# Need Advice



## Kempo49 (Feb 7, 2008)

Hey everyone, thanks to everyone who responds for taking time out to help me with this.

I have reached the point in my training where I need to focus largely on the speed and accuracy of my striking. I know a few drills to help in these areas but I'm sure that this community could provide me with a wide variety of valuable information on how to effectively build speed and accuracy in striking.

-Mike


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## still learning (Feb 8, 2008)

Hello,  Loren Christenson has a great book on "Speed Drills" ..a great source of information in it.

Proper lifting drills, plyometics drills, and EATING THE RIGHT FOODS...will lead to faster speeds.

Bruce Lee always look for ways to increase speed and power....what made him effective? ...was where and when to hit, timing, proper body movements of the whole body.....thru practice he learn about the other person movements, breathing..and was able to hit someone who did not expect to get hit.....

People thought it was speed? ...it was knowing when to strike! ...each person breathes, and thinks...it is when to strike a person who is in between the  mind and breathes (hard to move when inhaling) study this?
In/out breathing of the other person!  Bruce Lee like to use "FEINTS" ALOT TOO! ...catches you off guard.

Speed is good when you can out run the other person too!

One can increase their own speed...there is limits too! ..try not to break the sound barrier...or you will need ear muffs?

Aloha ,  light weights and plyometics....


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## MattJ (Feb 9, 2008)

Sparring is probably the most reliable way to get functional with your strikes.


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## Doc (Feb 10, 2008)

MattJ said:


> Sparring is probably the most reliable way to get functional with your strikes.



Yeah, if the only strikes you have are punches, and backfists.


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## Doc (Feb 10, 2008)

Kempo49 said:


> Hey everyone, thanks to everyone who responds for taking time out to help me with this.
> 
> I have reached the point in my training where I need to focus largely on the speed and accuracy of my striking. I know a few drills to help in these areas but I'm sure that this community could provide me with a wide variety of valuable information on how to effectively build speed and accuracy in striking.
> 
> -Mike



Who decided you need to work on "speed?"


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## LawDog (Feb 10, 2008)

To your opponents eye any relaxed non-telegraphed strike or motion will seem to be the fastest. As we age our natural speed will slow down so in order to still look very fast you should develop a relaxed non-telegraphed type of motion.
To help develop motion in a relaxed state you should,
* start by doing any given motion on the slower side,
* do this motion many, many times over,
* do not attempt to over power your motion, this could actually slow it down,
* do not anticipate your motion,(this usually causes the infamous telegraph),
* eventually practice this motion in a non-thinking state,( do not think using words),
* begin to visually picture, your opponents motion,
Eventually, on it's own, you will develop a relaxed speed and there will be no telegraphing of your motion. Hard to see and hard to stop.
Good luck.
:knight:


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## ChadWarner (Feb 10, 2008)

LawDog said:


> To your opponents eye any relaxed non-telegraphed strike or motion will seem to be the fastest. As we age our natural speed will slow down so in order to still look very fast you should develop a relaxed non-telegraphed type of motion.
> To help develop motion in a relaxed state you should,
> * start by doing any given motion on the slower side,
> * do this motion many, many times over,
> ...


 
A non thinking state... The superconscious has many levels and is only as good as your basics and alignment knowledge.   

Anticipation really depends on your objective.  Once hostility has been observed and felt to the point one feels threatened, well, forward movement by the aggressor after a warning...  I am anticipating a problem and now looking at structural breakdown and incapacitation of the threat.  

1000 times slow for 1 time fast.  

I think you may be saying similar things but your detail is a bit vague.   That leaves the less knowledgeable too much room for interpretation.  Mis interpretation can be a bad thing-  To be sure your teaching experience has exposed to you people who don't listen, don't get what you are saying, or purely have not trained the material hard enough.


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## MJS (Feb 10, 2008)

Kempo49 said:


> Hey everyone, thanks to everyone who responds for taking time out to help me with this.
> 
> I have reached the point in my training where I need to focus largely on the speed and accuracy of my striking. I know a few drills to help in these areas but I'm sure that this community could provide me with a wide variety of valuable information on how to effectively build speed and accuracy in striking.
> 
> -Mike


 
Practice, practice and more practice.   Unfortunately, there are no short cuts.  I would suggest taking a technique and doing it slow over and over.  Gradually add in more speed.  Doing this with all of your techniques will build on the muscle memory.  

Of course, when you get down to it, you want to make sure that you're not sacrificing one for the other.  Blazing thru a technique and having no power behind it isn't any good, just like having all power, but no speed.  An equal balance of both is good, but like I said, I feel the best way is repetitive training.


