Can martial arts training help supplement badminton?

Discussion in 'Techniques / Training' started by Californian, Jun 18, 2002.

  1. Californian

    Californian Regular Member

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    Martial Arts & Badminton

    Hi all,

    Just wondering if any of you practice martial arts, and if so, does it help your badminton, particularly with hand-speed/reflexes, possibly even to the point of using it as part of your training?

    When I was playing on a college team, one of our best players, whom I will call GC, was a 6th-degree black belt in kung fu. He had also been an outstanding high school sprinter, and was just one of those all-around athletes who could succeed in any sport (I don’t know why he got into badminton). He used to challenge us to reach his body with a smash. Now I could hit pretty hard in those days, and if I got the setup at midcourt, only occasionally could I get one through. About the only way to win a rally against him with a smash was to hit it close to the sideline.

    During a singles match, if he wanted to have some fun, GC would use the tactic of deliberately setting up the opponent for a smash. When the opponent did smash, instead of blocking it, GC would just clear it up short so the opponent would smash again. As long as the other player would continue to smash to him, GC would set it up again, hoping the player would tire out, hit into the net, or become frustrated and loose focus. He once used this in a match against a “macho” type of guy. After the match, the guy was mad because he felt he had been “shown up.” Not knowing of GC’s martial arts skills, he wanted to fight. The guy’s friends, who did know, talked him out of it.

    Changing the pace of the smash was not effective—he could react to that. And forget about dropping. His reflexes and quickness to the net were too good. The best bet against him was to hit attacking clears, especially to the backhand, even in obvious smashing situations, because his overhead game was not quite as good as his defense.

    I’ve always wondered how good Bruce Lee would have been if he had played.
     
  2. cooler

    cooler Regular Member

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    I do have a badminton friend who practice Wing Chun. It is a defensive type of martial art and mostly involved the upper body so he is suited for double plays.

    On the topic of quickness, i have played against a guy who is very quick in every aspect of physical movement. When he smashed from the base line and i returned the shuttle close to the net, he's there to pound on my net return. He does jumpsmash with ease and i mean high jumps. He had great backhand smashes too. However, this player do have faults like being impatient and go for kills all the time. I see him more suitable for offensive MS than MD. Being just a college player, he once went to a provincial tournament and lost to an ex-national (~ mid 35 age) by a close third game (15x3 system). However, he didn't do too well in MD, and loses many matches to easier club MD teams so i heard. Personally i didn't see those matches but i guess his style of play is not in harmony with his partner. If you are jumpy and wanting to get to all the shots, you will create 'holes' which the opponent can exploit.
     
  3. jayes

    jayes Regular Member

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    Practicing martial arts can help your badminton, at least it helps me. :) However, depending solely on martial arts training to boost your badminton playing is not enough; You still need to practice lots of badminton. ;) Different training regimen will use different muscles.
     
  4. Matt Ross

    Matt Ross Regular Member

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    Hi,

    Martial arts helps your badminton? Are you serious. I have never heard of anything like this happening. It's news to me.

    Matt
     
  5. cooler

    cooler Regular Member

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    Matt, yes, martial arts skills can add another dimension to a badminton player. Of course exercising, weight training and doing badminton drills aer all essential but certain martial art skill can give you the extra edge:

    1. Mental toughness and concentration. Some people think martial arts like they see in movies with all those fancy moves but in true sense of martial arts, mental control is taught equally with the physical stuffs.

    2. Breathing. Learning how to breathe

    3. Power/energy management. How to execute explosive blows with minimum energy. How and when to relax. For example, bruce lee's 1 or 3 inch punch, he(120 lb) can knock a 190 lb man off the floor and flying backward with this punch :eek: This technique employ power transfer similar to what we do in badminton (see kwun's finger power revisited thread) Now compare this to a western cowboy big arching swing punch, you can see this punch coming from a mile away. Of course, this is an extreme example as bruce lee is not a regular kung fu guy either.
     
    #5 cooler, Jun 18, 2002
    Last edited: Jun 18, 2002
  6. Matt Ross

    Matt Ross Regular Member

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    Very strange
     
  7. Mag

    Mag Moderator

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    Cross-training is a good thing, as different sports utilize different muscle groups, which means you can have a higher training load than if you're only doing one sport.
     
  8. AKFT

    AKFT Regular Member

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    Just one word of caution. In martial arts, the "stance" stresses stability, to be able to fight with your upper body while your feet are glued to the ground. Therefore the legs are wide apart, with knees bent and a low center of gravity. If you apply this stance to badminton whilst on defense, your mobility will suffer. You would have difficulty getting to the shots.

    :)
     
    #8 AKFT, Jun 19, 2002
    Last edited: Jun 19, 2002
  9. Californian

    Californian Regular Member

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    Maybe that's just certain styles of fighting. Often I see the fighters dancing around, on the balls of their feet, in constant motion, like Ali in his prime. This would adapt better to badminton.
     
  10. cooler

    cooler Regular Member

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    AKFT

    AKFT, you must thinking about sumo wrestling, hahaha.

