Hey guys -
Here is an article I wrote several years ago that I came across again and thought it would be something great to share. I am an engineer, a former pro mma fighter, a BJJ practitioner, and a competitive chess player.
This article is one of my theories I developed when I was teaching private students that included high degree TMA black belts, boxers, MMA fighters and average joe’s.
Take a look and let me know what you think.
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Theory -
Basic Technique -
Basic Application -
Advanced Technique -
Advanced Application
This was related to the theory and basic technique sections of the theory. This is more of an introduction to the concepts of striking and power delivery….It was also geared towards guys asking about ways to increase their punching power so I went forward with this. The more advanced concepts and techniques are covered in later chapters such as timing and precision I just wanted to give a little background so you understood the context under which this was written. Let me know what you think…also if you have anything to add as well.
Thanks man.
Article:
I wanted to address and discuss the age old questions of:
“Are you born with ko power or can it be learned?”
And secondly,
“How can I add some power to my punching?”
This is a little excerpt from some classes I taught recently about how to punch correctly and the philosophy behind the theories. It is very important to understand that a significant portion of punching power is defined by physics…essentially, body mechanics and vector-based mechanics. I incorporate physics in to my teaching because I am a firm believer, if you can understand what is happening on a fundamental, principle level, then you can adjust certain aspects of your punching technique to maximize power output on your own without having to have someone guide you. (Teach a man to fish and he will eat for a lifetime)
Before we begin, let’s define a few terms that confuse a lot of people…Now remember, this is my own personal theory and while the terms may be similar to other classes you have taken, the actual definitions of said terms vary slightly in this context.
Potential - Every single person is born with a base power output value. The magnitude of that core value can vary greatly from person to person and thus we get a vast range of power outputs. This is across multiple platforms such as karate, and kickboxing for example. What this means is that you begin with a base value that you can increase with polished technique over time…Essentially the max possible power output has a value tied directly to how much natural power you have. This number is called your “potential”.
Intangible = Intangible is a type of potential but is specific to the higher class of power output…This is typically used to describe those 1% born with serious potential power…the higher numbers I defined as intangible…the amount of raw power someone is born with of a high value. Someone born with serious power is said to have a high amount of intangibility. Someone born with a smaller number is said to have low intangible/potential. These terms are similar. Potential is the amount of raw power any person is born with while the intangible discusses specifically those who are born with a high potential. It is a special class of its own because these people are rare.
The common denominator however is that EACH AND EVERY PERSON IS BORN WITH SOME NUMBER…whether that number is high or low doesn’t matter initially. The only way to realize the max possible power output, a person has to hone and polish their technique in order to hit the maximum transference of power through their body…Bad technique dissipates power and thus results in a much lower output than if they were to punch utilizing proper technique. A powerful man with fundamentally sound technique can generate frightening power.
Let’s break it down into its parts since the ultimate power output is essentially the sum of vector-based outputs with a magnitude AND a direction. The part that is often overlooked in training is the direction…In order for the max value of a force to be realized, the Magnitude and directional vectors need to align. If they do not, you will only end up with a portion or a percentage of the total (this is calculated utilizing the angle between the resultant vector with the actual vector…the closer the alignment, the closer to the max value you can achieve. Perfect alignment = 100% realized
Shaping your potential in to real power:
This is a multi-layered solution to the question stated above…There are varying levels of power dependent upon several factors. To simplify, let’s analyze the 2 major aspects of punching power. Technique and structure.
- Technique - The cleaner and more fundamentally sound you can make your technique, the harder your punching will be. Very economical, efficient movements are critical to clean techniques which in turn are critical to the resultant power output.
Obviously this takes serious time and effort to attain, however, utilizing the proper mechanics will maximize the physics behind your punching.
F = Mass * Acceleration…when you punch (assuming the actual technique and delivery of the punch are sound) you should always step in the direction you are punching…This principle pertains to high powered strikes. That is to say there are situations where you actually do not want to punch with max power and thus do not need to step on those. Examples are set up shots, feints, punching techniques to get out of a corner in a boxing ring or to gain center of octagon and get your back off the cage… however for the most part you should always look to align the vector sums of your arm and your body when the goal is to land a heavy shot. This will ensure your body weight is always engaged behind your punches. This can be broken down further but I will only touch on that briefly…IE, a dense muscular frame that weighs less than a softer frame with more fat can still generate more power even though it weighs less but that is tied to the kinesthetic mechanics of both frames…ie A more muscular frame will move faster and more efficiently thus has an increased acceleration.
