How do you control the power ?!

[Safroot]

I have another question for you guys & gals, In the dojo how do you practice different techniques / combinations with power but without hurting your partner?

When I train with a partner I am always super careful not to hurt him/her that's why I feel I can't apply power in my combinations and I think practicing without power is sort of useless specially in street situations.

I always see my sensei & sempais doing really powerfull techniques even if they are demonstrating with no partners or in katas and that's another thing that I still can't do !

I can use power only with punching pads or bags.

Thanks in adavance for any helpful hints or advice.

[Spartacus Maximus]

"I always see my sensei & sempais doing really powerfull techniques even if they are demonstrating with no partners or in katas and that's another thing that I still can't do !"

There lies an important part of the answer to the question.

One must consider that each individual person takes a different length of time before being able to do a technique correctly, consistently and with power without thinking about it. This is the mark of true mastery of all the physical mechanics involved in a skill, and usually takes considerable time.

A novice of a few years cannot expect to be able to do anything that an intermediate level person does only with the utmost effort and concentration, but not consistently.

Only when all the mechanics are assimilated and done without thinking is it possible to do a technique with the complete control required to avoid injuring a training partner when doing it with power.

[Safroot]

"I always see my sensei & sempais doing really powerfull techniques even if they are demonstrating with no partners or in katas and that's another thing that I still can't do !"

There lies an important part of the answer to the question.

One must consider that each individual person takes a different length of time before being able to do a technique correctly, consistently and with power without thinking about it. This is the mark of true mastery of all the physical mechanics involved in a skill, and usually takes considerable time.

A novice of a few years cannot expect to be able to do anything that an intermediate level person does only with the utmost effort and concentration, but not consistently.

Only when all the mechanics are assimilated and done without thinking is it possible to do a technique with the complete control required to avoid injuring a training partner when doing it with power.

Thanks Spartacus , I totally agree with you. I was asking about how can I work on that currently and try to improve it in as long time as it takes !

[DWx]

Great question Safroot. This can really be answered in two parts:

When I train with a partner I am always super careful not to hurt him/her that's why I feel I can't apply power in my combinations and I think practicing without power is sort of useless specially in street situations.

When people practice with a partner with power, what they are really doing is pulling their technique or just stopping short of their intended target. Remember strikes are meant to end behind the target and not at the target. So what you find when practising with heavy bags or pads, is that you make contact and and hit through. If you were to do the same in partner work you would be making contact and going through the target. So most practise to stop just short of actually making contact but full power in up until that point. You can't go round hitting people full force all the time so you have to reign it in and stop short of the target.

This is one of the reasons I advocate tameshiwari or board breaking. As it's a quantitative measure of how powerful your strikes are without anyone getting hurt.

I always see my sensei & sempais doing really powerfull techniques even if they are demonstrating with no partners or in katas and that's another thing that I still can't do !

I can use power only with punching pads or bags.

Thanks in adavance for any helpful hints or advice.

Power on your own without a surface to strike is really a demonstration of equilibrium and stability. Power is just speed and acceleration (correct technique being a way to achieve this). Anyone can punch with speed and mass but techniques look powerful when this is done under control.

Consider this video of Rika Usami in the WKF kata finals 2012:

It looks powerful because the movements are crisp and sharp. Though she demonstrates speed and intent, its her ability to bring the strike to a dead stop without overbalancing or additional movement which makes it look powerful.

[sensei8]

Sun Dome!!

This is where two practitioners Kumite at full speed and power, however, said technique is arrested just a fraction of an inch from the selected target without making any contact with one another. Albeit, one practitioner might move faster, but the other practitioner might be more powerful. Nonetheless, with Sun Dome, the outcome might be difficult to determine whom might've defeated the other in the exchange of techniques.

Greg and I often took this application to the next level, and as our Dai-Soke was quite fond of saying about us two whenever we took Sun Dome to our own conclusion, "The thread of interpretation is thin and tattered with you two, but, refined!!"

In short, Greg and I literally tried to kill one another whenever we practiced Kumite together; Kumite resolved with intent!! To a novice observer, we were akin to that Bull in a China closet, however, to the experienced observer, we were akin to a tuning up orchestra that was refining their craft.

