Saturday, August 26, 2012

Theory of power

 

Solid hitting power can be a difficult thing to develop. Yet develop it one must if they are to have effective techniques. Developing effective power is a science. And applying concepts from science is really the only way that you will increase your impacting force. Some people acquire these concepts through trial and error, others by quality training practices. In this article I have outlined these concepts so that you to will have a chance to understand, study and apply them to your own training.

Reaction force

Reaction force can be broken down into two separate areas. The reaction forces from the opponent and that from you. If we look at Newton’s third law we see that every action has an equal and opposite reaction. If an opponent rushes towards you and you kick or punch to stop the attack your impact force is the power of your punch or kick plus the force of your opponents momentum. When punching with the right hand, the left hand grapples onto the opponent and pulls strongly back to the hip, and just at impact the grappling hand turns quickly as the hitting fist dips slightly. This creates large amounts of power in relation to a person’s body mass and enables even a small person knockdown force.

Concentration

Applying impact force onto the smallest area concentrates the force and increases its effect. If we look at the basic formula for force or impacting power we find that p=F/A which is pressure = the force applied divided by the surface area. So if for example your opponent delivers a force of 100 kgs into the whole of the impacting fist, about a four square inch area. Then you have generated a force of 25kg per square inch. However if we impact with the same force but concentrate on the two front knuckles, about a one square inch area, then we have an impacting force of 100kg. Now however, if you practice hitting with just the fore knuckle, about a half inch area, then your force will be 200 kg, and if with the specialized dip you hit with half a fore knuckle, about a ¼ square inch area, then you have generated an impact of 400kg, enough force to stop anyone.

Equilibrium

By having a correct stance and thus correct centre of gravity you ensure that complete force is transferred into your opponent. Without correct equilibrium the force you hit with will be about the same as trying to punch hard while wearing roller skates. This is because you have no push from the ground to deliver any power.

Breath Control

When focusing a blow onto an opponent air is forced from the lungs. The reason for this is to contract the diaphragm along with other abdominal muscles. When this is done the psoas and other muscles attached to the pelvis contract and the loins bend back at the fourth and fifth lumbar region. This in effect locks the lower and upper body into one solid mass and prevents the reaction force from your impact travelling back and twisting your own spine. If this twist were to happen not only will you lose power but also you could suffer injury

Speed

To understand why speed is so important we look at the formula p=1/2mv². (Where p is power, m is mass and v is velocity or speed). This means that if you hit an opponent with an increase in body mass of a factor of three you get an increase in power of 3. However if you increase your speed by three leaving mass constant then you have increased you impact by a factor of 9. Relaxation while executing a movement helps to increase speed. However the impacting body part must be tightened at the moment of impact to avoid injury to your own body

Mass

The maximum kinetic energy or force is obtained from maximum use of body weight and speed. Body weight delivery to the target can be increased by turning the hip and utilizing the pushing action of the knee against the ground. However you can also increase the amount of mass you deliver by using the opponents weight. For example kick their inner thigh and as they fall kicking again onto the falling chest. Mass is also utilized by dropping the body. For example dropping on to one knee while applying a wristlock.

These principles are the key to fulfilling your maximum power potential. If you study and apply these key elements to your own technique you will gain maximum power.