Speed - The Mental Factor

[isshinryuronin]

MA has many facets in execution, some simple, some more complex. It has just occurred to me (while thinking about my next sentence) that this progression from simple > complex pretty well matches up with the priorities in learning, at least as how I see them. To quickly address this before getting to my main topic: The first priority in MA is balance, and it seems also to be the simplest in concept. It's basically just keeping your center of gravity over the supporting leg/legs. Next comes form - having all your various parts where your teacher tells you they're supposed to be. Takes a bit of work. Next, power - dependent on a complex synergy of biomechanics. The last priority in learning I think is speed.

There are many considerations that contribute to speed making it the most complex area of development: Low-level tension in the body, positioning weapons close to the target, muscle tone, proper form, reaction speed, timing and a few more. I'm going to focus on maybe the least considered one - mental attitude.

My first exposure to this concept was by Ed Parker who told me to visualize my punch as an arrow in a drawn bow. At this point all one has to do is loose the arrow and off it goes with little effort. When teaching in class I would grab hold of the student's sleeve with his arm in a chambered position, tell him to fully relax, then I'd quickly yank his arm out. The students would be surprised how their hand went from being chambered to suddenly being out in an extended punch position. Both these examples show the feeling of the punch acting as if it had a life of its own, immediately increasing the speed of one's punch (in this case with some sacrifice of power as less mass is behind it, but this is sometimes acceptable).

Another thing I've noticed with students is that some are heavy, some light. Not talking about weight, but how they move. Those that are "heavy" tend to muscle their technique out, often over-powering it. They may wind up before punching, spend too much time generating hip power, have too much tension in their body or just not think about being fast. In any event, they are working counter to a fast punch (or kick or step). One has to think "light" and see themselves as fast. Relaxing and not thinking about the punching process. "Spontaneous explosion" I think is a good description of an awesome punch.

It's hard to describe mental/spiritual bearing and attitude, viewing something in the abstract. But this does translate into the concrete. The mental part of speed is worth considering. It helped me become faster and as my body ages and slows, keeps me fast.

 

[HighKick]

MA has many facets in execution, some simple, some more complex. It has just occurred to me (while thinking about my next sentence) that this progression from simple > complex pretty well matches up with the priorities in learning, at least as how I see them. To quickly address this before getting to my main topic: The first priority in MA is balance, and it seems also to be the simplest in concept. It's basically just keeping your center of gravity over the supporting leg/legs. Next comes form - having all your various parts where your teacher tells you they're supposed to be. Takes a bit of work. Next, power - dependent on a complex synergy of biomechanics. The last priority in learning I think is speed.

There are many considerations that contribute to speed making it the most complex area of development: Low-level tension in the body, positioning weapons close to the target, muscle tone, proper form, reaction speed, timing and a few more. I'm going to focus on maybe the least considered one - mental attitude.

My first exposure to this concept was by Ed Parker who told me to visualize my punch as an arrow in a drawn bow. At this point all one has to do is loose the arrow and off it goes with little effort. When teaching in class I would grab hold of the student's sleeve with his arm in a chambered position, tell him to fully relax, then I'd quickly yank his arm out. The students would be surprised how their hand went from being chambered to suddenly being out in an extended punch position. Both these examples show the feeling of the punch acting as if it had a life of its own, immediately increasing the speed of one's punch (in this case with some sacrifice of power as less mass is behind it, but this is sometimes acceptable).

Another thing I've noticed with students is that some are heavy, some light. Not talking about weight, but how they move. Those that are "heavy" tend to muscle their technique out, often over-powering it. They may wind up before punching, spend too much time generating hip power, have too much tension in their body or just not think about being fast. In any event, they are working counter to a fast punch (or kick or step). One has to think "light" and see themselves as fast. Relaxing and not thinking about the punching process. "Spontaneous explosion" I think is a good description of an awesome punch.

It's hard to describe mental/spiritual bearing and attitude, viewing something in the abstract. But this does translate into the concrete. The mental part of speed is worth considering. It helped me become faster and as my body ages and slows, keeps me fast.

I fully agree, but suppose I take a different tact with the mentality and methodology.
Physics & geometry bear that the shortest, and by virtue the quickest, distance between two points is a straight line. This is100% true and can be applied quite often in the MA's. I even try to apply it in non-linear concepts, in many of the ways you mentioned.
Body motion is often quite complex, requiring numerous muscles, ligaments/tendons, joints, bone etc... And you must consider the body parts not directly used in the technique. These are almost always used as support structure for the technique and will be just as important as the end effector of the technique.
For example, a punch uses the fist as the end effector and the hand/arm/shoulder, etc... are the prime movers. But without the resistance and support of the rest of the body, the punch would have nothing on it power-wise, even if it was thrown 'perfectly'.
What often gets lost in the minutia of all this is the difference between 'fast' and 'quick' Fast is in a perfect, static bubble environment. Quick is in a dynamic environment. Both have their place, but I will take quick every time.

