Jeet Kune Do Training Tips, Part 1: Speed Training

There are many different drills that can be done to improve your speed. I am going to list a few that I have found to be extremely effective.

Striking Paper

Striking a piece of paper is an excellent way to improve your speed. Not to mention how cost effective it is. All of us should be able to afford a piece of paper! What makes paper such a great tool is the fact that you don’t have the tendency to tighten up as when facing a heavier target. It is only natural when squaring off with a larger target, such as a heavy bag, that the first instinct is to think about hitting as hard as possible. Usually, thinking about hitting hard makes the body tense. Tense, un-relaxed muscles slow you down. It’s like driving your car with the parking brake on. With paper as the target, you can relax and concentrate on speed and form. Power is not an issue.

Find a way to hang a short staff horizontally and secure a piece of paper to it so that it hangs in front of you. Several sheets of newspaper work well, or possibly, a plastic sheet protector. Stand in front of it and practice your hand strikes. You can use any hand technique that you wish to improve. The key to making this work is in the concentration. Concentrate on the form. Make sure your entire body is relaxed prior to initiation. Upon striking the paper, listen to the sound it makes. You should hear a quick snap. Pay attention to the way it feels when you hit the paper. It should feel like a whip cracking on the surface. Practice each punch a couple of hundred times three days a week for a month and I guarantee you will notice a difference.

Shadow Boxing

Shadow boxing is a great all around drill. Helping to increase your speed is just one of many benefits. It is a crucial tool to help put everything you have learned together. Getting started can take a little bit of practice. Many people have a difficult time in the beginning, not being able to move freely without preplanning. The trick to getting the most out of it is in the imagination. You have to visualize, as best as you can, a real opponent in front of you. I begin almost every workout with five to ten minutes of shadow boxing. It is a good way to get all your muscles loosened up. To increase your speed, remain relaxed and throw you attacks as quickly as you can. You can practice individual techniques one by one or you can build overall speed by throwing combinations of punches, kicks, and parries. Throw everything you’ve got. Try to keep your mind open, don’t get locked into doing the same movements over and over again. Feel the techniques flowing naturally, without any thought or pre-arrangement. As your imaginary adversary attacks, counter him. As he steps to the side intercept him. Use your imagination and concentrate on speed. To help build your speed even more, add hand weights to your routine. Using anything from one to five pounds, throw your punches until your shoulders burn. Not only will you develop hand speed, you will also greatly improve your muscle endurance.

Training with a Heavy Bag

Training with a Heavy Bag is usually used for developing power. It can also be used to help develop speed. Start off by hitting lightly. Just tap the bag, concentrate on speed, not punching through the bag as you would if you were working on power. Work either individual punches or in combination. A little trick to help focus at the same time is to cut a few small pieces of duct tape and place them on the bag in various places for target practice. With each strike listen to the sound it makes, try to “crack” the surface of the bag like a whip.

Training with a Partner

To increase your speed, there are many drills that can be done with a partner. One of the best pieces of equipment to use is a pair of focus mitts. Focus mitts offer a great deal of versatility in that they can give you a small moving target. One drill that is very useful is to have your partner hold one focus mitt up, as you try to hit it, he tries to pull it away. As you practice, you will notice that you will be able to barely tap the mitt. Don’t get frustrated if you are unable to hit it squarely. If you are able to tap it, you’re doing very well. Your partner may be able to move his hand out of the way but in a real situation, a persons head never moves that fast. If you find that either you cannot hit it at all or if you are hitting it every single time, you need to adjust your distance. Step further back if you hit it every time to create more of a challenge. Or, step closer if you cannot hit it at all. This drill can be used to increase the speed of any of your punches. One small warning: Do not attempt this with kicks! You are likely to do serious damage to your knees.

Tagged as: Drills