How much striking power is generated from the legs?

[spirez]

As a percentage?

I know it's the majority but was wondering if anyone has any studies that have determined how much power is generated through the legs and the hips/torso rotation?

my lecturer mentioned there was a study about but i cant seem to find it anywhere.

 

[clinchman]

A lot? I couldn't honestly tell you the percentage or say that I've seen any sort of study. I would think it would be hard to calculate, but would be incredibly interested to see it. I can tell you that the rotation increses it likely more than double. Just imagine a man with no legs trying to hit you with a big hook...

 

[Deleted member 87037]

I don't think it's the majority. That would be your hips. Though, the percentages vary depending on what kick you're talking about. Much more power would be generated w/ good rotation on a roundhouse than say..a front kick for instance.

 

[Rudy Richter]

I don't think it's the majority. That would be your hips. Though, the percentages vary depending on what kick you're talking about. Much more power would be generated w/ good rotation on a roundhouse than say..a front kick for instance.

I would slightly disagree, but only because the hips need the leg power to perform the twisting motion. IMO the legs is what creates most of your power...this is especially true for punches.

 

[Curtis Gibbs]

For boxers atleast I know the majority of a punch is hip rotation

 

[nholmes88]

To me, a powers punch comes from the heart. A guy who is really strong but has never fought that much might not be able to deliver a good hit when it counts. But a guy who is just average can throw a blow like it isn't nothing and knock you out. It's all about technique and muscle memory. Once you get the technique down it just comes down to hitting the guy.

I'd say alot of it comes from the legs.

 

[Chinaboxer]

hmm...interesting question. got me thinking. I would say 50% lower body, 50% upper body BUT...ONLY if you lock your core (which includes the hips, abs, obliques and lower back). If you don't lock your core, then the lower body power can't transfer into your upper body. You're body becomes two seperate parts. But when you lock your core, the lower body stays connected to the upper body becoming "one unit" which allows the lower body pivot to transfer directly to the upper body unit.

 

[Deleted member 87037]

'Lock your core'? Meaning tightening the abdominals? I have a strong core (I'd like to think - considering how hard it is/the amount of abdominal exercises I do and the length I've been doing them), though, I've never tightened my abs for *any* striking technique/weight lift. How beneficial is it to do this and with what techniques (in general)?

 

[Chinaboxer]

'Lock your core'? Meaning tightening the abdominals? I have a strong core (I'd like to think - considering how hard it is/the amount of abdominal exercises I do and the length I've been doing them), though, I've never tightened my abs for *any* striking technique/weight lift. How beneficial is it to do this and with what techniques (in general)?

if you watch animals in the wild or even a solid muay thai fighter, you'll notice they sink their chests and "push" the back like a cobra or a crouched tiger about to attack. This helps to "lock the core" which has many benefits while fighting. The most obvious is of course, more power as a result of being able to use both lower(leg) and upper(shoulders) as one unit. another benefit is that it also rolls the muscles over the intercostals and ribcage. This also applies to grappling. when a grappler takes your back, he will bridge to break your "core" while maintaining his core for the rear naked choke or what have you. that's why so many grapplers also get rib or intercostal injuries due to being stretched backwards when they lose their core.

With all that said, don't misinterpet the "locking of the core" as tightening the muscles. this isn't the case at all. think of it like dynamic stretching. when you do this, there is a tension from doing the action but it doesn't come from tightening the muscles, but more from the tension created by just doing the stretch.

 

[Payak]

the force goes up through your legs, up through the glutius maximus(dont ask me how u spell it) through your torso down your arm and into your opponent. at least 80% comes from the legs and hips. or as rampage jackson says you punch from your ass.

 

[aries]

Your legs produce the majority of your power IMHO. If you want to answer this question seriously trying kneeling in front of the punch bag and see how hard you can hit. It's all about getting your body weight behind the punch. Without your legs to move your body you've lost nearly all your power.

 

[Deleted member 87037]

if you watch animals in the wild or even a solid muay thai fighter, you'll notice they sink their chests and "push" the back like a cobra or a crouched tiger about to attack. This helps to "lock the core" which has many benefits while fighting. The most obvious is of course, more power as a result of being able to use both lower(leg) and upper(shoulders) as one unit. another benefit is that it also rolls the muscles over the intercostals and ribcage. This also applies to grappling. when a grappler takes your back, he will bridge to break your "core" while maintaining his core for the rear naked choke or what have you. that's why so many grapplers also get rib or intercostal injuries due to being stretched backwards when they lose their core.

With all that said, don't misinterpet the "locking of the core" as tightening the muscles. this isn't the case at all. think of it like dynamic stretching. when you do this, there is a tension from doing the action but it doesn't come from tightening the muscles, but more from the tension created by just doing the stretch.

Thanks for the answer - big help; very informative! Though, I still don't understand what you mean by "sinking the chest".. I'm trying to lock my core standing, and from my understanding I'm pulling my back a little (so I have really straight posture) and then I'm supposed to sink the chest - how do I do this when my posture is straight? I'm probably misinterpreting what you said :S Do you have a picture on hand? (I looked at cobras/crouching tigers but I can't make the translation of their bodies to a humans).

 

[Rudy Richter]

the force goes up through your legs, up through the glutius maximus(dont ask me how u spell it) through your torso down your arm and into your opponent. at least 80% comes from the legs and hips. or as rampage jackson says you punch from your ass.

Agreed 100%

 

[Rudy Richter]

Your legs produce the majority of your power IMHO. If you want to answer this question seriously trying kneeling in front of the punch bag and see how hard you can hit. It's all about getting your body weight behind the punch. Without your legs to move your body you've lost nearly all your power.

Nice...

 

[Michael Wanaka]

70% or so I'd say.

 

[Tabris]

Pretty sure it is just physics, your body pushes against the ground and the ground pushes back to equal the force. This is why someone heavier hits like a mack truck. That is speaking to a correctly thrown punch... arm punches are totally different.

Talking about rotation, you have to have your feet planted on the ground first. That is where the power comes. Just turning your hips means that if you were hanging from a rope you could hit just as hard as if your feet were on the ground and that is not so.

 

[Deleted member 87037]

Interesting - never thought of this stuff in that way!

 

[Yanoush]

70% or so I'd say.

I remember reading a Soviet study done the 70s or something and it concluded that like 63% of the power comes from the legs and like 20% comes from the core.

Or something, you know.

 

[vince89]

Id say about 60% of the power comes from the Glutes and the Hips this is the biggest area of muscle in the whole chain in which the power travels through so it makes sense to me that it would play the biggest role. Probably a good 20-25% from the abdominal muscles.

 

[Jalukas]

As a percentage? I don't know, but you can check youtube under fight science or human weapon for statistics.