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

by STARR, PHILLIP

• ISBN13: 9781583942116
• ISBN10: 1583942114
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2008-03-25
• Publisher: Blue Snake Books

Summary

Martial Mechanics is a comprehensive, easy-to-read guide that explains the science behind essential martial arts techniques. Drawing on his decades of experience as a martial arts student and teacher, Phillip Starr describes how martial artists of all systems can tap into the laws of physics and kinesiology to become faster, more powerful, and hence more effective in actual combat. The book features instructive photographs that demonstrate the correct positioning for practices including stances, footwork, body actions, breathing, alignment, combinations, blocking, and striking techniques. Book jacket.

Author Biography

A martial arts practitioner for nearly 50 years, Phillip Starr is the founder of Yilichuan kung fu, a style that merges China’s internal systems. A third-grade black belt in Kyokushin karate and the author of The Making of a Butterfly, he lives and teaches in Council Bluffs, IA.

Table of Contents

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