurs. They get a bit ‘ heavier’ to hold after many drills.

is it just going to take time and maybe in a year I’ll be better and in 2 years even better yet? Or am I just a small not-so-youngish female and .... it’s slways going to be hard ???

the new men don’t have this problem, I don’t think. Even if they are middle aged like me they are just physically bigger and stronger. 

( Sylvie - or anyone else-  if you read this: way way back when you started - did you struggle to hold pads well for advanced people? Youre obviously extremely experienced now and train like a beast- but let’s say you hold pads for Kru Nu’s Son or some other young male fighter- is it even hard for you? 

 

Im trying to understand it. To see if I can fix it. ( I suspect there’s no quick fix) 

What makes it hard is I’m a conscientious person- so I truely want to be a good partner and not fail whoever I’m paired up with . I’d rather be paired with a crappy partner than be the  crappy partner.  

 

To end on a positive note- my classes overall have been going well and have been very fun!!!   

 

 

[Oliver]

How much does your partner weigh?

Having someone the same weight or no more than 20lb heavier might help. Maybe partner with a smaller guy who is like 135 or something, or even a teenager. Might feel better than another girl who's upwards of 160.

My old training partner had 45lb on me so this brings back memories, you're def right that it's a weight issue. Forearms and ribs always killed when taking kicks on pads, and you're always worried that you're holding wrong and your partner isn't able to go as strong as they could.

[MadelineGrace]

2 hours ago, Oliver said:

 and you're always worried that you're holding wrong and your partner isn't able to go as strong as they could.

yes!!!!!!!!!! ( whenever I’m with a person bigger and more advanced than I) which isn’t infrequently!!

[Matty]

On 11/7/2019 at 10:14 AM, MadelineGrace said:

I truely want to be a good partner and not fail whoever I’m paired up with

I commend you for your desire to be a worthy partner. I feel the same way about this.

Majority of my pad holding experience is with a partner that weighs 40 lbs more than me. And whenever there's a bigger weight difference than that, I have to be really diligent with holding, no day dreaming. Here are some ideas that helped me:

- turn your shoulder in to meet the punch as opposed to just moving your arm (similar to you throwing a cross at the same time). This was the big one for me to make sure I don't injured my shoulder. Also, it feels really solid and good for the person hitting.

- stand with a solid base, like your fighting stance, with feet apart and knee bent

- mirror the footwork of the combo. I mean, your partner would be taking a small step forward with every punch, so you would take a small step backwards while receiving each of those punches

- tuck elbows into your body when holding for kicks and sink your weight down. If the kick is too hard and throws you back, don't be afraid of it. Just know that it's going to throw you back will make your feet move with it, so you won't fall.

- breathe out as you receive the punch. I think it helps you generate more force to meet the punch/kick. The impact don't affect you as much.

I guess a lot of these are the same for if you are hitting... Which makes sense, as the things you do when hitting, like breathing out, turning your shoulders, having a string base, are meant to put you in a strong position. 

I remember being really driven to hold well when I first found a partner to do pads with. I wanted to make sure it was worthwhile for my partner. Sometimes I meet training partners that are demanding of having good partners (always asking their partners for favours and help) but don't value the other side of it which is being a good partner. I think the effort you put in to holding pads is beneficial to both you and your partner. Your partner would get a good pad session to improve their skills, and you would get stronger as you regularly meet heavy punches. Your distancing and ability to see punches and react improves from holding pads too.  It's awesome that you consider your pad holding skills.

Edited November 23, 2019 by Matty
Added more ideas

[MadelineGrace]

6 hours ago, Matty said:

I commend you for your desire to be a worthy partner. I feel the same way about this.

Majority of my pad holding experience is with a partner that weighs 40 lbs more than me. And whenever there's a bigger weight difference than that, I have to be really diligent with holding, no day dreaming. Here are some ideas that helped me:

- turn your shoulder in to meet the punch as opposed to just moving your arm (similar to you throwing a cross at the same time). This was the big one for me to make sure I don't injured my shoulder. Also, it feels really solid and good for the person hitting.

- stand with a solid base, like your fighting stance, with feet apart and knee bent

- mirror the footwork of the combo. I mean, your partner would be taking a small step forward with every punch, so you would take a small step backwards while receiving each of those punches

- tuck elbows into your body when holding for kicks and sink your weight down. If the kick is too hard and throws you back, don't be afraid of it. Just know that it's going to throw you back will make your feet move with it, so you won't fall.

- breathe out as you receive the punch. I think it helps you generate more force to meet the punch/kick. The impact don't affect you as much.

I guess a lot of these are the same for if you are hitting... Which makes sense, as the things you do when hitting, like breathing out, turning your shoulders, having a string base, are meant to put you in a strong position. 

I remember being really driven to hold well when I first found a partner to do pads with. I wanted to make sure it was worthwhile for my partner. Sometimes I meet training partners that are demanding of having good partners (always asking their partners for favours and help) but don't value the other side of it which is being a good partner. I think the effort you put in to holding pads is beneficial to both you and your partner. Your partner would get a good pad session to improve their skills, and you would get stronger as you regularly meet heavy punches. Your distancing and ability to see punches and react improves from holding pads too.  It's awesome that you consider your pad holding skills.

Thanks for your suggestions and ‘ getting it’  These are all good tips. Going to re-read and put into practice. 

[JasonL]

i believe you aware some pad holder trainer make "rhythmic" noises. I found it somewhat relieving though when i did it and now become a nature of me~

[QueenOfHell]

Hello there! We are similar in weight/size and I have the same issue, often. I'm 5' 1", 125 lbs, 30years old...

I've been training for over 2 years now, and some things that have helped me improve in this area are having a solid/sturdy footing (already mentioned), and resistance from my arms (not my wrist). I find when I hold through my arms instead of my wrists, there's more stability and strength to resist their punch/kick/knee/etc.

The other thing I've been exploring is which pads I use. Some of the pads in my gym have thicker handles, some of the pads are so worn in the handle is no longer sturdy enough (enter wrist support problems), some of the pads don't have straps that get tight enough around my (smaller) arms, and some of the pads are just awkward for me to hold because my hands are smaller than average. So I started exploring the different pads we have, and have found a few "go to" sets that I feel fit my body a little better and have little features that just seem to work better for me than other pads.