Smash the pads or 50% power?

[Diego Sanchez C]

Hi

I have this question going around in my head for a few years. I haven't been able to find really an answer. How much power should put behind your strikes while hitting pads? I trained for very long time in Thailand, there I was training to blow up the pads and bags as much as I could...:)...I red John Wayne Parr had the same idea about hitting pads. He used to train trying to break trainer arms every time

I see a lot of videos of guys hitting like 50 or less power, also hitting soft pads, Fairtex, even mitts...

Was I totally wrong training that way? Are we suposed to hit softer, and because of language barrier I didn't realized it? I guess both could be right and wrong :)

Thanks for he answers

BR

[Kevin von Duuglas-Ittu]

On 1/23/2025 at 8:33 PM, Diego Sanchez C said:

Hi

I have this question going around in my head for a few years. I haven't been able to find really an answer. How much power should put behind your strikes while hitting pads? I trained for very long time in Thailand, there I was training to blow up the pads and bags as much as I could...:)...I red John Wayne Parr had the same idea about hitting pads. He used to train trying to break trainer arms every time

I see a lot of videos of guys hitting like 50 or less power, also hitting soft pads, Fairtex, even mitts...

Was I totally wrong training that way? Are we suposed to hit softer, and because of language barrier I didn't realized it? I guess both could be right and wrong

Thanks for he answers

BR

There are two schools of thought on this. Padholding is now used, often, to teach techniques, but in Thailand's past it was much more of conditioning, rhythm-making training mechanism. Kaensak said it was used to "charge the battery". One reason why it could work in that way was because the kaimuay was full of training many other aspects of fighting, including lots of play-sparring, and timing building training.

A better approach, given that kaimuay training has been somewhat lost to the sport, is to use padwork to build your own sense of control and rhythm taking, turning padwork much more into a dialogue. But...this takes an advanced, experienced padholder, usually a former experienced stadium fighter, who can work in that way. You want to build and change intensities, work at different distances, etc. One of the most important (and neglected) things in fighting is control over distance, and varying tempo/intensity. When you have a good padman, these things can be work with.

[Diego Sanchez C]

Thank you Kevin for your response. It's interesting to hear Kaensak saidthat training on the pads was like charging batteries...as I remember it as the complete opposite finishing the 3rd round of 6 minutes with no strength at all, ie dead battery. hahaha...of course I never got to be in a physical state like these historical fighters. Maybe that's the big difference Hey thanks for continuing to watch and analyze the world of muay thai in thailand. Your and Sylvie's analysis of the fights have been very revealing, almost like deciphering a language or something like that. Great job! I wish you all the best!
 

[Bannorkbannork]

I allways hit the pads full power to completely exhaust myself unless my coach tells me to take the power out and focus on technique! Sometimes if I’m doing something like  teeps and knees  we will switch to the bag and he will hold it instead of me smashing him full blast in the belly pad loads of times 

[SJC74]

I train out in Thailand and tend to do 5-7 rounds on the pads. Even though I'm now too old to fight, I kind of treat it as such. The first couple of rounds are lighter, to warm up, get my technique and rhythm going. Then I'll blast a few in the middle, full power. Later ones, I may mix it up- focusing on technique and correcting what I did just before, speeding up to test them at 100%. The final one will be full-on, to push my cardio again- drain the battery before it charges overnight..!

[Kevin von Duuglas-Ittu]

On 1/28/2025 at 3:57 PM, Diego Sanchez C said:

Thank you Kevin for your response. It's interesting to hear Kaensak saidthat training on the pads was like charging batteries...as I remember it as the complete opposite finishing the 3rd round of 6 minutes with no strength at all, ie dead battery. hahaha...of course I never got to be in a physical state like these historical fighters. Maybe that's the big difference Hey thanks for continuing to watch and analyze the world of muay thai in thailand. Your and Sylvie's analysis of the fights have been very revealing, almost like deciphering a language or something like that. Great job! I wish you all the best!
 

I believe he meant "charging the battery" as in conditioning you to be strong for an up coming fight, ie, you wouldn't do pads like that unless you were ramping up. But...I'm not entirely sure. I do feel though that he meant it to mean "not to learn techniques, etc"

[Kevin von Duuglas-Ittu]

On 1/28/2025 at 3:57 PM, Diego Sanchez C said:

Thank you Kevin for your response. It's interesting to hear Kaensak saidthat training on the pads was like charging batteries...as I remember it as the complete opposite finishing the 3rd round of 6 minutes with no strength at all, ie dead battery. hahaha...of course I never got to be in a physical state like these historical fighters. Maybe that's the big difference Hey thanks for continuing to watch and analyze the world of muay thai in thailand. Your and Sylvie's analysis of the fights have been very revealing, almost like deciphering a language or something like that. Great job! I wish you all the best!
 

Here are some thoughts I had today regarding padwork which made me think about your question. It doesn't connect directly to your question, but it does open up thinking about padwork in different ways. (Also, thank you for your kind words - I realize that I neglected thanking you as it means a lot when people learn these deeper qualities, can feel that "language" element, and its bothered me that I didn't respond to what you said). If you click the top banner of the below you'll be taken to it. It is somewhat advanced stuff though, not easy to do or get to, but it does open up different ideas about what padwork is for, and what you can get out of it.