Generating Power in Martial Arts

Below is an excerpt from a great article by a gentleman named Sean Williams.  In this article, Mr. Williams provides a great explanation on how maximum power is generated in the striking arts.  Enjoy…

Sean Williams

Well, first of all I would very much like to assist my fellow comrades in putting together programs for enhancing their functional power. For now, let us talk about specifics of the strength and power game. Despite the ramblings of the masses, the only things that affect your power output are 1.) your limit strength and explosive strength level and 2.) the quality of your kinematic chain(s).I’ve heard so many people rant on and on about physics equations for power output, “force equals mass times velocity squared over 2” and the physics equations are of course valid, but too many people talk about it as if you could apply a simple equation to the human body the same way you would a free flying object like a bullet or a boulder rolling down a hill; the truth is that it’s how efficiently you use kinematic chains, i.e., the body’s joints and levers, that determines your final velocity for impact purposes, and it’s how much strength, limit and explosive, you have that helps determine this as well. Also, your bodyweight isn’t the single biggest factor in how much “mass” you get into the equation; it’s how forward committed and well grounded the attack is. That is, upon impact, there should be no “give” on your side of the equation. Your body and joint angles are so strong through the impact that the target has to absorb all the force. And if it can’t move fast enough do that, it will break. That is the desirable situation. More on this later…Just hearing an equation repeated ad nauseam does not convey any sense of how to actually do it. Let us use advanced definitions for “strength” and “power”: physicists have long since made the distinction between “speed” and “velocity.” (simplified here for your convenience) “Speed” is a measurement of how fast an object moves. “Velocity” is a measurement of how fast an object moves IN A GIVEN DIRECTION. There is a big difference there. So here’s what I propose for our purposes, as definitions for “strength” and “power”: Let us therefore define strength as “a given body’s potential to exert force.” “Power” will be defined as “a given body’s ability to exert force IN A DESIRED DIRECTION.” Again, a huge difference; only with all the power going in the desired direction will it truly be realized (NO wasted movement). That is why some of the most massive or athletic guys sometimes still don’t hit with significant force, despite massive squats and bench presses, huge vertical jumps and so on. It is simply more complicated and twitching a big limb in the direction of what you want to hit. The reason for this is simple: strength depends primarily on training the nervous system to increase the activation of the musculature, and thus gives rise to power. Power relies on leverage and strength as well as a sound mechanical structure with NO wasted movement whatsoever. Wasted movement sends power away from the desired direction in wacky directions. For example, swinging the hand excessively backward, windmilling punches, rotating in the middle instead of shifting and rotating on the lead axis (explanation coming) etc. Power is best manifested through the intelligent use of kinematic chains. A kinematic chain is simply the mechanical (muscle – joint) structure of a given movement; for example, a good straight right involves the hips, glutes, waist, alignment of the psoas and spine, full body rotation on a left axis (NOT the central axis, as some people use, since this would be sending some power out the back) and a full weight shift from the rear (right foot) to the forward (left foot) WITHOUT letting any of the shifting weight move off to either the right or left sides. As you rotate, you think of rotating PAST the target and hitting THROUGH it, and the launch of the arm is being done by the scapula and rotated using the subscapularis. You will notice that there is no “give” on your side of the equation upon impact, and you will feel the jolt in your armpit and sides, perhaps in your glute on that side as well. Now, the other part of power is building the limit and explosive strength, the “fast twitch” ability we’ll talk about later, but for now let’s talk about the kinematic chains. That sounds very complicated, but in truth, anyone can learn how. Most people would just “twitch” their muscles to throw their hand towards the target, and thus would never know what great power they could have. Realize that it is the delivery system of the hips, waist, and spine that will give you the greatest power output, whether you are hitting with a fist, an elbow, or anything else….

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Until next time… keep up the good fight!