Slowing too soon. Sometimes students start a technique quickly and then it slows before completion. This may be because of focusing too soon, being unsure of the ending body position, not knowing which muscles to use and in what order to use them, or improper breathing.
Focusing too soon. Focusing too soon is a common problem. Strong students want to be powerful at the moment of impact so, in anticipation of the impact, they tighten too soon (especially the upper body). To correct this you must perform the technique with no power, and focus AFTER you have completed the motion. Practice the technique with no intention of focusing, just some speed and good form, and, after you finish, tighten sequentially. For example, with a punch, tighten the abdomen and legs first, the drawing arm, and the technique arm last.
Body position. If your end position is unstable, even minimally so, your body may try to protect itself from injury by easing up. The movement of impact should not be a sudden stop for the body; it should "flow" into the target. To test this, step into a powerful fore fist punch. At the moment of completion, hold the position for a second and then relax. If you find yourself "settling" on the relaxation, then you are stopping the body too soon and not focusing. Practice until the body is completely settled at the moment of impact.
Muscle use. Another common problem is over-tightening the small muscles around the joints. You usually notice this as small cramps around the hip joint or pain in the back. Power should flow through the joints without tensing them. The small muscles only tense at the moment of impact and then they immediately relax. To correct this, relax the body until impact, then tense the body, and immediately relax again..
Breathing. Taking too big of a breath takes time and slows you down or you may be holding your breath, which tenses the body too soon.
Hamper opponent's speed. If you do things to decrease an opponent's speed, you are in effect increasing your relative speed. If you train to fight while constantly circling your opponent, your effective speed will increase if your opponent is slowed due to having to keep turning constantly to face you.
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