Posts
One of the things I heard about, when I first began learning the martial arts, was that the hips are the cornerstone of power. Being involved in Chinese Kenpo, I didn't understand, for that art is not set up for hip power. I kept reading about this concept of hip power, however, and how it was developed by the Japanese classical Karate arts.
To have hip power one must keep the hips stable. Tilting the hips is more for kicks, and most other moves are done with the hips being used as a stable base. I came to grips with this fascinating idea through a simple exercise.
Stand in a forward stance, then pivot so you are facing to the side in another front stance. Hold a broomstick across the front of your hips when you do this exercise. When you snap the hips the ends of the broomstick shouldn't wiggle.
It wasn't long before I was able to snap this hip power into a punch. It was like slamming heavy and very large door into an opponent. All I had to do was minimize power loss by not letting any body parts wiggle.
After this I had to learn how to use my hip power while in motion. The way to do required an amazing amount of muscular control and concentration. There are two concepts I utilize when teaching this concept.
The first stage is to communicate to the student how a runner sets up for his launch--as a runner puts his feet in the chocks and knuckles on the line, he must position the hips so that they are between the feet and the target, that is the finish line. This is an exercise in balance, as he must find the exact line of body so that he can get maximum leg push, and not leave his line of intention for the goal. Doing this requires attention to detail, and learning how to strengthen the legs so that you can put the most muscle on the line.
Once the student has this concept, get him to understand that he must use the concept in every single technique he does. No matter what he is doing, he must set his body so that the legs are prepared for maximum push. He must align the limbs and the hips with where he must go in the technique, and then focus and concentrate and align his efforts to get there.
Once one has low hips, and the resulting low stance, he is able to use the power of the tan tien. This can be a brutal part of training, as the teacher demands that the student get lower and lower, use more power, more energy. In the end, however, this is one of the crucial secrets of Karate, and of the martial arts.
To have hip power one must keep the hips stable. Tilting the hips is more for kicks, and most other moves are done with the hips being used as a stable base. I came to grips with this fascinating idea through a simple exercise.
Stand in a forward stance, then pivot so you are facing to the side in another front stance. Hold a broomstick across the front of your hips when you do this exercise. When you snap the hips the ends of the broomstick shouldn't wiggle.
It wasn't long before I was able to snap this hip power into a punch. It was like slamming heavy and very large door into an opponent. All I had to do was minimize power loss by not letting any body parts wiggle.
After this I had to learn how to use my hip power while in motion. The way to do required an amazing amount of muscular control and concentration. There are two concepts I utilize when teaching this concept.
The first stage is to communicate to the student how a runner sets up for his launch--as a runner puts his feet in the chocks and knuckles on the line, he must position the hips so that they are between the feet and the target, that is the finish line. This is an exercise in balance, as he must find the exact line of body so that he can get maximum leg push, and not leave his line of intention for the goal. Doing this requires attention to detail, and learning how to strengthen the legs so that you can put the most muscle on the line.
Once the student has this concept, get him to understand that he must use the concept in every single technique he does. No matter what he is doing, he must set his body so that the legs are prepared for maximum push. He must align the limbs and the hips with where he must go in the technique, and then focus and concentrate and align his efforts to get there.
Once one has low hips, and the resulting low stance, he is able to use the power of the tan tien. This can be a brutal part of training, as the teacher demands that the student get lower and lower, use more power, more energy. In the end, however, this is one of the crucial secrets of Karate, and of the martial arts.
About the Author:
Al Case has learned martial arts for forty years. Get his Free Ebook at Monster Martial Arts.
No comments:
Post a Comment