speed fighting

[Shorin Ryuu]

Never use ankle weights to do kicking at anything other than very slow speeds. It is too hazardous for your joints.

[Skeptic 2004]

Here is something you might want to consider: you don't have to move fast to be fast. Try reducing any unnecessary movement. It doesn't matter how fast you move, unnecessary movement telegraphs your intent. If you telegraph your intent, your opponent will react. I used to think that moving faster than my opponent was the solution - one of my college friends was a boxer and I liked his motto, "Speed kills." However, I learned that even though I moved faster than some of the people I trained with, I had unnecessary movement and telegraphed what I was going to do. My sparring partners still had the opportunity to react.

 

The other suggestions are valid for building speed into your physiology - the breathing-timing one especially holds true. In addition, I think that if you really want to beat someone to the draw, I'd suggest practicing in front of a mirror, observing any unnecessary movement that telegraphs your intent, and eliminating that movement. Just a thought...

[AnonymousOne]

Practise your kicks 1,000 times per day on each leg. Cant do it? Build up to it

 

When I was in Japan in the 80's we have one teacher that was obsessed with the number 1,000 and I hated him for it...

 

I dont now

 

Improvement only comes by high volumes of repetition in various formats.

 

Keep training until you break the muscle down and cant do any more.

 

Keep at it, soon you can do more and then keep training until you break the muscle down again and so on

 

Break the muscles down, Break the muscles down, Break the muscles down, Break the muscles down....

 

Failure leads to success

[1kickKO]

A good thing is to be on your toes, and bouncy...have your legs chambered already, and by that i just mean stay on yoru tiptoes and bounce around while fighting.

[Skeptic 2004]

Bouncing on your toes qualifies as unnecessary movement...

 

Allow me to illustrate. Suppose you and I are squared off to spar, and you start bouncing on your toes (and further suppose that I'm not going to join you). It's human tendency when you're bouncing to establish some kind of rhythm. Before you kick or punch while bouncing, it's also human tendency to break that rhythm. So, all I have to do is watch you break rhythm to know you're going to do something...that qualifies as telegraphing your intent. It won't matter how fast you move or what you do, your breach of rhythm gives me ample warning. A skilled individual will exploit the daylights out of that, moving slower than you, but still hitting you first (I know from experience, being the "bouncer" getting tagged...). Hence, my earlier "You don't have to move fast to be fast."

 

Bouncing on your toes, I understand, gives you that light and floating feeling (I know...I used to be a "bouncer"), but bouncing requires energy that you could be using more efficiently. There are other ways to establish that light and floating feeling without bouncing...I defer to Kiyoshi Arakaki's The Secrets of Okinawan Karate: Essence and Techniques as one way to accomplish this. If you're into the Chinese internal arts (Tai chi/Bagua/Hsing I), there are other ways. And, there are still others I'm sure.

 

I'm also an advocate of stalwart Masutatsu "Mas" Oyama's philosophy of training really, really, really hard. A small part of the light and floating feeling comes from the nimbleness of your limbs, and AnonymousOne's advice of 1000 times practice helps establish this. Like I also stated, beware of unnecessary movement.

 

If you can't already tell, I really don't like the idea of bouncing...(I've still got love for you though, 1kickKO )

[buddy]

cheers for all the advice, ill definately start building up the no. of reps i do a day. but about the idea of not moving when sparing, although it would save energy, it would be easier to sweep someone when they are standing still as both feet planted on the ground. as well as this when bouncing it is easier to remove the front leg from a sweep, whereas when still both feet have weight evenly distributed. also why does everyone at competitions including international ones bounce?

[Killer Miller]

I don't believe you understand the mechanics of sweeping. If you bounce around with me I could sweep you effortlessly! However, if you are firmly planted with both feet, the last thing I would do is sweep... I might force you off balance and then sweep, but never a direct sweep when you are balanced and planted.

 

Sweeping is a timing issue related to breathing timing of your opponent - inhale/exhale or contraction/relaxation. You sweep your oponent in a relaxed state when they are about to, or comitted to, plant, but are not yet fully planted. With both feet planted it takes quite a bit of effort to unplant them with a sweep. When bouncing and I catch you on your way down to plant (just before you plant), a tiny nudge to your supporting foot/feet is all that is needed to send you to the floor.

 

- Killer -

cheers for all the advice, ill definately start building up the no. of reps i do a day. but about the idea of not moving when sparing, although it would save energy, it would be easier to sweep someone when they are standing still as both feet planted on the ground. as well as this when bouncing it is easier to remove the front leg from a sweep, whereas when still both feet have weight evenly distributed. also why does everyone at competitions including international ones bounce?

[Shorin Ryuu]

There's a difference in terminology between standing still, being rooted, being double-weighted and being efficient.

 

I know Skeptic2004 wasn't implying that you should be stock still no matter what happens. He was saying that unnecessary movement, to include bouncing, is just that, unnecessary.

[searcher]

I also agree with Skeptic 2004 in that you should refine your technique.

 

Also Shorin-ryuu has a very good point with the use of ankle weights, take it very slow. You should do several reps of very slow kicks to build up speed, because contrary to popular belief slow training builds speed.

 

You also need to do strength training like squats and lunges. The added strength will make you faster.

 

As for how flexible is enough? You need to understand that just because you can kick over head high does not mean that you are flexible.

 

Strength+flexibility+technique=speed. A simple formula that works.

[1kickKO]

Skeptic...I agree with what ya said, except a few points I might throw in there. Being bouncy allows you to move from side to side if needed, not just up and down, I can move all 8 corners, west, east, north, south, nw, ne, sw, and se in a matter of a split second...but if I were to stand still, sure I could do the same thing but not as fast. As for the energy it should be used wisely. I know this does use up much energy, however it's all got to do with your aerobic level. If you're not in very good aerobic shape, sure it's gonna wear you out in a matter of a minute, but after doing it for so long you don't feel it a bit. But, you SHOULD use it wisely. When I'm nobody's advancing or attacking I'll still myself and plant my feet on the ground, but if you come at me boy I'm on my toes. It's like a bullfighter, you come at me and I'll be moving side to side and ya might walk right past me...

 

As for sweeping, sure you could sweep me when I come down but more than likely I'll either 1. jump over your foot, or two just jump back. Dodging techniques is easier than people think, as is fighting. Fighting is the easiest game in the world...all you have to do to get away from a technique is move back ro side to side, but people don't realize that. But it's right there. I'm a big sweeper myself, and I love sweeping techniques, so I guess that's also to an advantage because I know what to look for, but you've got a great point, not everybody can see a full fledges sweep coming and might get swept on your feet. If people base out, that's a great time to sweep for me, I would rather sweep somebody based than somebody bouncing. if you're based I know your balance is the direction your face is pointing, and if I break that, by even making a slight movement to the side, I'm making sure you're going down, as for bouncy fighters, I don't know what to expect from them. So I hate sweeping bouncy fighters, not saying it can't be done, quite the contrary..but for me it's way harder. You can also sweep if somebody throws a kick, as soon as you see that leg come down take it from under them. As for rhythm, when I bounce, I don't just keep my hands up and bounce up and down, I move all around you, side to side, forward, backwards, I like to confuse my opponents...When I move around liek that if you come in for a punch I'm bouncing to your side and attacking. I also throw my hands out and move 'em around a bit (sort of swaying) and I move around, I stomp and throw feints, and I look for mistakes, and when I see one I exploit it. You made some great points on bouncing, but I think it all comes down to the fighter whether or not they feel like being a bouncy fighter. But for me it fits and it helps me with my speed...guess it's all personal preference. Thanks for the great post.