GrahamB wrote:Sadly I don't speak Russian or Greek, so can't tell exactly what point he's making here. But M is using a swing (vertical circle) in a natural plane of movement for his arm pivoting on the elbow in this clip, rather nicely too.
Punching like swinging a hammer - nice.In the vertical circle you can let the weight of the body 'fall' into the punch nicely too, even if it appears to be only the arm doing the work. (The more mass you have the better, for that - Thought: Add the XY stepping and you're getting close to a Pi Chuan...). Do we have any cunning linguists who can translate his key points?
Military Russian Linguist and IMA here. Let me give this a go. First off he is not clearly intellectuallizing what he is doing so the direct translation is not very helpful. Your eyes pretty much capture what is going on.
The point he is making is:
Like the hammer hit down into your opponents root. You let the hammer do the work and are relaxed transferring energy through the tool into the spike (or fist into body).
I think you guys got the how of it nicely enough (realxing vertical circles etc) I think the only clarity I can add is that the hit is into the root of the opponent capturing the body beween the ground and the hammer(fist). When he has the spike off the ground and hits it, the spikes is moved as a whole (ie pushing someone). When it is on the ground energy goes into it (ie punching into someones root.)
This concept is one of the many reasons I study push hands. If I can push you by capturing your center, I do so not to hurt you. In a real fight the push becomes a strike into your core. If I miss your center a litle your body will turn or you will step back (if the vertical aspect is missing) and then some of the energy is dissipated that could have been used to hurt you more internally.
Anyway feel free to ask me to translate Russian anytime.
BTW The very last bit he is talking about just how the punch sounds as he hits the last guy. It sounds just like the hammer. Replay the vid and listen and it sure does!