2) Structure - so the 2nd portion of the F = mass * acceleration…is the mass part. If all else is equal, but you increase the mass of one of the objects, the increased mass will result in a more forceful punch. Therefore, if you increase body size and/or arm size, you will punch harder. I believe there is a point of diminishing returns however because it costs you speed and power to overcome the inertia needed to propel the free body…basically what that means is that if you take a 300 lb powerlifter, he will be so slow to punch because of the force required to get all that weight moving would take away greatly from the acceleration portion of the F = mass * acceleration equation…it will be hard to have an efficient punch…obviously there are some exceptions but this is just speaking from a general rule.
So a quick summary:
Basically if you drill technique endlessly and you add a little size to your frame, as well as ensuring you are adhering to the physics behind your technique, you will end up increasing your punching power.
You would be surprised at how many people completely neglect the balance of the frame, the physics, the timing of sequences, and the importance of seemingly insignificant details designed to maximize power in their training. Pro’s even.
Now here’s a quick look at the last part which is the intangible. This is the basic value of the power you are born with but it is more significant than the average person. This is to discuss the remaining group of minority, which is reserved for those who are born with the natural ability to wallop. This cannot be taught. It is an inherent quality present in the frames of certain individuals. Essentially it is an extra level of physical sensory…you are just very in tune with your body, you are balanced and coordinated and you can summon raw power with little to no training. These individuals can just throw. With some polishing of their technique along with shaping some core fundamentals, these people can develop frightening, thunderous punching power.
The perfect storm is when you have someone who has the intangible, solid muscular structure and works tirelessly in the gym to perfect techniques. A fighter that comes to mind that is like this is Conor McGregor. His frame is built well for efficient movement as well as having certain areas more densely muscular (arms/forearms) and the dedication to the perfection of technique. It’s no wonder everyone that trains with him has said he has serious ko power. It’s fascinating if you look at the science and mathematics behind these ideas, it actually supports this conclusion.
Most people have 2 out of 3 of these fundamental principles but can still generate decent power and still be effective. They just need to be more cerebral and more accurate with their shots to garner ko’s. Economical, efficient movements matter more in fighters like this. A fighter that comes to mind that is like this is Michael Bisping. He lacks real ko power (potential/intangible) so he makes up for it with tenacity, pace and accuracy. But you can see it clear as day: he just doesn’t have the ability to flat out, one punch, toe curling, stiffened up KO power.
The beauty of having 3 out of 3 is that you can enjoy the ability to KO even if you don’t land clean and flush. Conor’s KO of Poirier comes to mind as an example of this phenomenon. He grazed him just above the ear on the side of the head and it was still enough to drop him so Conor could follow up and close out the fight.
In closing, I believe you are born with serious KO power (intangible) which needs to be shaped and polished to realize the maximum transference of power output. Your ultimate TOTAL power output is dependent upon/directly proportional to how much natural ko power you have…A person born with a high amount of potential/intangible will obviously end up with a higher max power output if training times and frequency were equal. But remember, that doesn’t mean that everyone ISN’T born with potential…it just means the potential they were born with is much lower…but it also doesn’t necessarily have to be. That is the main reason I defined the terms the way that I did because it is a much greater range than 2 numbers. 10 different people can have similar potentials, but all be slightly different in terms of their actual number.
It’s like buying a sports car with the bare bones engine in it with a certain amount of horsepower already present. A car that comes stock with a high amount of horsepower, can be made to achieve a much higher level of horsepower thru modifications than a car that comes with a small amount of horsepower. But it is equally important to note that horsepower is not the only factor in how fast a car will go…There are several other factors that play a role much in the same way that many factors come to play in calculating how much max power a person can generate.
If you want to increase the power in your punches, do a few things mentioned above and it will work. I just thought it would be beneficial to share some of my theories that i have come up with over the years whilst teaching my students about ko power and the fundamentals of striking. I always start with teaching the fundamentals of physics in order to explain why we move certain ways and why it is important to clean up the sequence of events in a compound movement so you can fully understand what is happening and why.
But remember, even though I used punching power as the primary example, these theories can be extrapolated in to all strikes. The principles and body mechanics are still applicable. Kicks, knees, elbows, etc.
I hope this helps to add some serious horsepower to peoples punching! Let me know if you have any questions and we can certainly discuss if anything is confusing.
Happy training,
ES