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May 17, 2008

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A brief note before I get to today's subject:
We have posted a video trailer for Basic Instincts of Self-Defense.
You can view it at
http://www.stadion.com/basic_instincts_self-defense.html

In the most recent mailing I answered questions from a karate
fighter who injured his arms. His injury was consistent with poor
punching form--overextending his elbow and overrotating his fist.

I told him how to correct his arm movement so that he wouldn't
injure his muscles when practicing punches (you can read my advice
at http://www.stadion.com/mailings/mailing05092008.html ).

There are more errors in poorly taught m.a. artists' punches:
wrong wrist alignment, elbows out, shoulders up, excessive tension,
and poor hip action are the most common.

The causes of those errors are:

1. Poor example--from fake instructors;

2. False belief that kicks are so superior to punches that one may
neglect punching practice.

The second cause compounds the first one--those aspiring "m.a.
artists" don't work with punching equipment (bags, balls, etc.)
enough to acquire good form.

The end result, which I have seen at my clinics and workouts, was
(and still is) that the vast majority of people who came to learn
kicking didn't know how to punch. How do these people expect to set
up their kicks, or mix them in combinations with punches (and how
have they obtained their rather dark belts)?

I have seen too many matches, mostly of taekwondo players and some
point fighters, in various tournaments and championships, in which
opponents moved as if their arms were injured. They hardly used
them at all. It is as if they didn't know that good punches set up
kicks by creating openings in an opponent's defense. At the same
time punching combinations "pull" kicks and give them more power--I
show this on the Clinic on Stretching and Kicking DVD.

At a close distance, poor punching skills make fighters miss
opportunities for scoring points, for off balancing their opponents
and thus setting up a few good kicks, or for knocking some wind out
of them. All those taekwondo players who don't punch when up close
are laughable. And so is their explanation that punches don't score
points because they can't get the "trembling shock" on someone
wearing a chest protector. Believe me, if you punch correctly, from
up close, the chest protector won't really nullify a good uppercut
to the floating ribs or to the solar plexus. An opponent who gets a
good shot to the stomach or is knocked down will lose confidence
and will be easier to score on with kicks.

Best regards,

Thomas Kurz

P.S.

DVD Clinic on Stretching and Kicking is available at
http://www.stadion.com/clinic_stretch_for_kicks.html

P.P.S.
You can read my recent e-mails with questions and answers on
training. They are archived at
http://www.stadion.com/mailings/mailings.html

P.P.P.S.
Exchange tips on working out and competing, and
discuss training and performance problems on Stadion's
Sports and Martial Arts Training Discussion Forum.

Let your friends know about the above-mentioned resources.
Forward this message to every athlete you know.
--
Stadion Publishing
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for Children; Stretching for All Sports; Mental Training for Combat
Sports; Self-Defense Training--all from world-class coaches.
Visit www.stadion.com for best info on training for sports
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