Power Methods TCMA style!

[MightyB]

So - to generate some discussion that's relevant to TCMA and fighting... what are some things that you can share or discuss for developing power and toughness in striking?

or attainment methods related to Kung Fu.

[MightyB]

Shin Rolling

(darn pict was too big)

Sand Bag hitting.

Holding two sand filled clay pots (substitute large pickle jars) by the lids with outstretched arms and practice ma sig to goon sig stance changes.

[sanjuro_ronin]

What kind of power?
For something to be powerful it means that the work being done is done quicker ( over less time) or takes less effort ( more powerful engine).
The human body works a given way, regardless of views and theories we have FACTS and evidence and proof of HOW power is generated, in all its forms, and in ALL ways it involves muscular action and skeletal alignment ( structure) of some sort.

Depending on the type of "power" you want to display, TCMA have various ways of development.

[MightyB]

What kind of power?

Depending on the type of "power" you want to display, TCMA have various ways of development.

Anything TCMA.

[sanjuro_ronin]

Striking is about generating what is called "IMPACT FORCE" and the type we need in strikes is PEAK impact force.

The best way to get the highest peak impact force is through an "explosive" burst of muscular effort.

A push has force, even impact force but its PEAK force is very little.

Weight is also crucial because the peak impact force of a 20lbs hammer going 35 mph is LESS than a 25lbs hammer going the same speed.

Transference of the peak force is crucial because if the force doesn't "penetrate" the target deep enough to cause structural and/or anatomical damage, then its just a "flick" and just "superficial".

[sanjuro_ronin]

How does TCMA address this?
Hitting things is crucial because when one strikes one will BE hitting something and the body must be able to adjust to impact.
Sand.punching bags were always a staple of TCMA training.
As were padded posts and "dummies".
Iron hand training developed not only the bones to be able to withstand the impact of higer forces that were being produced VIA the trainng, but also developed a "heavier" hand by developing the follow through that is crucial for compromising the structure and anatomy of the target.
Also trained with the sudden "tension and relaxtion" of the muscles of the WHOLE body not just the limb in question.

[MightyB]

Don't be this guy:
http://profile.ak.fbcdn.net/hprofile-ak-snc4/50234_100540889990192_1683_n.jpg

You know or at least should know what I'm talking about when I say TCMA power attainment methods.


I take this one back because...

You actually posted serious TCMA methods as I was posting this post.

[sanjuro_ronin]

Don't be this guy:
http://profile.ak.fbcdn.net/hprofile-ak-snc4/50234_100540889990192_1683_n.jpg

You know or at least should know what I'm talking about when I say TCMA power attainment methods.

I'm speaking in general terms without esoteric crap, but if you want a laundry list...
Iron hand training
Iron rings
Power locks and stones
Branch/bamboo twisting
Weighted jumping ( from out of a hole)
Weighted pole/staff work
Zero distance strike training

[Drake]

How does TCMA address this?
Hitting things is crucial because when one strikes one will BE hitting something and the body must be able to adjust to impact.
Sand.punching bags were always a staple of TCMA training.
As were padded posts and "dummies".
Iron hand training developed not only the bones to be able to withstand the impact of higer forces that were being produced VIA the trainng, but also developed a "heavier" hand by developing the follow through that is crucial for compromising the structure and anatomy of the target.
Also trained with the sudden "tension and relaxtion" of the muscles of the WHOLE body not just the limb in question.

Especially with techniques like the sow choy, where if you aren't conditioned, you could end up hurting your arm....or worse.

[MightyB]

I still haven't fully committed to stance training but I'm beginning to think I should because standing post, etc. always seemed to be staples of traditional kung fu for chi force cultivation. There's a saying that without Chi, you're a paper tiger.

[Drake]

I still haven't fully committed to stance training but I'm beginning to think I should because standing post, etc. always seemed to be staples of traditional kung fu for chi force cultivation. There's a saying that without Chi, you're a paper tiger.

Stance training or squats,etc...choice is yours.

I do both.

[MightyB]

Stance training or squats,etc...choice is yours.

I do both.

I do a lot of hindu squats and hindu squats with kicks - but I still haven't really done good solid static stance training. There's got to be a reason that it's been a staple in TCMA for basically ever.

