Striking Arts

Eye of the Tiger · Purple Belt

Does muscle improve the power of the punch? If not is there any point in strengh training for the 'hard' style Martial Artist if muscle does not help?
When we look at the Masters of the Shotokan style they dont really tend to be bothered about physical training apart through karate training, alot of them are quite fat aswell apart from the famous Masutatsu Oyama 1923-1994 who physically was one of the most strongest men in the world and on countless occasions pitted him self against fully grown bulls and each one was a fight to the death and he downed them with one mighty knife hand strike. At 16 he trained under Gichin Funakoshi. But for the majority they dont bother so much with physical strengh as much as kime or focus. So is there any point if strengh doesnt help the power of your 'hard' techniques?

Thanks for your replys

Tiger

Radok · Brown Belt

This seems like an obvious question. Of course being stronger is going to make you hit harder!

My instructor said you should spend 80% of your exersize on training and 20% practicing. He's in his mid 40's and can still bench well over 200 and he runs three miles every morning. And if an older guy could kick my @$$ as easily as he can, I'll take his word on how to train.

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If you can't laugh at yourself, there's no point. No point in what, you might ask? there's just no point.

Many people seem to take Karate to get a Black Belt, rather than getting a Black Belt to learn Karate.

Red J · Black Belt

I think form and strength is a great combination to have. Now form without strength has its limits as does strength without form. When the two are combined you are maximizing potential.

Case in point outside of karate...Tiger Woods changed the face of golf with his strength training and his fabulous technique. Before he came along very few players were strength training. Now it's what you have to do to become competitive. You can see this in all professional sports as a trainer is a regular part of the team.

Applying this to karate, I would say that to perform at your peak, you must be in top physical condition and have great form or technique. So I would recommend a balanced approach.

Now the masters....well they were the masters.

Eye of the Tiger · Purple Belt

I was just told by a few people that being strong will not improve the power of your punch. But anyway why do you think all the masters are not really in good physicasl condition because if they combined both strengh with kime or Focus they would have an even stronger punch, wouldn't you say so?

G95champ · Black Belt

If you bench press 100lbs or 300lbs do you think it will make a differance in how had you hit?

Weight Training will help with anything.
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(General George S. Patton Jr.) "It's the unconquerable soul of man, and not the nature of the weapon he uses, that ensures victory."

ZeRo · Black Belt

muscle helps with hitting. thats obvious. just what i thinking

rabid hamster · Purple Belt

yes muscle can add a lot of power to your strikes, but there's also other factors like speed and technique which i think can be more important.
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It is only with the heart that one can see clearly, for the most essential things are invisible to the eye.

Eye of the Tiger · Purple Belt

Yes i beleive it was Withers M.A.A that told me that having strong muscles isnt going to increase the power of the punch.

There is one other question. When we look at the great masters for example Karate and Tae Kwon Do they dont do any strengh training, they are toned and supple as well as fit but not strong. They concentrate more on kime and focus, using inner power into their punches rather than muscle. I am aware that your spiritual energy is more powerful than muscle alone wouldn't the punch be more powerful if you used muscle with KIME and spiritual energy or does muscle impends its use of spiritual energy. Kensai told me that muscle impends the spiritual energy through traveling through it but I am more spectical.

Thanks for your replys

Red J · Black Belt

rabid hamster · Purple Belt

just as a reminder. strong arms are ok but technique is more important. thats why people like yip man who was so skinny could defeat people that were much bigger and more muscular then him. if you want good punches, practice technique first because that's more important imo, and strength second.
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It is only with the heart that one can see clearly, for the most essential things are invisible to the eye.

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