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Monday, January 12, 2009

Using drive to add power your strikes

Stationary strikes can become fairly strong with a tweaking of body mechanics. But in my opinion, stationary strikes carry two inherent problems. They limit the amount of torque and thrust you can generate, and they also inhibit body movement - arguably the most important aspect of a fight. If you aren't moving in a fight/combat situation, you're a target that's going to get hit.

Incorporating drive (forward motion) into your strikes will increase your hitting power not only because you're adding momentum to the force mix, but also consider this:

Knee Strikes - you'll be able thrust your hips farther forward, allowing you to drive deeper into your target

Elbows and Kicks - increased range of pivot rotation and hip drive

Punches & Headbutts - Additional force behind the strike and more ability to hit through the target.

In the video below I used the basic muay thai up elbow strike to demonstrate this concept. Modern ring style muay thai teaches the up elbow as a stationary attack. Lerdrit and muay chao churd integrates drive into almost all of its offensive and defensive techniques.

So when when you're moving while you strike you're killing a number of birds with one stone while conserving movement and keeping yourself a difficult target to hit.

2 comments:

  1. Yeah, I like that! My training is basically panantukan/filipino boxing, but with a blend of muay thai, JKD and silat. The aggressive, forward-drive straight elbow or spear elbow is one of my favorite techniques. It's part "oh shit" and part offense, which is why I think it's a good technique for self-defense.

    I train those kinds of elbows with a push step and often with a sinking motion. I think the spear elbow can have a good effect almost anywhere it hits, be it the face, sternum, neck or that corner of the chest that meets the shoulder.

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  2. What you call driving in relation to this particular technique, is it pushing/exploding off the back foot?

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