Step hit, or hit step?

[Gajah Silat]

Yeah, most of our attacks are-good base-hit.

There are a couple when we can hit before we land, as it were. Moving off the centreline and back in with a floating rib punch, simple, nasty and will work most of the time.

[tellner]

"Weapon before body for speed."
"Body before weapon for power."

You can do techniques either way depending on what you want to use them for at the moment. Something that's all tool will be inherently faster, but it probably won't be a show-stopper unless you've got a weapon.

The thing you want to avoid is timing it so the hit falls on the same beat as the step. Before is good. After is good. Tied together is bad. You want to be able to move the timing around as appropriate.

[tim_stl]

the arts i study tend to be reactive rather than proactive, so the timing is more or less set- there exists a narrow window in which the step must be taken in order to avoid, and another narrow window in which the hit must be thrown in order to maximize its effect.

i find that when entering (moving closer to the opponent, as common in silat), the hits tend to move from speed to power (weapon before body, then body before weapon, as tellner describes) as you answer the question more thoroughly.



tim

[Yohan]

The thing you want to avoid is timing it so the hit falls on the same beat as the step. Before is good. After is good. Tied together is bad. You want to be able to move the timing around as appropriate.

That is strange - in both kung fu and western boxing, we are taught to land our strikes at the same time as the foot hits the ground. As beginners in kung fu, we are taught to step and gain our base, then hit, because you have to have a good base in order to strike properly. Why would you want to strike before your foot hits the ground?

[tellner]

That is strange - in both kung fu and western boxing, we are taught to land our strikes at the same time as the foot hits the ground. As beginners in kung fu, we are taught to step and gain our base, then hit, because you have to have a good base in order to strike properly. Why would you want to strike before your foot hits the ground?

Think of throwing a jab. Even if it's a march-jab the punch moves faster than the foot. Unless you slow it down for some reason it will arrive before the step is finished. If you're entering it's often a good idea to hit them before you are all the way in and set and then follow up with other tools. On the other hand, if you want to deliver maximum power you need your feet under you providing a stable platform. Imagine trying to throw a full-power hook or cross without a good base.

[Yohan]

The thing you want to avoid is timing it so the hit falls on the same beat as the step. Before is good. After is good. Tied together is bad. You want to be able to move the timing around as appropriate.

So why would it be bad to have it all together?

[tellner]

So why would it be bad to have it all together?

Because you make it very easy for the other guy to time you, and you slow down your hits.

[Sgt_Major]

agreed, it becomes easy to read movements, and if strikes are delivered on the step, it becomes easy to 'see' those coming too, just by knowing when your opponent moves

[ICT]

After learning a cool new buah this week, I started to think.... With this particular one it was essential to form a good base before striking. Initially I had a bit of difficulty until it "made sense". It was one of those wind up then release styles that generate a lot of power.

However, with some techniques more power is generated from the 'hit step' perspective-putting the bodyweight into the hit.

I was wondering how it works with other styles. Do you hit step or step hit? Or is it a combination depending on the technique you are using?

Gaja,

Well in what I teach I move to hit, not necessarily stepping but waving the body or snapping the body. Either way my style hits with power generated from the weight, speed & velocity of the body.

I think we keep the same speed as other methods just hit harder.

Sincerely,
Teacher: Eddie Ivester