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FAST AND FURIOUS
Author: Ron Van Clief
Every person who undertakes the study of a martial art sets personal goals for improvement. If you’re like 99 percent of your peers, your goals probably include punching with increased power. The implications are obvious: You’ll be able to score more often in the ring, and you’ll be able to more efficiently defend yourself should the need arise on the street.
The key to punching with power lies in sharpening your focus, boosting your speed and improving your accuracy.
Focus is an attribute that must be developed incrementally over time; speed and accuracy, on the other hand, are rather easily augmented if the proper drills are performed regularly. This article will describe four such drills and explain why they are perfect for anyone interested in learning how to punch like a champion.
SCIENCE 101
Speed is determined by the amount of time it takes to execute a technique.
The time required to deliver the strike is only part of it, for it also includes your reflex response speed, or the time it takes your brain to send the message through your nerves to your muscles.
Accuracy refers to your ability to hit what you aim at. As simple as that sounds, accuracy can be dismal if you are aiming at a moving target—and most human opponents move when they attack. The good news is that since speed and accuracy are learned quantities, you can improve them through practice.
The single best method is to find a properly equipped training partner who knows how to present to you the right targets at the right time. To make things as realistic and beneficial as possible, he must be capable of issuing audio and visual cues to initiate your preplanned offensive techniques. That will enable you to progress as rapidly as possible.
QUICK DRAW
One of the best speed-enhancement drills is the “quick draw.” It mimics what took place in the old West whenever two gunfighters would face off and draw their weapons. Stand in front of your partner with your hands at your sides, and have him do the same. Relax and count to three. On three, you and your partner punch at each other’s stomach. The objective is to move fast and hit first.
This simple drill should be practiced at every training session. First use your right hand and then your left. Avoid striking with full power because you could injure your partner. In fact, you should not make any contact while performing the drill at first. Practice stopping the punch just before it reaches its target. As your skills gradually improve, you can make minimal contact. If that seems watered-down compared to the way martial artists trained in the old days, remember that older is not always better. Many experts now agree that repeatedly landing hard punches to the stomach and ribs is not good for the health. It is never acceptable to hurt your partner in practice.
BIG FOUR
The next drill begins with a basic lead-hand jab. Practice that technique alone until it lashes out like a whip and snaps back just as quickly. When you work on individual punches, try to exhale with each one. Be aware, however, that a more natural, constant breathing pattern works better for combinations because exhaling during the execution of each technique is impractical.
Under no circumstances should you hold your breath while punching and kicking in combination.
The jab is the opening move of the combination that makes up the second drill. From the starting position, hold your hands up to guard your head. Keep your elbows close to your ribs for protection and optimal limb alignment, and tuck your chin to your chest. Take a deep breath and lock your eyes onto your target. Snap your left jab directly into the paddle, making sure you rotate your shoulders and hips to generate maximum force. As you strike through your target, keep your opposite hand in the guard position.
Immediately transition to the right cross. Shift your body forward in the direction you want your power to flow and punch through the target. Remember to pivot your body to create a natural, fluid motion. As your right hand punches, your left should move to the guard position.
Next, your right hand continues its motion and delivers a hook. Turn into the punch and exhale. Use your whole body to “destroy” the paddle. (Muhammad Ali once told me that a punch should come from the floor up and therefore involve your whole body.) Immediately reposition your right hand for an uppercut. Once again, drive your fist through the target. Return to the ready position.
You should perform this drill a minimum of 20 times on each side. In the beginning, have your partner hold the paddle still, but as you advance, have him move it around at a reasonable speed. Once you become proficient, alternate your punches.
DOUBLE UPPERCUT
The third drill starts with your partner holding a focus mitt in each hand at face height. Execute a right cross to his right mitt, with your left hand in the guard position. Shift your body with the strike, not after it. (It is a common mistake to move your body before or after the punch. The punching movement should be simultaneous with the body turn.) Transition into a left uppercut to his left mitt, which your partner holds at chest level. Turn your body in the di- rection of the punch and keep your right hand in the guard position. Your legs should be slightly bent for stance stability, and your eyes should maintain contact with the target.
Continue with a right uppercut to his right mitt, which is held at chest level. Make sure your form does not get sloppy. Return to the ready position.
To increase the level of difficulty, have your partner hold the mitts more firmly to resist your punches. To increase it even more, have him thrust the mitts toward you as you strike to develop your initial-action speed.
(That also teaches you what it’s like to punch an opponent who is rushing toward you.) When that becomes too easy, have him move forward and backward while you mirror his movements and strike.
DOUBLE PUNCH
The final drill commences from the ready position. The moment your partner gives you an audio or visual cue, initiate an overhand right (or right cross) aimed at the paddle. As you strike through the target, it will recoil backward. Your partner should immediately reposition it for your follow-up strike.
Next, rotate your body clockwise as you drive a left hook into the paddle. Keep your non-punching hand in the guard position. Return to the ready position.
To increase the intensity, perform the drill for one-, two- and then three-minute rounds. Realize that to perfect any of the aforementioned combinations will require hundreds of hours of disciplined practice. No matter which skills you wish to improve, you are only as good as your last workout. ...
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