PLYOMETRICS 

& KARATE
Pedro Candeias
Karate Science Academy
 Plyometrics & Karate

WHAT'S THE MOST PRACTICAL

METHOD OF EXPLOSIVE
TRAINING TO USE IN YOUR
DOJO?
How to be more Explosive with this simple
and practical training method: Plyometric
Training
At the end of this eBook, you’ll better understand how Plyometric Training works...

... you will also receive very practical knowledge of how to use this method in your
Dojo!

Do you really know what makes your Karate more explosive?

That’s what everybody seeks in Karate training, right?

So, how can you do it with a simple and practical training method that you easily

can apply inside your own Dojo?

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 Plyometrics & Karate

You can use a simple and practical training strategy integrated in your Karate
classes:

It's Plyometric Training!!

Plyometric training refers to exercises that are designed to enhance Strength and
Speed, mainly through the use of jump training (but also with other types of

movements).

Plyometric movements are a natural part of Karate  because it involves hopping,

jumping, and sequenced fast movements (such as body displacements).

Plyometric training is the best way of developing Reactive Strength. And what is
Reactive Strength? It can be considered a type of Rapid Strength and it’s

characterized by what it’s called Stretch- Shortening Cycle (SSC).

SSC is an eccentric stretching of the muscles followed by a quick concentric

shortening of the same muscles, after ground contact of the feet (this is called the
amortization phase). SSC can be divided into phases:

1. Phase 1 – Pre-Activation (before your feet touch the ground, the quadriceps,
for example, are pre-activated so they can absorb the shock)

2. Phase 2 – Stretch (in the moment your feet touch the ground, the quadriceps

are stretched - Amortization)

3. Phase 3 – Shortening (in the take-off from the ground, the quadriceps
contract)

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Let's see a practical example related to Kumite...

Phase 1 - Pre-Activation: when you're in the descending phase of hopping

Phase 2 - Stretch: when your feet touch the ground

Phase 3 - Shortening: when you take your feets off the ground again (in another

hop or when make a displacement to attack or defend)

In resume, if you have higher levels of Reactive Strength you'll be able to make a

faster displacement to attack or avoid your opponent's attack and also become
lighter hopping during the ght (and you will be less tired in your legs).

But ATTENTION because Plyometrics wiil also help you jump higher and change
your direction faster in both Kata and Kumite ;)

You really need to understand Stretch-Shortening Cycle to make progress with

Plyometric exercises and drills!!

Stretch-Shortening Cycle
Stretch-Shortening Cycle (SSC) can be of two types: Fast or Slow.

To be considered “Fast”, the amortization phase (remember, the very brief ground

contact phase) must last less than 250ms. A top level Triple Jump athlete makes it
in a stupendous 100ms (what?!?) – but we bet Aghayev takes the same time when

he passes from hopping to a fast&furious Gyaku Zuki!!

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 Plyometrics & Karate

With over 250ms of ground contact, we are talking about “Slow”-SSC: in Karate we

have some examples, such as some jumps in Kata or Bunkai or total body direction
changes in Kumite and Kata. In other modalities, we have the example of

basketball throws (with jump) or volleyball blocks.

As you can see, 250ms or 300ms it’s not really a slow movement. But it’s a way of

splitting SSC into two distinct categories. JUST REMEMBER: Plyometric Training

must always have fast movements (no matter if it’s a “Fast” or a “Slow” SSC
exercise or drill)!!

Some Plyometrics’ History

Plyometric training is an explosiveness-boosting method that started to be used in

eastern countries in the 60s (yes, it’s that old and yet so misunderstood or even
unknown by Karate Instructors).

The leading researcher of Plyometric training was a Russian scientist named Yuri

Verkhoshansky and he called it the “Shock Method”.

In western countries, Plyometrics was rst used in 1975 by an American track and

eld coach named Fred Wilt, that baptized it Plyometric.

In the early 1990s, George Davies and Kevin Wilk introduced plyometrics into

rehabilitation.

