Thrust Obsession
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Thrust Obsession
To blast or not to blast? ---- that IS my question. I and some others (Americans) I have trained with over the years have developed an unbalanced emphisis with the sanchin thrust...Seems as if 90% effort,focus,and attention is placed upon it while the remaining 10%is spent on stance,posture,tension,etc. When observing the Okinawan teachers/students performing sanchin(many hours of video tape,films and while visiting Okinawa)I can not think of any individual that....OK I'am set and tucked...sholder down...ok ok ready...WHAM!!! just drills that arm out. It appears to me the Okinawans make more of a 3/4 power thrust motion as opposed to a "drill it with all your power" thrust.WHY? Could it be that the larger and longer arms of Americans allow us a different deliverly or are some of us just too obsessed with the "blast"? I'd be willing to bet some major change that most of you Uechi ka have had your share of sore sholders from an over indulgence of sanchin.My thrust is stronger than yours..I must be better than you! It's kind of like that and I know better and I'am getting too old to keep this up! Sanchin should be balanced.....right?
Thrust Obsession
Nosib,
Excellent! Too much emphasis on blasting that arm leads to incorrect training. I have gone home too many times with a headache after blasting that arm. And I also suffered a sore shoulder and upper back as well. I teach my students to have a strong root with their legs while letting the torso be plieable to generate the power for the strike. The arms should be loose and relaxed for maxium delivery of power, like a whip, concentrating the focus at the very end of the motion. This is the half-hard\half-soft concept I impliment. Not only does this relaxed state make your srike much quicker (with is needed for power), but the penetration is also deeper. I have experimented many times on the bag, makiwara, etc. and found this to work much better while preserving the integrity of my joints. Hard training is good for a while, but it will eventually lead to problems if it is not countered with soft training. Balance is definetly the key to proper development.
[This message has been edited by Uechij (edited February 22, 2002).]
[This message has been edited by Uechij (edited February 22, 2002).]
Excellent! Too much emphasis on blasting that arm leads to incorrect training. I have gone home too many times with a headache after blasting that arm. And I also suffered a sore shoulder and upper back as well. I teach my students to have a strong root with their legs while letting the torso be plieable to generate the power for the strike. The arms should be loose and relaxed for maxium delivery of power, like a whip, concentrating the focus at the very end of the motion. This is the half-hard\half-soft concept I impliment. Not only does this relaxed state make your srike much quicker (with is needed for power), but the penetration is also deeper. I have experimented many times on the bag, makiwara, etc. and found this to work much better while preserving the integrity of my joints. Hard training is good for a while, but it will eventually lead to problems if it is not countered with soft training. Balance is definetly the key to proper development.
[This message has been edited by Uechij (edited February 22, 2002).]
[This message has been edited by Uechij (edited February 22, 2002).]
Thrust Obsession
It seems a lot of people are concerned with quick power gains that the technique is overlooked in favor of slow clumsy strength, obviously making the goal that much harder to obtain. Maybe this is what you're referring to? I think you have to be quite proficient with a form/technique before you worry about power... and by then you already have it! In my ongoing crusade for TKD respect, that is, IMHO, why beginers have weak flippy roundhouses, and olympic sparrers have hydrogen bombs for roundhouses.
I guess I like the ideas of Tai Chi.
Freud comes to mind when reading the title
I guess I like the ideas of Tai Chi.
Freud comes to mind when reading the title
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Bill Glasheen
- Posts: 17299
- Joined: Thu Mar 11, 1999 6:01 am
- Location: Richmond, VA --- Louisville, KY
Thrust Obsession
TSDguy
That was the FIRST thing that came to mind with me. And it has nothing to do with Freud. You and I are just typical males. We should put our minds back in the gutter where they belong.
Then again, the metaphor is quite useful, as far as I am concerned. One could go far with it, but...I won't.
To start with, thrusting at air molecules with all your might teaches you how to thrust at air molecules with all your might. And at what cost? What self respecting engineer or sportscar owner would redline an engine while in neutral? It's totally nuts!! And no electrical engineer would ever turn a power amp on without putting a load across the output. Don't think it makes a difference? Got an expensive stereo? Try disconnecting the speakers and flipping the amp on with max volume. After you find out it doesn't work anymore, I can pretty much tell you which part(s) will need to be replaced.