Very few engaged with us, even those with similar ranks, and we're Hachidan/Kudan, because it can be quite daunting to say the least, especially at first.

Yet, with the understanding and respect of Sun Dome, even in the assumed chaos we exhibited, safety wasn't taken lightly, therefore, things were learned by us each and every time we meet on the floor.

Sun Dome...the tool of learning and understanding in the midst of a hurricane!!

[Safroot]

Great question Safroot. This can really be answered in two parts:

When I train with a partner I am always super careful not to hurt him/her that's why I feel I can't apply power in my combinations and I think practicing without power is sort of useless specially in street situations.

When people practice with a partner with power, what they are really doing is pulling their technique or just stopping short of their intended target. Remember strikes are meant to end behind the target and not at the target. So what you find when practising with heavy bags or pads, is that you make contact and and hit through. If you were to do the same in partner work you would be making contact and going through the target. So most practise to stop just short of actually making contact but full power in up until that point. You can't go round hitting people full force all the time so you have to reign it in and stop short of the target.

This is one of the reasons I advocate tameshiwari or board breaking. As it's a quantitative measure of how powerful your strikes are without anyone getting hurt.

I always see my sensei & sempais doing really powerfull techniques even if they are demonstrating with no partners or in katas and that's another thing that I still can't do !

I can use power only with punching pads or bags.

Thanks in adavance for any helpful hints or advice.

Power on your own without a surface to strike is really a demonstration of equilibrium and stability. Power is just speed and acceleration (correct technique being a way to achieve this). Anyone can punch with speed and mass but techniques look powerful when this is done under control.

Consider this video of Rika Usami in the WKF kata finals 2012:

It looks powerful because the movements are crisp and sharp. Though she demonstrates speed and intent, its her ability to bring the strike to a dead stop without overbalancing or additional movement which makes it look powerful.

Thanks DWx fo your advice & thanks for sharing that video

[Safroot]

Sun Dome!!

Sun Dome...the tool of learning and understanding in the midst of a hurricane!!

Doesn't sound easy at all

[bushido_man96]

This is something that comes with time and work. Use one-step sparring to work on this, making sure you are far enough away to throw techniques with power and speed, and not make contact. As you get more comfortable, start closing the distance more and more. This will start to come together in sparring as well.

When you spar, don't think "slow," think "smooth." I say don't think "slow" because then you will be slow, and that's not ever good. But, there is a saying out there for training that goes "slow is smooth, and smooth is faster." I hope this makes some sense. Work on being smooth and getting the combinations to come together smoothly, and as you get more comfortable, they will speed up.

[Nidan Melbourne]

I have another question for you guys & gals, In the dojo how do you practice different techniques / combinations with power but without hurting your partner?

When I train with a partner I am always super careful not to hurt him/her that's why I feel I can't apply power in my combinations and I think practicing without power is sort of useless specially in street situations.

I always see my sensei & sempais doing really powerfull techniques even if they are demonstrating with no partners or in katas and that's another thing that I still can't do !

I can use power only with punching pads or bags.

Thanks in adavance for any helpful hints or advice.

The Instructors normally are able to do that because of their experience and that they are aware and know how to make intent the driving force.

Applying it with people is a different story however, for you it is a mentality that you don't want to hurt them. Which I can completely understand, however what you can do is if the person you are working with can take a serious hit that go ahead. You partner should tell you want that is hard enough, and that you can also see that if you go any harder that you could cause damage.

I was always taught to adjust how much force I put into my technique dependent on the size of my opponent, their age (if training etc) and their physical build. For instance I can hit one of my best friends as hard as possible without problem (He wants me to hit even harder) and he is 20, whereas I wouldn't do the same thing to a 13 year old with the physical maturity of a 16 year old.

[Safroot]

This is something that comes with time and work. Use one-step sparring to work on this, making sure you are far enough away to throw techniques with power and speed, and not make contact. As you get more comfortable, start closing the distance more and more. This will start to come together in sparring as well.

When you spar, don't think "slow," think "smooth." I say don't think "slow" because then you will be slow, and that's not ever good. But, there is a saying out there for training that goes "slow is smooth, and smooth is faster." I hope this makes some sense. Work on being smooth and getting the combinations to come together smoothly, and as you get more comfortable, they will speed up.

Great advice that I will work on for sure