Bruce Lee – Bruce Lee’s Speed Training

Introduction by the Editors What exactly is fighting speed? Is it the speed with which your hands, feet, and body move? Or are there other, more universal requirements for a competent fighter? What makes someone a good fighter? A competent fighter is one who can attack his opponent faster, harder, and with less effort while avoiding being hit. He not only possesses quick hands and feet and swift body movement, but he also has nontelegraphic maneuvers, superb coordination, flawless balance, and sharp awareness. Although some people are born with some of these characteristics, the majority of these characteristics are learned via hard work. All of your training strength and power will be lost if you are sluggish and unable to make contact. Power and speed are inextricably linked. To be successful, a fighter must have both. One quick approach to boost your impact speed is to “snap” or “whip” your hand shortly before contact. It follows the same rules as the overhand throw. For example, if you throw a baseball with a complete swing then snap your wrist at the conclusion of your swing, the ball will have higher velocity than if you did not snap your wrist. Naturally, a longer snap swing will have more acceleration at the conclusion than a shorter snap swing.