The Power Behind The Punch

There are some within the martial arts fraternity who see Krav Maga as little more than a weapon disarming system with a few punches and kicks thrown in for good measure. Such individuals obviously think the IDF (Israeli Defense Forces) don’t value unarmed hand-to-hand combat. For those who came with me to Israel in December 2010, you were trained by two of the top trainers for the Mossad, one of whom a year previously had beaten the UFC Champion Carlos Newton in an MMA Championship. This is not to say that this is proof that reality based self-defense training can be automatically translated to the ring or cage, rather that our training is as substantial and in depth as any martial art, be it Judo, Karate, Tae Kwon Do or MMA.  

There is a huge difference between something which is simple and something that is simplistic. A punch may seem to be a very simple mechanical action, and indeed it is, however to utilize every part of your body when delivering it is another matter – something far from simplistic. We pay as much attention to these mechanics as any traditional martial art. The Japanese/Okinawans turned straight, linear punching into an art form; they recognized that the large muscle groups had to work first, that the body must shift its weight to the forward leg and the hips and back muscles must engage whilst the shoulder stays down and the elbow rubs close to the body, with the fist turning at the last moment. We may not punch in exactly the same style as a Karateka however we practice and embody all the same concepts and principles in our training. Our “style” may be different but our execution and adherence to “the rules” is the same.

The same is true of kicking. If we want to deliver fast and powerful kicks we must adhere to the same principles and body mechanics of any other martial art. There are some things, which are common to all systems. Where we differ from other arts and systems is that we present everything from a reality perspective i.e. we talk about when in a reality based situation you would throw a particular kick or punch and how you could expect the person you’re dealing with to react and respond. Also our training is partner and pad based to give it a dynamic feel.

In the old days of martial arts training there was a view that the best way to improve in your training was to simply up the quantity of your training. To get better at punching you should just punch more. I remember this when I was training at Judo. There were two camps: the “old school” that said to improve you should just do more Judo and another that suggested adding running, weight training, co-ordination and reaction drills etc to supplement and advance your development. Adding supplementary training to martial arts training is not a revolutionary approach however there was a phase when it fell by the wayside only to be picked up again in recent years. Okinawan Karate (especially Goju-Ryu) has “Hojo Undo” a form of supplementary training that emphasizes the use of weights and resistance training (we have a set of Niri Gamae or lifting jars in the basement that I train with and recommend others to do the same).

We’ve recently added strength and conditioning training to our Krav Maga program. Why? Because training weights etc will start to develop the “Power” behind your punch. Repetition will also do this however it won’t fast track you in the same way that this “supplemental” training will (why traditional Karate practitioners will add resistance/weight training into their programs). A person who has practiced an art for 20 years, well may tell you that they didn’t get where they are today by lifting weights etc but you should remember that it took them 20 years to get there. By supplementing your training you can get there a great deal sooner. There is no substitute for hard-work but you should put your work in, in the areas where it will yield the greatest return.

Resistance training is nothing new in the martial arts and its benefits are universally recognized. If you want to improve your technique, power and ability whilst at the same time improving your health, come down to our strength & conditioning classes and supplement your existing training. Doing more of the same will get you so far, doing something complimentary and different will get you further.