Was that Fast or Clever?

I’ll start this post by saying speed matters.  If two fighters square off and they are equal in all other respects except for speed, I’ll bet on the faster fighter.

Now let’s take that same scenario, with the two equal fighters and let’s make one slightly more efficient with the way they throw their technique.  What’s that mean?  In this case, I want it to mean that the one fighter has learned how to use independent motion and the other hasn’t.

With independent motion, this fighter can throw a strike that is more difficult to see.  The independent motion strike starts with the fist rather than the hip.  The fist is smaller than the hip, thus makes a smaller motion.  On the receiving end of things, this often makes a strike seem faster, but really it’s just more difficult to detect.  Sometimes, a strike thrown in this manner can have reduced power but if it opens the door for a more powerful combo, the cost is worth the payoff.