martial arts

Relationship between Strength and Body Weight in Martial Arts

Article by: Savino Sarcina

A parenthesis must be made on the relationship between strength and body weight. The reduction in body weight is linked to the concept of absolute and relative strength.

Taking as an example an athlete of Olympic lifting, or of the jet of the weight, as already mentioned the importance of the component maximum strength increases with the increase of the overload that must be moved. It is easy to see that athletes who impose themselves on these categories in terms of performance are heavier athletes, mostly due to muscle mass, compared to light athletes, this is generally true in all those specialties in which athletes have to deal with high additional resistances. In these cases, regardless of body weight, it involves developing the highest amount of strength that each individual athlete will be able to generate; a concept that was introduced in the Soviet sports method to describe all this was "concept of absolute strength". But if it's your body that needs to be moved, as in artistic gymnastics, jumps and sprints, and as in the case of our interest in martial arts, especially in the practice of forms, the concept to which we will refer will be that of "relative strength ", that is of the strength that a pupil develops in relation to his own body weight.

Absolute force means the maximum force that an athlete can perform in a certain movement, regardless of his body weight. The relative strength value is obtained simply by dividing the absolute force by the body mass and corresponds to the force for each kg of body mass (relative strength = absolute strength / body weight).

"According to Saziorski, " a gymnast can cross the rings if his relative strength is approximately 1 kg or more per kg of body weight.

tab 1. and in table 2 pag. 2, the relationships between relative strength and detachment capacity are indicated " 1

Table 1 - the strength of the adductors of the Asarjan and Schachli arm (sec Sarioski)

First name Maximum static force of the arm adductors in Kg Gymnast body weight Strength beyond its own weight in Kg Relative strength
Asarjan

Schachlin

89

69.2

74

70

15

-0.8

1.22

0.98

Observation: Asarjan (several times world champion in the rings) performed in a progression from 5 to 6 crosses in suspension. Schachlin was able to execute this element in a progression only 1-2 times

Table 2 - The strength of the legs in relation to the high jump starting on the spot (sec Saziorski)

First name Relative strength of the extensors of the legs (strength of both legs) in Kg Knee bends with rocker Height of the jump starting on the spot in cm.
Absolute result in Kg Relative force in Kg
Brumel

Bolschow

Rulin

Dyk

Schawlakadse

Glaskow

18, 84

16, 79

14, 66

14, 46

13, 29

12, 30

175

175

150

135

140

130

2.21

2.21

1.98

1.73

1.70

1.83

104

96

86

81

81

78

Table 3 - the variation of the relative strength comparing it with the body weight taking as an example the world record of the weight lifting (Stand 1968)

Categ. of weight First name Height in cm. Weight in Kg Performance in 3 lifts in Kg Relative strength
Cock

Feather

light

Medi

Middle-highs

Massimi

supermassimi

Chelin (USSR)

Miyaka (Japan)

Baszanowski (Pol.)

Kurenzov (USSR)

Veres (Hungary)

Kangasniemi (Finl.)

Shabotinski (USSR)

152

154

165

166

168

174

190

56

60

67.5

75

82.5

90

160

365

397.5

440

482.5

485

522.5

590

6.51

6.62

6.56

6.43

5.91

5.80

3.68

Relative strength decreases as the weight of the body increases excessively, both due to hypertrophic factors and to factors linked to inadequate nutrition. In weightlifting, for example, the relationship between body weight and performance is more favorable in the lower categories than in the higher categories.

Strength training for the development of fast strength, for those disciplines in which the relative strength is mainly called into question, such as martial arts, should be constructed in such a way as to elevate strength even without excessive muscular hypertrophy. This occurs when small or medium strengths are preferred, which can be overcome with high speed. The high muscular tension necessary for the increase in strength is produced by the "explosively" rapid muscle contraction. In fact, if we take gymnasts as an example, they prefer the weight of their bodies (dumbbells, heavy jackets) from 3 to 5% of their body weight due to the development of their relative strength.

The main means to train relative strength is appropriate strength training.

From left to top, overload using 250g rings each for arm and trunk training; already used in the past, down a weighted jacket. To the right, above, we find the image of an ancient Ghira made in stone in ancient China, below an image of the weapons called melon maces, still used today in training in the disciplines that provide it; obviously the concept of use of weapons has changed, we no longer study for war purposes, but they are valid tools for exercising torso and arms.

An excessive weight gain of the mass is extremely inconvenient, due to internal viscosity factors of the muscle and to factors linked to muscular mechanics, as shown in the following diagram below.

A hypertrophic muscle expresses more strength in the initial phase of the movement since the lever arm (d) of the peripheral fibers is more favorable (Fig. 2a).

In the phase of maximum flexion, the opposite occurs due to the spherical shape of the muscle which disperses the forces towards the outside. Furthermore, the considerable muscle mass prevents complete movement (Fig. 2b).

If we add to this a type of muscular work that over time has retracted the muscles, the ability to hike is further reduced both in extension (Fig. 2a, shortening of the biceps brachialis and of the other flexors of the forearm) and in flexion (Fig. 2b, shortening of the Triceps, extender of the forearm).

The lower muscular extensibility also negatively affects the possibility of expressing wider and faster movements, a totally negative factor in all martial disciplines.

From the diagram (modified page 51) shown at the beginning of the chapter where the conditional physical abilities are highlighted, descending below under "the relevant expressions for martial arts" we see that the sub-maximal isometric force is also considered, as in training the overload refers to body weight, or small weights. In all martial styles, in Tai chi, Karate, Hung gar, tang lang and Choy li fut, etc. Some basic positions to be learned and improved both in a static and dynamic manner are of fundamental importance, these positions are more correctly called martial postures. In the following images it is possible to see the basic posture called of the rider, ma-bo or six ping but, each style has its own different denomination, what unites them is precisely the exercise posture.

In most Chinese styles, some postures are found identically with certain variants; although many concepts and many techniques will be destined to vary, each style has basic principles that regulate it and make it effective within these principles; therefore I cannot apply postural and technical principles from one style to another without generating confusion and making it technically ineffective under the martial aspect: for this reason it is used to say "different styles, different ways of moving and different concepts". However, in a limited area of ​​martial arts it is possible to notice similarities. Above, it is possible to see a posture called sei-ping-ma in the choy li fut, also known as the "position of the knight"; its execution foresees to bring the feet to the double width in comparison to that of the shoulders, the feet will have to be parallel between them and the knees will be brought over the heels, to help in this will be the retroversione of the pelvis to annul the lumbar lordosis. By favoring the relaxation of the ileo-psoas muscle (strong lumbar tensor) and greater thoracic expansion as the viscera can be pushed downwards by the lungs, the retroversion will allow a deeper breath. Obviously, targeted training on postural muscles is required and work must be done to bring the thigh parallel to the ground over time. This posture that is frequently found in technical applications, in combat and in the practice of forms, must be very strong, to the point of being able to keep it as much as possible, normally three or more minutes, a real isometric sub-maximal training. In the preparation of the training proposals it will be seen that one part will always be dedicated to this isometric exercise and to the stretching of the adductor muscles of the legs, moreover strong positions, make the student stable and if properly performed preserve joints and ligaments (knees, ankle).

  1. Harre training theory 2008 151
  2. Ghira, nowadays known as ketlebell, was used in ancient times on scales to measure weight.
  3. //www.sportivamurcarolo.org