Practice on the straight punches

[Thunder Foot]

Hello all. I decided to record myself and get some feed from all my jkd brothers and sisters out there. Critiques are welcomed. Here I'm simply working some straight punches, and moving around the target a little bit. I appreciate your comments and criticisms.

[video=youtube_share;Su6p39-mQ7s]http://youtu.be/Su6p39-mQ7s[/video]

 

[Cyriacus]

One observation and one question:

Observation: You seem a little too light on your feet as your strike reaches its target. That may very well be the camera angle, but if it isnt, you could be losing a fair bit of power. For experimentation, push the balls of your feet into the ground, and without moving them, punch (This is a slightly exaggerated way to do it, but it makes it easier to get a point of reference. Obviously you dont push your feet down that hard under normal circumstances). If theres more force, youre too light on your feet when you make contact. If not, i gracefully admit to being mistaken
Question: Are you deliberately falling back after each short attack?

 

[Touch Of Death]

You should try to use the center line a bit more, and if I were you, I would hold my hands up higher and tighter to the body, it is a more ready for action position than just hanging out there in limbo.
Sean

 

[Touch Of Death]

Also, I did it in the air to be sure, your head rocks back when you punch because you are winging the elbow. , if you line your elbow on your center you can punch with out involving your head, unless you want to do that.

 

[Touch Of Death]

I have a question. Because of how you are punching, it looks as if you wouldn't be one to throw a lot of back-Knuckles. Its this specific to your art, or are you a boxer, cross-training into JKD?
Sean

 

[K-man]

I don't have issue with the feet as the majority of the strikes are jabs anyway, and I don't believe setting you feet will give you increase in power and in fact it would restrict your mobility. I also like the way you protect your chin with your shoulder. But what concerns me, as a martial artist, is that the whole clip is right foot forward. You move about nicely but you move as a southpaw boxer as TOD ​observed. Changing stance gets you into the change of angle wrt your opponent without having to bounce all over the place. That type of energetic movement is fine when you are young but believe me, it is not what you want to do as you get older. Practise both sides. I admire your innovation in using the paper as a target but I hope you practise with it at different heights. (At the height shown you are fighting someone 6 inches taller as the paper moves away.). :asian:

 

[Cyriacus]

I don't have issue with the feet as the majority of the strikes are jabs anyway, and I don't believe setting you feet will give you increase in power and in fact it would restrict your mobility.

I did say you shouldnt be like that all the time - Its just that some people, when learning to stop being heavy on their feet, get a bit too light. What i described was just an experiment. Basically it just reverses the effect a little bit.

 

[Thunder Foot]

Question: Are you deliberately falling back after each short attack?

Thanks for the feed Cyriacus! I've never really heard of being 'too light' on the feet, as long as you're generating power... but I'll try it out! I know it probably doesn't translate well on paper, but there is snap in those punches.
Falling back hmm... if by falling back you mean a defensive maneuver, then yes! Whether thats moving my head or using footwork to get out of the line of fire after attacking. i was taught to take another line after striking if possible.

 

[Thunder Foot]

I have a question. Because of how you are punching, it looks as if you wouldn't be one to throw a lot of back-Knuckles. Its this specific to your art, or are you a boxer, cross-training into JKD?
Sean

Thanks for the feed TOD! Actually, quite on the contrary.... I throw plenty of back knuckles. In this video however, I was working on my straight punches.
What is it about what I'm doing that gives the impression it would be difficult to throw backfists?

[Edit]: Oh, and the centerline... can you elaborate a little? I at least felt like I was quite in line with the target when striking...

