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Express the maximum performance of the body

That of the metal sphere is a very important concept in 6 Dragons Kung Fu: it allows even a total beginner to easily release a lot more power than the one he / she could normally gain access to.

Note – This article has been asked by one of our Core Course practitioners on Patreon (see how to attend our home study classes here Learn Kung Fu online: a beginner-to-expert course).

The theory behind the concept:

The first thing to understand is that in a human body, when we talk about speed and power, stiffness is the enemy
If a body element is rigid, each time we have to start (or continue) a movement we have to wait for it to relax
To add each time this useless step is an incredibly big waste of energies, time, speed and power
The more relaxed we are, the faster we can start a movement and the faster we can concatenate our joints in sequence (through the muscle chain, read The Muscle Chain (for martial arts) [mini-guide])

A note by Master Kongling – Is rigidity always wrong? No, in 6 Dragons Kung Fu we do not use only liquid relaxation (read 6DKF’s interactions: from the strong blow to the light touch); a good practitioner must be instinctively able to choose what level of tension is ideal for each single body element. Without entering in too complex details, the solid state is ideal, for example, a few instants before hitting a target or to impose a muscular resistance to a force (but only if we have no other choice, stiffness consumes much more resources).

The metal sphere concept

Let’s see how it works.

Phase 1:

Let’s imagine that our arm or our leg is a flexible plastic tube
Let’s imagine that in this tube is enclosed a metal ball (the force)
Let’s imagine that the outer end of the tube (our hand for example) is open but locked enough to prevent the ball from easily exit
Well, the best way to release our power is to force the ball to run all over the tube length (for example, even only from the elbow to the palm of the hand)
The idea is to strike letting the ball slide at high speed in the tube toward the exit direction
We have to give the ball enough inertia to allow it to force the exit of the tube
The more the curvilinear path given by our movement will not encounter obstacles (vibrations, etc.), the more the thrown force will be great
In this case it is not a question of adding energy but rather of not taking it away

Phase 2:

To fully release the power that we have so diligently preserved and transfered through our body we have to do one last thing, that at a level of imagination could be seen as “cutting” the connection with its flow
At the last moment we have to make a move somehow between a “whiplash”, a rotation and a “vibration” to free the force and return in position
This way, what we really do is to impress an additional inertia that also help us to return, for example, to recover a guard stance

Final notes

A few conclusive thoughts:

While training this skill, especially in absence of physical targets, we have to take care to do not extend our joints up to their limits or we will start to hurt us (it is always better to stop at 120°)
The benefits of the application of this method are immediately visible but to reach the maximum expression of the muscle chain is a matter of years and years of training; it is not a secret that, with the same muscle strength, once our muscle memory is correctly conditioned (read The muscle memory), the level of power we can express becomes absolutely devastating
The metal sphere concept works for free body, weapons, darts and so on; it is at the base of some of the more effective, fast, powerful, safe and unpredictable techniques of 6 Dragons of Kung Fu
To make this skill ours, we have only to train imagining to truly have a metal ball that passes thgough the body parts we use to strike (arms, legs, etc.)
This way of seeing the power, also help to understand the Chinese vision of internal energy (Qi is nothing supernatural, read The use of Qi in the 6DKF’s meaning)
In conclusion it must be stressed that, in this case, we have not invented anything, the principles that are involved in these mechanics are present in many combat systems and Kung Fu styles (Bruce Lee’s Jeet Kune Do, Systema, etc.)
…

In-depth video courses

Muscle chain for martial arts: how to – An in-depth step by step path toward the development of the highest level of the muscle chains (for combat purpose)
Advanced speed and reflexes training – A advanced level video course about one of the most fundamental combat skills
Fa Jing: how to develop explosive power – A guided explanation to the exercises and principles related to the last combat capability to develop

In-depth articles

Physical conditioning: how it works – What does it mean to truly prepare our body for the fight
The most important skill in combat – The capability that, in any scenario, makes the difference

Questions

Reply in the comments and share your experience:

Can you feel the energy flow through your body?

Author: Master Kongling

Founder of 6 Dragons Kung Fu.

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