What physical attributes are required for proficiency in martial arts?

maxstronge

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Hey everyone, I just discovered this place and I have to say I love it. This seems like an incredible community of like-minded people and I can't wait to start participating.

That being said, I've been thinking a lot about the core of martial arts, things that are common among different disciplines. Martial arts inherently have a physical component to them, and in order to become proficient, one needs to have certain physical attributes in order to use their skills most effectively. The sort-of universal skills I've been able to come up with so far:

Strength:

When I say strength, I don't only mean how hard you can hit (while physical strength is a factor in generating power, speed is equally if not more important). I mean strength of the body, the strength in the muscles required to lift a leg above your head, the strength to explode out of a deep stance, the strength to keep your fists strong when striking an opponent. This type of strength is cultivated with push-ups, squats, crunches, etc.

Speed:

The ability to use the muscles of your body to generate speed. As mentioned above, speed is an important factor in generating power. This indicates the speed of techniques, how quickly you can punch or kick, etc. It also is important in motion, how quickly you can run, how effectively you can utilize footwork. Speed is gained by training techniques, repeatedly engaging the muscles required to reduce resistance.

Balance:

Balance is essential in the martial arts for maintaining stability in your stance, for being able to kick effectively while keeping your equilibrium, etc. The ability to remain on your feet and in control.

Flexibility:


Flexibility in the entire body is key to success in martial arts. Overall flexibility dramatically reduces the potential for injury while training. It also opens up your options - flexibility in the legs allows kicks to the head. In addition to the increase in the tools available to you, it decreases the resistance you feel in your muscles when you kick, so you can kick harder and faster.


Cardio:


Having good cardio is crucial in any kind of combat situation, in competition or otherwise. It allows you to run for longer, which can save lives in self-defense circumstances. Good cardio lets you train harder, for longer, exerting yourself to a higher degree and increasing your gains. It is essential that you can exert yourself without getting gassed.




This is what I've been able to come up with in my thinking. Are there any more basic physical attributes that are important for martial arts that I'm forgetting? Keep in mind that I'm not talking about mental traits, like fortitude, integrity, or perseverance. I'm doing a writing project and that part is coming next - right now I'm thinking entirely about the physical traits.


Thanks for reading, and I hope to be a part of this community for a long time :)
 

Midnight-shadow

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In my personal opinion you have missed the most important physical attribute for Martial Arts: Control. You can have all the strength, speed and flexibility in the world, but all are meaningless if you can't control them.
 

Reedone816

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Endurance, how well you body can absorb punishment.

Sent from my Lenovo A7010a48 using Tapatalk
 

jobo

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Hey everyone, I just discovered this place and I have to say I love it. This seems like an incredible community of like-minded people and I can't wait to start participating.

That being said, I've been thinking a lot about the core of martial arts, things that are common among different disciplines. Martial arts inherently have a physical component to them, and in order to become proficient, one needs to have certain physical attributes in order to use their skills most effectively. The sort-of universal skills I've been able to come up with so far:

Strength:

When I say strength, I don't only mean how hard you can hit (while physical strength is a factor in generating power, speed is equally if not more important). I mean strength of the body, the strength in the muscles required to lift a leg above your head, the strength to explode out of a deep stance, the strength to keep your fists strong when striking an opponent. This type of strength is cultivated with push-ups, squats, crunches, etc.

Speed:

The ability to use the muscles of your body to generate speed. As mentioned above, speed is an important factor in generating power. This indicates the speed of techniques, how quickly you can punch or kick, etc. It also is important in motion, how quickly you can run, how effectively you can utilize footwork. Speed is gained by training techniques, repeatedly engaging the muscles required to reduce resistance.

Balance:

Balance is essential in the martial arts for maintaining stability in your stance, for being able to kick effectively while keeping your equilibrium, etc. The ability to remain on your feet and in control.

Flexibility:


Flexibility in the entire body is key to success in martial arts. Overall flexibility dramatically reduces the potential for injury while training. It also opens up your options - flexibility in the legs allows kicks to the head. In addition to the increase in the tools available to you, it decreases the resistance you feel in your muscles when you kick, so you can kick harder and faster.


Cardio:


Having good cardio is crucial in any kind of combat situation, in competition or otherwise. It allows you to run for longer, which can save lives in self-defense circumstances. Good cardio lets you train harder, for longer, exerting yourself to a higher degree and increasing your gains. It is essential that you can exert yourself without getting gassed.




