Power generation: a beginners guide on how to throw more powerful kicks and punches
Fighting fans all enjoy a knock out artist, the power puncher they put on a show and every time they enter the ring we know it will be a banger. It’s no wonder that many beginners to kickboxing want to be this show stopping athlete. In this article we will explore some of the key elements of power generation, how to develop knockout power and some pitfalls to avoid.
Get strong
Half of the battle of power is getting strong. A good full body weight training session twice a week, with progressive overload, compound lifts, being controlled eccentric and explosive on the concentric part of the movement will give you a good base for power. Remember strength is half the battle when it comes to power development, you will then need to increase your muscle contractile speed and explosives with various types of plyometrics and contrast training protocols, that will be a subject for another article.
Perfect your technique
You can be as strong as an ox and a freak athlete that can run 100m in 10 seconds and deadlift 250kg but if you don’t know how to throw a punch with correct technique you will never be a knockout artist.
The reason it takes 100s of hours to perfect your technique is because you are trying to learn to chain your entire body to focus the power to one point; to the end of your fist, to your shin etc.
This process takes time, but the more efficient your chain becomes the more power you can generate while using less energy. It’s a win win.
Avoid these common mistakes
We all make mistakes when learning it is part of the process and should be embraced as part of the journey. That said here are the common mistakes we see and some of the ways you can avoid them:
Power down: as previously mentioned technique allows you to generate maximum power by chaining your entire body to generate power for your shot. The only way you can get this is by learning to power down so you can learn what it feels like to chain your entire body. So in the beginning stages of learning focus more on technique and less on power, realise that the power will come with correct technique and by building your strength, so be patient you will be smashing the pads in no time.
Don’t punch with your arms: this is linked with the previous point but is so common that it’s worth its own section. Just punching with arms is so common for a simple reason, it feels powerful. However, just because it feels powerful does not mean that it is. So again power down and learn the correct technique.
Learn to relax: this final point is so important in kickboxing that it surpasses just power generation. Staying relaxed while someone is trying to hit you in the head is just as important as staying relaxed to be able to generate power for your punches and kicks. It is also the hardest state to achieve in all of martial arts and the only way to get good at it is to learn to train in a loose and relaxed fashion.
If you are able to master all of these points you will not only be more powerful in your strikes in kickboxing but also get less tired and enjoy your training more.
If you want to learn how to be a powerful kickboxer look no further than Sanda Kickboxing London. We are kickboxing club based in London and you are welcome to come along for a free trial class.