Punching Drill for Better Timing in Martial Arts

Want a simple punching drill to help you master timing?

You got it!

In this video, I share one of my favorite punching drills. You can apply it to sparring, self-defense, and even practicing kata or forms.

If the video doesn’t play, there’s a summary below. The time is now… try it!

A Punching Drill for Better Timing

The secret to landing punches, kicks, and takedowns is timing. Not just the timing between you and the bad guy, but the timing between your own hands and feet.

There are three basic timings when throwing a punch or any hand technique. They are—

FOOT > HAND. You step or shift first, then follow with a punch.

FOOT + HAND. You step and punch at the exact same time.

HAND > FOOT. You throw the punch first, then follow with a step.

None of these timings is better than another. Each is different tool for different situations. But you can’t use them if you can’t do them, so here’s a simple drill to practice all three.

STEP 1: Get a bag or something to hit.

Practicing in the air is fine, but to get the most out of this drill, you should hit something. This will make the moment of impact easy to feel and hear.

STEP 2: Add a stomp every time you step.

Again, this will give you solid feedback on the exact moment you shift your weight so you can’t fool yourself or cheat.

STEP 3: Hit it!

Now, all you have to do is listen for the timing of both sounds, the punch and the step. Start off with a slow Foot > Hand. STOMP… PUNCH. Speed up and add power as you go.

Then try Foot and Hand. STOMP/PUNCH. Finish up with PUNCH… STOMP. Try to make your timing as clean and even as possible.

If you’re a traditional martial artist, you can apply the same punching drill to your kata or forms. Simply choose a technique, say a downward block, and practice it three ways: Step > Block, Step + Block, and Block > Step.

Typically, beginners are taught to step first and follow with the hands. This allows students a sense of balance and stability so they will feel confident unloading all of their power.

Later, students might practice throwing the hand first and letting the body follow behind, snapping into a balanced stance. This is a more difficult skill to acquire.

The trick is to lead with the hand, not lean with the hand.

I talked about a similar topic in the video, How To Land More Punches in a Fight, so if you haven’t seen that, check it out.

Is that it?

Nope! When you feel comfortable practicing individual techniques, try a round of shadowboxing. Set the timer for two or three minutes then throw all of your punches and hand techniques with just one timing, say Foot > Hand. Follow up with two more rounds practicing the other two timings.

Same with kata practice. Instead of isolating one movement, pick a kata and practice the entire sequence three times in a row, changing the timing each round.

The funny thing is you’re probably already using all three timings, but might not be aware of it. That’s the problem we’re trying to fix!

The goal of training is to always know exactly what you’re doing so you can set rhythms, break rhythms, and do the right moves at the right times. By increasing your awareness, you will gain more control. By gaining more control, you will have more success.

So, get up and give this punching drill a try. And remember—

Never be afraid of success… be afraid of sucking and dying.