Power

[ShoriKid]

I'm with all the others here really. With out seeing what your doing it's hard to say what could give you more power. Could be intent, or lack there of. Being to tense and tight.

If it's a matter of physical technique, I'd start with the stance. Nothing is able to generate power if it's not properly anchored. A springy flex in the knees, active hips and a torso locked into the lower body as well.

When in doubt, ask your sensei. Or ask on of the senior students in the class to help you with generating more power on your strikes. They are there and know what your doing right and wrong and how it should be corrected for your school.

[white owl]

I agree with what everyone else said here, without seeing what you are doing it is really hard to give you advise. I know that your power comes from your core muscles and your hips. So good hip rotation and a strong core you should have adequit power no matter your size.

[joesteph]

. . . I'd start with the stance. Nothing is able to generate power if it's not properly anchored. A springy flex in the knees, active hips and a torso locked into the lower body as well.

I know that your power comes from your core muscles and your hips. So good hip rotation and a strong core you should have adequit power no matter your size.

My instructor just began showing us a new hyung tonight, and it was just a few beginning moves, but the focus she had was on whether or not we were twisting the two middle punches (one after the other) with the proper stance and movement of core, shoulders right through to the hips, twisting the body into it.

Go slow at home or during free time at the dojo/dojang before class to get it right. You can always speed up, and you feel the power when you do it right.

[Shoto4Life]

One of the great Funakoshi's 20 precepts is :Think of your opponents hands and feet as swords. This might help you get the lead out.

[moriniuk]

Unless you're actually striking something then I don't think you should be applying too much power. By doing so you will probably be doing youself more harm than good.

If you are stricking something then maybe you could think about some of the following points:

1. Don't try too hard to strike with full power, just let it happen. (just like in golf, tennis, baseball etc)

2. Keep your joints relaxed and your shoulders down.

3. Breath

4. When punching or kicking etc, imagine that the hand or foot has already reached the target when you begin the movement, and think through the target.

5. When punching in a front stance, keep the rear leg directly behind the hip and the heel on the ground to maintain the connection from your fist through your shoulder and hip and down to the ground.

6. RELAX

This is all about maintaining the correct body structure so that the power isn't lost if any part of the structure breaks down. Many of these points seem to have been lost in modern Karate and Taekwondo but they are still stressed in Wing Chun and internal Chinese Kung Fu systems such as Xingyi.

[bushido_man96]

I don't think those points are lost in Karate or TKD. In fact, those are points that we tend to cover quite a bit in class when we focus on our punching. Its always good to review them, and get back to the basics.

[joesteph]

2. Keep your joints relaxed and your shoulders down.

It's interesting that you refer to the joints relaxing, Moriniuk. Do you feel that a concentration on the joints relaxes the muscles better? Your reference to shoulders makes me think of how, if the shoulders are "up," you can't relax; you'll be tense right through up the traps and into the neck.

4. When punching or kicking etc, imagine that the hand or foot has already reached the target when you begin the movement, and think through the target.

Thinking through the target aiding striking through the target. Interesting mind-body connection.

5. When punching in a front stance, keep the rear leg directly behind the hip and the heel on the ground to maintain the connection from your fist through your shoulder and hip and down to the ground.

I see this working well when firing one from the hip, Moriniuk, and I practice a "bow and arrow" kind of movement when punching within a hyung. My non-punching arm raises, my punching arm pulls back a bit from its waist/ribcage position, and I pull my non-punching arm back to my hip simultaneously with the punching arm shooting forward. The body does as you've described. I can feel the power.

When in a high guard position, though, to punch from hands up, there's no bow-and-arrow that I do, although if it's a cross punch, the body still moves as you've described, with the exception that the heel isn't down; the ball of the foot maintains contact with the ground while the heel is up.

This is all about maintaining the correct body structure so that the power isn't lost if any part of the structure breaks down.

I focused on punching, but with the variety of kicks, each with different demands on the body, I'd say this reference to any part of the structure breaking down reflects the complexity involved with kicking.

[moriniuk]

Bushido Man. From my experience these fundamental pionts are almost never stressed in traditional karate and similar arts. Maybe sometimes an instructor may mention that your shoulders should be down, but very rarely explains why.

It's great if you include them in your practice. I don't think that they are points that should be reviewed from time to time, but should be integral to your practice.

Joesteph. To try to under stand what I mean by relaxing your joints, try this exercise. Stand facing a partner in a natural stance. Close your eyes and have your partner hold each of your wrists, one in each hand. Now clench your fists tightly whilst keeping your joints relaxed. Now have your partner randomly move your arms around in all directions whilst you keep your fists tight and joints relaxed.

Then try to transfer the feeling to your punching. Throw your fist like you would throw a ball.

[Wa-No-Michi]

Many of these points seem to have been lost in modern Karate and Taekwondo

Absolutely not true!

All quality martial arts systems and schools (karate / TKD included) will automatically promote the points you mention (plus many more) as part of their training.

It is wrong to think these principles are unique to any one art / group of arts.

I think perhaps your experience has been with a bad traditional Karate school. None of the good ones that I have trained with have failed to get over these very basic yet fundamental points.

tsk tsk moriniuk... << bang over the head with rolled up news paper!! >>

[moriniuk]

I think we're missing my point here people.

Firstly, I'm just offereing some of my own personal advice to someone who has asked a question.

I never suggested that these basic and fundamental principles were unique to any particular art. As we all know many martial arts have very similar principles. After all, most have the same roots.

They have always been there in traditional karate, but in my opinion they are not stressed as they are in some other arts.

What I am saying is that from my own personal experience over many years of practice in lessons, seminars etc with some of the world renowned great masters I have seen very little emphasis of these points until I began following the teachings of one particular master.