Best way to improve your reflexes?

[scors77]

Hi, I was wondering what is the best way to train myself to get better reflexes for fighting. I was looking here:

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/bioplyo2.htm

Those look like some good exercises but I don't have a forest near my house to run in. Is there any better ways I can train myself to improve my reflexes. My reflexes are really slow as of now, and would like to improve them. Thanks.

[Hardball]

Hit a speed bag and a double end bag.

[MyGlyco]

First try to improve your speed.
I think that reflexes can be very well trained/sharped.

[scors77]

Originally Posted by MyGlyco

First try to improve your speed.
I think that reflexes can be very well trained/sharped.

Good point. Do you know any books/sites/workouts that teach you to improve your speed?

[Filero]

Originally Posted by scors77

Hi, I was wondering what is the best way to train myself to get better reflexes for fighting. I was looking here:

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/bioplyo2.htm

Those look like some good exercises but I don't have a forest near my house to run in. Is there any better ways I can train myself to improve my reflexes. My reflexes are really slow as of now, and would like to improve them. Thanks.

The most important thing to remember is that fast reflexes in fighting is not just about being physically fast. Fast reflexes aren't just about being able to move fast, it's also about being able to recognize that it's time to move, and being relaxed enough to actually apply it. In short, by far the #1 place to develop fast reflexes is in the ring, and you should look at anything else as merely an adjunct. An alive, combative-style drill where you don't know exactly when you partner will strike is the #2 best way. To illustrate my point, I watched a good boxer in the ring with a beginner. At first it looked like the good boxer was lightning fast, whenever the beginner threw a punch, the good boxer wasn't there. Looking more closely, I realized the good boxer moved the instant the beginner threw a punch, and in many cases he started his movement an instant before the beginner threw his punch. He could see what the beginner was going to do, and that's why he could get out of the way so fast. What looked like lightning fast reflexes was really more about recognizing the opponent's telegraphs early. I've noticed in sparring that sometimes I was moving to defend a punch before I consciously saw the punch coming, especially when I'm relaxed in the ring. The more experience you get, the more this happens.

In short, fast reflexes is not just physical. It is about being relaxed enough to move quickly (doesn't matter how fast you are if you are tense or scared, because once you tense up you won't be fast), and about recognizing the signs (even unconsciously) that a particular strike is coming. Being able to move your hands quickly is only one small part of the equation, and your best bet is to build all the attributes together.

[scors77]

Originally Posted by Filero

The most important thing to remember is that fast reflexes in fighting is not just about being physically fast. Fast reflexes aren't just about being able to move fast, it's also about being able to recognize that it's time to move, and being relaxed enough to actually apply it. In short, by far the #1 place to develop fast reflexes is in the ring, and you should look at anything else as merely an adjunct. An alive, combative-style drill where you don't know exactly when you partner will strike is the #2 best way. To illustrate my point, I watched a good boxer in the ring with a beginner. At first it looked like the good boxer was lightning fast, whenever the beginner threw a punch, the good boxer wasn't there. Looking more closely, I realized the good boxer moved the instant the beginner threw a punch, and in many cases he started his movement an instant before the beginner threw his punch. He could see what the beginner was going to do, and that's why he could get out of the way so fast. What looked like lightning fast reflexes was really more about recognizing the opponent's telegraphs early. I've noticed in sparring that sometimes I was moving to defend a punch before I consciously saw the punch coming, especially when I'm relaxed in the ring. The more experience you get, the more this happens.

In short, fast reflexes is not just physical. It is about being relaxed enough to move quickly (doesn't matter how fast you are if you are tense or scared, because once you tense up you won't be fast), and about recognizing the signs (even unconsciously) that a particular strike is coming. Being able to move your hands quickly is only one small part of the equation, and your best bet is to build all the attributes together.

I believe all what you have said. I was thinking about that the other day too... about being scared or tense and you won't be fast. That cripples me in fighting then. Because I get shaky and tense when I get scared. It's almost not normal to stay relaxed in a street fight with a stranger unless you are fighting with a friend or you've had lots of experience and learned to control it quickly. I've asked my doctor about this, the tense and shaky's. He says that's just the way I'm built. So I guess I'm crippled in this area of fighting, damn.

[Filero]

Originally Posted by scors77

I believe all what you have said. I was thinking about that the other day too... about being scared or tense and you won't be fast. That cripples me in fighting then. Because I get shaky and tense when I get scared. It's almost not normal to stay relaxed in a street fight with a stranger unless you are fighting with a friend or you've had lots of experience and learned to control it quickly. I've asked my doctor about this, the tense and shaky's. He says that's just the way I'm built. So I guess I'm crippled in this area of fighting, damn.

Scors, if your doctor is not a fighter, you shouldn't believe his comment about that just being the way you're built. Everyone is scared and tense in the ring (or fighting) at first, it is unnatural to be relaxed when someone else is trying to hit you, and even more unnatural to stay relaxed even after you've been hit! In a way you have to completely re-train your reptilian brain, the one that's evolved for millions of years to dump "I'm scared, save me" messages onto you, to instead learn that it will stay safer it if backs off and lets you do you thing ... and that takes a little time and experience. You are starting exactly where every single one of us starts, and you can train your way out of that. I'm not a doctor, but I'm right and your doctor is wrong. Just getting time doing alive-style drills and, more importantly, sparring will get you there, little by little. Eventually, when you step in the ring it won't be a scary place, it will be a place you've spent hours and hours, it will be your office, and you will be comfortable there and just go to work when it's time. If you're a beginner, skill work and sparring time (assuming you're at a level where you can spar, otherwise work towards that) are 90% of what will speed up your reflexes, anything you do outside of that will be noise and, as I said, that outside speed work won't even show up in the ring or in a fight if you're not also working the other important skills.

[scors77]

Well that's good news for me. I'm not looking to intentionally start a fight here, just for self defense. I'm scared to walk the bad streets of this town because of this. Maybe after a little, or a lot of practice with sparring etc I can have the confidence to walk these mean streets alone.

I see you joined in 03' what took you so long to post ?

[Filero]

Originally Posted by scors77

Well that's good news for me. I'm not looking to intentionally start a fight here, just for self defense. I'm scared to walk the bad streets of this town because of this. Maybe after a little, or a lot of practice with sparring etc I can have the confidence to walk these mean streets alone.

I see you joined in 03' what took you so long to post ?

Took me a while to figure out something to say

[DickHardman]

parry/counterattack drills from boxing and muay thai will improve your reflexes and timing.

[KirkhamsEbooks.]

There's a free speed and reaction drills ebook in here

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[kanik]

Very interesting thread. I was just today talking about how i can increase my reflexes and crap. Looking forward to hearing what the rest of the people have to say. But yeah, also whats good is getting a peice of paper, extending your arm as high as yuou can and try to catch it in one hand, rip the piece when you can do it, and try again with the smaller peice of paper, rip it again, etc. etc. etc.

[MyGlyco]

Interesting.
I would say to do that with a coin (except with the rip part), because the speed of the coin is much bigger.It would take much more effort.

[Ghost]

kanik and myglyco,
how would these methods translate to any usable reflex in martial arts?

or anything for that matter.

[KirkhamsEbooks.]

What you should be trying to develop is know as a learned reflex. Basically movements repeated over a period of time go to the lower brain. They are specific to the activitiy however. A person working on an assembly line for example becomes faster over time through repetition

Rick
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