Plyometrics and Explosive Resistance

[Matteo]

Hi everyone, a big question here, how would you suggest going about training explosive resistance? I've been training in Shotokan karate for 9 years now, but I just can't seem to increase my oi-zuki front punch speed anymore.

http://www.shotokai.com/imagenes/tecnicas/images/oizuki2_jpg.jpg

I know my stance is correct, and so is the way that I move, but I can't seem to accelerate very quickly, which comes across as a shock, as I am excellent at it when it comes to things like starting from 3 or 4 point stances for sprinting. I have access to things like weighted vests, and all the weighlifting gear I could need, but what should I do to improve explosive front punch speed off the line? Thanks for any help you can provide me with.

[Andy Murray]

Hi Matteo, and welcome to the forum.

Hopefully some of our Shotakan people may be able to help you out when they spot this post.

Are you sure the problem is purely physical though?

There must be a reason you are finding this technique to be too slow.

Is this in Kumite?

[Guitarboy1212]

I suggest that when you practice your punches, but wrist weights on.

[Matteo]

Yes, I am sure that the problem is (somehow) physical. I've worked on the technique for quite some time now, and I don't receive any negative comments on it. I've attained a high level of flexibility, strength, and agility, so it is quite bizarre that this should be the case. I can do quick, lunging side thrust kicks from afar, and hit my opponent easily. When I attempt to do a front punch from much closer, I miss. We've already worked on issues that people commonly mistake for 'speed', such as timing, reaction time, and similar issues, so I know my punches aren't being telegraphed anyhow.

What I really need to work on is acceleration. I've been training on and off with a weighted vest (comfortable with 40 lbs on it), and it seems to have helped a bit in this area. What I need to know is what exercises are recommended for increasing my acceleration and explosive force when I'm in zenkutsudachi.

http://www.soseikai.net/imagenes/tachi_10.gif

[Andy Murray]

Once again, I'm sorry that I don't know the Japanese terminology you use, though I know i could probably help if I was 'hands on'.

I've sent messages to relevant members of the forum re. your enquiry, so hopefully you'll have some input soon.

Wrist weights are a bad idea as I'm sure you know, but explosive plyometric work against, say, a bungee cord might help?

[Guitarboy1212]

How are wrist weights a bad idea????

[Andrew Green]

Do you mean the speed of your punch or the speed of your body lunging forward?

[Matteo]

Thanks for the input everyone. As for the above question, it's the lunging speed, not at all related to the arm speed. I need to be ale to move my body quicker. What's the call on my using a weighted vest? It helps, but i just need to find the right exercises to put it to maximum use. Just so everyone doesn't think it's hindering my efforts, I've been using it for over a year now, and go for jogs (on soft birch-malch of course) and so forth, so I'm not over-doing anything to the point of stupidity.

[Andy Murray]

Sorry Guitarboy, not rubbishing you.
For slow work like Kata, they may be beneficial, but from what I read of Matteo's post, he is looking at training for maximum speed and beyond.

At some point, the punching arm is going to stop, and it's hard enough to avoid elbow damage with no weights, but pretty inevitable with them, as once the punch has arrived, the weights will want to keep going!

[Andrew Green]

Ok. now the footwork you are trying to do.

right foot forward zenkutsu to left foot forward zenkutsu?

or a more natural stance to same side forward zenkutsu?

The vest probably won't help much, jogging and marchs not so much either. You might consider picking up a book on plyometrics and choosing the excercises which best match the movements you need, or even adapt the principles to match your needs.

[Matteo]

I'm going for the lower stance, orthodox oi zuki. As for the jogging and so forth, I know it won't help, it's just an example.

[Guitarboy1212]

That's why you get wrist weights, that have holes for your finger and that have really good grip. Mine are like that and when I punch it doesn't keep going foward. I can see what you mean with ones without finger holes though.

[Andrew Green]

No you don't, its not the weight moving it is the your hand moving with the extra weight. Punching air is not great, punching air with a weighted hand is damaging. Your joints don't deal with that sudden decelleration at the end very well, especially not with that extra weight.

Punching full speed with wrist weights is bad for you, no matter how you hold onto them.