[Drake]

I do a lot of hindu squats and hindu squats with kicks - but I still haven't really done good solid static stance training. There's got to be a reason that it's been a staple in TCMA for basically ever.

Muscle memory, really... get you in the habit of good form. Just make sure someone is watching to ensure you are doing them right. We do the same thing in the Army with pushups/situps, and other exercises, because the one doing them can't always tell if they've gone low enough, etc.

[YouKnowWho]

TCMA have various ways of development.

When you talk about power in the

- striking art, you are talking about kicking and punching power.
- grappling art, the power generation can come from any part of your body.

For example, your "head lock leg twist" will require you to develop "head lock" power and "leg twist" power. Both power cannot be developed from heavy bag punching or heavy weight lifting.

[hskwarrior]

Weighted pole/staff work

From the very beginning of my training i grew up knowing only heavy weaponry. no light weight stuff. today, i still use a steel staff while training staff techniques. my students had actually become pretty **** muscular over this....

I also like to use the swimming pool while practicing techniques....

[Iron_Eagle_76]

I do a lot of hindu squats and hindu squats with kicks - but I still haven't really done good solid static stance training. There's got to be a reason that it's been a staple in TCMA for basically ever.

Stance Training Benefits:

1. Leg Strength

2. Flexibility and Dexterity (Argue with me on this, I don't care)

3. Rooting

4. Rooting

5. Rooting

6. Level Drops (Fighting stance to leopard, push through with single or double leg takedown.

7. Transitions-The core of what stance training is, from one body motion to another, one category of fighting to another.

8. Grappling- Being a Judo guy, this will only make your throws stronger. Think about doing a hip throw, when you turn and sink you are in a semi-horse stance. Training this stance daily makes this motion stronger.

TCMA has many good training methods, but this one in my opinion is one of the most important.

[Drake]

When you talk about power in the

- striking art, you are talking about kicking and punching power.
- grappling art, the power generation can come from any part of your body.

For example, your "head lock leg twist" will require you to develop "head lock" power and "leg twist" power. Both power cannot be developed from heavy bag punching or heavy weight lifting.

Grappling, if done right, should require very little power. In fact, you should be forcing your opponent to use his. I won a lot of matches against my peers simply by overpowering them on the ground. Then I got "skooled" by someone much smaller than me, but also very experienced, who basically wore me out and did very little until he culminated (no jokes, Lucas!).

Grappling is actually much more strategy and patience than it is power and energy,

[Drake]

Stance Training Benefits:

7. Transitions-The core of what stance training is, from one body motion to another, one category of fighting to another.


Good catch...forgot to add that one...

[Drake]

for example, the ng lun ma set is nothing but stance training...

[hskwarrior]

for example, the ng lun ma set is nothing but stance training.

All hand and weapon forms have stance forms hidden within it when you take away the hands and just focus on the lower half of your body.

[YouKnowWho]

Grappling, if done right, should require very little power. In fact, you should be forcing your opponent to use his. I won a lot of matches against my peers simply by overpowering them on the ground. Then I got "skooled" by someone much smaller than me, but also very experienced, who basically wore me out and did very little until he culminated (no jokes, Lucas!).

Grappling is actually much more strategy and patience than it is power and energy,
There are "stand up grapppling" and "on the ground grappling". In "stand up grappling", you may use "softness" for your defense, but you will need your "hardness" for your offense.

In TCMA, there are many skills that require "special" strength that you don't have when you were born, and you don't use it in your daily work either. If you want to develop those skills, you have to start from the ground zero to build your strength up. If you don't want to develop such skill, no extra effort will be needed.

Here is one of many ways that you can develop your "leg twist" power. You can see that average people just don't twist their leg like this in their daily life.

http://img508.imageshack.us/img508/7338/singleheadlegtwist.jpg

[BakShaolinEC]

waiting for ray's response.

[hskwarrior]

waiting for ray's response.

Just cut and paste.......he always repeats himself to death....:p

[sanjuro_ronin]

Never been a huge fan of stance training and we used to oi it all the time, in all modes:
Static
Dynamic
"iron body type".
The dynamic I was ok with, but the static, meh...
It gave you great leg endurance but only in a static way when what MA needs is dynamic.
But to each their own.

