1/2016 Precision and Timing

Three or four weeks ago I was watching a world championship MMA fight with some of my students. There was all the big hype about how this was going to be the fight of the year. The two fighters were the best of the best, as we waited for the fight to began, we were talking about what we thought would happen, mostly everyone thought it would go the distance and be a decision, but be a great fight.

It was over in seconds!! First punch landed just right.

The fighters came out with the same idea, to end the fight fast as they can. They both came in fast and both threw left hands. Both landed, one gave the guy a black eye and hurt him a little, the other landed right on the jaw and knocked him out. He slip the left and counter with a left. Simple and Basic.

When it was all over and the post interview was going on Mr. McGregor, the winner, said “ Precisions beats Power, Timing beats Speed”.

I have been training for 43 years, and teaching for 30 of those years. I have been saying, and trying to explain this very thing. I think that this is the essence of our style of karate and pretty much all other types of karate. How one punch can change everything.

It also sums up what the Old Masters were saying and teaching. But how does one learn and train for this kind of accuracy, and ability?

PRECISION BEATS POWER: This is what all martial arts are about, how a small man can beat a big man, technique can beat strength. So how does one get to this place of exactness and accuracy?   YEP.. repetition of the basics, doing the techniques over and over again. The more you do them the better you get at them. Learning and making the techniques work for your body, your style of fighting. This is the true way to get that kind of precision. How many times have we heard that?

 

TIMING BEATS SPEED: The perfect description of Karate. To have the ability to choose the exact moment to strike. This is what the old stories and myths about karate are about and where the stories come from. How the old teachers beat a young and faster student. Even after you start getting older and your body is slowing down the timing comes out. Just doing! It stills takes years and years of training to reach this point of not thinking and just doing. This is when the basic techniques became the secret techniques that you reach this degree of refinement with your timing.

 

The MMA fights are real fights, and more then once I have seen how one punch can change everything this shows me how the principles of karate are right on.

 

To have the ability to be exact, and precise is a life time pursuit , always trying and pushing yourself to be the best. This is the way.

 

Even though everyone was ready for a great and longer fight, I loved the way it ended, to me it was perfect!

 

See you in the Dojo