Expert: Jack Rose - 1/14/2008

Question
i have recently been training an amateur mma fighter with his boxing skills. other than using weights on his wrists, what other techniques could i use to get his hand speed up? he is 145 lbs and his hands arent nearly as fast as they should be. he also holds a black belt in tang soo do. tang soo do is mainly kick oriented which would explain his inability to throw punches better.
 also, i would like to get certified as a trainer and/or second. how would i go about this?

Answer
Hi Jason,  do things to increase his coordination because speed is all about the mechanics of the punch. That's why its so hard to teach speed, it's usually one of those God given talents. But you can increase his speed. It's not so much things like holding weights as it is that he's simply throwing the punch wrong. It can be frustrating to teach because some people don't have the coordination to get off a quick punch.
So have him work on the speedbag, get a tennis ball and have him bounce it with an open handwhile moving from one marker to another. Get on the handpads and break down the punch piece by piece... part of speed is also jerking it back after contact and not leaving it out there.

Go usaboxing.org and click on membership. Call the location nearest you. You will have to attend a clinic and take a test to become a certified coach. A second is a pro license to work in the corner of pro bouts so you will need to contact the state licensing division and fill out a form. Every state is different so a license is only good for the state you get it in.

best of luck,

jackson