Gaining Power

karatekid1975 · KF VIP

I agree with proper technique = power. I never had a problem with power. I got a lot of power for a chic. But when I first started, I had no tech, so I worked on it. After that, WATCH OUT LOL. I moved a 250 bl guy across the dojang with a side kick and I was a 130lb green belt! Now I'm 30lb heavier hehehehe (more weight behind da power hehehe).

So, build your technique, and you'll be an a$$ kickin chic

Just don't give up

_________________
Laurie S.
Yellow belt/green stripe TKD
(formally 5th gup blue belt TSD)

[ This Message was edited by: karatekid1975 on 2002-06-02 00:03 ]

[ This Message was edited by: karatekid1975 on 2002-06-02 00:05 ]

Bon · Black Belt

I don't really think pushups and the like can help after you get past to a certain point. I'd been doing kickboxing for about 10months, which meant I'd been doing pushups for about 10 months, I couldn't do more than 30 & I couldn't increase the number I could do. I have a friend who is obssessed with building muscles and does pushups and other exercises a lot, but is stuck on 30 pushups and hasn't increased his strength that much.

I can do 80 pushups now, but that's only because of weight training. I'd get weights, wrap them up in a towel & do pushups with them on my back. I'd do a normal push up as the flat bench press, then I'd put my feet up a couple of stairs for decline, and my hands up a couple of stairs for incline. I've done it 5 times and I've managed to add an extra 10 pushups bringing me up to 80.

To sum it up, I think pushups alone are a waist of time for developing power since your body adapts and no longer finds doing a pushup hard. I have to admit they did give me 13 inch biceps by themselves though (no weights were used to aid the developement), but since you've been doing them a long time, I don't think they will be much help and you need to find more challenging methods.

Have a look at the point Martial_Artist brings up on this thread, http://www.karateforums.com/forums/viewtopic.php?topic=2909&forum=25&15

I was obssessed with being strong so I could kick hard, punch hard, develop knock out power, etc and researched weight training. At the same time I started eating properly due to my research, and started eating protein after my workouts, which I would push through with every punch and kick, making every punch/kick just as hard as the last and getting all my anti-oxidants in vegies. I noticed a tremendous increase in strength in only a couple of months, my strength went through the roof so to speak. I provided the resistance in my workout and ate properly, at the same time my technique also improved a hell of a lot and now weighing 178 lbs and not 200 lbs isn't so much of a concern to me, because I know strength will never replace technique.

I don't know if I expressed my point very well, I hope you understand what I mean though.

_________________
It takes sacrifice to be the best.

There are always two choices, two paths to take. One is easy. And its only reward is that it's easy.

KickChick · Black Belt

monkeygirl · KF VIP

thanks guys! you all have some great points. KickChick you beat me to it....my Mom leg presses more than most guys, somewhere in the range of 700 lbs.!!!!!!!!!
You have to be 16 to do cardio in my school because it is high impact and "bad for your bones".
Bon: Obviously your friend isn't THAT obsessed if he can only do 30 pushups.

Doing repetitions over and over again and pushing yourself slightly is what makes you stronger. I've had success with this before, I just haven't had time during the school year to really focus on it.

I never really thought of using a heavy bag as anything more than stress relief. Although I don't have my own bag, I'll keep that in mind

[CT]pizzaboy: technique isn't really the problem. I can still kick harder than when I started, but when my legs only weigh about 20lbs each and i only have about 50 extra pounds behind that, I can't really do much.

And no I don't have kicks that "flob around like spagetti noodles. "

_________________
1st dan & Asst. Instructor TKD 2000-2003

No matter the tune...if you can rock it, rock it hard.

SaiFightsMS · KF VIP

So just out of curiosity do your techniques have sufficient power to do your breaking requrememts? That is what usually prevents most of our younger ones from black belt status.

monkeygirl · KF VIP

My school doesn't do breaking. We had started to get into it at one point, but my best friend sprained her wrist pretty bad, and we haven't tried it again. Of course, I was absent that night, so I've never done any breaking

I at least wanted to try...

Oh well.

