Plyometrics

[John Giacoletti]

Does plyometrics differentiate Uechi from other karate systems?

Without the explosive techniques and power, achived by the use of plyometrics, is one's style really Uechi even though the system one performs is obviously the Uechi kata and exercises?

The vertical elbow strike in Seisan ... I've seen it performed slowly with perfect form and alignment, focus and control, smoothly but without intensity as in tai chi.

I've seen it performed with perfect form, focus and control demonstrating strength, marshalling the entire bodily resources and refined technique as in some Goju kata but without explosive snap and speed;

and I've seen others drive that elbow in the kata like a jackhammer into the opponent with explosive crushing power commanding all the body's physical and spiritual resources.

Are the three examples Uechi style or only the last?

[Bill Glasheen]

That's a great set of questions to ask with a bunch of smart Uechika sitting around a table with a few brews to lubricate the thinking.

Are the three examples Uechi style or only the last?

My personal opinion (Danger, danger!!!) is that any effective use of the techniques and principles of the Uechi kata is Uechi. Period. End of story.

Effective is the key word here. This isn't dance. It certainly is NOT aerobics. (Fighting is largely an anaerobic activity.) It's a martial art. And to be martial, it must be effective where it matters - on the street, or perhaps even in the sport ring for lack of a better prooving ground. But there are many, many ways to skin that cat.

What "it" is will mean many things to an individual based upon where they are in their training, and the capabilities they bring to the table. Age, gender, size, temperament, venue, and experience will come into play.

As I see it, Kanbun Uechi's kata are a reference book of principles of human movement. It's up to the individual to make something of that material.

Does plyometrics differentiate Uechi from other karate systems?

That's a great question. I would have to say yes and no.

From the no standpoint... You can infuse explosiveness in any martial kata - even and perhaps especially tai chi. Practitioners who have their heads in the Chinese paradigms and martial pseudolanguage may have a different way of describing it. ("Jing" comes to mind...) But movement is movement. It's up to the individual to decide how to deal with the energy dynamics. I see very few absolutes across the martial spectrum.

From the yes standpoint... Two groups come to mind here.

The first group is Nakamatsu and his whipping power warriors. Nakamatsu Sensei is using the principles you try to teach with plyometric training. He has his ways... He may not get the medicine ball out or have people doing bunny hops, but he's employing the dynamic stretch reflex and sequential summation of movement. It just takes a little longer his way without all the props. Our own Dana Sheets is a great resource on this.

The second group is Gushi and the Kenyukai group. They speak of the stretchy rice cake (mochi) and the local taffy (tegua). Without the exacting language of kinesiology, people tend to revert to their own cultural paradigms. But they are speaking the same language here. They are talking about elasticity in movement.

Years back I had Gushi Sensei look at my kata. He really like my ability to "posture" in Sanchin, and loved the speed and power of my Seisan. Then he watched my Sanseiryu, and was not happy. Rik Lostrito consoled me by saying NOBODY was making Gushi Sensei happy with their Sanseiryu kata.

Again, there is a cultural barrier here. But with time I began to understand what he was talking about. When you talk to macho Americans about this with inexact language, they don't get it. Immediately the macho boys revert to assaults on your sexual identity and the like. "Soft and smooth" becomes the pejorative strawman. But that ain't it.

George Greiffer gets it, John. I've seen him move. He picked it up from his kobudo. Again, it's the elastic energy that we're trying to unleash in our movement. We're trying to use sequential (as opposed to simultaneous) movement to produce energy waves in the body. And those waves come from understanding how to trigger the dynamic stretch reflex from stem to stern in a synergistic way.

And all plyometrics does is offer you a tool to teach you how to do that. It gets you started. The dynamic stretch reflex is not a static thing. It can be trained and it can be enhanced. You can get better and better at it. And then you need a good dose of body coordination to put it into play.

- Bill

[Bill Glasheen]

There's something else here as well which I haven't mentioned.

In our quest to be "healthy" and "trim" in this culture, people have become obsessed with aerobics. But there's a problem here for martial artists. Martial arts is predominantly an anaerobic activity that requires quick, explosive movement in places. It isn't an endurance contest. Most fights don't last long, and they can be very, very intense. People should know how to "redline" when needed. And they should know how to deal with "redlined" energy coming at them.

Everyone is born with a certain proportion of fast twitch muscle, and a certain proportion of slow twitch muscle. To give some examples... Those of West African descent tend to be a bit heavier on the fast twitch, which is why we see so many of them (African Americans) as sprinters and slam dunkers. Those of East African descent tend to be heavier on the slow twitch, which is why we see many of them winning the Boston Marathon.

Whether or not a fiber is fast or slow twitch is determined by the nerve that triggers it. Most of those nerves have a predetermined role, and you can't change that. But some of them are equivocal. Thus if you spend a lot of time doing long distance running and aerobics, you'll tune your body to do low power, endurance activities. But if you spend time doing fast, explosive movements, well your body will tend to tune itself to do better at that.

At the level of the neuromuscular junction, it's an either/or phenomenon. Fast or slow twitch. Take your pick. So if a certain proportion are equivocal and you want to do martial arts, what's your choice?

And guess what plyometrics tends to emphasize?

- Bill

[NEB]

Are there any recommended web sites / resources that outline some good plyometric training techniques specifically? Of course, I can order a book or two (such as the one already mentioned by Mr. Glasheen), but I was interested in seeing something sooner. Of course, anything relating speficifically to martial art training would be best. (i.e. kicking and striking with the arms/hands.)

