KARATE: Energy Consumption and Conservation

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A sensei’s greatest need is the art of observation coupled with a concerned appropriate change methodology to inspire, inform, and change in a progressive proactive method of the individual. A mouthful and as you probably already know, and can imagine, it means simply being observant of what, when, where, how and why the practitioner performs their practice and training then advising them of both the best they provided while enhancing that effort toward a progressive improvement meant to achieve, for one thing, efficient use of energy to conserve a limited amount of that energy to get-r-done when and if the person needs to apply the physical in self-protection. 

So much is being taught that simply is not efficient and bleeds off energy faster than an ice cube placed on a hot griddle. Once the energy is expended, especially in a violent situation, it is gone until time, distance, and other acts are performed to refuel, regenerate and rest those physical attributes necessary to get-r-done. 

Karate has a threesome that is a cornerstone of the teaching, training, practice and application of its principled-based multiple methods with a critical eye on those teachings meant to be utilized in surviving aggression and possible violence. We have the basics; we have the kata; we have the drills or controlled patterned drills called kumite and that is only the cornerstone that supports all the other factors that lead to self-protection and use up our bodies energy. 

We really do need to teach our practitioners who depend on us as sensei to lead them toward success regardless of the end intent be it sport or protection toward security and safety. Observing how they expend energy in practice can expose energy wasteful application of methods so knowing that and teaching how to adjust those actions to conserve energy is critical in the self-protection arena (Note: even in sport although grave harm and death are supposedly controlled by rules of the sport, energy consumption and conservation become critical to victory too.). 

Some hints as to what constitutes over consumption is going to follow and can be taught when teaching practitioners methodologies by principled-based applications. Read on …

Before we begin, a big energy waste method and principle is that of balance, finding the balance between how something is performed vs. that performance effectiveness as to energy consumption and conservation is dependent on the intent, at the critical moment it is necessary, of the methodology and action to maximize its effectiveness while conserving energy for additional actions and applications if necessary to get-r-done. The following is meant to be a key that one must use to open the door and knowing that the following often are complimentary in applications also speaks to balance for balance off makes the method faulty in energy consumption effecting its effects, for instance, at point of impact conveying energy, power and force necessary to get-r-done. This that follows is not all inclusive and comprehensive and sensei must have the understanding to teach and enhance the practitioners use and conservation of energy. 

• Gross movement; 
• Commentary:  you would think this to be obvious and still sensei teach such gross movements then tend to explain them by adding a possible bunkai to it. Take the fist cocked at the waist to punch a vertical straight punch to the solar plexus for instance. Cocking the fist to the waist is gross movement and an energy waste if not taught properly. It also telegraphs your movement, the method and your intent. Adding in that the hand/fist at the waist is to teach some grabbing and pulling method simply hides the fact that it is wasteful…assuming a full and comprehensive teaching of intent is not a followup to the lesson. It is also a basic teaching tool that should be dropped the moment one is taught applicable protection methods. 
• misalignments; 
• Commentary:  When one, for instance and as you probably already know and can imagine, strikes with the fist, if the hand, wrist, elbow and shoulder girdle are not properly aligned and the over all structure is not proper then energy bleeds off as the technique/method is applied reducing the energy, force and power applied at contact while wasting energy in the bleed off necessary to achieve success in self-protection. 
• deficient structure; 
• Commentary:  Structure along with other principles are about moving, generating and applying energy, power and force so when structure is off a lot of energy is necessary to right the structure and get back on track in applying appropriate methods to stop damage and get-r-done. 
• force application; 
• Commentary:  when principles are not aligned and efficient and utilizing energy adequately the amount of force applied is reduced exponentially, think about this…if you are not trained properly; if you are not learning and applying physiokinetic principles then you are bleeding and wasting a limited supply of energy and that means a huge loss of power and force. 
• live energy use; 
• Commentary:  excessive anything takes the live energy necessary for force and power and places it in efforts not conducive to getting ‘r’ done.
• timing; 
• Commentary:  If, example, you are striking and your timing is off then you are missing and that is pretty obvious a waste of energy. Add in the concept most teach when applying other principles like locking and relaxing, it wastes and quickly uses up energy and energy reserves. The faster energy is depleted, the longer your attacker conserves and the quicker he takes you down and the faster you get hurt, go to hospital or to the morgue. 
• imbalances; 
• Commentary:  Losing balance of the body means you have to set it right, energy consumption; if your mind is in a frenzy because of the flurry of fists hitting your head, etc., energy consumption and when you start to add all that up, energy depletion - FAST. 
• speed use; 
• Commentary:  some would say that this one is not an energy waster, yet…
• breathing; 
• Commentary:  when adrenal stressors and chemicals hit breathing can become erratic and shallow, etc., and that lack of oxygenation process makes the body work a lot harder and hinders our movements, etc., in other ways that simply bleed off energy like the hole that sank the Titanic. 
• lack of positive relaxation; 
• Commentary:  if you muscle it, if your mind causes the body to tense up and if you don’t breath properly then that tension slows the body down affecting speeds while bleeding off energy. Remember that every human has a finite amount of energy at any one time. When at its peek your fine and when it bleeds down the rate will have an affect both during that use and as to the length of time you have to get ‘r’ done before exhaustion, etc., put you down. 
• adrenal stress chemical floods; 
• Commentary:  the moment you are surprised with an adversary on the streets your adrenal stress-conditions are going to do several things and as to the degree and affects how that adrenal response is handled determines the extent and amount of energy loss you will experience. If you take a look at all the affects that the adrenal rush causes you can readily perceive just how that effects your energy levels and consumptions and reserves. 

This is just an example of the types of things sensei and practitioners must be aware of and then the effort to conserve and maximize our energy can be determined so its use can be efficiently managed both in training, during practice and when you have to apply stuff in an attack.

To discourage you from ASSUMING that this is all about the physical I can assure you that it is not. Our minds are a huge draw on power and energy. What we think, how we think and how we handle things both logically and especially emotionally matter in the scheme of things both daily living and handling an attack on the street. 

Some hints to drive your research as I imagine your mind is now considering we can then use that to help us do the research and studies. What you train, practice and learn to apply both in and out of the dojo contribute to your overall ability to self-protect and that means what tools you develop such as the concepts you create that are triggered when things happen that allow you to perceive things so that efforts in conservation can be achieved long before the rapid expenditure found in violent encounters such as using your mind and understanding to see; to hear; to feel and to trigger such concepts that result in things like…wait for it…”AVOIDANCE, ESCAPE AND EVASION, AND DEESCALATION!”

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