Goju Ryu newbie, help please!

[kikal0t]

Hi, I have recently started the Goju Ryu style which I'm really enjoying. I just wondered if anybody had any tips for little people!!! As I'm a petite female and find punches quite difficult. The other members of the club can be intimidatingly large, though they are very nice people and I guess if anyone has any advice on how to excel a bit better I'd appreciate it, thanx.[/b]

[P.A.L]

1- first thing is to learn how to align your hand so you wouldn't damage your wrist. ask your sensei and make sure you have the correct technique

2- later you will learn to stay loose and gain speed during the most part of the punching, tighten the muscles right befoe impact

3- don't be afraid, if your technique is correct ,punch hard and aim for 1"-2" behind the soft target but never punch something that can't yield, like a wall or a bad makiwara.

you gotta forget the menality of being a petite female, what doesn't kill you makes you stronger.

you can be either side of this , it's all in your head.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wm5pTLvvtvA

[Neo Dragon]

I agree with PAL. Focus on the techniques themselves rather than your strength and size. Also when practicing on your own do the techniques slowly and check your stances each time. When you get more comfortable then increase your speed without sacrificing tecnique.

[obiwansbane]

i shouldnt be replying from school... but i just had to! punching is intimidating for a lot of girls so dont worry too much about it.. one thin u need to find is a bigger person in ure club that will encourage you to actually hit them and make contact in sparring... this will help build up your confidence about fighting bigger people and u will find that you start to make a lot more contact in sparring as opposed to throwing aimless punches that u know will not be even close to hitting...

once u reach this level of confidence the one thing u should work on is becoming lightning fast and deadly accurate... two things i myself have worked on... (im not a girl but im pretty small 5" 6' 130 pounds) so i can relate somewhat... for me when it comes to body shots in sparring its solar plexus, kidneys or nothing... once u have the aim and speed u will feel that bigger guys and girls, even though they are stronger wont have a chance.... nobody can fight winded.. and even if they still can... they will still be worse for it andallow for u to just repeatedly hit them... thats for a street situation...

in class just use ure speed to deliver the same shot (solar plexus, kidneys, head etc) but then pull ure punch in a snapping motionand go in for another shot... this will wake up a lot of people and see that u can pwn them

good luck and i hope u continue enjoying ure martial arts training

[lordtariel]

There's lots of ways to improve your punching. The biggest one is to relax... make sure you're not putting tension into your shoulders or pulling them up when you're throwing a punch, it's going to bind you up and slow you down. Sometimes it's good to act like your arm is dead weight and you're using your body to throw that weight out there.

Make sure your hip is engaged when punch. The hip is what fires the punch. Without it, it's just your upper body that is throwing the punch... you tire out pretty quick. When you use your hips, your whole body gets involved and you can go a lot longer.

Lastly, make sure your punching in a straight line. Sometimes people tend to arc their punches slightly out to the side when they're punching. Since the shortest distance is a straight line, they're always going to be a bit slower than someone punching straight.

Aside from that, the best way to improve is to practice, practice, practice like everyone else has been saying. It just sometimes takes time. Good luck and welcome to the forums!

[kikal0t]

Thank you to all for a warm welcome and taking time to reply. I will definitely take on what you have all said and I think the main point is technique and speed, as P.A.L and obiwansbane mentioned, which I will have to work on. And yep I will have to practice as Neo Dragon and lordtariel suggested, I have to remember to point my feet in slightly! I guess some of it has to do with confidance cos I guess I don't really know what I can or can't do yet.

[bushido_man96]

There is a lot of good advise here. It all comes in time. Just practice diligently, and you will see improvement.

Welcome to the Forums!

[AikiGuy]

I'm glad you asked that. I am not a big guy either. So I love talking about this. I'm just under average height (almost 5'-9"). As I always explain to my students, each person must learn to use what she or he has. Tall fighters have greater reach and a bit more strength. Big (heavy) fighters have a whole lot more power. But what do smaller fighters have? Speed! We are generally faster at moving in and out, can jump higher, and because of less momentum and being more aerodynamic, we can stop and change directions more easily. All of this might seem like only a slight advantage that would not even be noticeable. But in sparring, the difference between scoring and being a target can be 1/4 of a second. So that small advantage works wonders. Of course, this is all after you practice your basics and become comfortable with moving, punching form, balance, etc.

Someone mentioned practicing aiming techniques for solid punching (aim 1 to 2 inches past the target). This is great practice but before you do it in a sparring situation, make sure your dojo allows hard strikes. Some schools practice touch-sparring only. Others do both depending on your rank, experience, etc. And of course some like the real thing and prefer contact sparring. Just make sure you know your school's rules before knocking someone around. Good luck!

[kikal0t]

Yeah I'm only 5'-1" myself and someone told me that it means that your target area is smaller so that makes harder for opponents?

Anyway there is an optional 'fight night' at my club and my sensei said we didnt have to fight but i dunno, I'm thinkin I'll overcome my fear and give it a go! I'll let you all know what happened if u like!

[bushido_man96]

Yeah I'm only 5'-1" myself and someone told me that it means that your target area is smaller so that makes harder for opponents?

Anyway there is an optional 'fight night' at my club and my sensei said we didnt have to fight but i dunno, I'm thinkin I'll overcome my fear and give it a go! I'll let you all know what happened if u like!

Yes, please fill us in!