punch speed

[Killer Miller]

Bushido man, I never said to lift an heavy object fast. I said that "breating matches your contraction." If you are lifting something heavy, you, of course, are going to breath and lift slower. Now, doing a "clean jerk" with weights, then the fast breathing does apply.

Now running, this falls into the category of doing combinations in kumite. You match your breathing to match a series of movements. Are you trying to tell me that if you run and don't breath you won't pass out before long??? I'm sure that's not what you are saying. And when running you want to pick up the pace for the finish line that you won't breath faster??? I'm also sure that's not what you are saying.

It's the same thing in kumite. You can breath fast for one technique, or you can time your breathing (fast or slow) for a series of techniques. But you still use the breathing timing concept from the time you step into the ring until you leave the ring...

- Killer -

[obiwansbane]

yes and BM agrees with this... all he is saying is that timing your breathing perfectly will improve you, yes, but there is still room for improvement and getting even faster... this comes from training everything that we have said, and then incorporating it with your breathing timing... this will in the end lead to a faster punch than just breathing... as you have trained yourself to go faster than before and then on top of it add the extra speed that breathing will allow for

[Killer Miller]

I'm afraid I disagree with stating that you can be faster than you can breathe ObiWan. I know this not to be true as a fact of my training and experience. This is a concept that is not widly taught in the general populas of MA. However, it is one of the most important concepts to be taught for just about "all" aspects of Karate - including speed...

I wouldn't have put it out there for discussion unless I thought it was a key factor.

Once learning this concept, you will find that all things just seem to naturally come together faster, stronger, and with far more stability and control. If this is one of the primary concepts of training for world champions, then why not for the rest...

- Killer -

[Simo]

that is true but ive found when you take them off... all of your technique goes out the door... the seemingly weightlessness of your arms do not let you realise that you are using bad technique... thats at least what ive seen when i tried it myself... i dont know if its happened to others

In order to counter-act this response, you need to spend periods of time working without them. I have used dumbells to do punching combinations, much with the same results that these gloves would give, and it does not make my technique bad. You just have to remember to train without them, too, to let your body adapt and grow.

i have also done the same as BM96 by using light dumbbells! THey work great! And like BM96 said u have to train without them so it evens!

[Simo]

Both of you are missing the entire point. Fast twitch muscle use is a "minor" issue in the big picture. Breathing timing is a much larger issue of development. Unless someone has mental retardation or a physical disability, their fast twitch muscles are more that sufficient for 95% of situations. Also, you are never to be so close to an oponent as to where use or reliance of fast twitch is necessary.

Everything of karate is based on development of your technique timing and understanding your oponent's timing to execute a technique. "Breathing Timing" is the development of this concept to understand syncing your muscle movement with your breathing. This concepts starts when your first approach your oponent until you leave the situation. Muscle movement without synced breathing is like having two rubber-bands as muscles pulling different directions - thus, no movement except for the rubber-band that has the greater force. If you relax one of the rubber-bands, the force or movement will move that direction without oposing force. The same thing happens with prober breathing timing - your punching action is started/executed with the exhalation of the lower diagphram contracting the muscles naturally and stop when you stop your exhale - the Kiai! The faster you exhale, the faster the muscle contraction for the punch.

So when you pick up your oponent's breathing timing of technique, which can happen in a nano second with practice, your learned responses naturally react and executes a punch (or any other technique). You exhale from the lower diagphram and execute the technique. It happens very quickly... It is not an issue of of an "unlearned" use of a fast twitch muscle response. And trust me, there is a lot more time to make that decision than what is preceived as the process being.

Finally, executing muscles for a punch without proper breathing timing will cause the upper body muscles to contract prior to breathing and actually restricts blood flow to your brain and entire body - thus, unclear thoughts to react to a situation and can also make you light-headed or dizzy in the process.

- Killer -

I understand what you gettin at, also to add to this when breathing out, it also relaxes your whole body and drops ur centre of gravity allowing for hips to also excute when punching.

As for BM9 when he says its not always possible to breath out on a technique, try breathing out on every technique the body nautraly allows for air to come in. Well thats what my belifs are and thats how ive been traind.

Though for different martial arts there are different understandings how to excute punches/ kick/ breathing etc etc

anyways thts my 2 cents

[bushido_man96]

Are you trying to tell me that if you run and don't breath you won't pass out before long??? I'm sure that's not what you are saying. And when running you want to pick up the pace for the finish line that you won't breath faster??? I'm also sure that's not what you are saying.

Reread my post. I never said that you hold your breath while running. I have said that breathing is important. What I was saying is that while you are running distance, you need to keep a constant breathing pattern, not a rapid breating pattern.