_________________
1st dan & Asst. Instructor TKD 2000-2003

No matter the tune...if you can rock it, rock it hard.

Bon · Black Belt

monkeygirl, I tend to disagree with you here..

Apart from my friend, I also know of a person who holds a black belt (been training for over 10 years) and does push ups every day, I'm stronger and can do more than him and I don't even train half as hard as him, nor have I done a significant fraction of the number of pushups he has in my short time in the arts. I'm not saying they do not build at strength at all. My point ---> a very ineffective and hard way of doing so after you build some muscle!

I still think it's your technique if you're not getting power.. I trained with a girl who weighed 110lbs, she was tiny! She's also one of the toughest people I've met, I'd put my money on her to drop most guys any day! Damn she could kick.. she could take a lot as well, a lot more than everyone else at the dojo. She used to kick my * hardcore and that was an incentive for me to train harder! =p I'd always be willing her to kick harder, because she didn't always kick as hard as she could, only when she was cut. Most girls I've seen don't kick as aggresively, or really twist their hips into the kick. This is where most of my power is generated, by twisting as hard and as fast as I can, a harder foot/fist on impact (ie, more tightly clenched) will make the impact more powerful.

Personally, I think since you're only 99lbs, you obviously don't build muscle too easily, you're probably one of those people who eats all they want and never gain an ounce of fat. I don't think pushups alone will cut it, I think if you're serious about building muscle you need to be able to devote yourself seriously to weight training program which would mean eating properly, etc. If you're going to do push ups with the intent on adding muscle, get your amino acids, or you will just lose muscle.

I think smaller people can generate power in technique, I'm not much bigger than other people, I don't stand out like 'woah, that guy's big or anything', if I wasn't overweight, I'd be average.. But, I know I can hit so much harder than everyone else because of my technique, when I start a strike, I want to get it to the target, beyond the target in fact, as fast as possible and twist into it as much as possible. I didn't realise how much more power could be generated until I felt a 360 roundhouse, which was a poor one, the guy then proceeded to twist his hips a further 90 degrees past the target and it winded me through the bag. Just look at the little muay thai dudes, they generate awesome power through their technique. Bruce Lee is another good example, he might have been small, but he had awesome technique and he was quick, which is what gave him his power.

_________________
It takes sacrifice to be the best.

There are always two choices, two paths to take. One is easy. And its only reward is that it's easy.

Bon · Black Belt

3 things to remember :

Technique!
Technique!
Technique!

_________________
It takes sacrifice to be the best.

There are always two choices, two paths to take. One is easy. And its only reward is that it's easy.

ckdstudent · Green Belt

Work a lot on your technique, particularly trying to put more of your bodyweight behind kicks and punches. One good way to do this with kicks is to lean into them more, rather than throwing your body away from the kick as some instructors teach. With punches its better to lead with your hip and shoulder, holding your arm in 'chamber' until you can feel a stretch across the back.

_________________
---------
Pil Sung
Jimmy B

KickChick · Black Belt

What no breaking requirement to advance to black belt?

... and no breaking experience at all??? well, that explains your lack of power (and your lack of confidence more importantly due to the fact that you aren't aware of the power behind your technique) --->breaking!!!
Some only break only because it is required for promotion but there are other more important reasons for breaking.
Breaking is used as a way for a students to measure the precision and power of their techniques (strikes & kicks).
Because offensive techniques may be injurous, students are not able to use full power when practicing against an opponent in sparring. By breaking boards and bricks, they may measure their accuracy, concentration of power and strength.
To develop this power, students must practice hitting solid objects. Striking a heavy bag accomplishes this but breaking gives the student instant feedback ... confidence!!!

Remember the equation, Force = Mass x Velocity2. The moving hand generates force while the stationary brick generates no force ... therefore the hand overpowers the brick. If the the hand was stationary and the brick was dropped on it, then the moving brick would injure the hand.

_________________
KarateForums Sensei
1st dan Tae Kwon Do (ITF)
Cardio/Fitness Kickboxing Instr.

[ This Message was edited by: KickChick on 2002-06-03 11:22 ]

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