If you're a martial artist in any style from Kung Fu to Muay Thai, you probably ask yourself now and then How A Martial Artist Can Increase Their Punching Power. Well, luckily, that's what the martial arts is all about. As a runner wants to run faster, a fighter wants to hit harder and quicker.

Well there are a few things you can do to get there...

Study Several Arts

Every style has something to offer, and in fact, there are very few "pure" martial arts systems left anymore. Nearly every style borrows something from some other style. Just as every fighting system has something to offer, every style also has one or two areas where certain students may feel something is lacking. Let's say you're taking Tae Kwan Do. Well... Punching is not the priority there... But it is in traditional Okinawan karate. You must respect your current master, your current style, but that doesn't mean that you can't explore for yourself what else is out there. Again, every style has at least one or two things that you'll find incredibly useful.

Slim Down

In boxing, lifting weights is a great way to improve punching power. In eastern martial arts, it's actually better to slim down. You want trim, lean fighting muscles, not big, bulky muscles. When you want to lift heavy things, big muscles come in handy. In karate, well toned muscles will help you strike faster, and thus, harder. So try toning your arms rather than trying to get pumped. If you look at the great martial artists, the only place where you'll see a lot of mass is in the midsection, where striking power really comes from. Everywhere else tends to be trimmed, toned to perfection. Just look at Bruce Lee. Size is everything in some sports, but not in the martial arts.

Stretch More

Look at the older martial artists next time you go to the dojo. They spend more time warming up for two reasons: Age, and the wisdom thereof. The more you stretch, the more flexible you'll be, and as you likely know, flexibility is absolutely EVERYTHING in the martial arts. You must be like water, tranquil and intangible one moment, and striking like a fire hose the next. This can be attained through better stretching and warming up. If your sensei likes to jump right into practice (not likely, as most true martial artists know how important warming up is), show up early and warm up yourself.

Kata is Everything

Your kata is the road through which you will find every secret and every truth that the martial arts have to tell you. If you neglect your kata, you may as well just be punching at a brick wall for no good reason, because you'll attain about the same results. Your kata is everything. Your kata will put your moves into your mind so deeply that you can never forget them, and as you improve your kata, you will improve your technique, and you will improve yourself. Study your kata back to front and do not neglect it.