is there a way to speed up reflexes?

[Yarg!]

ok, a kick boxer from the iranian national team was working out at my gym. we started conversation and he told me his profession and what not... he was large , but not bulky- very fit. as the conversation progressed, i asked him to show me a few moves - jsut cuz i was curious, he tells me to punch him in the face as hard as i can. i ask him if he was sure, and he says yeah, so i punched him as hard and fast as i could: complete miss. he says go again, miss, miss miss... none of my punches hit him, he kept dodging left and right. this guy was one FAST mofo, tell me how do martial artists get so damn quick? i also see on UFC, gracie- untouchable, and cro-cop, also even, boxers- unfriggin touchable. im about to start brazillian jiu jitsu in about 1 week, and i was just wondering how these martial artists, do it.

 

[wtlftr]

genetics and auto-nomic reactions

 

[Judo Tom]

olympic lifting and agility drills..

 

[Roidboyz]

I don’t know what your background is so no offence but your inability to hit him might well be that you are telegraphing your punches and don't even realize it. If that is the case and the person who your punching knows how to read your “tell” you will never connect. A single straight punch delivered to someone who is expecting it and knows your target with no fake leading is about a zero percent deal. Trust me I know what I’m talking about. I think any of the other fighters on this board will back me up on this. As for increasing your reflexes I would say that you can’t however, I think building muscle and cardio endurance along with training in the arts and learning to set up your opponent with a good fake will increase your connect percentage.

In short you really didn’t have much of a chance of hitting him. Hope this helps.

 

[Yarg!]

yea i know im a pussy lol, but like 5 punches in a row and one after the other - thats kinda crazy. plus the iranian national team, so the guy must have some dexterity. also seasoned boxers/ other martial artists I have seen, have some crazy dodging/blocking.

 

[Roidboyz]

no doubt. I wasn't trying to bust your chops or slight the guy you were talking about, just trying to point out something you might not have thought about.

 

[Subzeero]

i would say reflexes are genetic/hereditary as well. But that doesn't mean, dodging solely reuires them. Its specially easier to make an aggressor look slow when you are on the defense. Its how to percieve a blow, connect straight lines and make sure your face isn't there. The guy was smart to tell you to hit him as hard as u can. You could have probably connected in weaker but quicker blows. I have been a hockey goalie. Its not all reflexes but most of it is prediction. You get better at it with practise.

Ps. If u are gifted with reflexes, you would allready know it. And i doubt that u would still be able to connect on that guy.

 

[KOArtist]

sometimes what u think are fast reflexes, are just the person seeing your shoulder move and being trained to instinctively slip a punch when they know it's coming. So it's kinda more like "technique through repetition" (and you telegraphing your punches) more than the person having inhuman reflexes, although some people do indeed have ridiculous reflexes (like an early Roy Jones, Pernell Whitaker, etc.)

 

[Bam]

sometimes what u think are fast reflexes, are just the person seeing your shoulder move and being trained to instinctively slip a punch when they know it's coming. So it's kinda more like "technique through repetition" (and you telegraphing your punches) more than the person having inhuman reflexes, although some people do indeed have ridiculous reflexes (like an early Roy Jones, Pernell Whitaker, etc.)

Actually the person on defense ALWAYS has the advantage....
When you attack me if I am on the defense I will be able to see and react to your move in advance... That is to say that your energy precedes your fist and I can react to that energy befor your body gets to me. Simple Physics, Not a mystery or magic but the laws of physics.

 

[ghettostudmuffin]

A simple single or double leg takedown will supercede that law of physics anytime if properly executed. Now tell me, am I wrong?

The person on defense is usually the loser when 2 trained fighters go at it because if you aren't attacking you're generally evading and blocking his energy and are vulnerable to dammage. Now alot of guys say well I will use his motion to throw him, or wait for him to make a mistake or this or that, but in real life that rarely happens, and while you're on the defensive you're getting your ass pummeled to a certain extent.

It's always better to make the first move. Especially if you can misdirect their attention and get a blind shot in first. Once you move you gotta go at it with everything you got.

Technique, experience, speed are all great, but alot of times a fight will end very quickly because one guy is bigger, stronger and more agressive than the other guy.

Technique and speed can win a fight almost instantly, but so can strength and power.

Better yet, how about just not fight, and if you have to fight just poke him in the eye and run. It works.