Improve Punching and Kicking Power.

[Jiffy]

Thanks for the extra tips Jiffy .

You don't know about any secret MA classes here in Ceduna do you?

Toby.

Nope, sorry Toby, I don't know anyone in that area. If you happen to drop into adelaide though, drop into a class and introduce yourself! Feel free to have a train with us too!

https://www.aacd.info

[NthDegree]

power in strikes comes from technique more than muscle. IMO. but I still have the habit of relying too much on upper body strength as oppossed to proper rooting/sinking and gamaku/koshi. .... working on it.

[cleung]

Once more strength is there from say weight training, he's got to do something to increase speed which is where power comes from. Just strength alone does not always result in more power in strikes. This is why sometimes we see big muscle guys not able to hit as hard as some smaller guys. Learning when to contract muscles during the execution of strikes will be important here. Also don't forget that mind focus will also have a part on power of strikes.

[karate kid 1]

use weights im currently lifting 3 sets of 30 kilos

[NthDegree]

I agree cleung, speed and kime are important as well.

[Toby]

ooo ilike that one jiffy i like your workout toby hope u do mind if i try it out

You're right mate, go for it... hope it helps.

Nope, sorry Toby, I don't know anyone in that area. If you happen to drop into adelaide though, drop into a class and introduce yourself! Feel free to have a train with us too!

Thanks for the offrer Jiffy, might just take you up on it

And thanks to everyone else for the advice.

[Semper Jab]

I think that it'd help your training if every other day mix up that daily regiment and put focus on stamina, put in some roadwork and run decent mileage.

[SatyagrahaKF]

Try extinguishing a candle with your punches. Land your fist about 5-7 inches away from the flame. It is exhausting!

[TaeKwonDo Afficianado]

I totally agree, technique comes first, but it can only go so far before you perfect it. (and hopefully you do perfect it!)

Thats when working out and lifting weight comes in.

One cool thing I do sometimes, is to try kata, or forms, and do every move while holding a 5 lb weight in each hand (10 or 15 if you are strong enough, or maybe even more). Granted, you can't really make a punching fist, but try it and see what happens.

You can also try this while wearing ankle weights, this way you are learning your kata better, and build some muscle and endurance ability.

all the best,

Tom

[shogeri]

Power does not equal muscle strength!

For instance, in bowling, someone who can bench-press hundreds of pounds isn't necessarily going to be the best bowler. I am not that strong, nor am I a good bowler. A decent one perhaps. If throwing the ball hard would always knock down 10 pins, I wouldn't stand a chance. With bowling, and with Martial Arts, it comes down to balancing finesse with strength, yielding with guiding, emptiness with fullness, and so on.

True power is a reflection of structure and or form. Both skeletal and muscular. The more balanced, and the more relaxed and flexible you are, the more power that will be exhibited. That also means that more muscle groups will be involved in a particular situation, rather than just one set of muscles.

Speed-Strength

You may have heard this kind of strength referred to as "power" (p = fd/t).

There Are Two Components Of Speed-Strength:

1) Starting strength

 

2) Explosive strength

"Speed-strength" is how well you apply force with speed. It's importance in power-lifting cannot be overemphasized, as this kind of movement is what it takes to stimulate your fast-twitch muscle fibers to respond.

Starting Strength

Starting strength means your ability to instantaneously "turn on" as many muscle fibers (muscle cells) as possible. Firing a 100 mph fastball requires tremendous starting strength. So does each football in a 100 meter sprint, or throwing a quick knockout punch in boxing.

Both a pitchers fastball and a knockout punch are examples of starting strength.

For power lifters, it's critical in breaking the inertia of the ponderous weight being hoisted before ATP is depleted (well within two seconds during all-out muscle contraction).

Explosive Strength

Once your muscle fibers are turned on, your ability to LEAVE them turned on for a measurable period is referred to as "explosiveness." A football lineman pushing his opponent, or a shot putter "putting" the shot as far as possible are examples of explosive strength in action. Olympic-style weightlifting (snatch and clean & jerk) is perhaps the best example of maximum explosive strength in action.

~ excerpted from an article at http://www.bodybuilding.com

Basically too much endurance training, that doesn't include explosive strength training can hinder one's gain in strength and ultimately their power.

As Martial Artists we must employ both starting and explosive strength.

When it comes to bag training, no matter which type of bag is used, bag training is remains a primary training device for all types of kicking and punching martial arts. When used properly, heavy bag training increases strength, power, speed, and endurance and helps develop sparring skills when a sparring partner is unavailable. However, if used improperly, heavy bag training may lead to bad techniques, bad habits, or even injury.

Benefits

Hitting a heavy bag is nothing like a real fight since the bag has limited movement and does not fight back.

The bag does, however, help develop kicks and strikes in ways that cannot be attained any other way unless you know someone that will move around and let you kick and punch them with full power techniques for hours on end.

The movements used when kicking and striking a heavy bag help develop gross motor skills, which are simple, large muscle actions that form the base for any technique. Impact training helps develop a "hit attitude" where a person is willing to hit and be hit.

The impacts help you gauge the power of specific techniques. The impact reaction forces help increase bone density, toughen the joints, and strengthen the muscular structure of the body.

Another way of developing flexibility and to add 'snap' to your kicks is to stretch using the cable-loop method. Attach a pulley to the ceiling or a heavy door frame, then thread a rope through it. Make a round loop at the end, big enough for you foot, and then hoist your leg up and hold it for a about two minutes. Do this with a front, side and back kick position. This also, aids in balance as well. Every week, one attempts to further the stretch, and of course stretches in between during the week.

Kicking {or punching} hundreds of times a day, also helps develop power.

View your body as one unit, and begin to tie all the components together, rather than breaking them down into neat little packages, and keeping them there.

Because of training, philosophy and methodology, many have found startling differences between the external arts, and the internal arts in regards to striking power, and whether or not it is a) a single unit of power, or b) one that is more dynamic, and explosive in nature. Most internal arts lean toward 'b" since it is representative of the internal application of the martial arts.

These are just some of my thoughts, and the thoughts of others on this topic. Others may vary.

Good Luck!