Yes, alot of boxers chew gum constantly for that reason. Besides bridging, you can also do Muay Thai neck wrestling drills. This really works the neck muscles and the upper back muscles that support them.
Another drill that others have mentioned here and which I agree is an awesome drill is to tie the ends of a towel to a dumbell, say 20-25lbs. Clench the loop of the towel between your teeth and do neck raises. This works your jaw AND neck!
Khun Kao
Also, the lower jaw connects to an area near the back/side of the skull. A solid punch on the button transmits force along the jaw into the area where the jaw connects to the skull. This part of the brain (just inside the concave area at the top of the back of your neck) isn't very well protected and controls certain sensory functions. I can't remember the name of this part of the brain (I studied A-level biology years ago), but I think that's also why blows to the back of the head are illegal in boxing.
A good exercise to work the front and side of the neck to resist punches, is to lie of your back in a sit-up position but with your hands by your side. Then lift your head 1/2 inches off the ground. Then rotate your head looking left then right. Do not rest your head for 50 reps. Then do 50 reps from chin to chest before 50 ear to shoulders. The first few times you do this is a real killer and shockingly painful the following day!!! Go for it!!!
Khun Kao, thanks, it makes much more sense now
i heard that chewing gum strengthens your jaw, is that true? what else besides bridging can you do to strenghten your neck?
You have to consider what a KO actually is. Its a concussion injury. What causes a concussion? Its when the head is moved so violently that the brain crashes against the inside of the skull, causing it to bruise. When that happens, your brain temporarily shuts off and you're out cold, KO'ed.
The brain is suspended in some fluid to prevent this from happening. The brain fluid prevents the brain from slamming into the side of your skull on most impacts, but the reason why a solid shot to the chin is so effective is because it is what I refer to as a "Pivot Point". Move the chin and the head will follow. The only other point of the skull that compares is the base of the skull. The next closest (but not anywhere near as close) would be the temples. Almost any other shot to the skull is easily absorbed by the neck and shoulders, providing person getting punched has their guard up and chin tucked.
A solid shot to the chin not only moves the whole skull, but whips it. Concussions/KO's can also be thought of in the same manner as whiplash. Because the skull gets moved so suddenly and so violently, the brain does not actually keep up with the movement of the skull, therefore slamming into the side of it.
Ta Da! Knockout!
This is why it is SO important to develop a powerful neck, and to learn to hold your guard correctly. The more powerful your neck is, the more powerful of a blow you can absorb to the head without being KO'd.
A proper guard is the other part of it. The shoulders should be up supporting the neck and protecting the sides of the chin, and the chin should be tucked into your chest. This stabilizes your head and makes sure that the chin is a much more difficult target. Even if someone manages to snake a punch in past your guard to your chin, your chin has nowhere to move. That way, your head doesn't move and you don't get KO'd.
However, you can still get KO'd with a good guard and your head not moving much! This is because a good shot to the jaw can cause the jawbone to slam backwards into the base of the skull which ends up starting the chain of events mentioned above which results in a KO. Doing jaw strengthening exercises and having a GOOD mouthpiece (Wipps or Shok Doktor) will protect you from this kind of KO.
Khun Kao
im not knowledgle in these matters, so i just need someone to explain,
how come when one gets hit, really hard on the chin, they knocked out easily, in comparison to getting hit on the head.
awesome tips guys, thanks so much
I've heard different things about the aforementioned neck bridge exercise. On the one hand, the detractors say that this exercise can be dangerous, compressing the vertebrae and possibly causing neck damage. On the other hand, just about every high school and collegiate wrestling program makes use of it. Still others take a middle path, suggesting this exercise for those who already have decent neck strength.
My girlfriend is an ACE personal trainer, and while looking through a catalog of hers, I found a weight harness for strengthening the neck. It's basically a goofy-looking piece of headgear with a strap in the front that can hold a weight plate. I think it costs around $30 or so. This would probably be a good way to build up neck strength safely. I understand that front-to-back and shoulder-to-shoulder movements are fine, but to avoid "rolling the neck" due to possible injury. Still, there is conflicting information, so do your own research before beginning.
The WIPPS mouthpiece and "jaw joint protector" claims to prevent the jaw from slamming into the base of the brain, thus lowering chance of KO. Does it do this? Don't know, but it is the mouth guard used by the Olympic Tae Kwon Do team, and I believe also endorsed by the ADA.
I think its another one for the archives!
Yours,
Beev
There are also several nerves that run through the Jaw and the upper maxilla. Getting these jarred basically will shortcircut the brain. If you have ever seen a fighter go down and out even though the punch looked like it only grazed the jaw, that's a nerve KO. Think about how your arm feels when you "whack your funny bone" (this has nothing to do with KK's rocket!) which is the Ulnar nerve that runs through the groove in your elbow. That "electric feeling" that zaps your arm, is the same thing that hits your brain and out you go, nitey nite!
just wonderin, cause i couldnt really tell when watching it
like when liddel ko'd mezger
or mezger ko'ing inoue??