D_Raven

I stand by my statement. Free weights increase the risk of injury to the elbow, especially with speed training. The more weight a student uses the harder it is to stop a technique before full extension. With elastics there is resistance which helps to reduce the risk of hyperextension. Hyperextension injuiries in the legs can lead to a torn meniscus, dislocated knee cap, and torn ligaments and in te earms can lead to dislocation and torn ligaments. Ultimately a student can become injured doing something as simple as a side kick if they don't pivot properly. My point is that as instructors we want to do our best to make sure our students stay healthy by using training methods that reduce the risk of injury. You can enver eliminate the risk of injury due to the nature of the sport, but we do want to reduce it.

Using weights on your wrists or in your hands can cause hyperextension of the elbow, so I wouldn't advise using that strategy. Reducing risk of injury needs to be be at the front of your mind when doing martial arts. You can purchase elastics that you can attach to a wall or a pillar and you can use those to provide resistance without the risk of hyperextension that you have with free weights. The key to increasing your speed is to fatigue your muscles and still try to increase your speed with each technique. Practice practice practice.