Martial Mechanics: Maximum Results with Minimum Effort in the Practice of the Martial Arts Book

Acknowledgments     xii
Foreword     xiii
Introduction     xv
The Way We Were     1
Differences     1
What's Real and What Isn't     4
Principles of Power     7
Basic Principles of Force     7
Physics and the Martial Arts     9
Measuring Force     9
Concentrated Striking Force     11
Is Bigger Better?     12
The Big Bang     15
Making an Impact     15
Target Surfaces     15
Types of Impact     16
The Need for Speed     23
The Secret of Kinetic Energy     23
Terminal Velocity     23
Longer Is Better     26
Coiling Power     28
Common Errors     29
That's Shocking!     31
Brute Force and Shock     31
Action and Reaction     32
Force, Reaction Force, and Shock     33
Common Errors     39
Striking Through the Target     41
Shorter Is Better     43
Parachutes and Punches     43
Impulse     43
The Foothold     47
TheImportance of the Foundation     47
What Is a Stance?     47
Inward Tension Stances     48
Outward Tension Stances     50
Sit Straight!     51
Overextension of Muscles and Joints     53
The Importance of Footwork     55
What Is Footwork?     55
What Is the Dantien?     56
How to Move from the Dantien     58
Common Errors     64
Moving from the Dantien in Everyday Life     64
Using the Body as a First     67
Lions and Tigers and Bears!     67
The Eight Body Actions     68
Body Rotation     69
Body Shift     72
Body Throw     74
Body Vibration     76
Body Up     78
Body Down     80
Body Circle     81
Body Whip     81
The Secrets of Breathing     83
Breathing and the Martial Arts     83
Basic Forms of Breathing     87
The Real Meaning of Balance     92
Training the Breath and Balance Together     94
The Importance of Spinal Alignment     97
Stand Up Straight!     97
Press the Head Upward     97
Tuck the Coccyx     99
Spinal Alignment and Kicking     99
Testing the Effectiveness of Spinal Alignment     100
Additional Benefits     103
Don't Isolate ... Consolidate!     107
All Persons Are Created Equal     107
Principles of Upper-Body Techniques     108
Principles of Lower-Body Techniques     116
The Fighting Stance     121
Overcoming Inertia     121
What Is a Fighting Stance?     122
Standing on a Hair Trigger     123
Moving in a Fighting Stance     124
Positioning the Upper Body     127
Fast versus Sudden     128
Fighting Stances in the Real World     128
The Mechanic's Shop     131
Putting It All Together     131
Starting from the Feet and Ankles     131
Up through the Legs     132
To the Hips and Waist     133
Up the Spine and Out through the Hands     135
Techniques in Combination     137
What Is a Combination?     137
Why a Combination?     137
Finding Combinations That Work     138
Combinations and Breathing      142
Comedy, Love, and Martial Arts     145
Borrowing the Opponent's Force     145
Using Timing to Your Advantage     145
The Advantages of Sharp Timing     147
What? Disadvantages?     148
Horizontal Strength     149
'Tis Better to Give...     149
The Third Foot     149
Displacing the Forward Stance     151
Displacing the In-Line Stance     154
Applying Horizontal Strength     155
Being Dense Is a Good Thing     157
The Importance of Density     15
What Is Density-And Why Does It Matter in Martial Arts?     157
The Psychological Effect     159
That Extra Something     161
Moving from the Inside     161
How It Works     161
Principles of Blocking     163
The Why of Blocking     163
The Key to Effective Blocking     164
Types of Blocking Techniques     167
Training Exercises and Equipment     173
Knowing Why and How     173
The Striking Post     173
The Candle     177
The Heavy Bag     180
The Balloon      181
Resistance Exercises     181
Questions and Answers     185
About the Author     191