DON'T PUSH IT!

 By Yang Xuangxing

How often have I observed numerous karate, taekwondo, and gong-fu stylist “oomph” their punches and kicks out there, all the while making a nasty grimace! They're “giving it all they've got”, or so they think. I used to do the same thing; my teacher would make a remark about weak punches, and off I went...gritting my teeth and trying HARDER and HARDER to get more “oomph!” And then my teacher would walk up, smile, and say, “That's not it. But you'll learn.” Needless to say, I was more than a little confused...

When I'd ask just what he meant, he'd tighten his fists and arms, tighten his jaw, and clench his teeth as he said, “Too much Unnhhh!” I thought he meant I was stiffening my muscles too much. I was wrong. It would actually be years before I finally “got it.”

I was simply trying too hard. Grimacing and trying to get “more hip” into my technique wasn't the answer at all. I remembered watching my teacher punch. It didn't matter if he struck one of my classmates (and he never did that very hard) or anything else, the amount of effort he put into it always seemed the same....which wasn't much.

What he was emphasizing was proper bodily structure more than anything else. If the structure was correct, very little extra effort was required. Power was generated naturally; I didn't have to try and “help” it at all. I came to understand the old saying, “Correct boxing (gong-fu) is like taking a walk; striking an enemy is like snapping your fingers.” And it led me to write my sixth book, MARTIAL STRUCTURE, to ensure that future generations might come to understand and apply these principles.