Yes, we should develop power in thrusts. But where is the appropriate place to do that? One can do it by lifting weights (for the base strength) and doing plyometric exercises (to build power on the foundation of strength). One can do it by hitting the bag (or makiwara).
Yes, I see kata with excellent demonstrations of power. But one should only go so far with that. I also see kata with what I like to call false power. All that gi snapping and joint clacking, sometimes capped off with a patented huff or snuff. That's fine if you fight the same way when you go in the ring or on the street. If not... Form and function must go hand in hand.
If you don't hit anything or do supplementary strength and power training, well the obsession with the power in the air molecule thrust is understandable. But when you do, I find most people settle down a bit in their kata and discover other uses.
Finally, the sanchin thrust may not be a thrust at all. The more you study the advanced kata and relate them back to the principles of sanchin, the more you understand it to be a lowest-common-denominator movement that teaches you how to do many of the advanced techniques.
There's a neat article on Tony Blauer in this month's Black Belt. He talks about having a favorite technique, and the problems you can encounter when that favorite offensive technique may be the favorite attack to counter from the standpoint of the BG. What happens when your favorite technique is a headbutt, and a motorcyclists hops off his bike and attacks you with helmet still on? Ooops!!! Better to consider your favorite technique to be the worst nightmare of your opponent. That means one needs to release one's brain from the idea of any perfect single thing.
But I rant.
Off of podium...
- Bill
That was the FIRST thing that came to mind with me. And it has nothing to do with Freud. You and I are just typical males. We should put our minds back in the gutter where they belong.
Then again, the metaphor is quite useful, as far as I am concerned. One could go far with it, but...I won't.
To start with, thrusting at air molecules with all your might teaches you how to thrust at air molecules with all your might. And at what cost? What self respecting engineer or sportscar owner would redline an engine while in neutral? It's totally nuts!! And no electrical engineer would ever turn a power amp on without putting a load across the output. Don't think it makes a difference? Got an expensive stereo? Try disconnecting the speakers and flipping the amp on with max volume. After you find out it doesn't work anymore, I can pretty much tell you which part(s) will need to be replaced.
Yes, we should develop power in thrusts. But where is the appropriate place to do that? One can do it by lifting weights (for the base strength) and doing plyometric exercises (to build power on the foundation of strength). One can do it by hitting the bag (or makiwara).
Yes, I see kata with excellent demonstrations of power. But one should only go so far with that. I also see kata with what I like to call false power. All that gi snapping and joint clacking, sometimes capped off with a patented huff or snuff. That's fine if you fight the same way when you go in the ring or on the street. If not... Form and function must go hand in hand.
If you don't hit anything or do supplementary strength and power training, well the obsession with the power in the air molecule thrust is understandable. But when you do, I find most people settle down a bit in their kata and discover other uses.
Finally, the sanchin thrust may not be a thrust at all. The more you study the advanced kata and relate them back to the principles of sanchin, the more you understand it to be a lowest-common-denominator movement that teaches you how to do many of the advanced techniques.
There's a neat article on Tony Blauer in this month's Black Belt. He talks about having a favorite technique, and the problems you can encounter when that favorite offensive technique may be the favorite attack to counter from the standpoint of the BG. What happens when your favorite technique is a headbutt, and a motorcyclists hops off his bike and attacks you with helmet still on? Ooops!!! Better to consider your favorite technique to be the worst nightmare of your opponent. That means one needs to release one's brain from the idea of any perfect single thing.
But I rant.
Off of podium...
- Bill
Thrust Obsession
A Wing Chun foot note:
One of the training secrets of Wing Chun’s 'Chasing Fists', which is the continuous Centerline punches some may have seen in another post, is that we train students to keep the arm totally relaxed. So we remove all possible tension from the arm. The classic metaphor the system has used for generations is 'A rock and a string' - the string being the arm and the rock being the fist, which should be tight. Unlike the punches I learned in Shotokan, these punches are not pulled short of full extension (to protect the elbow joint). Instead, the fist is allowed to go to FULL extension until the arm itself is fully extended (not hyper extended) e.g. the string is taut and the punch is actually pulled back a bit by the elasticity of the muscle and tendons assisting in retraction. Now, it is easier to do this since we do these punches with a vertical fist and the elbow is under the punch, but I think any punch can be trained this way once one learns to apply the proper energy. Once the proper energy is learned students practice this at full speed (often in the air) and train to make their arms as relaxed as the string so as to achieve max speed and power. Later, hip rotation is added for full whipping body power.
