|
|
The Dangers of Snapping
I cringe when I see a martial arts student "snaps" one of his or her techniques. There are a number of martial art styles and instructors who teach a lot of "snapping" techniques. This includes the front snap kick, punches with a snapping motion or a backfist delivered with a quick snap to the opponent's head.
I had a student who initially trained in a martial art style that uses a lot of "snapping" kicks and punches. It was her first day of class at my school. As I watched her on the floor one day, my first reaction was "how long can she keep doing this before she really hurts herself?" I approached her with my concerns and she said "yeah, I have to stop this because I have a knee problem!" I told her that if she continued, she'd have to quit completely.
"Snapping" kicks and punches are delivered with a fast "snapping" motion and retracted just as quickly. The limb "shoots" out in a hinging motion. These techniques may be repeated numerous times in a martial arts class.
Snapping your kicks and punches is very impressive if you're competing in a tournament. They make your katas look flashy and are great for when you want to sneak in that quick backfist during your point fighting match. In reality, snapping techniques are ineffective and can lead to serious injuries.
Snapping can lead to hyperextension of the knee and elbow. A joint is hyperextended when it is bent in the wrong direction. The knee will only go so far when the leg is extended in a front snap kick, as will the elbow when the arm delivers a backfist. When these techniques are performed very quickly with a snapping motion, there is a danger that the limb has been forced to bend in the wrong direction, which can lead to damage of the tendons, cartilage and ligaments.
Careful instructors may still incorporate the snapping techniques for speed purposes, but will prepare you in order to minimize potential injuries. Preparation requires concentrating on exercises that develop the muscles that support the knee and elbow. It also involves teaching you control over your body. This is done by first performing the kicks or strikes in slow motion, so as to ensure that proper technique is being used. Speed and power can be added once you are in control of your movements.
So if your instructor continually reminds you not to "lock out," this means that you need to stop short of fully extending the knee or arm to avoid hyperextension. Listen to his or her advice. Snapping may look flashy, but leads to injuries that take a long time to heal and a very short career in the martial arts.
About the Author Calasanz has spent over 30 years training and teaching the martial arts. He has created a system of exercises to train and protect the joints, see these videos here: Joint Exercises
|
 |
Please Rate: |
|
Rating: |
 Processing ... |
(Average: Not rated) |
| Views: | 33 | |
|
| More Articles from Martial Arts | | |
| Top Articles in Martial Arts | | |
|
