Training for Economy of Performance

The fact that someone can protect themselves by simply
moving is an incredibly simple one. Following years of
training, I came to understand that the problem with my
movements was that I loved them too much! There was a
lot of wasted effort, not very efficient at all. I started to
look closer at training for economy of performance.
I changed my training focus to reduce my movements
to accomplish more with less effort.


Hence, economy of performance improves as a result of:
• low psychological stress;
• good posture (being lighter on your feet);
• eliminating energy-wasting movements;
• efficiency of breathe.

Low psychological stress
In psychological terms, good performance is the result
of focus and optimal arousal. Focus is the ability to set
aside irrelevant factors, and be calm. The first step is
setting aside work and family concerns during training.
Thus you learn to be in the present, not thinking about
what might be. Optimal arousal means being psyched
without being anxious. Anxiety results in loss of focus,
increased muscle tension and less efficient movements.

Good Posture (being lighter on your feet)
Bending, leaning or reaching, breaks your form which
then weakens your structure, directly impacting the
economy of performance.
By paying attention to posture, one can make a
significant difference in triming away excessive body
movements. Your arms and legs will become more
relaxed and move efficient.

Eliminating useless, energy-wasting movements 

Tension makes you rigid and stiff, but more importantly,
it robs you of energy and fills you with wasted
movements. By making your movements smooth,
you will find more
subtle ways of applying power and breaking someone
elses form while keeping yours.
Have a closer look at all your abilities and make sure
everything is pointed in the right direction. For example,
when you punch or kick the vertor of force should be going
forward. If you pull back sharply you’re taking some power
backwards. If you tense up your feet, some power is
traveling dwonward. If your yelling upon contact, some
power is leaving through your lungs.

Efficiency of breathe
The benefits are to many to mention. Practice your
breathing relentlessly. Read book Let Every Breathe by
Vladmir and your will be on your way to more ecomical
and efficient training. 
If you find training gets too intense,
take a break and get your breath back before contining,
or have a plan to work through and recover. It is one of
the true cornerstones of any martial arts training.

Here a three drills I use to help me train for economy:

The three time drill
Have someone grab, punch, kick or stab at you at
random. Handle it spontaneously. Then have your partner
repeat the attack the exact same way another two times
and see if you could improve on your response. Polish it up.

Video tape yourself
You might find out that there are a lot of little useless
movements or nuances you have developed over the
years that you cannot explain. Have a trusted teacher or
friend watch with you and you’ll get an even better
prespective.


Don’t focus on the esthetics of it all
Sometimes we want things to be too pretty to show off
our skills. Doing the right thing feels right and is usually
simple and quick. Not just in martial arts but also life.

“The strong take from the weak and
the smart take from the strong”


 - Pete Carril, former Princeton basketball coach

I hope this helps you,
Emmanuel Manolakakis