 

[Thunder Foot]

I don't have issue with the feet as the majority of the strikes are jabs anyway, and I don't believe setting you feet will give you increase in power and in fact it would restrict your mobility. I also like the way you protect your chin with your shoulder. But what concerns me, as a martial artist, is that the whole clip is right foot forward. You move about nicely but you move as a southpaw boxer as TOD ​observed. Changing stance gets you into the change of angle wrt your opponent without having to bounce all over the place. That type of energetic movement is fine when you are young but believe me, it is not what you want to do as you get older. Practise both sides. I admire your innovation in using the paper as a target but I hope you practise with it at different heights. (At the height shown you are fighting someone 6 inches taller as the paper moves away.). :asian:

Thank you for the critiques K-Man. I was actually practicing a majority of straight leads here, quite different from my jab... not sure if that was translated in the video hehe.
And thanks for the tips! I'm naturally comfortable with left foot forward, so practicing Southpaw is my way of moving towards training both sides . Additionally, I do practice at all heights, this was just one instance.

 

[Touch Of Death]

Thanks for the feed TOD! Actually, quite on the contrary.... I throw plenty of back knuckles. In this video however, I was working on my straight punches.
What is it about what I'm doing that gives the impression it would be difficult to throw backfists?

[Edit]: Oh, and the centerline... can you elaborate a little? I at least felt like I was quite in line with the target when striking...

Its really not that you aren't in line, its how you start your motion. If you don't purposefully roll your punches off the center, you are not fully behind it. This is why your head is rocking. There is a chance that it is just me that sees this, and I encourage others to chime in, but you aren't getting behind them.

The reason I say that about Back Knuckles, is that you don't seem to use points of reference. A straight BK "can" start at the opposite shoulder, slide across your chest, roll to get centered, and fire. It just doesn't look like you hold your hand at or near the shoulders, you line them up on the center, and always seem a little late getting that elbow fully on line before you have thrown the punch.

Sean

 

[Cyriacus]

Thanks for the feed Cyriacus! I've never really heard of being 'too light' on the feet, as long as you're generating power... but I'll try it out! I know it probably doesn't translate well on paper, but there is snap in those punches.
Falling back hmm... if by falling back you mean a defensive maneuver, then yes! Whether thats moving my head or using footwork to get out of the line of fire after attacking. i was taught to take another line after striking if possible.

Excellent!

 

[Thunder Foot]

Its really not that you aren't in line, its how you start your motion. If you don't purposefully roll your punches off the center, you are not fully behind it. This is why your head is rocking. There is a chance that it is just me that sees this, and I encourage others to chime in, but you aren't getting behind them.

The reason I say that about Back Knuckles, is that you don't seem to use points of reference. A straight BK "can" start at the opposite shoulder, slide across your chest, roll to get centered, and fire. It just doesn't look like you hold your hand at or near the shoulders, you line them up on the center, and always seem a little late getting that elbow fully on line before you have thrown the punch.

Sean

Ok, I think I understand what you are saying. Thanks for the advice! I could actually launch the punch without moving my head at all, but I try to tuck my chin into my lead shoulder for extra protection. That may be what you're seeing because it feels like i"m behind them.
That backfist you describe, I practice that one quite frequently! But its usually in relation to my target. So if my target is at say 2 or 3oclock, I'll probably do something similar to what you described. But if the target is at say 12oclock, then that same straight backfist is probably better launched from a low guard or "closed bai jong" however someone calls it. But rather than put my elbow on line and THEN throw, I try to put my elbow on centerline while I throw wherever my arms might be. Could be the wrong way to practice it, but I try to prevent any preparatory moves. And having the elbow always on centerline doesn't seem realistic to me. How do you normally work this aspect?

 

[Touch Of Death]

Ok, I think I understand what you are saying. Thanks for the advice! I could actually launch the punch without moving my head at all, but I try to tuck my chin into my lead shoulder for extra protection. That may be what you're seeing because it feels like i"m behind them.
That backfist you describe, I practice that one quite frequently! But its usually in relation to my target. So if my target is at say 2 or 3oclock, I'll probably do something similar to what you described. But if the target is at say 12oclock, then that same straight backfist is probably better launched from a low guard or "closed bai jong" however someone calls it. But rather than put my elbow on line and THEN throw, I try to put my elbow on centerline while I throw wherever my arms might be. Could be the wrong way to practice it, but I try to prevent any preparatory moves. And having the elbow always on centerline doesn't seem realistic to me. How do you normally work this aspect?

