I would agree that strength training is for sure one of the best external ways to build striking power. I think conditioning plays a large part in the striking power as well. Iron palm training is definitely a good way. You can have large muscles or good external and internal strength, but if you wince every time you hit something hard you can not be powerful. You will pull most of your power out of your strikes to keep from hurting yourself. You may not have to do a traditional IP class, but you have to hit something so that your hands are conditioned or used to feeling the sensation. I think the angles are good for opening up your opponent and providing a better path to certain targets, but I think the power must be developed prior to getting there. Now when we start talking linking and connecting, here come the real striking power. All the push ups, stance training, crunches, or weights in the world would not help you if you don’t link or connect them together. Some times I can throw a strike and would put money on it being correct, but my alignment is adjusted a little to link my arm and leg and presto.

So back to your first statement about “stance (leg training for kicks and punches because Hung Ga strikes with the whole body)”, I think this is where 70 percent of your striking power is going to come from (prior to linking). We like to talk about a tree that’s very green with branches strong and vibrant, but the trunk begins to thin at the bottom and the roots are shallow. Any wind of significance will blow the top heavy tree over with ease. Some trees have what is called a tap root (pine) and others have a heart root system (oak). I think with our method of stance training we are developing both type of rooting systems. The tap root goes down ward and provides for ultimate stability at the base of the tree, and the heart root has strong roots that branch down and out. Strong winds may break the top of a tree with a tap root, but would very rarely up root one. The oak trees branches may sway in the wind, but you will not see it bend when the wind blows. We definitely do not want to be so anchored to the floor we could not adjust, but we do want to be anchored enough (upper body to lower body) to produce the striking power without falling over. Strictly my interpretation of the situation, but hey my journey has a new beginning with everyday. This is todays perception.

Rob W.
www.myspace.com/hunggarrob