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Speed - Getting Faster in the Martial Arts

Author: Keith Pascal
Date Posted: October 02, 2008

In martial arts schools, most students practice the same martial-arts techniques for getting faster and developing raw speed. Unfortunately, they really are practicing the same exercises and drills. What if it were possible to significantly affect your speed ...

Developing Martial Speed -- The More You Try, The Worse It Gets

Beginning students often ask why the more they try to develop speed, the worse it gets. The explanation is really quite simple....

It has to do with the tensing of muscles. Believe it or not, the more you tense the slower you strike. It doesn't matter if you are kicking, punching, or even striking with your elbow; the more rigid your muscles, the slower the punch.

You have to be relaxed, loose, in order to develop martial-arts speed.

The question is how do you keep the muscles relaxed when they seem to want to tense all by themselves when you throw a fast punch or kick?

Playing Martial-Arts Games to Get Faster

One way to trick the brain into allowing the muscles to stay loose is by playing a game, so to speak. When the brain concentrates on the game or activity, it can't focus on all that is necessary to execute a fast punch. You concentrate on the objective of the game -- the goal. And you forget the "stuff" that could be hindering your improvement.

You could try anything from Hot Hands to Coin Snatching. Obviously, engage in games that work ... speed. It makes sense.

The Problem with Martial Arts Games

The problem with martial arts games is that often the students get fast at the game only. They can't seem to transfer the skill of the game into practical martial-arts speed.

Making your speed skill practical is of paramount importance. If you don't match the path you are taking in the speed game to an actual technique that you'd use for self defense, then the skill won't generalize.

For example, don't play hot hands where the open hands start up by the ears and slap to the middle, if your punches don't start up at the side of the head.

Martial Arts Games Can Make You Faster, If ...

If you punch to the center of your opponent, then make sure that you practice coin snatching to the center ... or on the centerline, if you are standing at an angle.

If you would start a self defense punch from a neutral stance, then practice your hot hands, with hands hanging at the sides of the body, with both feet shoulder width apart ... in a neutral stance.

About The Author

If you really want to develop speed through martial-arts games, check out Coin Snatching: The Reputation Builder.

It covers several hot hands games, teaches one of the most impressive demonstrations in all of martial arts AND has specific chapters to link the demonstration to actual martial-arts speed.

Grab your coins, focus mitts (or a small pillow) and get ready to punch.

Keith Pascal has taught martial arts for over 25 years. He left his job as a high school teacher in 2000, to become a full-time writer.

Article Source: JKD Street Combat - online collection of speed and power training articles.

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