How do I improve my speed?

[drunkenmonkey blackbelt]

Hey. I look at these martial arts movies like old Bruce Lee movies and think wow he's was fast. I've always wanted to move quike but be very powerful. I was wandering if any one could give me some suggestions. I want to be able to deliver very fast and powerful punches and kicks. I hope some one could help me out.

[cathal]

Something about movies is that the fighters have many chances, many takes to perfect the choreography. In that practice they get the chance to perfect their speed because they know where their opponents are at all times.

That said the idea for speed would be to practice a great deal and push yourself.

[parkerlineage]

Commiting muscle motion to muscle memory, and then drilling it over and over and over and over until it's reflexive, then working on making it even faster reflexively.

Or get a camera and use an editing program to speed yourself up (I'M NOT SAYING BRUCE LEE WAS SPED UP SO PLEASE DON'T YELL AT ME )

[Fairfax_Uechi]

Hey. I look at these martial arts movies like old Bruce Lee movies and think wow he's was fast. I've always wanted to move quike but be very powerful. I was wandering if any one could give me some suggestions. I want to be able to deliver very fast and powerful punches and kicks. I hope some one could help me out.

You want to be really fast? Then GO SLOW! Practice your techniques AS SLOW AS YOU POSSIBLY CAN. Learn to do them PERFECT. The practice them slow until your mind hurt, then do a few sets a little faster, gradually going until it's as fast as you can humanly go. Then keep work your way down to slow motion again. You will accomplish several things by doing this. First you well develop good technique. Next, you will develop the muscle memory that the other posters talked about, finally YOU WILL develop speed. And you'd be suprised how quickly it works.

[Shotokan-kez]

Our sensei always says worry about technique first and concentrate on speed after.

[Brandon Fisher]

also do hojo undo excercises such on teh nigiri game and Chishi. You can get a modern version of this at https://www.bushipower.com. Works very well.

[ps1]

Hey. I look at these martial arts movies like old Bruce Lee movies and think wow he's was fast. I've always wanted to move quike but be very powerful. I was wandering if any one could give me some suggestions. I want to be able to deliver very fast and powerful punches and kicks. I hope some one could help me out.

As a general rule...it's never a good thing to base your level of skill upon what you see being done in movies.

If you have excellent technique, then begin to add speed. Technique + Speed = power!

However, you must be honest with yourself. If you start moving more quickly and can feel your technique slipping...slow back down. You must keep this balance. Foresaking technique just to move fast is creates poopoo techniques that will be of no use to you.

I realize I have basically reitterated what the others said. It can't be said enough.

[ps1]

Oh yeah...focus on one technique at a time. Then small combinations, then larger ones. Crawl...Walk...Jog...then Run. Know what I mean?

[Shui Tora]

There is no point in running before you can walk...

Practice all techniques first, no matter what speed they are at... No good doing them at high speed when you do not know the techniques, ya?

Tehcnique always comes first; then speed, then power...

[bushido_man96]

Everyone so far has some very good ideas here. Two things you can read to help you: Speed Training, by Loren W. Christensen, and the article Speed!, listed here in the articles forum, by USCMAAI. They both address some of the very important aspects of speed training.