segmentation/whipping

[Kaitain(UK)]

Hi chaps - not sure I'm going to explain this very well but i shall try

About 18 months ago I started deliberately segmenting my movement - so it was visually very obvious how energy was travelling through me during the form. Kind of like watching a line of cars shunt each other - you can track the energy moving through the cars. Hope that's clear :)

Anyway this has worked great and I feel my structures and so on have benefitted from the deliberate cultivation. Now it seems a bit pointless - I can feel the energy moving correctly with far less delay between the joints. Today I trained the form and compacted things as far as possible without losing the 'feel'. It felt pretty good to me - probably stronger if anything as the structure is sound all the time now (with the sort of whippy delay I felt there were points of weakness that I left in to work on the energy).

So - questions:
Is this something some of you have done?
If it feels like it's the right time to reduce things, should I just trust myself? (I'm training alone at the moment, just pushing with friends a few times a week)

Thanks in advance for helpful replies :)

Paul

[Losttrak]

Yeppers, "segmentation" is vital to understanding the generation of power. The power starts from the ground and travels like a wave thru the body and into the arms. Its just important to remember that you hit with the body using the arms as the "medium" to transfer the power (ball-and-chain concept). All the arm must do is maintain alignment with the target. This concept is vital to smooth, relaxed, effortless hitting.

Another thing is you have to remember opposing-side movements as well. The principle of the unified scapula is the equivalent of "Every reaction has an equal and opposite reaction." For instance, the force of your shoulder moving BACK as you punch is just as imporant as your shoulder moving forward. Rotating on your axis is what maintains balance and allows the maximum mechanical advantage of your body.

Finally, ... a person needs to learn to "separate" themselves from their attack. Like a tomohawk missle, you need to launch and leave. When they punch is thrown... your body must relax and let it fly while it readies itself for the next movement (block or attack). Remember when you first started and someone blocked your arm? It threw your body in the direction the block was going... That is because the body remained rooted to the attack. With that approach you cannot hope to fire another powerful attack until that attack is finished and your body is allowed to relax and reposition. As soon as the optimum velocity is achieved and the attack is aligned, you MUST learn to separate and relax or you will be forever stunted.

[Waidan]

This thread pretty much summarizes the core of my development over the past year or so, at least in the realm of power generation.

For me the "compacting" of the movements was a natural progression, and just came with practice. My obtuse rolling-spine movements became quick shutters, and then more subtle, connected movements. I've still got a long way to go, but I think going through this evolution helped me tremendously.

And in regards to Losttrack's mention of "unified scapula", it was only recently that I began to understand the importance of this seemingly simple principle. My 5 fists in particular have improved a great deal as I've begun to put more emphasis on what my off-arm is up to.

[dre_doggX]

When I practice, I find moving the body parts as if it where not contacted but each part pulls the other part of the body. Making it move as one.. This is better then moving it at the same time. Also remember the that every movement involves the centerline even the smallest. When the top moves it pulls the bottom and vice versa,

[martin watts]

Hi,
I have been playing with this recently.
Do you have any avi of the sort of motions you have been doing?
I have put a couple of ideas at th bottom of http://www.fujianbaihe.com

Martin