Mass x velocity.
The other night Sifu had us working on throwing our most powerful punches and kicks against an air shield. Then he asked us what single factor most increases power.
We threw out a variety of answers:
Relaxation (that was my answer).
Connection to the ground.
Weight behind the technique.
External focus.
We were all wrong.
Well, not exactly wrong, but not entirely right, either.
Consider the bullet, Sifu said. What makes it powerful? It doesn’t weigh much. It’s certainly not relaxed and it can’t have external focus. It’s definitely not connected to anything as it flies through the air.
What makes a bullet powerful? Speed.
Relaxation is the key to speed. Proper alignment and connection to the ground lets you put your weight into the technique effectively. External focus helps bring it all together. But the prime factor for power is speed.
But I thought our most powerful techniques were always thrusting techniques?
I never said that. When have I ever said that? Did I say that?
No, Sifu.
