A Principle of Training: Power in Hitting

[bushido_man96]

Well written. Very Bruce Lee-esque. I particularly agree with your aspect of conditioning the body (an aspect that I tend to fall short in).

[Maxma]

Excellent article, with excellent replies.

One question though:

How much power is truly required? Obviously, power is something that everyone needs, and can always improve (as with every aspect of martial arts), how much do you need?

You don't need the power to punch through a brick when you hit someone in the throat. When you gouge someone's eye, you don't need to hit with the force of a mule.

Let's face it, the key aspect of training is to win. Of course, there are spiritual aspects, but the original purpose of martial arts was to kill. We should train to end the fight as quickly as possible, with least harm to ourselves; that's common sense.

So the ability to kick a 70 lbs punching back hard enough to strain the chains supporting it, or the ability to punch through 10 concrete blocks doesn't impress me much. Noone's throat is that tough, although many times it seems as though their heads are that dense.

[TigerDude]

If you fight someone who knows what they are doing they will keep their chin down & you will not get a throat shot.

More power is good.

[Maxma]

I used throat as an example. There are many soft targets that will put an enemy down without requiring large amounts of power: eyes, groin, inside thighs, side of the knees, "kidney shots," temple (if you can hit it), clavicle, tip of the sternum, diaphragm, base of the skull or neck (or anywhere on the neck, really)...

Not to mention various pressure points and joint locks that will make you forget why you wanted to fight in the first place. In chin na we call it "pain compliance."

My point that i was trying to make was that power is not the omega factor. You must have the knowledge of what to use, when.

To quote the movie Braveheart - "It is our wits that make us men."

[Martial_Artist]

How much power is needed? As much as you (individually) can generate is about as much as you need.

Is it always necessary to strike with that much power? Maybe not, but, you should be capable of being able to strike with as much power as you, individually, can muster. You don't know when you might need it.

I frequently teach trying to end the fight with every strike you use. If it works on the first strike then excellent. If not, then you know with every strike you're throwing, you're trying to end the fight.

This obviously doesn't apply to strikes not meant to hit, i.e. feigns, set-ups, &c.

But it does apply to every strike you intend to make contact with your opponent.

This is not easy to train for. In fact, it's very tedious. I like to use a heavy bag, XXL floor bag, and beat on it as fast and as hard as I can until I can no longer throw a punch. I'm not working specific technique, but building the muscular endurance needed to strike with power and speed multiple times.

Then, taking this endurance, I work on my technique through sparring.

Hope this helps. I'll add more if needed. I'm out of time right now. I'm being called to something else.

MA.

[bushido_man96]

Very good point, MA.

[wadorue1]

hi all,

what age is one at his peak for speed after training year in year out?what age do you slow down?my sensi says its not speed that one requires but timing?which i believe is also correct when i think about it!!!as sensi says a young man can jump and dance around an older opponent with speed and throw high kicks and spin kicks!but!if you can get your timing right to counter attack the opponents actions" then you will have the upper hand"!also sensi says go forward when fighting rather than retreat,which again if you think about it its common sense cus then you are not giving your opponent time to adjust his his legs to kick or his arms to trigger punches..well sensi would probably explain better than i am trying to do?hope it makes. sense..lol

[wadorue1]

By the way the reason i am interested in speed training & more so what age do you tend to slow down is i am 49 years of age and 50 in may 2008,i reckon i am fast for my age especially in punching but! my kicking has much to be desired as my flxibilty is pathetic!i try very hard to increase my flexibilty(legs) but been told even though i am at the age i am that i can still and (will) increase my flexibilty in time(time will tell) is ther anyone out there at my age who can verify that?as i am a realist!!mind you i will go as far to say in the two years ive been back training i have notice a slight increase in my flexibity but i put that down to my weight loss i was 15 stone now i am a trim 12 stone and well toned.i look forward for a good reply!!!

[wadorue1]

by the way in the above article i said back at training WELL!i first started training at 16 years of age for a year! then i didnt train again until i was 26 years of age i trained for 7 years solid but my flexibility even then was pathetic and at 5`5" i could have done much better in training if i could have increased my failing flexibility?oh well.BUT!hopefully i will now go the full way to DAN GRADE i started back training again two years ago just over 47 years of age after a 16 year break in training & i just want to say to all you older ones out there just go back or start training even if you have never done martial arts before AS i am living proof that age is no barrier i am now the proud wearer of my first brown belt that i graded for last december(2007)! YES I KNOW IVE A LONG LONG WAY TO GO!!! BUT!BOY IT MAKES ME FEEL SO GOOD & ALIVE AGAIN!!! I CAN NOT EXPLAIN IT? AS WE ALL HAVE OUR OWN LIVES AND PROBLEMS TO OVERCOME!!!BUT GOING BACK TO MARTIAL ARTS WAS THE BEST RELEASE IN LIFE FOR ME (MAYBE YOU TOO)?SO GOOD LUCK ON THE PATH YOU ALL CHOOSE.

[yingampyang]

That was a very good article.