I do Tai Jitsu and am quite serious about it, as yet I am still a white belt although i can hold my own with the higher belts, up to green. I have been doing it for about 3 months.
Anyway I was wanting to know if anyone had any good training techniques, advice on getting more power?
Also anyone know any got sites that will show me more moves and improve technique.
hey joe K, i would recommend reading bruce lee's 'tao of jeet kun do' and also 'letters from the dragon'. Though they are about jkd there's a lot of wisdom I was able to take from both those books even though I study kyokushin. hope it helps.
Anyway I was wanting to know if anyone had any good training techniques, advice on getting more power?
For more power, it really depends on the movements you do and most advice will be style-specific. For example, for Taekwondo hand techniques the power comes from the hips and waist (the body coils like a spring). As I don't know Tai Jitsu it's difficult to know how to advise you to build more power.
As a general note, concentrate on speed. Speed will give you a harder strike and the added advantage of not being as easy to capture. Lots of repetition (while actually trying to go fast) will build speed. Visualisation or keep saying things like "gotta go faster, faster, kick faster" to yourself under your breath has worked for me. That's a particular psychological technique (I can't remember the name of it), but it's something to do with the subconscious picking up on the suggestion. Of course, people may think you're mad so either do this when you're alone or very very quietly (unless they know you're mad like my classmates do).
JoeK wrote:
Also anyone know any got sites that will show me more moves and improve technique.
I don't necessarily know if that's a good idea. Unless you pick a complimentary art then your instructor may just slate you for bringing weird moves in to class. Of course your art may be a style about combining other arts in which case it's fine. What sort of moves do you want? Kicking, grappling, locking?
Just out of interest, does something like having a powerful bench press translate directly into having a mega punch (similar motion)? Or is it more about snappy, Bruce Lee-style technique?
Just out of interest, does something like having a powerful bench press translate directly into having a mega punch (similar motion)? Or is it more about snappy, Bruce Lee-style technique?
I'd say neither. Have strength is essential (although being able to bench press 300lb isn't) and having technique is essential.
Personally I find Bruce Lee's techniques too snappy and have often wondered about the real power behind them.
I also find that big weight lifting types hit hard but too slow.
The technique is in moving your arm fast and with the force transferred throughout your entire body: so it's a combination of strength, speed and technique. Unfortunately none of them without the others will compensate for the lack of the missing element.
But that's just my thoughts, I do a kicking martial art :-)
But that's just my thoughts, I do a kicking martial art :-)
Leg curls then... ;)
For Taekwondo Leg Extensions and deadlifts are better :-)
The technical way of doing any kick in Taekwondo is to lift, chamber, kick, re-chamber then lower the foot to the floor. However, in modern Taekwondo a lot of elite athletes do lift, chamber, kick, straight to the floor.
It doesn't look as good but it's faster. The impact is during extension (for most kicks).
Anyway I was wanting to know if anyone had any good training techniques, advice on getting more power?
For more power, it really depends on the movements you do and most advice will be style-specific. For example, for Taekwondo hand techniques the power comes from the hips and waist (the body coils like a spring). As I don't know Tai Jitsu it's difficult to know how to advise you to build more power.
As a general note, concentrate on speed. Speed will give you a harder strike and the added advantage of not being as easy to capture. Lots of repetition (while actually trying to go fast) will build speed. Visualisation or keep saying things like "gotta go faster, faster, kick faster" to yourself under your breath has worked for me. That's a particular psychological technique (I can't remember the name of it), but it's something to do with the subconscious picking up on the suggestion. Of course, people may think you're mad so either do this when you're alone or very very quietly (unless they know you're mad like my classmates do).
JoeK wrote:
Also anyone know any got sites that will show me more moves and improve technique.
I don't necessarily know if that's a good idea. Unless you pick a complimentary art then your instructor may just slate you for bringing weird moves in to class. Of course your art may be a style about combining other arts in which case it's fine. What sort of moves do you want? Kicking, grappling, locking?
Thanks for the advice!
I was thinking of taking up another martial art to compliment TJ, and one of the possibilities is TaeKwonDo. I don't have the best of balance, movement or flexability, is this a necessity going in or will TaeKwonDo help these weaknesses?
I was thinking of taking up another martial art to compliment TJ, and one of the possibilities is TaeKwonDo. I don't have the best of balance, movement or flexability, is this a necessity going in or will TaeKwonDo help these weaknesses?
It'll definitely help with those weaknesses. There's no prerequisite to Taekwondo other than a desire to learn it.
Just remember, don't expect miracles from your first week - it'll take a bit of time to become good at it.
I'm sure you'll be fine. If you let me know where you are in the country I'll see if I can recommend a nearby class with a decent instructor...
