Restrict -> release

[Kung Fu Wang129 159]

You can sit in a horse stance with your back against the wall (restrict). When you feel tired on your legs, you then bend forward (release). You will find out that your forward bending can make you feel so good, and your hands can touch on the ground much easier.

You can lay down on the ground. Your opponent holds on your legs and won't let your leg to separate (restrict). After you have tried to separate your legs so many times and fail, your opponent lets go your legs (release). Now you can do a perfect floor split without any pain.

This is similar to the high jump training. You dig a small hold that don't allow your knees to bend much (restrict). You try to jump out of that small hole daily. One day when you jump from the flat land (release), you will find out that you don't have any knee restriction, and you can jump freely in much higher than before.

You can use your Karate belt to enhance your punching power. When you throw a punch, before your arm is completely straight, your belt will hold you back (restrict), you try to fight against your belt over and over. The day when you don't hold on a belt (release), you can punch out completely without any restriction. You can then realize that you can punch much harder than before.

Have you ever used this "restrict -> release" method in your training? your thought?

 

[Badhabits]

Never heard the phrase restrict release but I like this very much. Done plenty of exercises that sound like they're rooted in something like that. Had an instructor that would have us chamber a technique while a partner would hold a part of your body back. Do a few reps like that then throw the technique like normal. An example would be to chamber for reverse punch while your partner stands behind you and holds your elbow back as you try to punch. Has the additional benefit of allowing you to really feel which muscles you should be activating for a given technique. Hitting the makiwara does something similar. That added resistance at the end. Hit the makiwara a few times then hit a heavy bag, hitting the bag feels like nothing. Good stuff.