Maximum Efficiency

[Alan Armstrong]

Maximum efficiency could be described as, the best way to do something.

Is maximum efficiency emphasized in your martial art discipline, style or system?

Or is maximum efficiency just assumed to develops by itself naturally with plenty of practice?

Is maximum efficiency possible for all martial artists to achieve?

How do you use maximum efficiency when sparring?

[Spartacus Maximus]

From an Okinawan karaté point of view, it can indeed be said that maximum efficiency is a key principle. However, this most certainly is not unique to karate.

For example, many techniques stress striking the same target more than once to increase the chance of hitting it. An emphasis on using the shortest, most direct technique and short but explovise movements. Effiency through economy of movement. Simulataneous and intergrated attack and defense and many other principles emphasize moving and using ones body in the most efficient way as well as exploiting attackers reactions for maximum effect.

[JR 137]

I don’t use maximum efficiency. I try to use maximum effectiveness. There’s a difference.

Maximum efficiency means there are no wasted movements. So you can say that feints/fakes and footwork are wasted movements. True 100% efficiency would be standing still in your stance and punching straight forward without bringing your hands back at all before you punch to increase power. Doing that won’t land very many punches. If I want to punch someone on the side of the jaw to knock him out, I’ll step off line and throw a punch or two at their torso to bring their hands down, thus opening up the head. Highly inefficient in the true sense, yet highly effective in the real world. Same with a kick: come up as a front kick, get the low block response, and turn it over into a high roundhouse to an unprotected head. Inefficient, yet highly effective. I throw my inside-out crescent kick the same way: I keep my knee bent like I’m throwing a front kick, then it comes up and to the side of their head. Inefficient, yet highly effective, especially when I’m up close.

Maximum efficiency is all fine and good on paper. In the real world, I’m not good enough to do the bare minimum. Maybe when I’m sparring with a total beginner with zero experience, but that’s about it. I’m sure people here with decades of experience can pull it off against me, but I’m no where near that. Hopefully one day

Edited October 9, 2017 by JR 137

[Alan Armstrong]

Thank you Spartacus Maximus and JR 137 for your contribution to this topic

Getting the same desired effect while doing less.

Getting a better at something could be considered as becoming more efficient at it, but how?

As Bruce Lee liked to say "Hack away the unessentials"

Efficiency, is very applicable today with the modern day pace of life.

Martial art training with less time to practice points towards efficiency as the way to go.

With fighting techniques that need to be practical and effective, once again, efficiency cannot be ignored.

Has your discipline of fighting and training been modified towards efficiency and what improvements have been made from doing it differently?

As Jakie Chan was asked in a TV interview "What do you do different than Bruce Lee"?

He Jackie answered something similar to this "What I do in 5 or 6 moves, he does in 1 or 2"

There is alot of controversy over Wing Chun and JKD when it comes to efficiency, something I will introduce to this topic...

[JR 137]

I really strive for maximum efficiency in blocking and/or evading though. I try to move my head and/or turn my torso as little as possible but just enough to make the strike miss. I try to deflect the strike as little as possible to make it fully miss. The more I train, the less I rely on using my arms to block and rely more on footwork to get out of the way instead. When I do it right (the one or two times ), the blocking hand pushes the strike a bit further away to open up my target more.

So I guess I’d be perfectly happy being as efficient as possible in blocking and evading, and perfectly happy being inefficient in striking.

Maximum effectiveness is what a m striving for. I’ll happily miss a stomach punch to set up a clean head punch or vice versa.

[Alan Armstrong]

With these three tutorial, it gives a good inside perspective of how efficiency works in the Wing Chun system.

Black Flag Wing Chun tutorial 1

Black Flag Wing Chun tutorial 2

Black Flag Wimg Chun tutorial 3

[MatsuShinshii]

Efficiency = Maximum damage with the least amount of effort or damage to you.

Okinawan Toudi 101. The least amount of effort (or moves) to effect a singular goal (end the fight).

[Alan Armstrong]

Being able to use both sides of the body equally, with martial art techniques, is efficient.