Nov 21, 2007
There's this thing that's found in normal everyday martial arts places. It's called BOB, or Body Opponent Bag.
Instead of practicing your punching, kicking, elbowing, and kneeing on a bag (or a real person), you practice on a rubbery dummy that's about 6 feet tall. It's good practice because most people, as it turns out, aren't cylindrical, so punching a bag isn't always very life-like.
In martial arts places that also offer classes for kids, there's a similar thing called Bobby Bully.
It stands about 4 feet tall and has a mean face like a bully. It teaches kids to punch other kids who look mean.
An interesting thing happens at the kickboxing place I go to. Our class is full of grown men and women, mostly in their early- to mid-twenties. At the beginning of each class, we run around the mat in a circle to get our blood flowing. Certain guys, as they run past the Bobby Bully, throw a punch or an elbow just for fun. Since Bobby Bully is rubbery and relatively life-like, his neck bends at an impossible angle when he's punched hard enough. Watching grown men punch a child-sized dummy is hard to explain. If it's done with a serious face, these guys would look like sadistic criminals. Done with a chuckle, it's harmless. Either way, it helps us get ready to punch kids in real life. And that's a skill everyone should have. #sports
![[Image: centurybob.jpg]](http://ddhr.org/img/centurybob.jpg)
In martial arts places that also offer classes for kids, there's a similar thing called Bobby Bully.
![[Image: centurybobby.jpg]](http://ddhr.org/img/centurybobby.jpg)
An interesting thing happens at the kickboxing place I go to. Our class is full of grown men and women, mostly in their early- to mid-twenties. At the beginning of each class, we run around the mat in a circle to get our blood flowing. Certain guys, as they run past the Bobby Bully, throw a punch or an elbow just for fun. Since Bobby Bully is rubbery and relatively life-like, his neck bends at an impossible angle when he's punched hard enough. Watching grown men punch a child-sized dummy is hard to explain. If it's done with a serious face, these guys would look like sadistic criminals. Done with a chuckle, it's harmless. Either way, it helps us get ready to punch kids in real life. And that's a skill everyone should have. #sports