This is a reflection on a major issue that became apparent during our recent training session—an issue that significantly hinders progress in martial arts.
If we set aside the psychological exchanges involved in martial arts, it can fundamentally be explained by simple laws of mechanics.
However, when we attempt to explain it using existing laws, the discussion becomes incredibly complex.
According to Newtonian mechanics, the kinetic energy of an object is proportional to its mass and the square of its velocity.
Heavier objects moving at higher speeds generate immense kinetic energy.
In practice, however, the outcome involves countless variables: angles, pressure, transmission of force, and the ever-changing physical condition of both oneself and the opponent. These variables interact so intricately that, despite appearances, it is nearly impossible to fully analyze the interplay of energies involved.
That said, put simply, powerful or fast movements require a large amount of energy—and there is a common perception that a certain amount of distance is necessary to generate that energy.
To put it more plainly: “The more one pulls back and swings a sword over a long distance, the stronger the cut becomes and the more striking power it gains.” This is a straightforward truth.
To achieve this, overall muscular strength (used in form), total body weight, the mass of the sword, and a solid base to transmit that force—namely leg strength, the soles of the feet, and the frictional support from the ground—are all important.
In other words, a larger and more muscular person, using proper form, wielding a heavier sword, on a stable surface with sufficient grip, and driving their stance downward as they swing with full force, can generate tremendous power.
Such overwhelming strikes are important in training as well.
However, why is it that across martial arts systems worldwide, this kind of strike is not the primary method?
The answer is that it leaves too many openings.
It’s easy for the opponent to evade or counterattack during the windup.
It also consumes a great deal of energy and is not very practical in real combat.
While it is used in test cutting and as part of certain training methods, it is not considered the core technique for these reasons.
Thus, the very act of seeking a balance between “zero preparatory movement, zero power/speed” and “maximum preparatory movement, maximum power/speed” is the essence of what every martial tradition has strived to refine over centuries. It is also what gives each tradition its unique character.
Still, the question of how to generate the greatest power and speed with no preparatory motion remains a critical theme.
In Chinese martial arts, there is a famous concept known as fa jin or inch power (sunkei in Japanese).
Though the specific idea differs among schools, it is widely recognized through Bruce Lee’s “one-inch punch,” in which a powerful strike is delivered from an extremely short distance.
In Japan, the term sunkei has become known as a method of delivering explosive force from minimal range.
Traditionally, in Japanese koryu (classical martial arts), edged weapons are the norm, and techniques that emphasize blunt force impact were not pursued as extensively.
However, in reality, situations like Kannadachi, where one must cut an opponent from very close range, do require a kind of explosive output akin to sunkei.
It is indeed true that smaller movements result in reduced speed and power.
But in martial arts, the idea of achieving as much speed and power as possible even from small motions is of great importance.
That said, from the perspective of conventional physics, it remains true that “smaller movements yield less speed and power.”
And it is precisely this kind of common-sense thinking that makes the possible seem impossible.
This brings to mind a famous parable about fleas.
Fleas are said to be able to jump 200 times their own body length.
If you place them in a container and cover it with a lid, they eventually learn to jump only as high as the lid.
Even after the lid is removed, they will continue to jump only up to that height, having internalized the limit.
There is a similar story involving barracudas and small fish.
If a transparent divider is placed between them in an aquarium, the barracuda will fail to catch the fish.
Even after the divider is removed, the barracuda will no longer attempt to eat them.
This is known as the “barracuda effect.”
There’s also a parable about young elephants tied with a light chain to a stake.
Even when they grow large enough to break free, they remain docile, believing the chain cannot be broken.
These are, of course, allegories, but they illustrate the concept of learned helplessness.
If one has not learned correct movement, then no matter how hard they try, conventional physics tells us that small movements yield less speed and power.
As a result, they fall into a state where they cannot even make the proper kind of effort.
This tendency is especially pronounced among women.
Men often believe that strength can make up for technique, so the psychological barrier may not be as strong—though relying purely on brute strength is also a serious issue.
In movement, it is the integrated action of the body’s musculature that produces energy.
By recruiting all the appropriate muscle groups optimally, the amount of energy generated can be greatly increased.
The key lies in using the entire body—muscles and skeletal structure—to their fullest to increase momentum.
This is not limited to the large surface muscles relied on in conventional exercise.
It must also involve deep muscles (the so-called “inner muscles”) and subtle, often-neglected stabilizing muscles not normally used in everyday activity.
The top ten largest muscle groups in the body only account for about 22% of total muscular mass.
Even generously estimating, the muscles typically engaged during exercise still amount to less than one-third of our full muscular capacity.
While certain muscles, such as the heart, may not directly contribute to physical motion, when one considers the coordination of all muscle groups, the human body contains tremendous potential.
People often refer to “animalistic athleticism,” but the truth is that through intelligence, ingenuity, and training, humans can achieve feats that are impossible in the wild.
This level of control and development is beyond the reach of most other animals.
【Japan’s Olympic Debut】100 Years Ago
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/WRkJ6IYRUVo
Then and Now – From Paris 1924 to Tokyo 2020
Watch today’s world-class gymnasts perform on the same equipment used 100 years ago.
https://www.olympics.com/ja/video/now-and-then-paris-1924-to-tokyo-2020
The contrast with gymnastics from a century ago is well known.
Even in my own lifetime, when I was a child, a technique ranked “Ultra-C” (a high-difficulty skill) was considered extraordinary.
Today, such techniques are commonplace.
This is how far we’ve evolved.
While the human body’s potential may not be infinite, it is so vast that most people will never fully realize it within a lifetime.
Even in movements involving only a slight distance, if one mobilizes all necessary and useful physical functions, it is possible to generate considerable energy.
For instance, after drawing a sword, when the sword and fist move only slightly, it is incorrect to assume that the short distance means minimal speed or power.
Of course, we cannot defy the laws of physics—compared to a fully loaded motion with a long windup, speed and force will be lower.
However, it is still possible to generate enough speed and energy to meet the needs of the moment.
The reason this is not achieved is not because of a lack of talent, or because of physical disadvantage, or poor coordination.
It is because of incorrect movement, misapprehension of the principles of motion, and the mistaken belief that it is impossible—leading to a lack of proper effort.
No matter how clearly an instructor demonstrates and explains it in front of them, as long as the student believes, “I’m not gifted, I can’t do it,” then of course, they never will.
They won’t even observe the demonstration properly or absorb the information being given.
“If the heart is not present, even though one looks, one does not see; even though one listens, one does not hear; even though one eats, one does not taste.”
(from the Liji – Great Learning)
“If the heart is not present” means lacking focus, harboring doubt and disbelief, or having already given up from the start.
Training begins by correcting one’s mistaken beliefs.
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