 

[Prince_Alarming]

I find breathing techniques very useful for this kind of integrated mind-body stuff. For this reason, I exhale with every technique, even in kata. It kind of helps the whole organism work together.

 

[Badhabits]

Talk about the mental factor! For heavyset guys like me who naturally tend towards muscular tension, it takes an act of willpower, a conscious effort for a long time to learn how to relax. At least most husky guys I've known. Until it became a sort of habit and natural way of being, I had to keep it in the front of my mind while training. I think learning to relax and let go of the tension has been one of the hardest basic things to get. It took me years and years of hearing instructors saying relax relax relax. I'd think my body was relaxed when it really wasn't! It really was more of a mental than physical task to get it- it's almost like you have to convince your mind to allow the body to relax. Something people told me that helped a lot was when throwing a punch, just focus on straighting the elbow as quick as you can. That concept of course translated to things other than just a simple punch. It was just one simple thing for the mind to focus on.

 

[isshinryuronin]

the difference between 'fast' and 'quick'

I have long maintained, "It's not how fast it goes, but how soon it gets there." I've used the terms "raw speed" for fast and "practical" speed for how soon it gets there (quickness) in prior posts. There are many ways to improve overall speed, most not depending on neural-muscular abilities. This means everyone is able to improve in this ability regardless of being not blessed by nature or age.

Talk about the mental factor! For heavyset guys like me who naturally tend towards muscular tension, it takes an act of willpower, a conscious effort for a long time to learn how to relax. At least most husky guys I've known. Until it became a sort of habit and natural way of being, I had to keep it in the front of my mind while training. I think learning to relax and let go of the tension has been one of the hardest basic things to get. It took me years and years of hearing instructors saying relax relax relax. I'd think my body was relaxed when it really wasn't! It really was more of a mental than physical task to get it- it's almost like you have to convince your mind to allow the body to relax. Something people told me that helped a lot was when throwing a punch, just focus on straighting the elbow as quick as you can. That concept of course translated to things other than just a simple punch. It was just one simple thing for the mind to focus on.

This is one of the things I was getting at! Just understanding a concept, such as relaxing, does not translate into action until that mental barrier is removed and allows the understanding to reach the body.

 

[JowGaWolf]

I have long maintained, "It's not how fast it goes, but how soon it gets there.

This is me all day. I don't try to be fast as much as I try to simply complete my action before my opponent can complete his action. To do this consistently, I will try to do something that slows my opponent down. This forces my opponent think first about action 1 before action 2. For me action 1 and action 2 are same action. This allows me to hit people with slower strikes.

Variable speed strikes work well too. Have a strike start slow the quickly speed up.

 

[Fungus]

Those that are "heavy" tend to muscle their technique out, often over-powering it. They may wind up before punching, spend too much time generating hip power, have too much tension in their body or just not think about being fast.

Sound like me! Instructors tells me I strike good and with solid power, but I am to slow.

I have been alternating between two philosophies like

1) what is the point of a hard strike, if my opponent sees it coming and avoids it?

or

2) What is the point of a fast strike but that too little power to do real damage to an conditioned opponent?

Moste often i adhere to (2) and thinking that I am not wasting energy to throw weaks techniques that has no potential to do damage. So even in friendly sparring, I load and do all the reqs for high power generation, but choked it in the end. Just so I train and excercise full power generations. But I know it's slower. Sometimes you can go brute force and thing that, you strike or kick through any guard.

Sometime i just for fun completely relax, and don't care about power, but I just throw my fist reflexively into the opponents chest. "spontanouse explosion" is actaully a very good description! And these times I managed to hit, and even get compliments from instructors, who wants "more of it". I then responded with "but this was just a random firing of a limb", there was no power behind, no body mass, not power generation. But as I catch the opponet off guard, there is a tension they might not even tense up and the attacke can have some effect even with little power.

This is something I am struggling with indeed. To see that lower power, can work. I have known for a long time that relaxation makes me alot faster. I'm just struggling with the second philosophy above?

Great post as always, I enjoy your contemplations!

 

[isshinryuronin]

I have been alternating between two philosophies like

1) what is the point of a hard strike, if my opponent sees it coming and avoids it?

or

2) What is the point of a fast strike but that too little power to do real damage to an conditioned opponent?

1) Time the hard strike when the opponent is unable to avoid it, even if he sees it coming. Strike when he's off balance (mentally or physically) or out of position. If he's thus slower to respond to your attack, it's the same as you being faster ! It's like you getting a head start.

2) A fast strike will lesser power is still useful, especially in combinations to set the opponent up for a major strike. While he is busy responding to the fast strike, a slower one can be launched. And visa versa. Of course, ideally, a fast strike can be powerful when added to explosive hip movement (not mere rotation).

There is almost always a way to mitigate a weakness via timing, tactics, choice of combo, positioning, etc. But still better to work on eliminating the weakness.

 

[JowGaWolf]

Sound like me! Instructors tells me I strike good and with solid power, but I am to slow.

