The Spectrum

Think of your performance like a mountain. Your highest moment is a peak in the middle.

If you are on one end of the spectrum, your instructor will probably tell you to shift to the other side as much as possible in order to get you to the middle.

This is why one student who has a lot of muscle and energy will be told to relax and be smoother, and another student with great fluidity will be told to hit harder and with more intent.

This is also true for the fighter who becomes too hyped up for a fight so that they freeze or tire out, and the fighter who lacks the adrenaline and intensity to perform well.



One way to keep yourself in the middle of the spectrum, or "stay centered", is to breathe. It seems obvious, but it isn't. Listen to Thai fighters hit pads on youtube; listen to your senior fighters and instructors.

They ALWAYS exhale deeply during exercise or striking. They have their own personal noise. That "ISHH", or growl, or yelp isn't necessarily one of anger or pain. It's a release of energy and effort. It keeps your brain alive, but also ensures that at the very least, your body and mind are in sync. This balances intensity with fluidity. If you aren't making noise, chances are you aren't breathing [enough], or you're breathing too late. Your body and mind are therefore not synced, and so your technique will be lacking.

If your body and mind aren't synced, how can your technique keep from being disjointed?

Everything else follows.

The challenge then, is to continually search for that balance, and trust that your instructors have the knowledge to help you find it.

Technique. Power. Speed.

Work all three... but prioritize the first before the second, and the second before the third.

....and breathe.