Great Technique
Great technique only happens when your basics, meaning your stances, punches and kicks, are strong. If done correctly, your basics will conserve energy and create more power. There is no secret to perfecting your technique, it is done through repetition. Repetition results in two important outcomes, it builds and tones the muscles needed for that technique and second, it ensures muscle memory.
Muscle Memory
Muscle memory happens when you repeat a technique; your muscle will remember the movement and you will feel the difference between a correct and an incorrect technique. The same holds true for a stance, which makes it important to always follow through, by returning to the appropriate stance. Your muscles will learn and re-learn your natural state. A good example is slouching, take note of a child (6 mths to 3 yrs old) when they sit their back is perfectly straight, it is unnatural to slouch and yet many of us do.
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| Kung_Fo_Toa_1981: Flickr |
Automatic Reactions
Muscle memory also creates automatic reactions, it is the action in your reaction that happen without you consciously being aware of it, or having to tell yourself. For example, when you eat, you do not tell your hand to grab the fork or your arm to lift the food off the plate and into your mouth, or tell your jaw to chew.
All of those actions are second nature. By repeatedly throwing a kick punch combo from a perfect stance, it becomes natural, thus when you’re mentally exhausted you will still throw a perfect kick punch combo.
To beat the voice in your head, train hard. To perfect a technique use repetition for two reasons; to strengthen your muscles and create muscle memory. Remember there are no secret techniques or short cuts to training. Morihei Ueshiba also said, “A good stance and posture reflect a proper state of mind.”
