SPEED TRAINING
How to improve your speed for both hands & feet

Speed training for either your hands or feet require training for both, regardless of which one is being sought after for faster reflex time.  Everyone thinks of speed as just being "lightning fast", overlooking the explosive power that's felt by the opponent from such a quick and accurate strike.  The power behind the "lightning strike" is what one needs respect more.  The speed is there for only a fraction of a second while the impact continues for undetermined lengths of time.

To start of with, decide what area you want to improve upon.  Even though it's mentioned in the earlier paragraph that you'll have to train both, it'll be necessary for you to focus on certain offensive tactics with either the hands or feet first.  So you'll have to make a decision as to which to start out with.  The moves will be different relating to balancing, timing and retracting. All will require different calibrations from your hips and shoulders. 

Sounds a bit technical, and it should.  Speed training is very methodical and detailed.  It requires patience, practice, creativity and vision.  More on all of that later.  Now, lets increase your speed.

Quick Tips on Improving Speed
Hand Speed Tip #1
Candle Technique
If you've trained before, most likely your instructor had mention this technique (if they haven't, be concerned). This is the most basic of all speed training techniques and is something you can do at home anytime.  It seems easy and harmless...light a candle, make a fist, get into your stance and throw a punch at the flame.  Easy, right?  Well, sort of.  I have met so many people in bars that have tried to challenge me on this and I just sit back and watch the errors.  Sure, the flame goes out...but you could put that out haphazardly without any technique.  My dog does it with his tail, to give you an example of how easy it is when done incorrectly.  You need to feel the accomplishment of your move, as opposed to the "high-five" after the lights out.  You're asking me now..."what the heck, the flame went out when I threw my punch dude...why so cynical"?  Well...I'll tell you...

Just because you threw the punch once and the flame went out doesn't mean anything.  How did you do it?  Did you line up, wind up, go wacky and just throw your punch...or did you look at the target, concentrate for .5 seconds and then throw a solid punch correctly and then the room went dark? If the answer to that is YES, then move on...if not, read on.

The problem is hyperextension of the elbow.  Doing this 50x wrong and getting darkness will not improve your skills.  It will only increase your chances of being on pain medication when your 45+.  You need to think about what your getting into....no target, no resistance...nothing.  Air.  I bet nobody ever told you that "air" can be your hardest opponent when training.  There's nothing there to stop you.  You have no idea of what the recoil effect will be, and you will never develop explosive speed or striking power when you're tearing cartilage.  Be smart, be methodical...be a real martial artist.  Think before every move when training...because then you won't have to when really applying your technique within a self defense situation. 

Face the flame...stare at it for 10 seconds...IN A NATURAL POSITION!  Please don't get into a traditional front stance or anything such.  Face it as you would your opponent.  Then, drop back...hand positioned within a fraction of a second and strike.  Don't try this if you are not a blue belt or higher in your rankings (or equivalent if self trained).  This looks simple and can be done quite easily when playing around.  That won't help you.  You need to pay attention to what happens within that second.  Were you focused?  Did you move fast?  Did the light go out?

Learn control prior to doing this technique.  Practice light punching at other targets (hint, your shower curtain) without impact.  Come within 1/4 inch of your destination.  Not 1/2, not an inch...1/4-1/8 is what's acceptable here.  Instructors do this easily because they are trained to show students techniques without striking them.  We do this all day when teaching.  Class after class...we throw kicks and punches to amaze and motivate.  If you can control your distance...all comes together and it's lights out when candle training.  Remember not to hyperextend your elbow.  You can prevent that by training prior on the shower curtain or similar targets.  You'll concentrate more on such a basic target.  There's less to lose...you won't feel de-motivated if you hit the curtain a couple of times....yet, you'll feel awful when the candle is still lit and you have to spend $50 on Icy Hot.

I had always told my students that the key to training is seeing a result...no matter how small. 
That takes you to the next result...and so on, and so on. 

Hand Speed Tip #2
Breaking the Roll
Items Needed - 1 empty paper towel roll,
thin string or thread, tape...and a thumb tack.

If you're looking to increase your hand speed, try this.

Take an empty paper towel roll and attach a string to the end of it with a piece of tape. Hang it at face level somewhere in your training area with a thumb tack above.

Now, you've got this thing hanging...and you're goal is to punch it. Sounds easy...but wait...you have to unravel the cardboard with ONE hit eventually, so this is also going to develop your patience as well. Below are the points you'll need to be aware of in order to successfully complete this initial step of hand-speed training:

1. Do not hyper-extend your elbow. Leave 1/8" in the snap. That simply means stop before full extension. You'll be throwing a lot of punches, so this is key to avoiding injury.

2. Only strike with your first 2 knuckles. They need to cause the object to unravel as opposed to your full hand. This is also develop your focus. The first 2 knuckles should only be used with striking any object, protecting the other knuckles from the initial strike. Once these two do the job in that fraction of a second, the others act as clean-up and finish through. You never want to hit with your smallest knuckle of the hand first.

3. Learn to be methodical and do not punch like a madman! You are looking for the one hit, not multiple at this stage. This has to be done slowly and will take time. It will happen when you least expect it. Even if it takes 500 tries your first time...the rest become easy until you end up with that one hit that does it all.

Give it a try....let us know if it worked!

TWO BASIC DYEX KICKS
Heel Strike to Knee  - This kick uses the side of the heel to strike the opponents front knee. 
Use when other person is standing forward with both knees facing you.  Opens you up for a flashing hand strike as a follow-up.

How to Practice:  Work on extending your font foot out (about 2' below your waist level) and pulling back quickly.  Think of these as NEGATIVE KICKS. 

Your slowly doing the strike, and quickly pulling it back into position.  Perform this 10X - for speed.

Now, after that's comfortable...change your practice back to normal...but only after doing this so much that you can't stand it.  That's the key, repetition.  Conditioning the muscle for speed the other way will loosen
up muscles that normally never were so worked.  Logically, you'll have a better leg to work with when kicking for results.  Practice the normal front kick to the knee and perform it as a normal "front or snap kick with the ball of the foot.

Changing your strike area. This kick requires that you take your foot, lift it up and lay back a bit while throwing your heel forward.  Here's the tricky part, if it's your right foot kicking, the left side of the heel
hits the target (photos coming soon).

TRY A KICK:
Side Kick Slash to Shin - This powerful slashing kick will cause a high level of discomfort to your opponent.  The burn it causes on the opponents shin will allow for another follow up strike unless your weight is
thrusted a bit forward.  That will lead to a break of the shin.  Be careful with this kick.

Practice gliding against the target until you are brushing approx. 1/4" of the side of your foot (along the heels edge) against the target.  You should feel it push with a demanding "brush" effect.

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