speed fighting

[buddy]

any of you guys who do sport karate or any form of fighting know effective ways of improving speed when fighting, i find that i sometimes get outpunched and cant kick quickly enough from on the spot, and the only way i can carry off a kick is after a combination

[Nick_UKWC]

What kind of kicks are you having trouble with?

 

I expect someone else will be able to give you more specific, better advice but I would say practise what you are having trouble with as much as possible and while you practise think about the speed of your technique as much as possible.

 

Don't let it get sloppy, just always be trying to get your technique done right, but that little bit faster than last time.

[buddy]

its not really that my technique is not good, i can kick at an average speed, but want to be able to increase the speed of my mawash or uramawash so that it can be used like a punch

[ShotokanKid]

Try this... have a heavy bag and close your eyes. Have someone pull the bag back and say NOW or something when they release it. You'll quickly learn to get your kicks up and out fast.

[Kempohands]

A good way to build kicking speed is to stretch. The more flexible your legs are the quicker your kicks will be. Also, practice chambering your leg repeatedly as fast as you can for a set amount of time. The speed of a kick depends on how fast the leg is prepared; the extension is easy, chambering the knee (for mid to high kicks) is what slows people down (from the little I've seen at least).

 

Hope this helps

[fangshi]

A good way to build kicking speed is to stretch. The more flexible your legs are the quicker your kicks will be.

 

Agreed . Also balance is important. Try training at various speeds ranging from very fast to very slow . The flexability , strength and balance gained from slow training can be very helpful. Works on improoving technique too.

[Killer Miller]

Speed in Kicking, or any other technique, is purely related to one's "breathing timing." Now granted you must have a reasonable development of general MA technique and muscle development to carry out the action, but once past that it's all relative to breathing. Breathing is like you body's timer or clock for all body actions. The faster you breathe the faster you move, the slower you breathe the slower you move. "Breathing Timing" is to match your breathing with your body movements.

 

For example, you start off relaxed. You decide to kick, which BTW is not really a thought but a reaction, you rapidly exhale to contract body muscles to kick in the process - the faster you exhale, the faster you kick. Thus improving reaction timing. Are there some with faster reactions, sure. But with developing breathing timing to your highest ability you will be much faster than the general percentages of MA...

 

- Killer -

[buddy]

cheers for that people, btw is chambering the leg lifting the knee to the chest?

[aefibird]

Try practicng kicking using resistance bands/elastics. If you can learn to kick quickly with a resistance band around your leg, then you'll be even faster without it!

 

 

 

I agree with wtKempostudent - stretching and flexibility are important. When I first started karate it was my lack of flexibility (I'm as naturaly flexible as a brick! ) that held me back at first. Since I began karate, stretching is the one area that I've tried to practice on a regular basis. Being more flexible has really helped my kicking speed.

[buddy]

thanks ill try that, but would it be advisable to train with ankle weights or would that cause too much pressure on the joints?

 

also im pretty flexible at the moment, can kick above my head with a mawash, but how felxible is felxible, do i have to be able to do the splits or am i trying to stretch the wrong muscles?