Is embracing both tension and relaxation the key to being an optimal martial artist?

Question

Originally I came from an internal Chinese martial art background which usually focuses on relaxation, rooting, structure, sensitivity and etc. Either way Internal arts tend to focus a lot on relaxation to the point of shunning any tension. Powerlifting has always interested me and I started learning about other sports. Through my research I find tension to be very useful, tension is needed to abdominally brace yourself when you try to squat heavy amounts. Powerlifting also has a focus on compound movements like whole body power generation like internal arts. The quads/glutes work as the power generator for the body for both powerlifting and internal arts and use a stable base (the ground) to push off against. I think Internal arts are correct in trying to restrict unnessecary tension, discouraging people to do isolated movements, and trying to establish fluidity in technique but in my opinion force comes from tension which is a good thing but you need to know how to use it correctly.

Answer 1

Absolutely! It is the key to becoming a great powerlifter as well. Take the power clean for instance. You must first create tension on the bar and load your posterior chain. You slowly pull the bar to the "power position" and then explode by jumping up. Here your body releases the tension as the bar travels upwards towards your head. You then "catch" the bar under you and instantaneously create tension again to support the weight. This is a perfect example of creating tension, relaxation and back to tension. Tai chi and other internal martial arts do this at the higher levels. They teach relaxation first as it is usually more difficult to achieve than tension is. Going back to the power clean, if the lifter never releases the tension from the bar, he/she will never reach their full lifting potential. Similarly, if a martial artist does not know where to create and release tension, they will never reach their full potential as a martial artist. Releasing all the power into a Olympic bar theoretically should the same as releasing your energy into an opponent.

Answer 2

Yin Yang. There can not be tension without relaxation. A punch requires tension. You will find that you can not punch with power in any martial art if you are already tense. Relaxations conserves energy, gathers it and then releases is via said punch. This is actually not just true for Chinese martial art or just internal martial art but all martial art. Unfortunately in most external martial arts it is very much neglected and rarely taught. That does not mean it is not there. Watch the old Okinawan masters and how much power they can generate. While they are still very strong for their age I am willing to bet their power is not generated with sheer strength.

Taiji in it's application has tension and relaxation. It's just that most people can tense but do not understand how to relax, so Taiji teaches the relaxation first as it takes longer to learn. Look at push hands. It's all about tension and relaxation. Your opponent tries to hit you (tension), you yield, absorb and redirect the power. If done correctly it will yield your opponent off balance and soft and this is when you transition to tension in form of a strike or take down. Master this and your martial art will take on the art aspect. There is no art in squaring up and exchanging fisticuffs (hard on hard). It works, but it's ugly.

Answer 3

That's part of it but not the only critical aspect really. Some of it has to do with other things like knowledge and a martial artists ability to use his tools effectively. I liken a martial artist in some ways to a good carpenter. A good carpenter will have a variety of tools and know how to use them with skill and which one to use when, using it for the right task. Martial arts is much the same in that you learn a variety of techniques all of which can be very effective if done properly and correctly employed for the right situation or set of existing conditions at the time. A good example of this is when is it better to use a round house kick instead of a side or front kick or maybe not a kick at all even but instead a punch or strike. That also is critical in all this really and a martial artist knowing what tools to use and apply when.