explosive forward speed

[nicho]

does the explosive forward speed come more from the legs or the hips? Concentrating on correct hip movement seems to help much more than working out my legs (am i doing something wrong)?

[nodachi]

Explosive speed comes from your footwork, although when some people think about their feet then their upper body posture gets ugly and it messes with that explosive forward movement. When they think about their hips, stuff seems to fall in line and you get a nice result. I think it is easier to think about the hips because if you imagine someone pushing you from your hips, you get that nice forward movement.

So I think the speed comes from the feet, but to produce that correctly it is easier to think about your hips than your feet.

[Ignatz]

I think hips and here is why. I have had sensei drilling into me "body first then hands". As I practiced that I find that moving from the hips while moving the feet gives you momentum and when the hands come into play it is easier to push forward because the body mass (hips) is already in motion.
Does that make sense?

[ahmed61086]

Yes, it makes sense ignats, one of my sensie makes me do the same thing, and it works very nicely, a lot of power and speed. Squats are realy good, because they strenghten your hips, and if you have strong hips, you can become very fast with kendo.

[stuartwilson]

I heard "lead with your hips" forever, and I just couldn't make it work. Turns out the problem was a fundamental flaw in my posture. One day, a sensei motioned for me to stop in uchikomi-geiko, walked over and simultaneously pushed forward on the small of my back while holding one hand stationary at the top of my left leg, tilting my pelvis forward. It made a huge difference. I'm still trying for that explosive acceleration (among other things, like the explosive harai-waza) but attempts go faster no longer cause my form to fail miserably.

[tantadi]

For me it is a combination of legs and hips; you have to have the hip "with" you in the correct alignment with the body, but the ankles/calves have to help with the push and the inside of the legs have to pull the back leg up fast.

To add to that you also need a correct posture and muscle tension before you start the movement at all. If not you can use the hip all you want but still be slow.

[ratdeau]

a sensei motioned for me to stop in uchikomi-geiko, walked over and simultaneously pushed forward on the small of my back while holding one hand stationary at the top of my left leg, tilting my pelvis forward. It made a huge difference.

This tilting of pelvis is a really important thing, difficult to explain, but really usefull (especially for women). To do it you can contract your buttcock's and abdominal's muscles.

[Bear of Doom]

Just want to say reading this thread is really helping me guys! Thanks so much ^^ could use a lot of these tips to enhance it ... eager to try 'em out already

[LNGUYEN]

If you want to have explosive forward speed, there are only two ways:

1. Practice and practice hard and harder

2. Use a big bean burito rod for fuel. Bean burito rod must be insert no more than 1.5 hours before practice.

[Omnis]

If you want to have explosive forward speed, there are only two ways:

1. Practice and practice hard and harder

2. Use a big bean burito rod for fuel. Bean burito rod must be insert no more than 1.5 hours before practice.

Bean Burrito? Is the projectile diarreah supposed to rocket you forward?

[Neil Gendzwill]

You want the one on the right, and pretty much exactly as Krista is demonstrating.

[tantadi]

Thank you very much!