Every movement you make in combat or self-defence could, and indeed should, use your whole bodyweight for the best effect. In this short video lesson I use simple examples to illustrate the point. It is for anyone who wants more power without needing more strength.

The difference between using just the limb and using the whole body is enormous. Once you see it, you can apply the same principle to your strikes, takedowns, throws, locks, chokes and strangles.

Why the Limb Alone Is Not Enough

Your arm is a small part of your total bodyweight. If you push, pull or strike with the arm alone, that small part is all you are using. Against someone bigger or stronger, it will not be enough.

When the legs, hips and body move together, the arm simply delivers the force the whole body produces. That is why a smaller person who moves well can hit harder than a bigger person who only swings their arms. It is also why it matters so much in self-defence, where you rarely get to choose the size of the person in front of you.

What Whole-Body Movement Looks Like

The examples might be simple, but the idea runs through everything:

  • A punch driven by the legs and hips, not the shoulder
  • A push that comes from stepping in with the body behind it
  • A pull that uses a drop of bodyweight rather than the biceps
  • A lock where the body turns and the hands just hold the position
  • A takedown where the hips do the work instead of the arms

In each case, the effort feels less but the result is much bigger.

Common Mistakes

The most common mistake is tension. People think power comes from squeezing every muscle. It does not. Tension stops the body moving as one unit and slows everything down. Stay relaxed until the moment of contact.

The second mistake is moving in pieces: step, then turn, then punch. The body has to arrive at the target together, or the power leaks out between each part.

How to Practise Safely

Try any technique twice, once with the limb only and once with the whole body behind it, on a bag or pad first. Then practise with a cooperative partner at low power. For chokes, strangles and locks, go slowly, keep full control and let go the moment your partner taps. In a real situation, the law allows only reasonable force, so the aim is always to stop the threat and get to safety.

Take It Further

For self-defence built on these principles, see the Pressure Point Self Defense Course. If you are older or less athletic, Fight Like An Old Man shows how good movement beats size and strength.