This has been bugging me for a while now. I'm fairly confident in my basics and kata, but I genuinely feel that my kumite is below par. I do some good techniques, various kick combinations etc, but my speed is terrible. I just can't seem to react quick enough if an openent is charging in with combinations. Or sometimes if I pull off a kick, and the oponent counters, I can't get out quick enough What can I do to get faster? both in my mind (reacting) and actually physically moving?
Doing rounds with a good focus pad holder will dramatically improve your reaction and hand speed. Unfortunately good pad holders are hard to come by, see if theres anyone you train with who's good at pad holding, or maybe consider paying a boxing training for a personaly session, could be money well spent.
Seems to me to be a number of different issues are causing you problems Reaction time - The advice above is good but also correct in saying that good padholders can be hard to come by. Reactions can be trained. Drills which operate on see a target - hit a target, can be simplified eg Partner stands in figting stance with hands by his side. Every time he puts his hand on his belly you hit it with a reverse punch. Make sure his timing his random. Then change to every time he puts his hand on his chin you hit it with a jab. Then combine the two. If you dont have a partner try putting on some music. Focus on the lyrics and specific letters in words mean you throw specific techniuqe eg T= reverse punch R = jab. Your difficulty in avoiding strong attacks may be footwork. Moving backwards (absorbing attacks) is an under-rated skill. Work on making sure when you move back your back foot moves first. Lastly your recovery from kicking may need work. In general when you kick in kumite your kicking leg should finish in front. - This is differnt to landing forward which will create a whole new set of problems. eg If you kick off the back foot with your right leg you will pull the kicking leg back and push back to a southpaw stance.
I made a play list on my ipod for training by myself where i had recorded different kicks and strikes. I used my voice recorder to record my self saying such as "round house" and then another strike and then would play it back on random while standing in front of my heavy bag. When the track would play I would follow as fast as I could with the move. Now in no way does this negate the need to train with someone but it was fun and challenging.
id say for the me the biggest thing is staying relaxed and not trying to predict and plan for what my uke is going to do. So basically i just stay relaxed and kind of clear my mind and let muscle memory do what it wants to when someone does an attack, i think the thing that slow people down the most is planning or having this whole plan on what to do then the uke does something different.
Muscle memory is okay, but that too needs training. It takes 21 hours (of correct technique) to nail muscle memory and you cannot do it all in one go. You have to revisit the technique. So if you only spend 10 minutes a day it will take 126 days to develop muscle memory. You then have to do that for every single technique to have it nailed down. So I agree with the likes of Kuma and Snoop when they recommend pad work. Proper up tempo boxing padwork.
Reading your post your problem isn't your techniques. It's your footwork. Everything gets easier when you know how to walk right. The best way to avoid an attack isn't always by moving straight line backwards from your opponent because then YOU are the one being chased and you're compromised. Next time you are sparring forgot trying to win and use it as a learning tool. Instead work on defensive footwork, pushing offline from the attack (to the side/at an angle) I guarantee from this you will see the openings you have created for yourself similiarly moving in the right direction can close openings for your partner and get them tied up. Push off left to sidestep right - push off your right to sidestep left. To sort defending whilst moving you need to be able to block whilst moving to the side/back/where ever it is you're gong. This gets sorted by partner drills, get them to push in and attack while you work on moving out and blocking once you have that down add in your counter. So basically my advice is......footwork, footwork and footwork. Start slow and build it up.
8 replies and nobodies pointed out that this is what you do sparring/kumite for, to develop better reaction speeds to a live opponent? For the physical movement thing, plyomterics or heavy weight lifting.
Sparrings not the only way to develop reaction speed, I'm guessing you've never hit mitts with someone who knows what they're doing.
Ad-hom-tastic but the point remains that can only help you so much and that so much is not as much as sparring. I was going to mention hitting pads "Thai" style with a padded up guy movement and all worked in: [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mIya8EfDEv0"]YouTube- Muay Thai seminar - Pad work[/ame] But if you're at the level where you need to ask these questions then you need to focus more on sparring to get a sense for it. Besides which I was more pointing out that no one else had bothered to mention it and it really should be point A.
Padwork is supreme for what the OP wants. Get a good holder who can call out quick combos and you will develop both attributes fast and effectively. I always found it interesting than Ricky Hatton did way more padwork than sparring when he was on top. It was once he did less padwork he started doing worse and eventually losing.
Video games! It is hard training I know, but nothing like Call of Duty Multiplayer Team deathmatch to heighten your hand-eye... That and practice: I heard once that speed is the efficiency of technique. So practice practice and practice.
Padwork- good, live/realistic, fast, definitely the best way. Also, any meditative/santi shi/mushin type learning to relax and empty your mind will help if practiced on a regular basis, as long as it's in conjunction with padwork and not instead of! Also, try to relax and enjoy sparring, do as much as you can, with as many different body types/skill levels as you can. I live for sparring!