[Drake]

All hand and weapon forms have stance forms hidden within it when you take away the hands and just focus on the lower half of your body.

Well, YAH... I was just saying the ng lun ma makes no bones about being stance training, and stance training only.

[David Jamieson]

http://i.imgur.com/LjNIe.jpg

[sanjuro_ronin]

ROTFLMAO !!
Priceless DJ !

[RenDaHai]

Structure is paramount.

In order to form structure behind your strike your 'Shen Fa' body mechanic must be good. One punch requires flexibility and explosive power throughout the entire body.

The legs are naturally strong, as are the arms. The trunk of the body requires the most training. Flexibility and explosive power in all muscles around the spine. This creates power.

[Taixuquan99]

In one sense, I go with stance training, but not in the sense of "hold this stance, now hold this stance." A lot of the power generation in the stuff I do, aside from the given things that you always do with this kick or that strike, is derived from sudden drops and rises, a near constant arching and tucking of the lower back, sudden withdrawals on one level that advance at another level(waist back while hands may move forward, for example). So practicing this, especially unscripted, using the techniques as guides, is a big part of working power generation in my kung fu.

When I say unscripted, this largely, if doing stance transitions alone, means not 'chaining' the move so you're doing 100 of move x and don't have to be doing the first one over and over(in short, not entering a zone in which you aren't training doing the tech out of the blue, I find that chaining a tech is wasting training time. If you can do it perfect on the first one is the test.)

An example I work some is a move in which you shift forward into bow toward an opponent you are bridging/clinching with, then shift slightly back drawing them forward and/or pulling them, you shift back further forward and seize their back, like a bear hug, and whip backwards by shifting the weight back. The power is in w two things: the way the seizing around their back draws in, and in the way the opponent's back is pressed, pulled, then wrenched.

To train it, I train it as an isolated move out of the blue all the time, and also with a heavy bag, lifting the weight from the chain at the end, which works the seize more than the wrench.

Strikes on heavy bag are helpful for striking strength. If you can't structurally support the strike yet, more power won't fix that, so I find that, as one entrains a strike on the heavy bag, one gains power. Once one is spontaneously striking, one should drive for more speed and power within their safe limit.

YKW is correct, there is a big advantage to strength if throwing is a concern. You want to work with someone else's energy, but when you get halfway and they weren't quite moving with as much momentum as you thought, you still may need to do the work, and wrenching the other guy is worth doing, and that takes coordination and strength.

Aside from that, I don 't have a lot of specialized strength stuff. Personally favor chin ups and handstand push ups(regular push ups here and there lately, every once in a while I hit them heavy again, but am pretty consistently strong that way). Crunches, sit ups, reverse crunches. Normal stuff.

Lots of work with partners working unscripted throw setup tends to help with the strength for throwing, throwing dummies(in my case, a heavy bag used as a throwing dummy), etc.

Additionally, my style is pretty similar to Chen style, so emitting power itself, if drilled in shadow boxing, can be a workout.

[diego]

I do a lot of hindu squats and hindu squats with kicks - but I still haven't really done good solid static stance training. There's got to be a reason that it's been a staple in TCMA for basically ever.

Static stance training is for weak people old/young, moving through postures is the key...when you're young and old you're lucky if you can move through the postures so you end up stuck doing deep hung ga type static poses to build strength-power or doing tai ji moves working relaxed-power.

What's better moving through the stances in a low and wide posture like hung ga while doing the tiger crane hands or just holding deep hung ga stances for an hour...when you're old you're lucky if you can move quick let alone hold a deep horse stance...most high school athletes can't hold an hour horse stance.

I guess that's why stance training is so popular...

[YouKnowWho]

One of my favor striking power generation drills is:

- Start from a TCMA lesson 101 "bow-arrow stance right back hand punch (right boxing cross)".
- Extend your right punch as far as you can.
- Raise your feet and stand on your toes as high as you can.
- Hold in that position as long as you can.
- When you no longer be able to hold in that position,
- Let your body drop into horse stance, pull your right punch back, and
- Send out your left vertical punch (left boxing jab).

Your body will change 180 degree angle. You will find out something very interest in this training, that is your preparation for your punch is hard work but your final punch is very relax, comfortable, and effortless.