Some students in the beginning have a hard time differentiating between full extension and hyper extension. But if done with the correct energy one's arm will be straight at full extension (remember the rock and string) where as hyperextension is NOT straight. In order to get this right (max acceleration) the application of relaxed energy is critical and one must not think of pulling the punch short – we let the elasticity of the arm do this for us. This relaxed energy is also critical in case the puch should encounter resistance in which case one's energy must often change...
Jim
[This message has been edited by Shaolin (edited February 23, 2002).]
One of the training secrets of Wing Chun’s 'Chasing Fists', which is the continuous Centerline punches some may have seen in another post, is that we train students to keep the arm totally relaxed. So we remove all possible tension from the arm. The classic metaphor the system has used for generations is 'A rock and a string' - the string being the arm and the rock being the fist, which should be tight. Unlike the punches I learned in Shotokan, these punches are not pulled short of full extension (to protect the elbow joint). Instead, the fist is allowed to go to FULL extension until the arm itself is fully extended (not hyper extended) e.g. the string is taut and the punch is actually pulled back a bit by the elasticity of the muscle and tendons assisting in retraction. Now, it is easier to do this since we do these punches with a vertical fist and the elbow is under the punch, but I think any punch can be trained this way once one learns to apply the proper energy. Once the proper energy is learned students practice this at full speed (often in the air) and train to make their arms as relaxed as the string so as to achieve max speed and power. Later, hip rotation is added for full whipping body power.
Some students in the beginning have a hard time differentiating between full extension and hyper extension. But if done with the correct energy one's arm will be straight at full extension (remember the rock and string) where as hyperextension is NOT straight. In order to get this right (max acceleration) the application of relaxed energy is critical and one must not think of pulling the punch short – we let the elasticity of the arm do this for us. This relaxed energy is also critical in case the puch should encounter resistance in which case one's energy must often change...
Jim
[This message has been edited by Shaolin (edited February 23, 2002).]
Thrust Obsession
All thrust are simply means of transfering energy into someone elses body. I also agree as stated earliar in the thread that a trust is the "lowest-common-denominator movement that teaches you how to do many of the advanced techniques." I would like to add that this insight is also the result of exploring the advanced techniques. I often see i.e. Seisan jumps that shake the floor and often the elbow strike is delivered totally seperate from the foward momentum and almost all the energy is directed into the floor, many are impressed but this actually only attacks the floor boards. Having said this I also have felt the floor shake on the same tecqnique but the momentum was transfered to the strike with potentially lethal force, this is the result of understanding that suddenly stopping the forward movement of your body mass lets the resulting energy flow into the elbow strike. The ability to transfer the energy that our bodies can produce in so many ways into the trust is often misunderstood or overlooked. Note: Ever see a baseball pitcher deliver a 100 mph fastball without using his entire body? Does he stomp the ground then throw the ball?
[This message has been edited by candan (edited February 23, 2002).]
[This message has been edited by candan (edited February 23, 2002).]
Thrust Obsession
Also - lots of Uechika are puching with their elbows at a 90 degree angle to the ground instead of having their elbows pointing at the ground.
The peoeple I met at camp who said they had shoulder or elbow pain were the ones that did their thrusts with their elbows perpendicular to the ground.
If you keep your elbows pointed at the ground - it is more difficult to hyperextend the elbow when striking.
And - I agree with the above - if you're going to use "full power" you should be hitting something with it. Hitting the air full power thousands and thousands of times is dangerous. That's why technique is so important. Good technique protects your joints and tendons.
Dana
The peoeple I met at camp who said they had shoulder or elbow pain were the ones that did their thrusts with their elbows perpendicular to the ground.
If you keep your elbows pointed at the ground - it is more difficult to hyperextend the elbow when striking.
And - I agree with the above - if you're going to use "full power" you should be hitting something with it. Hitting the air full power thousands and thousands of times is dangerous. That's why technique is so important. Good technique protects your joints and tendons.
Dana
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Tony-San
Thrust Obsession
Alot of join injuries (mine included) can be attributed to the practitioner attempting to generate power from the joint itself as opposed to the body. I see it all the time! Elbows snapping while the karateka struggles to keep the butt tucked in Sanchin and the hips forward and all that jive. Same with the kicks, rather than "rock" the body to drive the technique (like a crankshaft driving a piston) they worry about Sensei scolding them for not being in Sanchin. So they create power by snapping their joint to make their Gi pop! It is sad because teachers inadvertantly encourage these kinds of injuries by not allowing their students to fully explore the dynamics of body mechanics.
