Abstract:
An apparatus and method for martial arts training comprise using a resilient cover, and a body material enclosed by the cover, as a striking apparatus. The striking apparatus can be attached to a punching bag to allow a martial arts practitioner to practice different striking techniques in combination by striking the punching bag with horizontal strikes and striking the striking apparatus with vertical strikes.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]     The present Nonprovisional application is related to, and hereby claims priority to and the benefit of, U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/835,565, entitled “Apparatus and Method for Martial Arts Training, Boxing and Physical Training,” filed on Aug. 4, 2006. 
     
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD  
       [0002]     The present invention relates generally to sports and exercise equipment, and more specifically, to martial arts training equipment.  
       DESCRIPTION OF RELATED ART  
       [0003]     Many competitive sports, such as boxing or other martial arts, involve striking an opponent, and require training in physical fitness, coordination, and striking technique. In order to train such skills, a practitioner relies on a regiment of exercises directed at improving one or more of such skills. Exercises previously employed have certain disadvantages, such as the need for the assistance of a trainer or partner, or the need of separate pieces of equipment.  
         [0004]     One such exercise involves the practitioner striking a padded bag. Bags of varying size and configuration have been designed in order to better train a particular striking technique. The result is that a practitioner is limited to training the particular striking technique when using the particular style of bag. Thus, in order to train multiple techniques, the practitioner must acquire multiple styles of bags, which is costly. Furthermore, each style of bag may require a specialized apparatus for its use which requires permanent attachment to a structure. Thus, in order to train various techniques, a large area is required to house the different bags. Even where the bags are designed to minimize the space needed for their use, or are portable such that they do not require a dedicated area, the practitioner must disassemble or rearrange the bags, resulting in wasted time, and preventing the practitioner from training multiple techniques together, or in rapid succession.  
         [0005]     Another exercise involves the practitioner striking pads held by a trainer. This exercise has the advantage that the trainer can move the pads into various positions and orientations in order to allow the practitioner to train multiple techniques together or in rapid succession. Furthermore, this exercise does not require a dedicated area, and only one style of pad need be purchased. It is not always possible or practicable, however, to train multiple striking techniques in this way due to the inconvenience and costs associated with using a trainer. Furthermore, the practitioner is limited by the availability and expertise of the trainer.  
         [0006]     What is needed is a method and apparatus for martial arts training which enables a martial arts practitioner to train multiple different striking techniques together or in rapid succession and provides a solution to the disadvantages of known exercises.  
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0007]     According to a first aspect of the invention, An apparatus for martial arts training comprising a cover comprising at least one sheet, the cover at least partially enclosing a space, a body at least partially disposed in the space and retained in the space by the cover, at least one attachment portion adapted to receive a strap, and at least one strap engaged with the attachment portion such that attaching the strap to a structure provides an attachment force retaining the apparatus in contact with a surface of the structure.  
         [0008]     According to a second aspect of the invention, an apparatus for martial arts training comprising a body adapted to be struck by a martial arts practitioner, the body having a first portion adapted to be struck using a first style of strike and a second portion adapted to be struck using a second style of strike different from the first style, and attachment means for fixedly attaching the body to a structure.  
         [0009]     According to a third aspect of the invention, a method for martial arts training comprising attaching a first body to a second body, the first body being adapted for horizontal striking, the second body being adapted for vertical striking, striking the first body with at least one horizontal strike, and striking the second body with at least one vertical strike, wherein the striking the first body occurs in rapid succession with the striking the second body.  
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0010]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a device according to the invention.  
         [0011]      FIG. 2  is another perspective view of the device illustrating means for attaching the device to a punching bag.  
         [0012]      FIG. 3  is a cross-sectional view of a device according to the invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0013]     In describing preferred embodiments of the present invention illustrated in the Figures, specific terminology is employed for the sake of clarity only. The invention is not intended to be limited to the specific terminology so selected, and it is to be understood that each specific element includes all technical equivalents that operate in a similar or analogous manner to accomplish the same or similar purpose.  
         [0014]     With reference to  FIG. 1 , an apparatus  10  according to the invention is shown having a generally polygonal shape, specifically a truncated pyramidal shape. Alternatively, apparatus  10  can have other shapes including rounded shapes such as semispherical or rounded polygonal shapes, so long as at least a portion of the surface of the shape is adapted to be struck by a martial arts practitioner.  
         [0015]     The apparatus  10  comprises a cover  11 , which in one embodiment comprises a plurality of panels, including a top panel  11   a , a bottom panel  11   b  (not shown) left and right side panels  11   c  and  11   d , respectively, a back panel  11   e  (not shown), and a front panel  11   f . Alternatively, the cover  10  may comprise a unitary cover, comprised of a single sheet. The sheet may be cut and attached at portions to provide the desired shape, or the sheet may be stretched, shrunk, or otherwise formed in the desired shape without seams.  
         [0016]     As shown in  FIG. 1 , each of the plurality of panels is attached to adjoining panels to achieve the desired shape by stitching, adhesive, removable fasteners such as zippers, buttons, or snaps, or a combination thereof.  
         [0017]     The plurality of panels are attached such that the shape formed by the plurality of panels at least partially encloses a space  12  (shown by dashed lines), which may be accessed by detaching at least a portion of one or more panels from adjoining panels.  
