HANG LOOSE

WEEK OF 8/24/2026

 

Inspired by my trip to California this week, today’s Monday Mindset is about “Hanging Loose.”  Because, you know, California, surfing, etc, right?

But “hanging loose” is actually a really important physical cue in the Soviet Boxing system as well.  Soviet Boxing is a comprehensive martial art — it encompasses not only the physical, sport specific skills of punching, movement, and defense, but also mental and emotional preparation as well.

The Soviet style boxers all share similar characteristics: pendulum foot work (“chelnok”), relaxed limbs, whipping punches, and stoic expressions.  They achieve this through a series of physical and mental cues, one of which is “hanging loose” (ok, well, to be specific it’s actually “hanging heavy” but for all intents and purposes it’s close enough).

Letting the body feel gravity pull on the muscles, and feeling the weight of the muscles in your body sink downwards is a core component of their relaxation technique.  This allows the body to release tension, stay relaxed, and move with more speed.

As an athlete, prior to studying Soviet Style boxing, I practiced a similar technique in-between rounds (both in competition as well as in the gym).  Deep inhalations, and even deeper exhalations, visualizing the outward breath removing the tension and stress from my body.  This would be accompanied by a loosening and “slouching” feeling.

Many of us never realize how much tension we hold in the body at all times, especially during high stress activities like fighting for your life 🙂

Although many of us will never actually step into the ring, this relaxation and recovery technique is effective at all levels of training.  We practice how to exert energy, so why not practice how to recover it?  They are simply two sides of the same coin.  Hang loose!