Question about reflexes / Reaction time

Hey guys! It's been a long time since I last visited this forums.
To the point: I searched for this but only got one 4 year odl thread with several replies. I need to improve my reflexes ( Reaction time ). I'm sure it'd be a great complement for any martial art, unless you're into Slow mo martial arts ( ha, I dont even know if it exists , but the world is crazy enough ).

One sure way would be training with somebody that's lighting fast, But because of work and time problems I just cant meet my fastest buddy for training as often as i'd want.

All help will be greatly rewarded with....some thanks

 

Floor to ceiling or double end bag

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How exactly? And mind where I live. those things are as hard to come by where I live, are expensive beyond dreams and hard to place where I am.

Additional important info: I practice Kendo

 

Now you tell me

I would have thought reaction speed from an empty hand technique would crossover to a weapon so the info might still be valid. If it's difficult to get hold of one then an old ball and some bungie cord would make a good substitute.

 

Sicne it implies a different movement it might not. But I like trying new things to learn. I'll find a way to get hold of some makeshift bouncy punchy ball, thank you!

 

Pay kids in your neighborhood to throw tennis balls at you while you stand in Chudan No Kamae. Block the balls with your shinai/suburito/bokken and/or move out of the way.

You may not even have to pay the kids.

 

Alternatively, take up squash on the side

Em

 

hold paddles, bags focus mitts anything like that for other ppl


you will learn how to "read" ppl a lot faster and that will also imrove your reaction time. (something sometimes overlooked) A good example is there's a guy at our main school that easily kicks at almost twice the speed i do, he doesn't beat me because he's got a slight telegraph to everything he does. I don't have to be faster then him (although i'm working on that too) i just have to read what he's going to throw at me and react to that.

as far as speed goes work on the fundamental mechanics off all the moves you do, video yourself sparring... don't watch yourself beat the crap out of the other person. watch the video and ask yourself, how can i make my movements faster?

 

Used to have one made out of a tennis ball and heavy sewing elastic hanging in an arch when the little one did TKD, the tension was adjustable with a big loop and it can get your kicks real sharp.

Don't you just feel an idiot first time you use one?

 

Here's the lowdown:

It's pretty widely accepted in the neuroscience community that you can't train simple reaction (the time it takes you to begin reacting to a stimulus).

What you CAN train is HOW you react. In terms of martial arts, it means making your blocks and counters conditioned RESPONSES to aggression. You have to be able to execute your skills on an as-need basis, in automatic response to an attack.

But its also important to make sure such responses don't become unconscious, and invoke themselves without your discretion. You don't wanna spin and backfist your buddy when he taps you on the shoulder, for instance.