Where is the power generation?

[JowGaWolf]

As you can see, some styles break down the motions, and make the motions easier to learn by breaking them up. The above clip shows a karate master doing their version of the San Jin form. All I'm saying is that techniques can be learnt first, and then slowly slowly the student adds power, until they can go 100%.

This looks like tension training. In Jow Ga we do tension training as part of our power training. It helps to develop controlled power by engaging the muscles and tendons, and ligaments for a longer period of time than what can be done by a normal punch, or block. The movement looks simple but it's actually very difficult. It is as if your body is fighting to move and restrict movement at the same time. In simple terms it is like resistance training but instead of having a resistance band creating the tension, the body is creating the tension.

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

An example of such a technique is the double punch and vertical back fist.

Both double punches and vertical back fist can be generated power by "hollow chest -> extend chest" which are different from "isolate arms from body". The movement is small but it's there.

Again, you can't use body rotation for double punches. You can only use body rotation for single punch.

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

This looks like tension training.

Agree! A good friend of mine trained this everyday. I'm very familiar with this. IMO, the "dynamic tension" is the opposite of "power generation". When you do

- dynamic tension, you compress fully but you don't release fully.
- power generation, you compress fully and you also release fully.

 

[JowGaWolf]

power generation, you compress fully and you also release fully.

This is what is done after the dynamic tension. Say I do dynamic tension 10 times on each arm for a jab. When I'm done then I fully release 10 times with full power. This is required for us to prevent energy from backing up. I guess in the science world, it's to release all of the stress and tension that was built up from the first exercise. In class we never do any tension exercise without some kind of release that comes after it or at the end of class at the latest.

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

This is what is done after the dynamic tension. Say I do dynamic tension 10 times on each arm for a jab. When I'm done then I fully release 10 times with full power. This is required for us to prevent energy from backing up. I guess in the science world, it's to release all of the stress and tension that was built up from the first exercise. In class we never do any tension exercise without some kind of release that comes after it or at the end of class at the latest.

The "dynamic tension" works very well for stretching too. You ask your training partner to hold on your legs and you try to separate your legs but you can't. When your training partner lets go your legs, you can do a full forward and backward split on the ground effortless.

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

Some MA system such as XingYi likes to punch from the center of chest (or throat). It makes great sense. Not only it's the shortest distance between you and your opponent's body, when you punch from your center, you have protected your center that your opponent's straight punch won't have space to come in. When you punch from your throat, since you are not rotating your body, you will need different way to generate your power (such as footwork).

 

[DanT]

In wing chun we tend to punch from the centre of the chest as well. Not always but often. When we do, at least in my lineage, we rotate the hips 45 degrees to add power. In essence, we add our hips into most of our punches. We also can step into the opponent to add power. So we do punch from the centre of the chest, but rotate the body as well.