Excerpted from Martial Arts After 40 by Sang H. Kim
Here are some training tips to keep in mind when developing speed in your skills:
1. The skill must be conducive to speed training.
Most martial arts skills can be done at full speed, either in the air, with a partner or against a target. Gross motor skills are more easily adapted for speed training than precision skills.
2. The skill must be physically sound.
Do not try to build speed until you have mastered the basic physical model of a skill. If you have to think about the mechanics of performing a skill or you are performing it without the correct biomechanical form, your potential for speed development is limited.
3. Relax.
Speed training requires relaxation from the point of initiation up to the point of impact. At the point of impact, the muscles should briefly tense and then relax again to facilitate quick recovery.