Well, I guess I'm big on full range of motion, and my argument would be that you don't start center line. LOL The circles are bigger, but it gives you more pop in your punch if you, as I have stated on the BKs, roll in to them. Or as Eazy E once said in a favorite lyric, "drop the dogs!" and if you start center line you already got them dropped. LOL In other words, Keep you hands higher and lead with the elbow.
Sean

 

[Touch Of Death]

Just play with it. You should be able to feel what I am talking about.

 

[Touch Of Death]

Oh, and one more thing. This just as much a weight lifting idea as a martial arts thing, but human beings are built as such, that if you stand straight legged, and hold your hands high, it feels weak and un-natural, but if you bend your knees, and get down in stance, it feels like the most natural thing in the world, and it is truly stronger because your knees are bent. I don't even understand it. LOL

 

[WC_lun]

You seem to lead with your head sometimes, which can be an issue. Get your hands up and elbows off the sides of your torso.

I do understand the "too light on your feet" comment and was thinking the same thing. That is a Chinese martial arts thing. Even jabs are connected all the way to the ground. An easy way (though it takes good timing) to experience this is lift your knee up and step down as you use the lead jab. For CMA the jab is more than a range finding and anoyance tool, though admittidley it is usually not thrown as quickly as other system's jabs.

 

[Uncle]

1. Too much arm, not enough hip. You're punching pretty much entirely from your arms and upper body. You need to get more torque with your hips. Part of that comes from punching the paper and not having to structure your impacts but you still need to focus on turning your his to generate impact.

2. Overreaching. You're caching too far when hitting your target. Keep in mind that in order to cause serious damage you need to be able to impact just short of maximal extension. So when you hit you should have a couple inches left. This is what you call "punching through the target." If you can hang something behind the paper like a tennis ball and punch that it will be good training for you. Also as a byproduct of your overreaching not just with your arm but with your body you're leaning in on punches where you shouldn't be.

3. Not planting feet. It looks like you're dancing a little too much. You need to make sure your feet are planted when you impact. There are a few exceptions to this rule but in general your feet being on the ground will give you maximal power because you will have structural reinforcement for your punches. This is what the Chinese refer to as "rooting."

4. Slip more using your legs. You tend to only be slipping using your upper body. Try also slipping by crouching off to the side a little more. It means you will be able to use your leg to drive into the punch coming off the slip and can be very effective for using a body shot as a counter.

5. Your elbows are getting lazy. I realize that you're trying to keep loose but loose does not mean sloppy. At times your elbows are drifting out instead of staying down and your straight lunches are either lopping a little or simply losing their structural reinforcement.

 

[simplicity]

Since you are using the Jeet Kune Do paper drill. First start by 'moving but not moving at all" staying on the line... You seem to by trying move around the paper... IMU of JKD, this drill has many things that are learned with in the drill itself... Fit in with the paper by letting it moves freely... Stay on the line and use awareness - interception... How you can apply this, when you see the paper flat facing you hit it driving though with a snap back... Don't try to "box" the paper, timing is everything... This is just one way to a fitting in process... Something to think about, as I always say...

 

[Thunder Foot]

You seem to lead with your head sometimes, which can be an issue. Get your hands up and elbows off the sides of your torso.

I do understand the "too light on your feet" comment and was thinking the same thing. That is a Chinese martial arts thing. Even jabs are connected all the way to the ground. An easy way (though it takes good timing) to experience this is lift your knee up and step down as you use the lead jab. For CMA the jab is more than a range finding and anoyance tool, though admittidley it is usually not thrown as quickly as other system's jabs.

Thanks for the feed WC_lun! I'll try to work on it. In reference to the "root to the ground" analogy, how do you accomplish this while maintaining moving your hand before your foot? Because if the hand moves before the foot, then that means that the hand hits before the foot lands too no? Appreciate your input.