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## LawDog (Feb 11, 2008)

C.W.
Yes I was posting on the light side. My posting was not meant to be a full instructional posting, rather it was supposted open up our thoughts on how one can acheive this goal. To write something like this out full instructional version would take time. Those who really want to learn would research or seak out an instructor from their area who could give them first hand explaination on this subject.
Anticipation as I wrote this refers to,
* anticipating your physical motion. Thinking over and over about doing a motion that your not sure you can do. When a attempts to jump off a diving board for the first time, he will sometimes second guess himself to the point where his dive could go horribly wrong. This is similiar to pacticing martial arts techniques, think about it to much and it comes out stiff or awkward.
* anticipating an opponents move. Many highly skilled fighters, including street fighters, will sometimes make themselves look intentionally unskilled and awarkward. Many others will fake a move then unload with his intended move. You may go for a move that was never meant to occur.
* Visual vs thinking in words response. I will explain this as simple / short as I can,( I should be doing my taxes right now).
Next time you are driving your car, if someone pulls out in front of your vehicle you will, if you have the proper driving experience, turn automaticly.  Your eyes saw the situation, your driving experience,(repeated repetitions), programed your mind to respond certain ways when certain situations existed. If you took the time to think about, using words, a proper response you would probably have an accident. You referred to muscle memory, your mind is like a computer, when you do certain motions over a period of time / rep's, you will program your mind to make your muscle groups work together to create certain pattern flows. When you combine this same pattern flow against a certain type of offensive, defensive or counter attack pattern you have "programed your mind to combine a group muscle pattern response with a certain type of offensive, defensive or counter pattern. When your eyes see a certain threat pattern your mind will,(should), respond with the correct group of programed patterns. If you think about it using words you will, for a moment, shut down your minds,(computer), built in programming.
Have a fun time training.


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## Kempo49 (Feb 11, 2008)

Thanks so far, keep em commin. To "Doc", my master as well as myself personally are aware that I am fast but could be faster. I have alot of training under my belt and understand the basic and advanced concepts of speed. I'm really looking for tried and true exercises and drills that will improve my speed and accuracy. Things like going up and down the ladder, focus mitts, etc.

Thanks again for all responses so far.

-Mike


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## Doc (Feb 11, 2008)

Kempo49 said:


> Thanks so far, keep em commin. To "Doc", my master as well as myself personally are aware that I am fast but could be faster. I have alot of training under my belt and understand the basic and advanced concepts of speed. I'm really looking for tried and true exercises and drills that will improve my speed and accuracy. Things like going up and down the ladder, focus mitts, etc.
> 
> Thanks again for all responses so far.
> 
> -Mike



Ok then. Speed is something you cannot specifically train for. "Speed is a byproduct of proper physical and mental familiarity."

You can improve hand-eye coordination through repetition, but doing things correctly first, with the proper mental focus second, will improve your speed better than any drill. The drills you see people do that appear to be to increase speed, are merely specific repetitions designed to promote the aforementioned. Moving "fast" just for the sake of being "fast" will not yield the lasting results you seek. Proper drills are just correct repetitions.

Now, if your instructor wants you to work on being faster, why didn't he teach you a methodology he approves of. (Rhetorical)


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## Kempo49 (Feb 11, 2008)

The reason he can't teach me now is because I am currently attending college about 1400 miles from the dojo. The only time I have to train with him specifically is my winter break and the summer months. Time this year did not allow for my training to continue as I would like and summer is a long way away. But if I can come back to him having improved rather then lost or maintained current skill I feel that he would be very pleased with my dedication and effort.

-Mike


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## Doc (Feb 12, 2008)

Kempo49 said:


> The reason he can't teach me now is because I am currently attending college about 1400 miles from the dojo. The only time I have to train with him specifically is my winter break and the summer months. Time this year did not allow for my training to continue as I would like and summer is a long way away. But if I can come back to him having improved rather then lost or maintained current skill I feel that he would be very pleased with my dedication and effort.
> 
> -Mike



In my universe, you can only "drill" something after you have learned it properly, than repeat it over and over until it becomes second nature. if your teacher hasn't shown you methods to "work on speed," I'd suggest a more convenient teacher, or wait.


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## kidswarrior (Feb 12, 2008)

ChadWarner said:


> 1000 times slow for 1 time fast.


Love it. Would you mind if I use it in my teaching? :asian:



			
				Doc said:
			
		

> Speed is something you cannot specifically train for. "Speed is a byproduct of proper physical and mental familiarity."


Doc, just when I think I know something, you post and I find I know nothing.  But it's all good, cos I love learning.


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## jks9199 (Feb 12, 2008)

Kempo49 said:


> The reason he can't teach me now is because I am currently attending college about 1400 miles from the dojo. The only time I have to train with him specifically is my winter break and the summer months. Time this year did not allow for my training to continue as I would like and summer is a long way away. But if I can come back to him having improved rather then lost or maintained current skill I feel that he would be very pleased with my dedication and effort.
> 
> -Mike





Doc said:


> In my universe, you can only "drill" something after you have learned it properly, than repeat it over and over until it becomes second nature. if your teacher hasn't shown you methods to "work on speed," I'd suggest a more convenient teacher, or wait.



You can make the most of your limited time with your teacher.  Concentrate of practicing what you've been taught the way you've been taught it.  If you practice properly, you'll improve.  You may not be able to learn more advanced things... but you'll be able to advance your skill and understanding of what you've been taught.

If you try to advance otherwise, without regular (weekly or so) feedback and training from your instructor, you're doomed to failure.


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## MattJ (Feb 15, 2008)

Doc said:


> Yeah, if the only strikes you have are punches, and backfists.


 
Not sure what kind of sparring you are referring to. All manner of kicks (including thigh and cut kicks), knees, elbows, heel palms, and even finger flicks (painful to the mouth, LOL) can and have been integrated into my sparring. 

Not saying that it is the *only* way. But it is the quickest route to functional (ie; fast, accurate, etc) skill, IMHO.


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