In the last couple of blogs, I
spoke of the fundamentals and if you get those down it has a positive effect on
all your techniques. I will go through some
of those key alignment/ motion fundamentals in this blog.
Flat Wrists
Wrists should always be flat,
whether it is a prep or actually throwing the technique itself. Flat wrists ensure the muscular skeletal
structure supports the wrist if/when you strike. If not flat, your wrist could collapse,
making your techniques ineffective and possibly even causing damage to yourself.
In all your closed fist
techniques, your wrists should be flat (e.g., punches, hammer fists, medium
block, side medium block, X-blocks, etc.)
You may be thinking – I am not hitting with my knuckles so why does my wrist
need to be flat in other techniques?
First off, as stated in the previous blog, at some point you will be
throwing a technique such that it is effective regardless of the part of the
body you strike with. For example, in the beginning we throw a hammer fist with
the intention of hitting with the bottom of the hand. In this case, not having a flat wrist can
still be safe and effective. However, if
you do not hit perfectly with the “hammer” part of your hand because your
target moved in or you misjudged the distance, and your wrist is not flat, your
technique will be ineffective and you may get hurt.
In another example, in your side
medium block prep, if your wrist is not flat and someone moves in to stop your
block by trapping that wrist, the technique will become ineffective and you may
also endo up injuring your wrist. Let‘s
also look at the backhand from Pyung Ahn 3.
I see in many cases where the wrist is not straight at the onset – so what
happens if you do not hit the target at the end and your wrist is not straight? Again, the technique will be ineffective and
you will injure your wrist (which also then gives you one less weapon to use –
not a good place to be).
So, you should always have a
flat wrist and not just about the final end position, but throughout the motion
of the technique and then it will not matter what part of your hand or arm you
use, it will be effective.
Wrist In Front Of The Elbow
If the wrist is behind the elbow
then it can be collapsed with minimal force. Therefore, in all your techniques your wrist
should be slightly in front of your elbow and not just at the end of the
technique but while the technique is in motion as well until its final location. This includes, but is not limited to cat
stance, hook punches, high bocks (from prep to final position), medium blocks, side
medium blocks. Even for something that
seems minor, like the protection/trapping arm in extended spear hand, the wrist
of the arm should be in front of the elbow.
Elbows Down
Another important fundamental is
keeping your elbows down. In keeping the
arm close to the body, you are engaging your pectoral muscles and not just your
deltoid muscles making for a stronger technique. Keeping elbows down throughout the technique
also protects the body (e.g., abdomen, ribs, etc.). If your elbow flares, you usually end up exposing
the middle/side portion of your body leaving you vulnerable and open to attack
(e.g., high block, medium block, side medium block, knife hand, etc.)
Arm Close To The Body
This could go hand in hand with
elbows down in many cases, but keeping the arm close to the body is also a
fundamental. In doing so, you protect
the body, but also it ensures you are maximizing the larger muscles in your techniques
versus smaller ones. For example, in
knife hand you can have your elbow down but away from your body, so while your
ribs may be protected, you are not really using the larger pectoral muscles but
relying more on the smaller deltoid muscles for force. So, you are missing out on strength from your
body. This concept can be applied to
punches (e.g., forward, attack, hook, upper, etc.) as well as other techniques
such as elbow strikes and palm strikes.
Push Forward Then Rotate Fist
Another key fundamental is
pushing the fist forward three-quarters of the way before rotating. If you rotate too soon, then the fist can be
stopped with minimal force and you are not taking advantage of that final twisting
motion to cause damage. This may only
appear at first to be applicable to forward/attack punches, but over time you
will find this is applicable to other techniques. I challenge you to start looking at what
those techniques may be as you practice and study the art form.
For all the techniques you have
learned to date, I suggest you look at each one relative to these five
fundamentals and examine if they are applicable. If they are, ensure you actually apply these
fundamentals.
I guarantee if you get these
fundamentals down, all your techniques will be more effective.
Regards,
Kelly
"When you really
get technique... there is no strength that will stop you." ~ Caio Terra
(1986 – present), Brazilian Jiu Jitsu competitor and world champion
