# Keeping relax



## Glycerine0160 (Jul 9, 2008)

I've been told on many occasions that when I am training, I am tense. When I do things like huba luba, I feel perfectly calm. I know I'm definitely "intense' i always try to put my all into things so I can improve my speed/ strength of kicks and punches. Either way, I am sure to some degree I am tense. ( I used to be this way when I played the drums too.) Any way to fix this, I realize it won't be easy. and telling someone to relax doesn't help. I have been doing some yoga recently, I wonder if those breathing techniques might help. Although, I'm not sure if they techniques work as well when doing heavy cardio vascular exercise.


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## Kacey (Jul 9, 2008)

You don't say how experienced you are in your MA - to a certain extent, relaxation will come with practice, as it apparently did for you with the drums.  "Calm" and "physically tense" are not mutually exclusive - although not being calm can certainly _add_ to problems with being physically tense.

Relaxation is important for a variety of reasons - one of the key reasons being that when you are relaxed but alert, your response time is faster.  Also, when you are physically relaxed, your techniques will work in a more optimal fashion - in both cases, it's because you won't be fighting against your own muscles.  Relaxing under stress - whether in training or in an actual defense situation - can be a very hard skill to learn, but it can be vital in certain circumstances.

As you practice more, you should be able to relax more... in general; I have one student who just doesn't relax.  He and another student started at the same time, have been in class together all the way up to their current ranks of 1st gup - and one relaxes and the other doesn't.  The only thing I've found for the one who doesn't relax that works (temporarily at this point... but he's slowly getting better) is to work him to the point that he's tired enough that he relaxes every time I let him stop, simply because he's tired.  That's the only way I've found to get him to relax enough to understand _phsyically _- rather than _intellectually,_ which he's fine with - what is actually *like* to relax.


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## geezer (Jul 10, 2008)

Glycerine0160 said:


> I've been told on many occasions that when I am training, I am tense. When I do things like huba luba, I feel perfectly calm. I know I'm definitely "intense' i always try to put my all into things so I can improve my speed/ strength of kicks and punches. Either way, I am sure to some degree I am tense...



I hear ya! I've struggled with the same problem for decades. I think some of it is just a matter of genes or innate temperment. My old Wing Tsun sifu was Chinese, and in his accented English the word _"stiff"_ sounded identical to my name, _"Steve"_. He seemed to think this was riotously funny. Ha, ha (I'm still _not_ laughing). On the other hand, by working on stretching and relaxation, you _can_ make progress. And segregate your activities._ Don't_ do heavy lifting on the same days you do your MA, but _do_ go through a thorough stretching routine. And when you strike, try to develop a springy, whip-like energy rather than a "hard", tight-muscled approach, consciously not tensing-up until the instant of contact, then immediately release the tension and go loose again. One thing that helped me was deliberately NOT putting my "all" into a strike when training. Trying too hard is a sure-fire way to get tense. Instead try to put about 75% into a shot, but make it perfect. You may end up with more net power. And if you find better advice, please send it to me! --Sincerely, Stiff


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## Glycerine0160 (Jul 11, 2008)

geezer said:


> I hear ya! I've struggled with the same problem for decades. I think some of it is just a matter of genes or innate temperment. My old Wing Tsun sifu was Chinese, and in his accented English the word _"stiff"_ sounded identical to my name, _"Steve"_. He seemed to think this was riotously funny. Ha, ha (I'm still _not_ laughing). On the other hand, by working on stretching and relaxation, you _can_ make progress. And segregate your activities._ Don't_ do heavy lifting on the same days you do your MA, but _do_ go through a thorough stretching routine. And when you strike, try to develop a springy, whip-like energy rather than a "hard", tight-muscled approach, consciously not tensing-up until the instant of contact, then immediately release the tension and go loose again. One thing that helped me was deliberately NOT putting my "all" into a strike when training. Trying too hard is a sure-fire way to get tense. Instead try to put about 75% into a shot, but make it perfect. You may end up with more net power. And if you find better advice, please send it to me! --Sincerely, Stiff


 

alright, im going to do my yoga right before martial arts. I got a lot out of what you said. yeah, this one back up filipino instructor told me I was tense last time. He also noticed I was sweating the hardest, and that I move around a lot when we do sparring or drills closer to sparring. Him and this other experienced guy said I was wasting my energy, but I feel I'm just keeping myself ready to attack. (similiar to how a tennis player keeps him/herself moving when recieving a serve) Lastly, I do put my all into it, and I think that is why I'm tense. We'll see.


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