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Allen M.
Thrust Obsession
Sad but true, Tony.
It's easier to keep the elbows pointed down in kata, smsdc, then keeping them down while doing bagwork or in a fight. However, by keeping one's shoulders pulled down, a natural part of body compression, one can fully extend an arm as fast as can be without having to worry about hyperextending.
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Allen Moulton from Uechi-ryu Etcetera
It's easier to keep the elbows pointed down in kata, smsdc, then keeping them down while doing bagwork or in a fight. However, by keeping one's shoulders pulled down, a natural part of body compression, one can fully extend an arm as fast as can be without having to worry about hyperextending.
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Allen Moulton from Uechi-ryu Etcetera
Thrust Obsession
Allen,
I don't think I understand how the shoulders can keep an elbow from popping if that elbow is turned all the way out. I just tried what you're talking about. Nakamatsu's methods are not far from what you train with Van. And no matter how hard I pull down on my lats, obliques, and abs & traps on a strike - they don't affect my final elbow position.
My understanding of a sanchin arm thrust is that your arms comes all the way back through sanchin before you rotate anything. And at that point - the only things that should be rotating are things below the elbow. Meaning that the elbow maintains that same position relative to the ground during the entire strike.
I agree that form deteriorates during a fight - but I think what we're talking about is form work and form training. Frank Gorman, at a recent seminar, mentioned that one of the reasons to be so particular in form is that 80% of it will go out the window when a fight happens. But if your form is already bad - you won't have anthing helping you. 20% is better to have than 0%.
Dana
I don't think I understand how the shoulders can keep an elbow from popping if that elbow is turned all the way out. I just tried what you're talking about. Nakamatsu's methods are not far from what you train with Van. And no matter how hard I pull down on my lats, obliques, and abs & traps on a strike - they don't affect my final elbow position.
My understanding of a sanchin arm thrust is that your arms comes all the way back through sanchin before you rotate anything. And at that point - the only things that should be rotating are things below the elbow. Meaning that the elbow maintains that same position relative to the ground during the entire strike.
I agree that form deteriorates during a fight - but I think what we're talking about is form work and form training. Frank Gorman, at a recent seminar, mentioned that one of the reasons to be so particular in form is that 80% of it will go out the window when a fight happens. But if your form is already bad - you won't have anthing helping you. 20% is better to have than 0%.
Dana
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Guest
Thrust Obsession
Elbow position vs shoulder damage,I always thought most shoulder damage was caused by forcing the circle block against too much resistance in arm rubbing and pounding exercises.
Elbow position to prevent hyper extended elbows. Some interesting ideas here.
I always figured that punching air caused those painful elbows. Anyone who has gone a few rounds full contact has experienced these painfuljoints the next day ,win lose or draw. Missing with full power shots tends to streach the old joints. I've found that bicept curls help to minimise the effects of missing. After multiple rounds the arm feels a wee bit longer.
Best not to do extensive full power shots at windmills. Save the really big shots for the bag or bad guys.
Elbows down on sanchin thrusts, what about,shoken fist, hiraken strikes,seiken strikes doesn't work here.
I can't see how hard shots would injure the shoulder. Can some one explain this ?
I know hard shots that don't land mess the elbow up but exercise and diet can rectify a lot of this problem.
Just my uniformed point of view,great thread!
Laird
Elbow position to prevent hyper extended elbows. Some interesting ideas here.
I always figured that punching air caused those painful elbows. Anyone who has gone a few rounds full contact has experienced these painfuljoints the next day ,win lose or draw. Missing with full power shots tends to streach the old joints. I've found that bicept curls help to minimise the effects of missing. After multiple rounds the arm feels a wee bit longer.
Best not to do extensive full power shots at windmills. Save the really big shots for the bag or bad guys.
Elbows down on sanchin thrusts, what about,shoken fist, hiraken strikes,seiken strikes doesn't work here.
I can't see how hard shots would injure the shoulder. Can some one explain this ?
I know hard shots that don't land mess the elbow up but exercise and diet can rectify a lot of this problem.
Just my uniformed point of view,great thread!