If you ant to punch with weights hit the bag or do it slowly.

[Andrew Green]

Back to the original question:

One "traditional" way is to do it in a pool as fast as you can, the water adds resistance which helps build the right muscles.

Resistance bands could probably get the same result.

You should also go over your stepping technique covering how you shift your weight and which muscles you use and try to optimize this. What is slowing you down is moving your body mass forward, fast, from a deep stance. Think about how you can move your center forward faster, this can be different for different people and you would need a shotokan specific instructor to make sure it is still "proper" shotokan technique.

I am not a shotokan instructor and don't ever try to move like that so I can't give you anything much more specific, at least not over the internet

[morphus]

I have never studied the style or this particular technique but from what i have read, i have a couple of questions and possible answers.
It may not matter how much you train for speed if the following applies.

I assume we are aiming at a moving target, yes?

What distance from the target are you?

I suspect the biomechanics of this tech' might not be suitable for the distance the target is at. i.e target too far away.
When the body/hips/shoulder moves first to create a chamber i think the target has to be extremely/ish close, only then can the arm finish the move and the whole tech' be quick enough to decieve the eye and land into and through the target, which is the aim of a strike/punch.

Just a guess and thought.
If i'm completely off the mark please ignor!
;)

[Matteo]

The target can side step or strafe, and it is ~ 1.2 metres away from me. As for the pool idea, I've heard of that, but that's pretty much the one thing I can't use

[khafra]

I'm no expert at Shotokan, so I'm not going to try to tell you about the biomechanics of your punch. However, I will run off a bit on muscle composition.

Your muscles are made of three types of fiber: Myosin Heavy Chain I, MHC IIA, and MHC IIB--also known as slow twitch oxidative, fast twitch oxidative, and fast twitch glycolytic. The more IIB you have, the more power (speed*force) you'll have, which is what I think you're going for.

Now, traditional weight training, like many of the calisthenics you'll do at a MA school, tends to shift your ratios toward the slow twitch side. Plyometrics can shift it back towards fast twitch. So can fast concentric repetitions at a high percentage of your 1 rep max weight; say, with a Bowflex, Weider Crossbow, Soloflex, or other resistance method that momentum doesn't affect.

If you're willing to put in the effort, there's a detailed breakdown of a more complicated way to get faster here http://www.avantlabs.com/page.php?pageID=45&issueID=2

[Geordie Boy]

Try doing some press ups up stairs, with your training partner holding your legs.Believe me it works, and you partner gets a good back work out aswell! :D

[gtsipe]

Matteo, I'm kind of an old man, probably in your eyes,(52), but I practiced Shotokan and did lots of weight training since my teens.
Speed comes mainly from one thing period. POWER! And that means heavy explosive types of training. Heavy bench presses, squats or leg presses, and clean and jerk types of exercises. If you don't have experience with these get someone who is. I took up Karate at 37, and was fairly out of shape at the time, at least for stamina and flexibilty. But my former weight training made my front punches and front kicks one of the fastest in our school Our sensei used to time our reaction times with an electronic timer on both of these movements, and mine were always one of the fastest. The three exercises I gave you are killers for building power, no high reps, 8-10 and three sets will build your power along with high protein. And the clean and jerk or just power cleans with make you have all kinds of explosiveness. Plain old pushups are a good start, but you need the heavy bench presses. And the power cleans and leg presses or squats will strenghten your hip and thigh muscles and make that first step quicker than can imagine. Remember the smallest muscle groups are the quicker muscles, so build up those chest and arms first, and then the legs, and hip(butt) muscles. I've seen guys in Karate whose punches looked fast, but there was no powere behind them, so it's like getting hit by real fast flea. Power will make you real fast, and put something behind it when it lands. Good Luck. Trace

[totality]

weighted hands are a bad idea, as they do nothing to increase speed, and can be dangerous. it is possible for them to even make your punches slower. while it may seem that they're making you faster after using them, this is simply because your hands are a lot lighter now. they actually just cause you to punch slower, because with the weight, your arm is unbalanced, and most of your energy is actually spent slowing the weight down. if it were possible to punch full speed with weights (your arm shouldn't let you :)), you'd probably hyperextend your arm.