Fight sports

[Yogi]

Hello all

I would like to hear from everyone who does any kind of martial arts/fight sports (MMA, boxing, muay thai etc, and even traditional martial styles), about what they do to develop a more powerful punch/kick etc. What workouts for specific combat applications do you use?

In my case, to build endurance and speed (usually equating to more power), I would strap some weights on me all throughout a training session. 5kg on both wrists for two hours training gets knackering! When I take them off, and before a fight, I feel my strikes are faster and stronger. Also, on a cable machine, I practice slow cross punches (which is more like a pull) by pulling on a specific weight, whilst keeping my form and posture. Again, the movement of a punch plus a weight (feel free to correct me on this one if I'm wrong!) attached helps develop the power necessary for striking normally.

I have many more examples, but I'd like to hear from any of you guys out there with any of their particular insights.

Cheers!

[macca]

Hi, when I was doing karate the trainer had us doing aqua training. Practicing the punches, blocks and kicks in the pool. You can add resistance through webbing type gloves put on the hands and feet like swimmers use to increase resistance. This was really successful and a good change from the usual training. Takes a little while to get your balance in the water but well worth the effort and a good physical exercise.

[Yogi]

Aqua training huh? That sounds like a very good idea, and I can certainly see how it would help. Thanks for the suggestion Macca! It sounds similar to back in the day when we would practice qigong with weights and try to perfect our movements slowly...What a killer haha.

Anyone else with their experiences??

[markj2047]

Hi,

Go to www.rossboxing.com , he's got some excellent aerobic and anaerobic techniques for building awesome power for fight sports.

Mark

[JimK]

heavy bag, that really gets tiring, and helps build striking power.

[Yogi]

Yes, I'll attest to the effectiveness of the heavy bag!

Here's what I like to do generally for striking power, and it has worked for me (this I do in conjunction with a weights training regimen, cardiovascular, and also high rep low weight endurance training);

For punches:

Begin a warm up of the usual skipping, and then practice jabbing and crossing whilst practicing footwork around the bag. When you feel you are warmed up enough, go right up to the bag with your arms pinned to your sides, then raise them up at the elbow by 90 degrees. Keep your fists about an inch away from the heavy bag, and then pull off kick body blow type hits whilst striking "through" the bag. Here's the catch; use poor technique when it comes to snapping your hips into the strike. The idea is that when you can get a more powerful strike using just your close-range momentum, and then later you incorporate proper technique, I've found that you can develop a hell of a punch. Not unlike Bruce Lee's one inch punch concept; it can be done, but it requires more than just physical strength obviously. Kinesiology plays a huge role etc.

For kicks, you can do near enough the same as the above - close range strikes with knees, shins, foot stomps etc. If you can visualise bringing your legs closer to your body than you normally would naturally for a strike with the legs, then this is what I'm referring to. It's kind of like a flexibility exercise, where increasing the range of effective motion helps produce greater power.

I'll go into grappling training techniques I use later...Gym time!

I hope this helps someone!

[Raider76]

i wish i could, im a big fan though, I watch, UFC,Pride,IFC,WEC,K-1,pretty much just mma & kick boxing... GO LIDDELL!!!

[bucko91]

ive boxed for over a year and a half.. and to increase ur punching power and explosiveness try doing clap pushups they work great .. if u want to give ur punches that little extra power and speed get urself a pair of heavy wrist weights and run with them .. or the most obvious and easiest way if ur training for 1hour train with a pair of 8,10,12 Oz gloves then for the last
30mins use a pair of 16 Oz ur arms will already be tired so doing this will give ur arms an even more intensive workout and by getting your arms used to the 16Oz gloves when u come to a competetion ull be usin 8Oz it will be like punching with feather as gloves .. basically it will give u more

strength and speed which = Power

[Yogi]

Yeah, weighted exercises seem to be great for developing the power necessary for striking. By the way, nice to see another Liverpool fan here

[USMMAJin]

I take Karate, Tae Kwon Do, Judo, and JiuJitSu. Mixed, essentially. I've been doing martial arts since I was nine years old.

One thing that is key is flexibility, especially for those high and powerful kicks.

In order to be fast, you need to be flexible. For those kicks, you need to work your abs. Abs will get you the speed and it will also increase the power in your kick.

That's one thing that I will stress, FLEXIBILITY