Pad Holding System: Positions, Feeding, and a Body That Lasts

Mat Manual companion guide to "How to Hold Pads Like a Pro." Print it. The article makes the case that holding is a skilled job. This book specifies every holding position strike by strike, builds feeding and round calling as systems, and treats holder safety — shoulders, wrists, elbows, load — as a full curriculum, not a footnote.

Name: ______________________________ Gym: ______________________________ Role focus (holder / striker / both): ______________ Dominant feeding side: ______________ Known joint issues to plan around: ______________

SAFETY, BEFORE ANYTHING ELSE ☐ Holder safety is pass/fail in this book. Pain in a holder's shoulder, wrist, or elbow that is present at the start of a session is reported to the coach before the session, and the setup, pad, or role changes. Nobody holds through reported pain to be a good partner. ☐ Kicks are never taken on focus mitts. The equipment match in Part 1 is a safety rule, not a preference. ☐ A holder may call "reset" at any moment to fix a pad, a strap, or a stance. Strikers stop on the call the way they stop on the bell. ☐ Power is set by the coach for the round and agreed by both partners. A striker who throws above the agreement at a learning holder ends the round. ☐ Loads rotate: no student holds every round of a session in a class setting. The rotation in Part 9 is part of the lesson plan. ☐ Straps, handles, and worn pads are inspected before the session. A pad with a torn strap or a collapsed face is retired from hard work that day.

Part 1: Equipment, Matched to the Strike