    Calif: Do you mean "float like a butterfly and sting like a bee"

    Beyond upper body application of martial arts in badminton, the footwork will depends on the specific fighting style, or singles vs doubles. But in bruce lee case, where he mastered the essence of all fighting styles, the saying would goes "flow like water and sting like a aluminium bat"
     
  11. cooler

    cooler Regular Member

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    Matt


    That's what the punched guy lying on the floor said too :D
     
  12. wedgewenis

    wedgewenis Regular Member

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    funny

    i think badminton would help you in martial arts more than martial arts would help you in badminton

    when i was in taekwondo.. i would always notice in tkd class.. taht a day or 2 after playing badminton i felt 2wice as light on my feet.. there was more powerfull springyness in footwork.. and i was able to explode into a kick or movement faster


    i think badminton is a great activity for becoming more light on your feet.. and would probly benefit any fighting sport, like boxing, taekwondo, karate or any other that involves that kind of movement.
     
  13. cooler

    cooler Regular Member

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    wedgewenis

    mag have said it clearly, it works both ways


    Cross-training is a good thing, as different sports utilize different muscle groups, which means you can have a higher training load than if you're only doing one sport.
     
  14. AKFT

    AKFT Regular Member

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    Anyone who had any basic training in martial arts (as opposed to merely being a spectator) would know what I was talking about. I don't think any martial arts coach would teach his students to "dance like a butterfly". I think you are confusing martial arts with ballet!

    :)
     
  15. Californian

    Californian Regular Member

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    Re: AKFT

    That's it!

    I think Ali had the raw skills to have been a great badminton player if he had chosen it instead of boxing, but the obscurity of the sport and the expectations of behavior would not have suited his personality. Can you imaging your opponent saying to you, "I'm so pretty, and I'm so fast, and I'm going to beat you so bad...":D
     
  16. AKFT

    AKFT Regular Member

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    I don't think boxing is a "martial art". However, you are correct in your observation that in boxing footwork is very important, and I think Bruce Lee derived a lot of his agility from that.

    :)
     
  17. cooler

    cooler Regular Member

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    bruce lee is the best martial artist and i see a foot in your mouth
     
    #17 cooler, Jun 20, 2002
    Last edited: Jun 20, 2002
  18. AKFT

    AKFT Regular Member

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    My statement stands.

    :)
     
  19. wedgewenis

    wedgewenis Regular Member

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    well it obviously depends on what martial art we are talking about

    some martial arts, like some forms of karate stress a stance of stability in One spot..

    other martial arts and especially boxing (and again DIffernent forms of karate or taekwondo) stress Stabilitiy in movement - the practice of moving in and out of distance w/the opponent is more important. closing distance w/attacks and fallowing them up and evading attacks are all important here.

    i was in WTF (World tkd Federation) Style TaeKwonDo, which is in many ways almost more of a sport than martial art - closer to boxing in many respects

    in the taekwondo i was in footwork was very important
     
  20. adelina76

    adelina76 Regular Member

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    Food for thought..

    I might get off the tangent a lil bit.. I know, very unlike me :p But I was thinking..it seems to me that you guys compare martial arts to badminton perhaps on the basis of the speed in both discipline being similar, and also the amount of foot work involved. It may come as a surprise to you that, a particular discipline that can be regarded as totally opposite to the bursting speed martial arts may actually have better benefit on your badminton game than martial arts, in my humble opinion.. Before you jump down my throat defending martial arts' contribution to badminton, please note that I didn't say martial arts have no benefit to your badminton, but it may not be as beneficial as this particular discipline...which is Yoga..surprise?

    Yoga is a form of exercise that combines breathing, semi-meditation, relaxation, body equibelerium (sp?) / balance and flexibility. How is it more advantageous and complimentary to your badminton..easy:

    1) Breathing - by learning how to conserve your energy and to breathe efficiently (I know it sounds wishy washy..but it works), you actually improves your stamina and don't tire as easily..

    2) Semi-meditation and relaxation : Obviously this is more beneficial in terms of psychological and mental toughness when dealing with such things as nervousness, fear of losing, losing temper on court etc..

    3) Body balance - You may have the fastest footwork on court, and can fly here and there, but if you constantly feel like you're wrong footed or you always land awkwardly after a particular shot, it is still not good..but by learning how to be more stable with applying the correct balance through adopting proper postures will help you out of those clumsy footworks..so less clumsy footworks = more efficient and quicker footwork :)

    4) Flexibility - this is one of Yoga's biggest contribution to badminton..ask any top players the meaning of being limber, or springy if you like..to be fluid with your movement instead of stiff and jerky..if you're flexible, you'll be able to perform better in terms of lunging, wrist and arm manouverability and strong and limber legs to help you with those fast footwork and of course..jumping smashes! :)

    In addition, because Yoga involves lots of stretches, it is also a discipline that will help you avoid unnecessary and ugly badminton injuries like tearing muscles and breaking ankles etc..ouch! :)

    Adelina
     
    ainchekar likes this.

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