Thanks,
nb

[Kevin Guse]

Neb

I'm not sure how soon you are referring to but a great DVD might be quicker than a book. If you go to http://britathletex.com/ you'll find some good info and one of the best training DVDs around. GEM has been reviewing and when I visited him last week in Fl. he had me work with his students on some of the drills that can be transfered to Karate application. There is a lot of drills in the DVD for plyometric work.

Also as soon as I find a computer program that allows me to take clips off of a DVD and post them I will start a thread in the Body Conditioning forum on various topics including Plyometrics.

[John Giacoletti]

With continual training and practice over time power comes. It comes with confidence, the ability to relax under pressure, targeting and timing.

The snap and elasticity manifests itself when you can stop trying to muscle a movement as in shomen hajiki. A relaxed yet powerful strike is characterized by speed and greater extension.

Master Shinjo has hit me with shoken strikes in the inner side of my upper arms just below the bicep. They weren't particulary "hard" strikes but I was disabled. And I've seen Gushi Sensei bounce or rebound devestating back of the hand strikes off student's stiff arms into facial targets.

The double inside block as in the beginning of Sei Rui can hyperextend an opponents elbow with little or no exertion. And that's a quick, snappy movement.

An exploration of the softer side can be productive, plyometrics or not.

[Bill Glasheen]

Other than straight plyometrics, I recommend dusting off the classic Olympic lifts. I've had a bit of an epiphany on that in the last few years. And so too have many professional sports trainers. These are very complex exercises that require a combination of strength, coordination, fluidity, and power. And if you do them right - a BIG if - you're working on some of the same concepts.

These are difficult, difficult exercises to do right. But it's a change from the normal "ho hum" in the weight room. And there are myriad ways to spice them up such as doing them with dumbbells, changing how far you go down on power cleans, working just on the most difficult parts of the lift, etc., etc.

Variety is the spice of life here.

Just last night I decided to work on just the "dropping" part of a power clean exercise. So I did the following:

* I held the bar with light weight.

* I SLOWLY came up on my toes, and lifted my shoulders up in a shrug.

* I held there for a second.

* Then I quickly dropped my body beneath the bar with as little arm power as possible, thereby causing my "squatting" body to "catch" the full force of that weight.

I worked just on that because I thought my power clean needed some work on that part of the exercise. Anyhow... You know what? I started with a fraction of the weight I normally do. And I was just playing. But by the 3rd set or so, my thighs were screaming.

I can NEVER get my thighs to get sore. I've always had them extra strong - ever since I've had to because I need to overcompensate for a knee without all its parts. But you know what? My thighs were sore before I even finished.



What I'm saying is this. Learn the concepts. Get Chu's book and study what he has to say about the principles of this type of exercise. Then once you do that, you can make up your own.

It isn't the exercise here so much as how you do it.

FWIW... In Dr. Dan Kulund's book The Injured Athlete, he talks about these principles of training. In it he stated that - pound for pound - Olympic weight lifters have the highest vertical leap of any athlete. Think about how that could be.

- Bill

[thumper_wabbit_dammit]

As I remember there are 2 forms of plyometrics: the first you bound from a "greater" height and come to a stop; the second you bound from a "lesser" height and rebound. I think it was Egami who said makiwara weakened his punch .... I'm wondering if Egami might have used a heavier makiwara and taught himself to stop his forward motion ... any thoughts?

[Stryke]

I`m with Egami

I like the Makiwara for conditioning , but not for power , it gives the wrong kind of feedback IMHO , It tends to make you feel the need to muscle it .

I dont see how makiwara training is plyometric in any sense

[thumper_wabbit_dammit]

I think it slows your punch a bit while the muscle is contracting, inducing stretch reflex ... I THINK ...

it's something to do with the SAID principle (specific adaption to imposed demand ... I think ... it's been years since I read about this stuff)

[Stryke]

Ahh that makes sense , I dont percribe to contracting on impact though , I think this is what Egami was referring too also .

[thumper_wabbit_dammit]

I think you're talking about the contracting that happens when you stop an air punch ... I think this is mistakenly called focus when focus happens on impact.

[Stryke]

Or Kime is bradished around .......

I guess my point is stiking the makiwara can cause you to push or tense rather than use momentum to follow through .

where putting a bit of a push may make you beleive your hitting harder in fact it`s the opposite .

some of the feedback obtained from it can be deceiving IMHO .

however the Makiwara is great for conditioning , and i`m a firm beleiver that your body will only allow itself to hit as hard as it beleives it can handle (tools weapons conditioning)

so maybe it`s a yes and no answer .

My opinion will most likely have changed again by next week

grain of salt and all that ...

[Bill Glasheen]

I don't really see the makiwara as being classic plyometric training. Its value is more in helping someone feel what it is like to continue imparting energy once the air technique hits the target. This is something that kata cannot teach.

Marcus is right in that you can "push" the makiwara and deceive yourself into thinking you're doing something useful. But this is true of the heavy bag, hitting paper, hitting focus mits, and other forms of "target" training. As they say, only perfect practice makes perfect.

I think of makiwara in the same way that I think of ukemi. Other than teaching you what it feels like actually to hit something, it helps condition your muscles, tendons, and bones for the shock of impact. It's similar to getting beyond the weights in football and actually putting the pads on and hitting things (the blocking sled) and people. The best way to learn contact is to do contact.

- Bill

[Stryke]

I like focus Mitts myself , I dont feel theres huge resistance , and follow through works better than pushing .

Best way to learn to hit people though is to hit people .

Conditioning is important , but as many say(wiser folks than me) on these pages conditioning is gradual and not about power , your power will always be limited to your level conditioning . So using that as logic how can a conditioning device be the best for power development , unless youve already arrived ?

Having said all this , I`d like to Build a hanging Makiwara , One of the Uechi masters I recall had a great one made of Bamboo , looked a great training device for kicks .