Sauzin
Purple Belt
Joined: 04 Aug 2003
Posts: 593
Location: Boise, ID
Styles: Okinawan Kenpo, Goju-Ryu, Kobudo
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 Posted: Tue Nov 04, 2003 3:50 pm Post subject: |
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Power is an interesting term here. When I speak of power I think about transferable force. Hips are important but they are not the end all. In fact the body part used is not really even all there is to it. Many people say to use the hips but how they use them is not always optimized.
What I have found is that every strike is the culmination of an effort exerted by the entire body. Put simply every muscle group must move as close to the same direction as possible, at the appropriate time, unrestrained by opposing forces (tensed muscles). Any motion that does not align with this singular direction deters from the total applied force. Likewise this alignment also serves to create a solid structure which prevents reciprocal force from bouncing back.
Following this concept, it is not enough just to pivot the hip. The hip must be pivoted in the direction of the strike and for only as long as the pivot maintains the direction of the strike.
Timing is very important as well. Learning how to transfer the power from one motion to the next is a close second to producing power. Add to that unrestrained and relaxed motion with a solid stance and you have one mean punch, strike, or kick.
-Paul Holsinger
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The only two things that stand between an effective art and one that isn't are a tradition to draw knowledge from and the mind to practice it. |
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delta1
Black Belt
Joined: 17 Feb 2003
Posts: 1780
Location: North Central Washington
Styles: It's ALL Kenpo! Bring it back to base!
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| Posted: Tue Nov 04, 2003 7:34 pm Post subject: |
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| Sauzin wrote: |
What I have found is that every strike is the culmination of an effort exerted by the entire body. Put simply every muscle group must move as close to the same direction as possible, at the appropriate time, unrestrained by opposing forces (tensed muscles). Any motion that does not align with this singular direction deters from the total applied force. Likewise this alignment also serves to create a solid structure which prevents reciprocal force from bouncing back.
Following this concept, it is not enough just to pivot the hip. The hip must be pivoted in the direction of the strike and for only as long as the pivot maintains the direction of the strike.
Timing is very important as well. Learning how to transfer the power from one motion to the next is a close second to producing power. Add to that unrestrained and relaxed motion with a solid stance and you have one mean punch, strike, or kick. |
Some good points, and I agree with you as far as it goes. In AK we call this principle of all body motion going the same direction "Directional Harmony", and it is important. It is also important that your direction and structure has proper alignment. And of course timeing in every phase of your technique is critical.
But consider this as another advantage to moving from the waist- your upper and lower body can move in opposite directions when necessary and still maintain structure, harmony and timeing, and power. Example: you right crane either the head, or outside and right crane his right upper arm, pulling your opponent down toward you as you deliver a right upward knee strike. The lower body strike is forward while the upper body rotation and pull is backward, in the opposite direction. This move has a lot of torque, which is a major power principle. It can make use of his forward momentum, which borrows his force to add to your strike. It also makes use of what we'd call opposing forces (we use the term a little differently), two forces going in opposite directions which enhance the power of each other. The main point here is that, if you move from the hips, with your waist and upper body rigidly locked into place, this type of movement is not possible. (edit: I have seen it done many times this way, but the practitioner must lean, which destroys ballance, and all power for the pull is in the arm. This uses opposing forces as Sauzin defines it- the motions fight each other instead of enhancing. Moving from the hips, I doubt this kind of move would work outside the dojo.) So moving from the waist not only keeps the body connected, it gives you a lot more versatility in useing the entire body to generate power. Moving from the waist is also a critical component of ballance- it helps you to not have to throw your body into a technique, instead allowing you to move into the technique with the same force but without over commiting . Your weight transfers evenly and smoothly, allowing you to maintain posture and alignment.
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