should you be relaxed?

[rabid hamster]

Hi,

 

my instructor tells me that in a sparring position your body should be totally relaxed, but your fists should be really tight and tensed up in case someone kicks you there without you knowing or something like that. but i thought everything, especially including your fist had to be relaxed. What do you guys think?

[Withers M.A.A.]

I relax everything. I don't tighten anything until either impact or I'm blocking or defending. Even during defense depending on the technique there is still no need to tense up. By clenching your fists you will be making your hand techniques slower. Relax until the moment of impact.

 

Good luck,

 

Pete

 

 

[Pacificshore]

I'm in agreement. Everything should be relaxed up until you make impact with your strike. Being relaxed will make your technique smooth and therefore make you fast.

[spinninggumby]

Yea, and also when you tense up your muscles, it slows you down because your muscles actually need to untense and then become relaxed and then tense again when you move your limbs or body in for a strike. Better to be relaxed already so your muscles don't have to take that extra step at the beginning in order to accommodate your movement(s).

 

 

[G95champ]

Relax always relax

 

I spar with open hands. I almost never use fists. This is not a good habbit for people new to sparring becsue you get fingers stubbed up a lot and even broken but as you go up the ranks I teach it more and more. Open hands lets you trap and grab faster.

 

When I spar I don't keep my hands in a fixed postion either I always keep them flowing or moving. This helps distract the other guy and it keeps your muscles for getting tight.

 

 

[ckdstudent]

I used to train with my hands open, but now I'm having to break the habit because students keep copying me.

 

Relaxation is always a good thing, you get a lot more power out of it.

 

 

[OldRookie]

-Yep,stay relaxed. I read an article on this at a website by a physics Prof. that said when you are relaxed & strike,you tense at the moment of impact & it has the effect of a whip cracking. Loose,fluid & then the snap at the very end.

 

 

[aitkd2nddan]

definate relax. You need to be relaxed to move fast and have good technique, but more importantly you must relax your body in order to clear your mind and you will not be able to win a fight if your head is clouded with thoughts, to qoute yogi bera, you can't think and hit at the same time.

[SBN Doug]

I'm the same as G95champ. I spar with open hands. Not just because of relaxation, but also because we have lots of grabbing/locking techniques. It helps me not let them know what they have coming, and grab or a punch.

[koreantiger81]

yes, you should relax. You should bounce lightly and comfortably, when you're in your sparring position.

 

As Bruce Lee said, "BE LIKE WATER."