This training tips video is about power in striking, and how to train it. It is vitally important that you train for power at the same exact time as training for movement, timing, distance, angulation and everything else.

It is for martial artists and self-defence students who train power on its own, then wonder why it disappears when they start moving.

The Problem With Training Things Separately

Many people train their skills in boxes. Power on the heavy bag, standing still. Footwork in a separate drill. Timing with a partner, but with light, flicking strikes. Each one improves on its own, but they never come together.

In a real fight you need them all at once. You have to move, find the right distance, pick the moment and hit hard, all in the same action. If you have never practised that, the power you built standing still often does not show up when you need it.

What Integrated Training Looks Like

The answer is to train power inside everything else:

  • Strike hard after moving, not only from a set stance
  • Hit with power as you change angle
  • Practise powerful strikes at your correct range, as your partner enters it
  • Keep balance and relaxation while striking at full intensity
  • Combine strikes so power carries through a sequence, not just the first shot

Common Mistakes

Stopping before hitting, so you lose the momentum you built moving in. Tensing up when trying to hit hard, which kills speed. Reaching for distance and losing power. Or training movement with no intention of ever hitting hard, so your body learns to tap.

How To Practise

Use pads with a partner who moves. Have them call or show targets as they change position, and hit with real power each time, staying balanced. Use a heavy bag but move around it, striking after each step or angle change. Start slowly and build speed as the power stays intact. Keep partner work on pads and under control.

Take It Further

Power Black goes deep into striking power and how to keep it under pressure. For movement, distance and timing in a boxing setting, see the Learn To Box Online Course.