I have been alternating between two philosophies like

1) what is the point of a hard strike, if my opponent sees it coming and avoids it?

or

2) What is the point of a fast strike but that too little power to do real damage to an conditioned opponent?

Moste often i adhere to (2) and thinking that I am not wasting energy to throw weaks techniques that has no potential to do damage. So even in friendly sparring, I load and do all the reqs for high power generation, but choked it in the end. Just so I train and excercise full power generations. But I know it's slower. Sometimes you can go brute force and thing that, you strike or kick through any guard.

Sometime i just for fun completely relax, and don't care about power, but I just throw my fist reflexively into the opponents chest. "spontanouse explosion" is actaully a very good description! And these times I managed to hit, and even get compliments from instructors, who wants "more of it". I then responded with "but this was just a random firing of a limb", there was no power behind, no body mass, not power generation. But as I catch the opponet off guard, there is a tension they might not even tense up and the attacke can have some effect even with little power.

This is something I am struggling with indeed. To see that lower power, can work. I have known for a long time that relaxation makes me alot faster. I'm just struggling with the second philosophy above?

Great post as always, I enjoy your contemplations!

I have some exercises that can help you with your speed. Two exercises that takes about 2 - 3 months to show significant improvement and one speed cheat. That uses a short shuffle to get the punch there quicker. The punch itself doesn't speed up, the distance is cut by the shuffle. The only downside side is that it will multiply your power.

 

[Fungus]

Strike when he's off balance (mentally or physically) or out of position. If he's thus slower to respond to your attack,

I know THIS is something I want to and need to train. I feel that having sufficient resources to actually monitor and predictive this during a fight, requires that you do not nee to think excessively on technique execution. I suspect this is something that requires much more experience with fighting tha I currently have.

Sometimes you just get into a flow, and you get a mental advantage and start pushing, then all you need to do is to keep up the pressure and give opponent no chance to breath and rest.

But when the opponents is pushing you, and you shoudld try to break the rythm and find the right place to intercept and take command I find beeing significantly more difficult.

 

[JowGaWolf]

I know THIS is something I want to and need to train. I feel that having sufficient resources to actually monitor and predictive this during a fight, requires that you do not nee to think excessively on technique execution. I suspect this is something that requires much more experience with fighting tha I currently have.

Sometimes you just get into a flow, and you get a mental advantage and start pushing, then all you need to do is to keep up the pressure and give opponent no chance to breath and rest.

But when the opponents is pushing you, and you shoudld try to break the rythm and find the right place to intercept and take command I find beeing significantly more difficult.

Your actions will cause you opponent to react in a certain way. If you trigger your opponents movement then you can also time their balance.

 

[HighKick]

I have long maintained, "It's not how fast it goes, but how soon it gets there." I've used the terms "raw speed" for fast and "practical" speed for how soon it gets there (quickness) in prior posts. There are many ways to improve overall speed, most not depending on neural-muscular abilities. This means everyone is able to improve in this ability regardless of being not blessed by nature or age.

To be sure, you can improve speed/quickness by training neural-muscular ability. If you are not already familiar, search 'twitch' drills.

 

[_Simon_]

This is one of the things I was getting at! Just understanding a concept, such as relaxing, does not translate into action until that mental barrier is removed and allows the understanding to reach the body.

Yeah it does! I usually just yell at them repeatedly "RELAX HARDER!" and voilà.

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

2) What is the point of a fast strike but that too little power to do real damage to an conditioned opponent?

Many years ago in a Taiwan park, one Zimen guy bowed to a preying mantis master from a distance. The Zimen guy then moved in, attacked his fingertips on that preying mantis master's chest, moved back, and left. The preying mantis master could not block that strike.

If that Zimen guy held a dagger, that praying mantis master could be dead.

The Zimen system has a speed training that I really like - pulling thread out of opponent's shirt. One day I sparred with a Karate guy. I did the same and used my fingertips to attack his chest. He looked at me as if "Why are you poking your fingertips on my chest for?" I felt embarrassed and stopped doing that in sparring.

I was pretty sure if I used my fingers to poke his eyes, he probably won't be able to block it.

 

[Same Trick]

Z

Many years ago in a Taiwan park, one Zimen guy bowed to a preying mantis master from a distance. The Zimen guy then moved in, attacked his fingertips on that preying mantis master's chest, moved back, and left. The preying mantis master could not block that strike.

If that Zimen guy held a dagger, that praying mantis master could be dead.

The Zimen system has a speed training that I really like - pulling thread out of opponent's shirt. One day I sparred with a Karate guy. I did the same and used my fingertips to attack his chest. He looked at me as if "Why are you poking your fingertips on my chest for?" I felt embarrassed and stopped doing that in sparring.

I was pretty sure if I used my fingers to poke his eyes, he probably won't be able to block it.

zimenquan look somewhat similar to Baihequan(white crane), Karate should be familiar with it’s methods