Have you trained in Bruce Lee-style mixed martial arts?

In all martial arts, including mixed martial arts, Bruce Lee identified two of the most important components: speed and power.

Of course, skill is critical, but after skill and mastery of that skill, speed and power are the top two dictators of success in any fight.

What is speed and power?

Speed ​​in mixed martial arts

Is speed just how fast you can move your body, hands and feet? Or there is another definition.

In my opinion, the fastest martial artist was Bruce Lee. Bruce Lee was a pioneer in MMA. Having trained in Gracie jujitsu, I saw many similarities to Bruce Lee’s thinking and of course to today’s MMA training.

In mixed martial arts, Bruce Lee defined speed as someone who is a good fighter. For him, a good fighter is a person who can hit his competitor without much effort and at the same time avoid being hit.

He felt speed was more of a component of not telegraphing his movements, superior conditioning, excellent coordination, awareness of his surroundings, and of course, good balance.

Lee felt that some people were born with these traits or qualities. Others have to develop them through constant and strenuous training. Bruce Lee also felt that all the strength and power he developed from his training was useless if he was too slow and his punches and kicks couldn’t connect with his opponent.

He believed that speed and power were essentially partners in a good fighter. A great mixed martial artist needs both to be successful.

In mixed martial arts, Bruce Lee felt that one technique to use to increase his speed was to break his foot or fist just before connecting with his opponent. This is a similar principle used in baseball.

For example, when throwing a baseball, you will get more speed from the ball if in the last moment of the throw, you break your wrist.

The same example can be used when using a whip. A longer whip thrown in exactly the same way as a 2-foot whip will generate more sting, with just a snap of the wrist.

Power in mixed martial arts

Power is not a function of force. Many times you have seen, like me, a less muscular boxer punch a more muscular boxer with more power.

The bottom line is that power is not generated solely by muscle contraction. But about your momentum and the speed you generate when launching the kick or punch.

Once again we turned to Bruce Lee, who weighed between 130 and 135 pounds, but could hit harder than a man twice his size.

Why?

Due to Lee’s speed, the power of the blow was much stronger. (Impetus)

On mixed martial arts Bruce Lee It indicated that you throw your whole body to the punch or kick. Just like in good boxing, you use your whole body. Your punch does not come from your shoulder but from your body and waist. A typical karate straight punch will never be as effective as a western-style forehand crusader.

This is why a jab never has that much power. Except, of course, the way Mohammed Ali used it. Look back at his old movies and you’ll see him leaning toward the hit. This creates more momentum and, as a result, more power.