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Home , Combat, Karate, Punch (combat)

So, what if we told you that the instruction you get — or give, if you’re a sensei, sifu or coach — makes an instant and measurable difference to the power of your strikes? If you don’t believe it, The Science then take it from the scientific minds at work in the Australian Institute of Sports Centre and the University of Nevada, USA. InA ISthe research first of this series looking at groundbreaking into and combat sports, PhD scholar, kickboxer and strength and conditioning coach Israel Halperin joins the University of Nevada’s Professor Gabriele Wulf in revealingto better a simple technique. trick

story by israel halperin & gabriele wulf

Part one: Instruction psychology hether you’re a new student research has clearly demonstrated that performance among competitive boxers of Com batlearning basic techniques, or an external focus is superior to an and kickboxers, including world- an elite athlete preparing for internal one. This effect was established title holders. The athletes were asked Wa title bout, the instructions with activities requiring balance, to a punching integrator (a or feedback coaches provide can accuracy, force and power, as well as device measuring peak impact forces substantially affect your learning and cardiovascular and muscular endurance, and punching velocities) under two performance. The role instructions play all of which are important in martial conditions: External focus (“Focus in directing a fighter’s focus of attention arts. Furthermore, the superiority of on punching the pad as fast and as (or ‘attentional focus’, as we say) has external focus instructions is not limited forcefully as you possibly can”) and been the subject of intense investigation to a particular type of person — it was internal focus (“Focus on moving in recent years and is of practical demonstrated for males and females, your arm as fast and as forcefully as relevance to coaches in all martial arts young and old, untrained and elite you possibly can”). Irrespective of and combat sports. athletes. the athletes’ skill level, external focus Defined simply, attentional focus Here are a few examples to instructions led athletes to punch four refers to what we get trainees to illustrate the differences: Focusing per cent faster and with five per cent concentrate on during training and/or on the movement of the wrist during more force compared to internal focus competitions. In this line of research, it a shot (internal) impairs instructions. We repeated the study with is common to distinguish between an accuracy compared with focusing on national-level athletes who internal and external focus. Directing the basket/hoop (external); balance were asked to deliver roundhouse one’s attention inward, towards a body performance measured by the degree of to the punching integrator under similar part or even muscle group, leads to an sway while standing still on a balance instructional conditions, and observed internal focus. For example, you might platform is enhanced when focusing on similar effects. Considering the high say to a student, “Focus on extending the platform (external) compared with skill level of the participants in these your when delivering the focusing on the feet (internal); directing studies, the observed improvement was punch”, or “Focus on your quadriceps participants’ attention to an external significant. muscles during the roundhouse ”. target (external) improves performance In contrast, directing one’s attention in vertical and standing long-jumps talking the talk externally — that is, to the effects of compared with focusing on extending About 15 years ago, one of us (GW) the movement on the environment the legs (internal); trained athletes can proposed the ‘constrained action’ — promotes an external focus, for shot-put further when asked to focus hypothesis to account for the superior example: “Focus on hitting the pad on throwing the shot far (external) effects of an external over an internal when delivering the punch” or “Push compared to extending their arms focus. According to this hypothesis, off the ground during the roundhouse rapidly (internal)…and the list goes on which has been supported by many kick”. While the two instructions may and on. studies since then, an internal focus seem similar, one of them has repeatedly constrains our motor-neural system been shown to be superior to the other. Attentional focus by leading to conscious control of Care to guess which one before moving and striking movements that disrupts the automatic Aussie team member on to the next paragraph? At the Australian Institute of Sport and fluid nature of the action. In Jack Marton at the You might find this fact surprising, we recently investigated the effects of contrast, an external focus promotes but almost two decades worth of a more automatic response in line Grand Prix 2015 images G etty attentional focus feedback on punching

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muscular Israel Halperin gives some LEGEND advice to ISKA world champ Discover the secrets of from fatigue due to Josh Tonna in the ring the world’s best karate technician, the greater Scan page Kancho Hirokazu to see fighters movement getting tested efficiency." at the AIS W illiam L uu

with the desired outcome. So, Action Internal instruction External instruction when an athlete concentrates on their movement’s intended Punches Move your hands quickly Punch the target quickly effect, rather than on the Lift your hands up Lift your gloves up BUY 2+ body movements themselves, Fighting and s AND Keep your elbows tucked in Touch your shirt DVD the motor system produces movement SAVE! a more effective and efficient Move your feet Move around the ring coordination pattern within Turn towards the wall when you muscles (i.e. recruitment of Kicks Turn your hips when you kick CALL NOW: motor unit) and between kick muscles (i.e. a reduction of (03) 9574 8460 OR VISIT Use your legs to drive the Push off the ground to drive the co-contractions). A complex Takedowns opponent up opponent up WWW.BLITZMAG.NET movement such as a punch, which involves the integration Kick your legs back Kick the wall behind you defence of many muscles and body (sprawling) Use your hands to push the Push the opponent down towards parts, will be executed with opponent down the ground greater accuracy and force. Another advantage of an external focus is reduced and to under-utilise external it is not possible to identify Former combat-sports athlete With Shotokan muscular fatigue due to the ones. This also applies to cause and effect from this Israel Halperin is a greater movement efficiency. coaches in martial arts and study; however, the correlation and strength and conditioning karate champ Studies related to weightlifting, combat sports. In the spirit of between the type of attentional coach, and a PhD scholar with Bernardo Mercardo for example, have shown that science, we recently undertook focus induced by the coaches’ Edith-Cowan University in athletes can perform more a study to put our beliefs to feedback and the competition conjunction with the Australian repetitions with the same the test. During the 2015 outcome is interesting. Institute of Sport (AIS). Halperin CHAMPIONSHIP weight when they concentrate national championship, works at the AIS Combat Centre on the weight as opposed to we recorded, transcribed and what to do now testing and monitoring athletes, their arms or legs. In combat analysed the verbal feedback The upshot is this: even when conducting research and providing sports, similar effects would be provided by boxing coaches differences in the wording overall support for the four expected — that is, a fighter during the one-minute break of the feedback provided by Olympic combat sports of , would be able to maintain the between the rounds of each coaches may seem insignificant, boxing, and taekwondo. force of their punches longer. bout. We observed two research has clearly shown SKILLS Moreover, thanks to the fighter’s interesting findings. The first, as that the choice of words can Gabriele Wulf is a Professor 240 pages • Basic & advanced actions being more automatic, hypothesised, was that coaches have a big impact on motor in the Department of Kinesiology fighting combos they will have more attentional under-utilised external focus performance. Combat-related and Nutrition Sciences at featuring: capacity to spare, which can be and over-utilised internal focus performance will be no University of Nevada, Las • Sweeps & takedowns directed to the ever-changing instructions. The second finding exception to this rule, so we Vegas, USA. Dr Wulf studies environment associated with was that coaches provided therefore recommend that factors that influence motor skill • Bag drills a bout, or the tactical and roughly eight per cent more martial art coaches carefully performance and learning, such strategic aspects of the fight. internal instructions in their choose the type of instructions as athletes’ focus of attention losing bouts compared to their they use with their trainees, and motivational variables. • Makiwara training where are coaches at? winning bouts. This last point and attempt to promote an Her research has resulted in Our collective experience suggests a relationship between external over an internal focus 175 journal articles and book • Amazing line drawings suggests that coaches in all greater usage of internal focus of attention (see the table above chapters, as well as two books. by Nobu Kaji disciplines tend to over-utilise instructions and the match for some recommendations and internal focus instructions, outcomes. We emphasise that suggestions). connect with us blitzmartialarts

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