         [0018]     A body, or combination of bodies,  20  is disposed at least partially within the space  12  such that the body  20  is retained at least partially in the space  12  when the detached portions of the panel or panels are attached to adjoining panels.  
         [0019]     In an alternative embodiment, the cover is formed integrally with the body either out of the same material as the body material or by applying another material, such as a coating, directly to the outer surface of the body.  
         [0020]     Also shown, in  FIG. 1 , are attachment portions, such as loops  13 , which are securely attached to the cover  11 , for example to at least one of the panels, by secure means, such as stitching, adhesive, or other permanent means. Alternatively, loops  13  may be integrally formed from a portion of the cover  11  or the body  20 . Loops  13  are adapted to engage and retain straps  30  by which the apparatus can be mounted on a structure.  
         [0021]     As shown in  FIG. 2 , a first end  30   a  of strap  30  passes through loops  13  and around an exercise apparatus, such as bag  40 . First end  30   a  is adapted to engage with a second end  30   b  of the strap in an adjustable fashion. In this way, the strap is used to provide an attachment force, retaining the apparatus  10  in close engagement with the bag  40 . First end  30   a  and second end  30   b  can be engaged simply by tying, or by the use of an additional device such as a buckle, a pair of rigid loops, clips, snaps, hook-and-loop fasteners, or other removable and adjustable means.  
         [0022]     With reference to  FIG. 3 , the body  20  comprises a plurality of bodies  20   a  and  20   b , or a plurality of portions of the body corresponding to the plurality of bodies. Body  20   a  is characterized by a lower compressional resistance than the compressional resistance of body  20   b . Thus, the effect is that when the apparatus is struck by a practitioner on a portion of the body  20  corresponding to body  20   a , the practitioner&#39;s hand, for example, is cushioned to prevent injury and allow repeated striking.  
         [0023]     The relatively higher compressional resistance of body  20   b  provides the apparatus with a resilience to mimic the practitioner&#39;s target, and to provide the practitioner an indication of the force of the strike. Body  20   a  can be arranged radially outward of, and encompassing, body  20   b , which is positioned near the center of the space  12 , as shown in  FIG. 3 . In this arrangement, the density of the apparatus  10  can be thought of as greatest at or near the geometrical center of the apparatus, and decreasing as a function of the radial distance from the center. Alternatively, body  20   a  can be arranged adjacent to one or more sides of body  20   b . In such an arrangement the density of apparatus  10  can be thought of as greatest in the direction of the side or sides not adjacent to body  20   a , and increasing as a function of the distance from such sides in the direction of the body  20   b.    
         [0024]     By selective arrangement of the bodies  20   a  and  20   b , the performance characteristics of the apparatus can be tailored for an intended purpose. For example, if a practitioner intends to train an uppercut strike only, body  20   b  need only be disposed adjacent the bottom side of body  20   a . If the practitioner intends to train a backfist strike in addition to an uppercut strike, body  20   b  can be disposed adjacent the left and right sides and the bottom side of body  20   a.    
         [0025]     In addition, body  20   b  can be arranged such that it does not cover a side or sides of body  20   a  that will contact the structure on which the apparatus is mounted. Thus, in the embodiment shown in  FIG. 2 , body  20   b  would not cover the back side of body  20   a . This arrangement allows more rigid attachment of the apparatus  10  to the bag  40 , such that when the practitioner strikes the apparatus, the higher compressional resistance of body  20   a  maintains the apparatus  10  in a more constant orientation relative to bag  40 .  
         [0026]     Bodies  20   a  and  20   b  can be made of the same or similar materials, such as a foam material or an elastic material, or may be made from different materials, such as a rubber or plastic body  20   a  and a foam body  20   b.    
         [0027]     As discussed above, cover  11  can be selected from a material different than bodies  20   a  and  20   b , such as canvas, nylon, vinyl, synthetic or genuine leather, or other suitable material. Preferably the cover  11  is made from a resilient material that resists cuts, scratches, cracks, and tears. In addition, cover  11  is preferably made from a material that is not abrasive so as to injure the practitioner from repeated striking. Alternatively, however, portions of the cover  11  can be made of a more abrasive material, or textured to add abrasiveness, in order to provide better friction attachment of the apparatus  10  to a structure or better friction for proper striking, or to provide “toughening” of the practitioner&#39;s skin from repeated striking when such is desired.  
         [0028]     In one embodiment a single strap  30  is used in conjunction with a single attachment portion, such as loop  13 . In other embodiments two or more straps  30  are used in conjunction with two or more attachment portions, such as loops  13 . When two or more straps are used, it is preferred that the corresponding attachment portions be arranged spatially distant from each other, so as to provide torque resistant attachment of the apparatus  10  to a structure, such as bag  40 . In another alternative embodiment, the ends  30   a  and  30   b  of the straps are attached in a similar manner as described above, but are attached to the structure instead of to another of the ends.  
         [0029]     Having, thus, described exemplary embodiments of the present invention, it should be noted by those skilled in the art that the within disclosures are exemplary only and that various other alternatives, adaptations, and modifications may be made within the scope and spirit of the present invention. Accordingly, the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments as illustrated herein, but is only limited by the following claims.