How to generate maximum power in "a sequence of fast punches" is always interested to me. If I - don't extend my shoulders, my both hands will have the same reach, and I can throw much faster chain punches. - extend one shoulder forward and pull another shoulder backward, I can generate more power but my chain punches will slow down (because my hands will have to traveled more distance). In the following clip, you can see when chain punches is delivered, his shoulders are not moving either forward or backward (square shoulders). [ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-rwDeQopNUU"]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-rwDeQopNUU[/ame] In the following 2 clips, you can see when they punches, one of their shoulders is extended, one of their shoulders is pulled back, and their body and arm are in a perfect straight line. Since each punch will take about 1 second to finish, it just too slow to fit the chain punches strategy. So how to have Baji or Chen Taiji type of power but still maintain WC chain punches speed is something very interested to me. May be there is no proper solution for this "power vs. speed trade off" issue after all. What's your opinion on this? [ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GzRjr40mjT0"]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GzRjr40mjT0[/ame] [ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gj6UaEay5Lg"]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gj6UaEay5Lg[/ame]
Well even with proper body mechanics, no matter your punching style, there is always an end-limit to the power of any punch. You just learn their different uses. The only solution I have is using what people call the double hip. It's a use of the power mechanics for the biu gwan. You only retract your hand by an extra inch behind where it normally sits at the elbow but the body turns back farther. I only use this with the neck-pulling hand though because, as you said there is a bit of a trade off for power/speed but also for position. The farther you retract the hip the less square you are which is a problem in trapping range.
YKW, I'm one of those people that could always have fast hands and feet. There is a trade off between power and speed. When you need both, such as unarmed combat, you go with more of a balanced approach so that you don't end up lacking in one or the other when you need to make adjustments. I could actually strike multiple times faster when turned slightly more sideways than square to the opponent. So in many cases, power generation will add to your speed rather than slow it down. I believe you are looking at technique rather than principles in this case, and this can cause misconceptions. Let's instead look at reasons for why we might do things... the principles. Why would you want to be square shoulders to an opponent? Because you want the option to use both sides of the body equally. Also, to protect your back or something behind you. Both cases apply mostly to close range fighting. For example, grappling and short ranged striking with a wall behind you. Why would you want to be more sideways to an opponent? Because you want to have a smaller profile and have predominantly one side that has a stronger structure and alignment. Notice I did not use in any of the above, speed or power as a determining factor because you can use any combination of power and speed generating methods with both. However, some don't make much sense to be used together while others do. The power generation methods that make sense can actually speed up your striking (desirable), the ones that don't make sense in the context will slow it down (not desirable). So now I will address a bit of speed and power given the two postures. For when you want to use both sides of the body equally, you are now looking at closer range. So you can grab with one hand and strike with the other, or you can grab with both hands and strike with another weapon (like a knee or head butt or elbow). If you instead choose to strike with both hands and NOT grab, such as chain punching, it actually doesn't make a lot of sense to stay squared shoulder, IME. The reasons stem from principles, such as do not trade blows with a knife. The reasons also are around how combat, without a grab, tends to represent more of an accordion... for example, you close and do your damage, the opponent retreats and you close again, rinse repeat. So basically, this is why I could strike repeatedly faster by being slightly more bladed to the opponent. I would strike with one punch while closing the gap and be in range now for my rear hand to hit. Opponent would move or cover up and retreat, bringing them in range of my lead hand, then closing my rear hand. If I got stuck in a range, I would use multiple strikes with same arm (punch, elbow, shoulder strike, forearm strike, back fist) or start using other weapons such as knees. So given that, how did I strike fast? I used different power generating methods instead of the same ones each time. Easiest way to describe is that I would mix in low and high targets so that in could use downward sinking power and then switch to rising legs and hip power while throwing punches that almost looked the same, just different angles of attack. I also minimized shoulder/torso rotation but kept full hip rotation by leading with the waist to create torque (as best I could). What I mean by leading with the waist is that as my right punch struck through the target, I already started counter rotation from my waist, this torque added quickness and power to my left punch that comes next, then when my left punch strikes through the target, I've already started counter rotation at the waist for my right punch. This is not the same as pulling the strike back that is done at the hips and shoulders, I'm taking about waist... the hips and shoulders follow the waist.
