Well I figured I'd go here for this questions, I mean this is where Taison lurks, right? Anyway, I want supah-speeeeeed in my hands. Everyone always recommends those bruce lee articles, but I want to know what an MT person would do about this.

no expert here, but ive been doing resistance training (i.e. shadow boxing in a pool, and punching with restraining bands) and once youve done the workout for a bit, you get out of the pool/lose the band and shadow box for awhile and you feel like ur hands are flying...seems to be working a little bit...just a thought...but i think practice practice practice will help

I've been punching with bands as well..and afterwards it feels like I throw them to fast for me to control, but I mean in the long term. Or maybe doing this will gradually build my hand speed?

Correctly timing punches also appears as speed to opponents, so id reccomend using a speed bag to improve speed and timing.

Ah, thanks for the input. Something I also wondered.. have any of you hit "speed plateaus?"

In MT, the way to practice building up punching speed are plentiful.

Resistance is what I recommend. Stand in a pool and punch as fast as you can, try it everyday if you like.

Holding some heavy objects like a rock would also be an additional weight. Try do some shadow boxing with this.

Always try to regulate between resistance and free-weight. Although you get faster punches, your technique may take a hit or it will all be speed, no power behind the punches.

-Taison out

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I mean this is where Taison lurks, right?

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Hahaha, this makes me sound as if I'm some type of "vampire" "lurking" in the "ever mysterious topic" known to many as "Muay Thai Forum".

-Taison out

If you got a weight in your hand you should be hitting something, not throwing into air. Your elboes won't like you if you spend a lot of time punching air with weights...

Anyways, one of the biggest things most people can do to improve hand speed is to clean up there technique, a lot of speed can get lost through wasted movement.

Here's a drill you can try to develop the right muscles and speed:

Get someone to hold a pair of focus mits for you. Throw 50 jabs into one of them as fast as you can with good form. Now throw 50 into each alternating sides as fast as you can. Now partner moves mits into a low/high position and agains throw 50 into each with good form. Switch leads, repeat with other hand.

Another thing to look at is basic rythym drills, alternate right / left stay relaxed and throw from the legs. Cross - Hook, Jab- Uppercut, hook-uppercut, etc. Don't look at speed at first, just rythym and shifting your weight properly, minimize arm movements. Work up the speed as you get the feel for it.

Another thing you could try is to push the sandbag up a bit and then try hold it there for as long as possible using only punches. It's harder than it sounds.

As for weights in the hands. The elbows won't like it but still, you can get injured wrists with weights in your hand when you punch the sandbag [The body isn't used to additional weights in the fist plus the fist won't be clenched properly]. It's a lose-lose situation, so, decide which one you want, bad elbows or bad wrists.

-Taison out

Ok, some sensible advice I got from my boxing mate.

Usually, in a KB match you spar with a 14 oz glove, right? Change to 16 oz.

Practice on bringing your hand back into the guard faster after you punch. My boxing coach once told me that it should be brought back at least as fast as you shoot it out there. I later read some Bruce Lee teachings that said, it should be going at 50 mph and coming back at 100.

Now, the big issue is here: If you do this you will more then likely be lacking power and just have speed..this is "good" if you're going for points but in the big picture of reality it's a waste.

So basically, if you focus too much on speed, your technique will take a hit and your punches will have less power. Don't forget, power is a must in boxing. Take this away, why not go do TKD and forget punching.

-Taison out