Laird
Thrust Obsession
Uglyelk,
Striking of any kind with the arm involves movement of the shoulder girdle to some degree. When we are blasting the strike, we are really just transferring energy and the arm is the conductor. Depending on the training philosophy, the motion may begin in the legs or waiste, then works it's way up through the shoulder to the weapon. So it's like one long chain. If the power or energy has no where to ground out (target)then you absorb that energy, and eventually the weakest link will give. In an attempt to prevent over sretching of the joint, the bodies natural reaction is to, "put the brakes on," it does this by contracting the muscles in the elbow and shoulder joint (and various other areas of the body). Sometimes these contractions can be so strong they tear the muscles, ligiments, and tendons, and actually do more harm than good. Sometimes it's not the joints that are directly involved but rather the supporting ones (one example is leg pain can be syptomatic of lumbar damage). A good comparison to think about is a baseball pitcher. They commonly have shoulder problems from the similar focusing power they generate while pitching. Hope this helps.
Striking of any kind with the arm involves movement of the shoulder girdle to some degree. When we are blasting the strike, we are really just transferring energy and the arm is the conductor. Depending on the training philosophy, the motion may begin in the legs or waiste, then works it's way up through the shoulder to the weapon. So it's like one long chain. If the power or energy has no where to ground out (target)then you absorb that energy, and eventually the weakest link will give. In an attempt to prevent over sretching of the joint, the bodies natural reaction is to, "put the brakes on," it does this by contracting the muscles in the elbow and shoulder joint (and various other areas of the body). Sometimes these contractions can be so strong they tear the muscles, ligiments, and tendons, and actually do more harm than good. Sometimes it's not the joints that are directly involved but rather the supporting ones (one example is leg pain can be syptomatic of lumbar damage). A good comparison to think about is a baseball pitcher. They commonly have shoulder problems from the similar focusing power they generate while pitching. Hope this helps.
Thrust Obsession
Uglyelk,
you are not lost and I did not take your reply as a challenge, to question or ponder is to learn, I do it often myself. To the best of my interpretation from what you’re describing, it sounds like your execution of technique is fine, except maybe the Sanchin strike.
Quote: "Example: in Sanchin the palm is visible to me at full extension and rotated 30 to 45 degrees."
Are you saying that you don't rotate the palm over at the end of the strike, or are you talking about the set position before beginning the pullback for the strike?
Quotes: "I thought part of the purpose for the shoulders down, and not coming forward was to provide some of this braking for the strike."
“So if we train with shoulders down, and deliver the Sanchin thrust with the elbow down, this prevents elbow/shoulder damage?”
Typically, yes it can, but it does not necessarily limit the power of the strike, and the power dispersion or lack of, is what can cause the damage. That energy has to be absorbed somewhere, if not into something, then you absorb it.
Quote: “I think we all cushion the air strikes with a reverse muscle tension. By keeping the shoulder down, and by not totaly straightening the elbow. Basically by not commiting 100% to the strike."
Yes, and this was the point Nosib was making. This reverse muscle tension over time can be damaging to the joint as well as inhibit maximum delivery of speed, power, coordination, etc. It’s not necessary to blast the strike with 100% commitment to develop a strong strike. Proper execution of technique combined with a relaxed, “whip-like,” focus will manifest power naturally without forcing it.
Quote: “I wonder how our blasts change when we play in the real world. I expect that when most land the shoulder may come forward and the elbow fully extends. Penetrating as deep as possible."
Simply, quite a lot. This is because the target does not stand still so at times the strike may have to extend more or stop short. Be careful with trying to penetrate deeply with every strike. To oversimplify it, there are two different kinds of focus to develop; a snapping focus for limbs and head (light targets), and a pushing focus or deep penetration for heavy targets (basically the body). If you hit the head like you do the heavy bag, in most instances your strike will end up pushing the intended target away from your weapon with minimal damage. Try this concept out by hitting a focus mitt with the same power you strike a bag, you will turn your strike into a pushing motion. Light targets need a quick snapping motion while heavy ones need a deeper focus to cause the most damage.
Quote: “I must film my self striking the bag and striking the air. I think I will see a difference in technique.”
Excellent Idea, I think you will see a difference. I hope my rantings have helped to answer some of your questions.
[This message has been edited by Uechij (edited February 24, 2002).]
you are not lost and I did not take your reply as a challenge, to question or ponder is to learn, I do it often myself. To the best of my interpretation from what you’re describing, it sounds like your execution of technique is fine, except maybe the Sanchin strike.
