Have you ever watched a skilled martial artist and wondered how they created so much power with so little effort? Bruce Lee was a master of this, so how did he do it?
Power in the martial arts comes from the hips. The center of the body is the transition point betweem your base (rooting, balance and extension), and your core (stability, fluidity and relaxation). When these two elements are coordinated, the end result is a transfer of rooted energy through the mid point with an extension to the end point or "point of contact." This is the same principle found in striking, grappling and throwing arts. Where the novice struggles, is in the coordination and relaxation of the transition point or hips.
Next time you are striking the bag, grappling or throwing, work to feel the difference between relaxed power and tensed power as it translates through the hips. In the striking arts, it creates the difference between hitting hardened sand or a soft pillow. In the grappling arts, it creates the difference between moving dead weight or leveraged weight and in the throwing arts it creates the difference between strength projection and timing projection.
Work on creating hip power and you will be well on your way to Black Belt Excellence!
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