Many martial artists don’t know (or can’t admit) that they’re wasting energy. They make excuses like; “Oh I just need to relax more.” or “I need to work on my cardio.” No..… you’re getting tired because you have poor technique.
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And they blame poor conditioning, but the reality is, that conditioning will never compensate for poor technique, it only prolongs the inevitable. Ultimately, you will get tired because of the way you move.
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Conditioning doesn’t prevent fatigue, conditioning delays fatigue. It’s about technique, not conditioning.
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So what’s the answer?
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Just Relax! ….. Possibly some of the worst advice on its own, ever.
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When someone tells you to relax it can have the opposite effect. Trying to relax will make you tighten up…… It never works.
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If not relax, what then?…. Let’s try to replace the word ‘Relax’ with the word ‘Release’….. Release the muscle[s]. You are either tensing or releasing.
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To relax is to release tension. A practitioner that is able to recognize and release tension, doesn’t need to waste energy to create tension and waste more energy to counter-act that tension. They recognizes the tension that ALREADY EXISTS between their body and the ground. Therefore, not only are they relaxed, they are aiding the release of ‘force’ into an opponent.
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Moving by relaxing keeps your center of gravity grounded, resulting in more efficiency, balance and control.
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Great fighters generate force through relaxation, not exertion. Relaxation does not mean taking it easy and saving energy for later! To relax doesn’t mean going slower or doing less. It means to generate force while you RELEASE tension, as opposed to generating force by creating tension.
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Know that you already have force in your body, and instead of trying to create force, focus instead of directing the force you already have, find a way to translate it into movement.
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The first thing you should do is find your ‘balance’. If you move while off-balanced, it means that all your movements in any direction has no control. Which results in a waste of energy and less power. Being perfectly balanced allows you to move (and exert force) in any direction, and change direction as often as you need. If you’re not balanced, you’re probably using energy just to stay upright.
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So RELEASE tension, so you can hit harder and move better. This article isn’t about saving energy, it’s about being able to fight better (if you need to) ….. Relaxation is about being able to be more efficient, not about avoiding fatigue. 
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 Photo Credit: TRAVEL 67 : Chris Willson Photography: Quote from interview with Yusuke Nagano, Okinawa
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