When you rotate you body to strike which part do you rotate first?

Question

Depending on the school/style, I heard different things. Do you focus on rotating your hips first ? or waist, torso, shoulders? I know they are all connected but which one do you focus on. Do they all rotate simutanously?

Answer 1

i would say the hips cause thats where you draw up all the power from.

Answer 2

I note that you are asking about body rotation and not about other types such as fist rotation.  My opinion on this is as follows:

Basically, you strike with a limb or extremity (e.g. head, fist, forearm, elbow, foot, shin, knee).  Limbs only have so much mass, and that is a limitation on the force that they can deliver.

Rotation of the body is used to add the energy of the body's larger mass to that of the limb and by so doing to vastly increase the force that is delivered into the target.

The energy of body's mass is delivered through its mass centre, that is, through a movement or rotation of the hips (or pelvis).

To add on the body's mass when stepping forward, and striking with a 'limb' on that forward side (e.g. as in Oi tsuki); that limb (not the hip and shoulder) must be propelled forward FIRST and the hip on that side follow it.  This PUSHES the body's weight into the blow on impact.  In this case of striking, if the hip proceeds the limb there will be less distance of body movement and so a loss of momentum.  Here, it is due to the leg base, that the hip already starts from a slightly FORWARD position.

To add on the body's mass when one leg is forward and when striking with a 'limb' that is linked to the REAR leg side (e.g. as in Gyaku tsuki), the hip and shoulder on that side (not the limb), must be propelled forward FIRST.  This PULLS the limb on that side, to whip the limb and so add force of the energy of the body's mass into the blow on impact.  In this case of striking, if the hip follows the limb it will tend to be detached from the limb and not catch up by the time of impact. Here, it is due to the leg base, that the hip already starts from a slightly REAR position.

The horizontally turning 'gear' of the hips needs to deliver force through the spine, torso and shoulders into the striking limb.  In this case the shoulders are also a mostly horizontal turning 'gear'.  If the shoulders are pressed downwards onto the torso they receive maximum force from the lower gear of the hips:  In this way, the shoulders that carry the limbs, by a firm interlinking of their 'gears' or structure into the 'gears' or structure of the hips, can instantly transmit force from below, upward and outward.    The shoulders should sit on, ride on the hips, rotating simultaneously.  The body moves as one, shoulders (and torso and waist) always aligned with the hips.  Whenever the shoulders are raised they are detached from the hip 'gears' below.  Fists may actually impact, but you strike with your hips, your hips carrying your body.

Skytale

Answer 3

i like to turn my hips and torso, but its not like I leave my legs planted on the ground, the legs do move just not as much as the upper half of the body.

Answer 4

it is said that a master gets his power from the ground, its rooted in the feet, issued by the legs, governed by the waist, and expressed by the fingers.

if you break the link between them and are not moving the body as one unit, your power will greatly be diminished.

Answer 5

Old boxing saying"shoot from the hips not from the lips."

1st and 2nd answer is correct.And I wish grand master what ever would go some where else to flog his wares.

Answer 6

from the ground through my back foot into my hips, rotating simultaneously. as it should be.

Answer 7

In my books on the Chinese Iron Palm, for details you can go to www.ultimateironpalm.com, the best method for enhancing your strikes, regardless of martial art or style, is to study the Whip and Wave Theory.  Basically, this theory teaches that the energy should begin in the foot and, like a whip, travel up your leg, through your hips, up the back and out the shoulders, down the arm and end in the fist.  When you crack a whip, the sound you hear is the tip of the whip exceeding the speed of sound; thus, a small sonic boom.  Your hand is not going faster than the speed of sound when you crack the whip, so how is the tip going that fast?  I detail the physics equation for this in my new books on the Chinese Iron Palm, and I include lots of photos to make it very clear, which I can't do here, but simply put, if you treat your body like that whip, you can do some amazing things with your potentials.  Hope this has been of some help to you.  Grandmaster Brian Gray

Answer 8

Depends on the style.

Isshinryu does not rotate the fist at all when punching.  It believes you save more time if you don't rotate.

I was taught in my TKD class to rotate your fist at the very last second and put your hips into it just at the contact moment.

Shotokan taught me to rotate my fist through the entire length of the punch and also put your hips into it just before contact.

Goju Ryu taught me to also rotate the fist through the length of the strike but there is no hip action.

And pro boxers taught me to alternate between rotating the fist and not rotating the fist on a hook or upper cut or body blow.

Answer 9

The entire body rotates simultaneously from the hips up.