Hitting/Striking Harder

[KarateGirl1387]

Does anyone have any good tips on how I could execute my kicks and punches harder? (Particularly in sparring and when doing pad drills.) I'm 5'2" and 115 lbs. and I lift from time to time, but not as often as I'd like to, though I know you don't need to be the strongest person in order to hit hard. This has been bothering me for awhile, considering the fact I'll be receiving my black belt soon and whenever I feel like I'm hitting my hardest, my instructor just tells me that I need to hit a lot harder.

[cathal]

That may be a motivational technique to see how far he can push you to hit harder. My suggestion would be to workout with a bag and gloves, or a makiwara if you feel up to it.

[Meguro]

If you're going to be a black belt soon, I'd think you'd want to take a more serious approach to your strength training instead of a "time to time"

approach. If weight training is too much of a hassle, consider bodyweight training. At the very minimum squats, sit-ups and push-ups. You can get more aggressive with bodyweight training as your strength improves, I'm also a big advocate of heavy bag training. You can build a lot of speed and power working the heavy bag. What ever you do, make it a routine instead of time to time.

Good luck.

[TigerDude]

Heavy Bag.

A Wavemaster will do as well in a pinch if you don't mind it walking all over the floor as you hit it.

[bushido_man96]

To get more power, increase your speed. This will help with your power. The equation for power is: Power = 1/2 Mass x Velocity squared.

Therefore, increasing speed will exponentially increase your power, whereas increasing size will not increase power to nearly the same proportion. I am not saying that you should not increase your size and strenght, but I am saying that power is a direct result of speed.

Get the books Speed Training and Fighting Power written by Loren W. Christensen. These books include invaluable training material that will benefit your speed and power training.

[Meguro]

To get more power, increase your speed. This will help with your power. The equation for power is: Power = 1/2 Mass x Velocity squared.

There's a saying among boxers and highway patrolmen: speed kills.

[bushido_man96]

To get more power, increase your speed. This will help with your power. The equation for power is: Power = 1/2 Mass x Velocity squared.

There's a saying among boxers and highway patrolmen: speed kills.

And it is true!

[elbows_and_knees]

my only issue with emphasizing only speed is that we are human, not machines. a speeding ferrari can produce tremendous power. A speeding punch, not so much. This is why you will never see a lightweight box a heavyweight in the ring. The smaller guy is generally faster, but still could not generate enough force to KO the bigger guy. However, with more mass behind that speed, you have KO artists like tyson and dempsey.

[elbows_and_knees]

I know this sounds obvious, but the best way to improve your strikes is to strike. Hit the heavy bag at least 3 rounds per day. this will also help to build your shoulders, which are important in punching.

train your speed and pick up the weights more often as well.

[ladyj]

Karategirl, does your style teach projection?