Relax! Just Do it!

[Harkon72]

Can you make three Choku Zuki punches with no tension in your body at all?

Can you strike an impact shield with total relaxation? With sheer power of technique that makes no sense because there is no tension even on impact?

This is now the paradox of my Karatedo, I'm to do my Kata as if it's the last time I'm doing it, "Do it like you don't care", "Do it like this is your last lesson, you're going home! You're in the Shower!" All this is to un-condition my Martial Arts mind. Muscle tension is the enemy of advanced technique, what my Sensei is trying to do is to bring about the Epiphany of my Karatedo, I don't need to climb the Far Mountain, I just need to relax and I'll wake up at the Top.

[mal103]

Relax! Great advice, key to good technique is to move like a cheetah but punch like a rhino. Normally around purple belt some people need to learn to not tense everything all of the time and only on impact but it needs to be drilled often to just relax to gain more speed.

[GojuRyu Bahrain]

Great post Harkon! Mastering tension and relaxation is the essential step towards mastering Karate: only a relaxed mind acts fearless, only a relaxed body moves swiftly. Everything breathes hard and soft. Wecome to Goju Ryu

[brickshooter]

I think that it's very difficult to do so. Sometimes one has to trick the mind. Hence there's an incredible emphasize on the pulling hand. Part of the intent is the actual pulling to hold the target still. But the other intent is to take the mind off of the punching hand which allows the punch to be without tension.

[student_karateka]

I find that relaxing more is helping to improve my sparring and kata. When I sparred, I used to keep my arms in a guard position and was tensing my arm muscles tight. Once my sensei told me to relax more, I found that my energy went way up -- I could last longer without getting tired, and my techniques were all faster and the energy is conserved when power is needed.

It lines up with something Bruce Lee said about being like water...fluid.

[bushido_man96]

Bruce Lee often referred to the coiled tension of a spring, or the snake ready to strike. Its a tough lesson to learn for some students, but it comes with time. I know I tense some things up here and there, and I have to remind myself to relax somewhat so that I can smooth things out.

[sensei8]

Study your opponent, study yourself, make a plan, then carry the plan out, aka, JUST DO IT!!