| The free standing heavy bag has become increasingly | | | | water filled and the more advanced students the sand |
| common as mixed martial arts have become popular. | | | | filled to keep it from moving when it is struck. |
| These bags offer a number of benefits over a | | | | Another advantage of the standing bag is that it is |
| hanging heavy bag. Even boxing studios have | | | | somewhat portable. A small karate dojo, for instance, |
| discovered these benefits and only the boxing purists | | | | can have these lined up on the walls and will only roll |
| scoff when they see this type of boxing bag at a | | | | them out to the middle of the gym when needed. |
| boxing school. | | | | When there is not enough space for a permanent |
| One of the big benefits this type of bag has over the | | | | mount of a hanging bag, the standing bag becomes |
| older hanging boxing bag is the additional striking | | | | the obvious choice. |
| surface area. For the mixed martial arts crowd, this is | | | | Another advantage of the standing bag is cost. |
| critical as punches are often combined with kicks and | | | | Because the end user simply puts water or sand into |
| knee strikes. A well designed free standing bag will | | | | the bag, the amount of materials needed to produce |
| accommodate all of these attacks much better than a | | | | each unit is dramatically lower than most of the |
| hanging bag. | | | | hanging bags. The amount of labor to build one is |
| Even a double mounted hanging bag will sway quite a | | | | dramatically less as well. Most of the labor of a |
| bit if kicked, which is the second advantage of the | | | | hanging boxing bag is in the sewing of the pieces |
| standing bag. A free standing heavy bag weighs quite | | | | together by hand. Because of the design of most |
| a bit more than even the heaviest hanging bag. A | | | | standing bags, there is much less hand sewing need. |
| water filled standing bag weighs around two hundred | | | | Finally, the purchaser of a standing bag also saves on |
| and seventy pounds and can easily weight more if | | | | shipping. Because it is shipped as a bulky but incredibly |
| filled with sand, as many are. This gives a much more | | | | lightweight item, the shipping is much less than that of a |
| stable bag to punch and kick. | | | | typical heavy bag. Many of the heavy bags have |
| To counteract the lack of movement, the padding on | | | | shipping limits as to where they can be shipped. Many |
| these bags is designed to cushion the blow quite a bit | | | | more destinations can be reached by a standing bag. |
| more than a hanging bag. The feel can still be altered | | | | A free standing heavy bag makes sense for more |
| though. A bag filled with sand will feel quite a bit more | | | | and more people. Between the cost, space saving |
| substantial than that same bag filled with water. The | | | | design and the fact that multiple styles can use them |
| individual school may even have a few of each, giving | | | | they become increasingly popular at not only sparring |
| the less experienced strikers a chance to use the | | | | centers but even gyms. |