Striking Arts

[Eye of the Tiger]

Actually strengh is just as important as technique. You see you cant really perform well without the other. You might have excellent technique but without the necessary power it wont do anything. Strengh without technique will lead to the punch being sloppy and not focusing the muscles to acheive a more powerful punch. Both are jusat as important as each other. Infact a famous olympion Karl Gotch who won the 1948 wrestling olympics and is know as the 'God of Pro Wrestling' in Japan wouldnt teach a student one hold before they would get into condition.

 

Anyway if you look at alot of the Masters they will be very toned but not necesseraly have strengh rather than endurance and are very fit and have good flexibility. The others are quite fat. I think someone said to me that they dont want muscle as they want to use the use of KIME rather than the bicep muscle for punching as this might impend its use. If this where true then it would serve a good explanation as to why the masters of the art dont posses strengh rather than just have toned fit bodys or infact fat bodys. Just look at some of the present day Shotokan practitioners who are in the JKA and see what kind of conditioned they are.

 

I think they want to use spiritual energy (KI) into their punches which is more powerful than the muscle with their KIME and Kensai ( an Aikido practitioner) told me that the muscle would stop the flow of KI, and that is why the masters do not need muscles once you have mastered the use of KI. I am totally awar of KI and its power but I still feel there is a benefit of muscular strengh alonside strengh even if it only helps that little much.

[rabid hamster]

Hmm i always thought most of your punching power came from your lower body and not that much from your arms. im not sure though.

[LeaF]

Certainly, Alot of power can be generated from the hips.

[Eye of the Tiger]

Your whole body is used in your punches and kicks, especially using the hips and the 'hara' (centre of gravity). Only using your arm for a punch is only using a fraction of the bodys capability.