All Martial Artists dream of possessing that KO power. We all see it on TV and wish we could do the same. When it comes to throwing a hard strike, there are a lot of variables controlling our ability. You may think a decent punch directly correlates with a muscular, strong arm, but this very often isn't the case. When developing an effective strike we need to consider factors such as strength, mobility, speed, dexterity, balance and more.
In this article we're going to try and break these down, to understand the training methods we can use to improve our overall striking.
First of all, the elephant in the room is clearly the strength aspect of the strike. Now we may feel that raw strength directly results in a powerful strike. But what we are really looking for is power, which is mass x acceleration. Having fast twitching and dense muscle fibres certainly helps us to achieve the acceleration, and having a large muscular arm can help with the mass, but we need a perfect combination of the two, or rarely a phenomenal level of one, for a perfect strike. To coach our fast twitch muscle fibres we need to perform similar movements against resistance. So for example when training for a powerful punch, we might practise on a modestly weighted T-Bar, or perhaps a resistance band, to practise punching against a resistance. This will help us to develop our fast twitch muscle fibres, as well as our muscle-memory.
Next is mobility. Often we see big muscular guys and assume they can do some real damage. But again this is often not the case, due to the poor mobility that tends to come with larger muscles. Increasing your range of motion allows for maximum extension and therefore maximum potential for acceleration of the limb. Consider Usain Bolt's foot pace at 10m into his race, and 20m. At 20m in, he will be running considerably faster than at 10m, which helps us to understand the importance of sufficient range of motion for a strike. In a Punch the arm will be travelling at it's highest rate towards the end of the movement, after adequate momentum has been generated. To improve our mobility we simply need to stretch. This could just be regular static stretching, or Yoga classes or anything! There isn't much to it, but it is easily forgotten.
Dexterity is next, and this one truly is tough. Dexterity is something we tend to be born with or without. Some people have a natural gift when it comes to balance and coordination and others really struggle. We can certainly work our dexterity, but sadly the capacity for improvement is far smaller than the likewise for strength or flexibility. Nevertheless it is an important aspect of striking and so well worth working on. We can aid our dexterity simply by engaging in activities which challenge our balance and coordination. Some athletes like to use agility ladders, you may have seen boxers punching small balls on elastic bands, as well as speed bags. There have also been studied connecting video games to heightened dexterity! Whatever you choose, it is certainly worth dedicating some time to.
I hope this has given you an insight into improving your striking. Improving in all of these areas will help you to throw stronger and more accurate strikes. All of these rules apply to punches, kicks, elbows, knees and the rest. It all comes down to power, mobility and dexterity. The list far supersedes what is included in this article, but hopefully this has started you on your journey to improving your striking abilities.
