Black Belt Attributes – Speed
“Victory is all but assured for those who think and act with great speed.”
Speed is the sixth component in the ATA’s nine black belt attributes. Speed is important for performing Taekwondo competitively, for example at a tournament, and also for self-defense situations. Speed provides a significant source of power for many strikes and kicks, as momentum lends greater force to the technique. There are, however, a number of different ways to think about speed in relation to both competitive martial arts and self defense situations. Mr. Carter and Mr. Eckhart have ways of sneaking all of these aspects of speed training into our classes; we just may not always be aware of it. Speed is much more than just swiftness of movement.
Perceptual speed is your ability to recognize an attack before it lands or identify an opening in time to take advantage of it-whether you are sparring in the ring or in a self defense situation. Both seeing and hearing your attacker and being able to swiftly analyze the input of those senses increases your speed. This week, Mr. Carter used punching and blocking drills during our classes, and after one such drill, he asked us, “Where are you looking?” This helps us learn where to focus our senses so that we can see the attack or the opening. The next time we’re doing a drill, take note of those portions which could increase your perceptual speed. Having heightened perception can only positively impact our overall speed.
Reaction time is probably the next form of speed that most of us generally think about consciously. This is our ability to choose a course of action once we have either identified an opening or recognized an attack. During a class drill, we generally know exactly what to expect, and this helps us with our reaction time. We watch Mr. Carter or Mr. Eckhart perform the exercise; we start slow; we take turns with our partners; then we engage in the drill free style. These techniques – starting slow, using repetition, etc, – help us build our speed during the drill.
Sparring enables us to take these kinds of drills one step further. In sparring, we know what the rules are, and we know, generally, what our opponents will do. We can exercise our perception and reaction times in a safe environment. This affords us an opportunity to work on tactile reflexes also. After you block your opponent’s round kick, what’s coming next? We learn to feel what is coming by reading the force and direction of our opponent. This, in turn, enables us to practice our ability to adapt quickly when needed. If your opponent predicts your attack or finds an opening, you must choose another technique and keep going. This includes the ability to change directions in the middle of a technique, controlling your center of gravity and your inertia to stop instantly if you need to.
Execution time is probably the type of speed that most of us think about during our training. How fast do our kicks and punches fly? How many round kicks can we complete in 60 seconds? Executing kicks and punches with speed (and technique) takes practice, repetition, and attention to detail. Shifting our weight, maintaining posture and balance, positioning our shoulders, arms, hands, legs, feet, hips, etc. can take more time than the actual striking or kicking because we have to think so much about all of that. (How does that 9 block go again?) The speed of execution in an applied situation like sparring is very different from the speed of execution needed in a performance situation such as demonstrating a form. If we practice slowly with correct technique, we train our muscles in the correct execution of the movement, and speed will gradually come as we perform our forms, and as we exercise techniques against opponents.
Recovery time also contributes to overall speed in Taekwondo. How we recover at the end of technique is just as important as everything else. How often have we heard Mr. Carter and Mr. Eckhart chant the familiar, “Chamber, Execute, Rechamber, Set Down?” If we throw a side kick and do not rechamber and set down, we get off balance and find ourselves out of position. Then, even if we do see an opening, or see an attack coming, we may find ourselves out of position and unable to either take advantage or defend against what we were able to see. It’s also important to note that skipping the recovery portion of the technique increases the likelihood of injuries, due to hyperextended or locked joints. In order to have the best overall speed, it is just as important to rechamber the technique and return to the proper stance.
Perception, reaction, execution, and recovery are all components in the development of our overall speed. Next time we’re sparring, let’s focus on one of these elements to hone a facet of our speed. Let’s also think about how we might disrupt our opponent’s speed at any of these levels. How can we limit their perceptual speed? How can we disrupt their reaction time, or their execution and recovery? There are many techniques we use in sparring all the time which are designed precisely for this purpose. Til then, KIHAP!