# Learning to strike



## Paul Genge (Aug 4, 2005)

I have completed an article on striking that accompanies the recent one on learning to take strikes onto the body.  It has a clip showing some of the drills and using strikes against full speed knife attacks.

Paul Genge
Russian Martial Arts Northwest (UK)


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## silatman (Aug 4, 2005)

Dont know much about this system but sounds like it would be a good art to learn for taking and giving strikes with power. 
Just read some of the articles from your link, I do have one question though, how do you strenghten a tendon? Obviously the muscles would be stronger around the wrist but I always thought that a tendon was like rope in that it will stretch with training but I didn't think it could get stronger.
I would be interested in cross training in something like this if time and finances allow, do you know of anyone training in SouthWest Australia?


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## Paul Genge (Aug 4, 2005)

silatman said:
			
		

> Dont know much about this system but sounds like it would be a good art to learn for taking and giving strikes with power.
> Just read some of the articles from your link, I do have one question though, how do you strenghten a tendon? Obviously the muscles would be stronger around the wrist but I always thought that a tendon was like rope in that it will stretch with training but I didn't think it could get stronger.
> I would be interested in cross training in something like this if time and finances allow, do you know of anyone training in SouthWest Australia?


We use various versions of press up, some of which are incredibly slow.  These are said to strengthen the tendons, but I do not have enough knowledge to say how this is done.  I do know that pliometric exercises improve the tendons ability to store energy.  Maybe there is someone else out there who knows the answer to this one.  It has certainly sparked a debate on another forum.

Paul Genge


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## Kenpodoc (Aug 4, 2005)

Paul Genge said:
			
		

> We use various versions of press up, some of which are incredibly slow.  These are said to strengthen the tendons, but I do not have enough knowledge to say how this is done.  I do know that pliometric exercises improve the tendons ability to store energy.  Maybe there is someone else out there who knows the answer to this one.  It has certainly sparked a debate on another forum.
> 
> Paul Genge


Bones definitely remodel and strengthen in response to exercise and trauma.  I don't off the top of my head know of studies looking at tendon strength but when I examine more heavily muscled people, their tendons are bigger.  I believe that if tendons did not strengthen we would be seeing more tendon injuries in "Bob Sapp" sized people. Joints are another story, repeated joint trauma does not strengthen joints it just speeds arthritic changes. cartilage does not heal well, bones, muscles and tendons can all heal. 

Jeff


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## Simon Curran (Aug 4, 2005)

Kenpodoc said:
			
		

> Bones definitely remodel and strengthen in response to exercise and trauma. I don't off the top of my head know of studies looking at tendon strength but when I examine more heavily muscled people, their tendons are bigger. I believe that if tendons did not strengthen we would be seeing more tendon injuries in "Bob Sapp" sized people. Joints are another story, repeated joint trauma does not strengthen joints it just speeds arthritic changes. cartilage does not heal well, bones, muscles and tendons can all heal.
> 
> Jeff


Interesting food for thought, thanks for that.:asian:


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## mscroggins (Aug 9, 2005)

It is absolutely true that slow systema style exercise strengthens the connective tissue. Pick up a copy of Science of Sport Training by Thomas Kurz. He flatly writes (and references several studies) that isometrics, or quasi-isometrics, build connective tissue, and the longer they are held the greater the effect. 

Then there is this gem:

"A prolonged use of isometric exercises causes an increase in the sarcoplasm of the muscle cells, a rounding of the nuclei, a transverse expansion of the motor plates, a meandering of the capillaries, and a thickening of he endomisium and perimsium(connective tissues surrounding single muscle cells...)"

Kurz p.145


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