not a weight training question…

[Suntzu]

or a protien question… but it probably has been asked before and I too lazy to look… plus some people may have new ideas…

Speed training… how do you get faster??? What training methods do you use to get faster??? Use weighted gloves??? Those big azz rubber bands??? Plyometrics??? Anything more creative like breaking plates dropped from above before they hit the ground ??? what???

[IronFist]

Speed training. You mean like running faster or being able to punch faster? I assume you mean the latter.

IronFist

[Suntzu]

yes, the latter... kicks too...

[Suntzu]

yeah, that is fun… unfortunately, I don’t have access to a pool to often…

[12345]

Good question inic.

I would divide hand speed into reaction time and how fast the hand moves. The former is probably more important than the latter.

I think the best thing for improving reaction time is partner work - whether it is chi sao, sparring or whatever. You need to work on sensitivity as well as visual cues to react.

In wing chun we aim to generate speed through relaxation. The theory is that we do not have unnecessary muscular tension slowing us down - some will say we punch without muscular force - not sure if I agree with that but so long as we mean the same thing how we describe it is secondary. I think one of the few things that the vast majority of wing chun people agree on is how to train a basic straight punch.

The main drill is air punching - a good wing chun person (and I don't include myself in that) has phenomenally fast hands. I'm not saying that other martial artists don't by the way. At least some of your focus shoudl be on speed. If you keep air punching (or other techniques) aiming for speed then you will develop it.

Another element would be where are you punching from - do you withdraw your hand or can you punch from any position straight off - things like that which are not to do with the velocity of your punch but will mean you hit them quicker.

[Suntzu]

good stuff about the visual cues and reation time… I'm gonna start looking for some reation time drills on the net…

found this article
so basically reaction time can only be improved by specific drills (2man drills, sparring), so I guess my question is how to improve "movement time"…

obviously I'm not tryin to do any work today…

[SSgungfu]

Buy a book called "Speed Training" by Lauren Christensen (its a guy). He gives a number of drills and weight training methods to increase speed.

how about this:
There is a sharpshooter that can draw his pistol and shoot 2 bottles then a blink of an eye, literally. When the press asked him how he got this fast, he just said he would practice it, over and over and over and over. Hundreds of times a day, thousands a week. Thats the only way you can do it.

If you want to get fast, dont talk about it, train it! Throw 100 backfists a day, 1000 jabs, 200 kicks. Just like a boxer would train for multiple hours a day, so should you.

[Suntzu]

u gotta make a mpeg of that... that i gotta see...

[SevenStar]

Isn't Christensen the guy that wrote "The Way and the Power" and also, "The Way Alone"?

[TaoBoy]

At my MA school - we do an exercise called hay gung. It is basically and dynamic tension exercise where you work by resisting yourself. For example, you extend a strike - slowly - tensing your arm/hand and repeat when withdrawing. Killer muscle workout.

(I hope the explaination made sense.)