This is what I've been able to come up with in my thinking. Are there any more basic physical attributes that are important for martial arts that I'm forgetting? Keep in mind that I'm not talking about mental traits, like fortitude, integrity, or perseverance. I'm doing a writing project and that part is coming next - right now I'm thinking entirely about the physical traits.


Thanks for reading, and I hope to be a part of this community for a long time :)
yes you have missed out co ordination and reactions.

all the elements are dependent on the development of your nervous system, speed and strength are closelyrelated as both depend on activation of the fast twitch fibres at the correct times
 
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maxstronge

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In my personal opinion you have missed the most important physical attribute for Martial Arts: Control. You can have all the strength, speed and flexibility in the world, but all are meaningless if you can't control them.


Thank you, I knew I was missing something crucial.
 
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maxstronge

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yes you have missed out co ordination and reactions.

all the elements are dependent on the development of your nervous system, speed and strength are closelyrelated as both depend on activation of the fast twitch fibres at the correct times



I debated putting strength and speed under the same heading, but I know plenty of people that are very quick but unable to generate a lot of power, or are very strong but very slow. So I decided they were separate enough.
 

Ironbear24

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When I say strength, I don't only mean how hard you can hit (while physical strength is a factor in generating power, speed is equally if not more important).

It is more about weight distribution. Your next comment about exploding out of a deep stance is closer to being accurate.
 

JR 137

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Speed isn't as important in generating hitting power as I think you think it is. Effective mass (how much of your mass you're using when striking) is.

There was a scientific study done measuring the forces generated on boxers' and MAists' heads. They measured velocity of punches and actual force on the head. There was negligible differences on hand speed between lighter weight punchers and heavier punchers. The heavier punchers hit with significantly more force.

There's a lot to read through in this study, but take what you will from it...

Biomechanics of the head for Olympic boxer punches to the face | British Journal of Sports Medicine
 

Buka

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Welcome to MartialTalk, Maxstronge. :)

I think the most important attribute is a combination of the physical, mental and emotional - balls.

Balls to get yourself up and get to the dojo, to pick yourself up off the floor when you're down, to train when you really don't feel like it - and to keep doing it no matter what.

Then, pretty soon, all the attributes mentioned are right there. And sometimes you don't even realize how they got there.
 

Bill Mattocks

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Perseverance.

I'm old, fat, slow. I'm also much better than all the hot rods who quit training.

It doesn't matter what your physical qualifications are if you stop training.

And most people who start training will soon quit. It's a fact. Yay they can do more pull ups than me, but I'll knock them down and their mothers will cry when they see what I did to them. Keep training or suck.
 

Zombocalypse

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I just wanna add this here...

Strength is the foundation of speed. You can't be fast if you're weak. To move your fists or feet with high velocity, you need to be strong first. This is why there are weight classes in martial sports. Strength is often an accompaniment of muscle weight. And strength makes a huge difference, both in grappling and striking. This reminds me of a quote from one of my favorite anime, Baki the Grappler, said by Baki's friend, Ando...

"Almost all fights are won by those who can eat the most."

And another thing... Strength is also a foundation of endurance. You can't move for long periods of time without at least some level of strength.
 

Balrog

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This is what I've been able to come up with in my thinking. Are there any more basic physical attributes that are important for martial arts that I'm forgetting? Keep in mind that I'm not talking about mental traits, like fortitude, integrity, or perseverance. I'm doing a writing project and that part is coming next - right now I'm thinking entirely about the physical traits.
IMNSHO, perseverance is one of the most critical things. I don't care how good your strength or your balance or your cardio are. If you haven't got the will power to make it through the tough times in your training, those things are meaningless.
 

jobo

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IMNSHO, perseverance is one of the most critical things. I don't care how good your strength or your balance or your cardio are. If you haven't got the will power to make it through the tough times in your training, those things are meaningless.
perseverance doesn't come under the general heading of a physical attribute, endurance does, which would help perseverance, but that's a mental characteristics
 

jobo

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I just wanna add this here...

Strength is the foundation of speed. You can't be fast if you're weak. To move your fists or feet with high velocity, you need to be strong first. This is why there are weight classes in martial sports. Strength is often an accompaniment of muscle weight. And strength makes a huge difference, both in grappling and striking. This reminds me of a quote from one of my favorite anime, Baki the Grappler, said by Baki's friend, Ando...

"Almost all fights are won by those who can eat the most."

And another thing... Strength is also a foundation of endurance. You can't move for long periods of time without at least some level of strength.
that's not quite right, speed and,strength reply on the nervous,system activating the fast twitch fibres, getting,stronger should help you with speed(, but you do need to train with speed in mind,) but you can increase speed with out making a,significant improvement in,strengh
 

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