When most people think about martial arts, they imagine the skill and training that goes into learning these fighting systems. While the training we undergo to learn martial arts is interesting, another world of fascination appears when we look into the science behind martial arts.
When we talk about the science that underlies martial arts, one of the best lenses to look through is physics. This discipline is a natural science that ultimately studies matter, but that subject also involves the study of motion, energy, and force. Physics in martial arts might not seem like the most obvious subject to consider, but for a science that seeks to understand everything about elements like motion, the connection is clear.
Plus, it’s just plain interesting to quantify a punch as having the same power as 200 microwave ovens! Let’s break down the way physics can offer a deeper perspective on the martial arts.
How Physics Can Help You Understand Martial Arts
When you’re trying to calculate the power needed to throw a punch in self-defense, you’re already in the realm of physics. While every person’s body contains energy, it’s training in martial arts that allows a person to best harness and direct that energy. As any martial arts enthusiast knows, the size of a fighter is only a single factor in how they’ll fare against their opponent.
Physics helps us understand why someone at a lower weight than their opponent can still win the fight. The manner in which a person moves their body and shifts their weight can make all the difference in the amount of power and speed their moves contain.
The Physics of Fighting
How can we quantify a punch as having the same power as 200 microwaves? According to 8th-degree blackbelt Taekwondo martial artist Robert Howard, by taking the mass and speed of a punch, physics can measure the power applied in that punch. For a skilled martial artist, a punch can easily have the same power as 200 microwaves!
The beauty of using physics to understand martial arts is how this science can help us use our bodies more efficiently to deliver powerful movements. Since we can break down the way energy is harnessed into our mass and our speed, physics gives us a clear view of where we can improve.
One of the first lessons martial arts students learn is how to utilize their full body in a movement. Instead of throwing a punch solely using your arm, moving your entire body with your arm adds both more mass and more speed to your punch.
Studying the Science of Martial Arts
Martial arts is a rewarding and lifelong pursuit, particularly because these fighting systems contain such depth and overlap with many other areas of study. Whether you’re looking to martial arts to boost your child’s ability to focus and concentrate, to grow your confidence or support your mental health, or simply to get into great physical shape, martial arts has long provided many different benefits to those who practice.
At Premier Martial Arts, our goal is to make martial arts available to anyone who has the drive and desire to practice and enjoy the rewards of these ancient physical arts. With martial arts studios across the United States and in the U.K., getting started with this powerful practice is as easy as finding a studio near you.
