Help needed

[monkeygirl]

Actually, I think staying light on your feet (and therefore being on the balls of your feet) is better for your punches than your kicks. If you can move quickly, you can quickly and easily get in range for punching.

 

For kicking, it all depends on my mood. If i'm fighting defensively, I prefer to hang with all of my weight on my back leg (flat-footed), and have my front foot barely touching the floor. This puts my hip in a good position for a roundhouse or sidekick with my front leg, which is usually the only leg I kick with. If i'm fighting offensively, my weight is more centered and I'm on the balls of my feet, so I'll probably lead with some punches before I move on to kicks.

 

As for improving your speed: weights help a lot. Improving the strength of the muscle makes it easier to perform simple tasks. The easier it is, the faster you can move. Just make sure that you practice some speed drills throughout your weight training. I say this because I think muscles can slow you down if you don't train them to be fast as they grow.