Quote: "Example: in Sanchin the palm is visible to me at full extension and rotated 30 to 45 degrees."
Are you saying that you don't rotate the palm over at the end of the strike, or are you talking about the set position before beginning the pullback for the strike?
Quotes: "I thought part of the purpose for the shoulders down, and not coming forward was to provide some of this braking for the strike."
“So if we train with shoulders down, and deliver the Sanchin thrust with the elbow down, this prevents elbow/shoulder damage?”
Typically, yes it can, but it does not necessarily limit the power of the strike, and the power dispersion or lack of, is what can cause the damage. That energy has to be absorbed somewhere, if not into something, then you absorb it.
Quote: “I think we all cushion the air strikes with a reverse muscle tension. By keeping the shoulder down, and by not totaly straightening the elbow. Basically by not commiting 100% to the strike."
Yes, and this was the point Nosib was making. This reverse muscle tension over time can be damaging to the joint as well as inhibit maximum delivery of speed, power, coordination, etc. It’s not necessary to blast the strike with 100% commitment to develop a strong strike. Proper execution of technique combined with a relaxed, “whip-like,” focus will manifest power naturally without forcing it.
Quote: “I wonder how our blasts change when we play in the real world. I expect that when most land the shoulder may come forward and the elbow fully extends. Penetrating as deep as possible."
Simply, quite a lot. This is because the target does not stand still so at times the strike may have to extend more or stop short. Be careful with trying to penetrate deeply with every strike. To oversimplify it, there are two different kinds of focus to develop; a snapping focus for limbs and head (light targets), and a pushing focus or deep penetration for heavy targets (basically the body). If you hit the head like you do the heavy bag, in most instances your strike will end up pushing the intended target away from your weapon with minimal damage. Try this concept out by hitting a focus mitt with the same power you strike a bag, you will turn your strike into a pushing motion. Light targets need a quick snapping motion while heavy ones need a deeper focus to cause the most damage.
Quote: “I must film my self striking the bag and striking the air. I think I will see a difference in technique.”
Excellent Idea, I think you will see a difference. I hope my rantings have helped to answer some of your questions.
[This message has been edited by Uechij (edited February 24, 2002).]
Thrust Obsession
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Uechij:
Simply, quite a lot. This is because the target does not stand still so at times the strike may have to extend more or stop short.
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
Or it may miss, in which case one will hit air. This is why we train full power, full extension and use the elasticity of the muscles and ligaments to absorb the energy, which aids in retraction. Using opposing muscle tension to prevent the punch from hyper-extending will only inhibit the free release of energy in the punch.
Jim
Simply, quite a lot. This is because the target does not stand still so at times the strike may have to extend more or stop short.
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
Or it may miss, in which case one will hit air. This is why we train full power, full extension and use the elasticity of the muscles and ligaments to absorb the energy, which aids in retraction. Using opposing muscle tension to prevent the punch from hyper-extending will only inhibit the free release of energy in the punch.
Jim
Thrust Obsession
Hi folks,
Just thought I would like to add a tidbit here ....
I have been trained to pretty much strike at full power. Each Sanchin strike is focused to 100 % power and speed. Perhaps, in the beginning of each day of training, I might modify power to keep from wacking out my elbow joints, but I try to increase it to as high a level as I can. As a result, my joints have become quite a bit stronger.
Also, for training in basic fighting technique (as opposed to stationary basics) the hips are used throughout for power. This really taxes the joints heavily. A staight reverse punch, and of course, backfist, cause the most trouble. I have to build these up when training. But I keep the arms relaxed, use bodily hip rotation for power (or really sinking on lead strikes) and as a result have built up the resistance to the techniques.
Just my thoughts
Just thought I would like to add a tidbit here ....
I have been trained to pretty much strike at full power. Each Sanchin strike is focused to 100 % power and speed. Perhaps, in the beginning of each day of training, I might modify power to keep from wacking out my elbow joints, but I try to increase it to as high a level as I can. As a result, my joints have become quite a bit stronger.
Also, for training in basic fighting technique (as opposed to stationary basics) the hips are used throughout for power. This really taxes the joints heavily. A staight reverse punch, and of course, backfist, cause the most trouble. I have to build these up when training. But I keep the arms relaxed, use bodily hip rotation for power (or really sinking on lead strikes) and as a result have built up the resistance to the techniques.
Just my thoughts
