The Difference Between Strength and Power
by
Singapore Wing Chun Academy

In martial arts, it is all about power. Strength alone is not good for fighting. In Internal Style Martial Arts, you do not need big muscles and therefore you do not need to do weight training or muscle conditioning. What you need is explosive speed (not accelerated speed) and internal energy and the outcome is devastating penetrative destructive power which causes internal damages when struck. The strikes must be as fast as an arrow. Therefore, the focus is placed on how to develop intense speed during training. Again, in martial arts, strength is represented by an individual's ability to deliver a motion using muscles with, for example, the biceps and triceps in the arms, the deltoids in the shoulders, lateral muscles of the back or legs etc... Power, however, is the summation of the total energy generated by few components:

Internal Power

• mechanical alignment of all joints in use for a particular movement
• the reaction returning energy upwards through the knees to the body and finally output to the limbs when the legs exert energy onto the ground prior to delivering strikes

         ( Newton's 3rd Law: For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction )

• hip torsion while executing a strike, block or kick
• internal energy delivered by the pumping of the elixir field "dan tian" (an invisible organ equivalent function to the heart whereby it pumps the invisible energy "chi" instead of blood) while executing strikes, kicks and blocks. It's analogical to explain as creating a motion mechanically (using muscular strength) or pneumatically using air pressure.
• sudden sharp explosive speed launch from total relaxation of mind, muscles, joints, eyes  plus visualisation

Therefore it is not how much strength you have that defines how good at martial arts you are. It is how much power you have. To the opponent, when hit on the body using strength, pain is usually immediate and superficial. Contusions are usually visible. However, when struck with power, at the point of being hit, one will not feel the immediate pain. What was felt was the fist or palm pushing into the part being hit. It's only a fraction of a second later that pain was felt. This reaction is clearly visible in the video clip. My student holding the target pad only began to rock fraction of second after the impact.  It is excruciating, deep penetrating and explosive usually at the region aft of the point of impact. Contusions may not necessarily be visible but usually resulted in internal bleeding or organs rupture due to the sudden acute compressive pressure onto the organ.

Short Range Power

Long Range Power

Power is, unlike strength, is momentary and therefore, there is no muscles fatigue from repeated and prolonged use. Once you have it, you have it for life. However, the intensity and magnitude can only be maintained or upgraded through regular practices. 

Wing Chun’s 3rd form Biu Ji shall be practised with explosive combat speed to develop perfect use of both long and short range power.