Click here so you can watch an original video, where you can see who Dr.

Verkhoshansky was and some of his training sessions (he's the “beard” man in the

rst picture).

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 Plyometrics & Karate

BUT PLEASE, do not try to copy the exercises you’ll see in the video!! First, because

the method evolved since that time and science shows that some of those

exercises are not effective to develop Reactive Strength... Second, because there

are exercises you should not use   before you really know how, when, and which
kind of students can practice it…

Keep your Students safe!!

A Little Bit More Of Simple And Practical

Science
By now, you already know more than most of Karate instructors: what’s Reactive

Strength, the Stretch-Shortening Cycle (SSC), Types of SSC, who is Yuri

Verkhoshansky, (not knowing who this Big Sports Scientist is it's like a movie
director who doesn’t know who Steven Spielberg is!!)!!

Now, let’s learn a bit more, before entering the more practical application of this
scienti c-based method (in the next sub-chapter).

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 Plyometrics & Karate

Plyometrics enhances a vital thing to

explosiveness: ELASTIC ENERGY!
How? So, when the muscle is stretched, mechanical energy is absorbed by the

muscles.

This energy can be dissipated in the form of heat (what a waste!!) or it can be

stored within the muscle as elastic energy. Both situations will happen

simultaneously, but you need to potentiate the elastic energy as much as you can.

When you achieve this is when the magic happens!!

This storage of elastic energy in the musculotendinous tissues contributes to the

increased force produced in the subsequent concentric phase (when you take-offf

the ground)!! But you only potentiate elastic energy if the movement is fast.

Plyometrics should be one of the most important choices when you prepare your

training plans. Why? Because it’s amazing to improve leg muscle's speed-strength

and power. It can also have the same effect on upper limbs, but that’s another

story.

Ground Reaction Time, Change of Direction Speed or powerful and fast Karate

techniques bene t a lot from Plyometric drills.

It also has an important role in the prevention of serious knee injury among female
athletes, for example! How? With the correct training and coach feedback, it

reduces the landing forces, having a signi cant effect on knee stabilization.

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Plyometric exercises also facilitate neural adaptations that enhance

proprioception, kinesthesia and muscle performance.

Also very important is that continued over a long period of time, during

adolescence growth, may increase bone mass... If you use the correct dose.

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 Plyometrics & Karate

How to be more Explosive with this simple

and practical training method: Plyometric
Training
In the previous pages of this eBook, we’ve been looking at how Stretch- Shortening

Cycle works and the importance of Plyometric training to improve it.

Now, we are going to start seeing practical and scienti c-based aspects of

Plyometric exercises.

Equipment
The rst thing you need to consider is the training surface: the Tatami of your Dojo
is ideal (it absorbs some of the shock in landing)!

But if you don’t have the luck to have a tatami what should you do?

Your students should practice Plyometric drills with proper footwear that provide
good cushion and also sturdy support…

If you, for an instant, thought that training with sports’ footwear would be against
Karate’s “tradition”, think better: you are not that kind of retrograde Sensei!!

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 Plyometrics & Karate

Your students go to your classes because they expect to have the best, safest, and

most motivating training sessions. If you explain them why they should execute

Plyometrics with proper shoes, they will see you as a person who knows what

you’re doing. And, most important, it’s worried about their health. After
Plyometrics, when they go to Kata training, for example, they take off their

footwear.

You must look to sports’ footwear as a safety gear, like ghting gloves, shin or groin

protections.

Than, to manage intensity and variability of Plyometric exercises you should have

some of the following equipment:

1. Solid Jump Boxes from 15cm/6 inches to 60cm/24 inches or more, in height. 

2. Plastic Cones

3. Steps

4. Hurdles (various heights)

5. Medicine Balls (for the upper-body)

6. Speed Ladder
7. Mini-Trampouline

8. etc.

The motivation expands signi cantly, if you have different types of equipment to

train with.

VARIABILITY is a KEY-FACTOR for students’ motivation…

Be aware! If you’re a good Karate instructor and you are doing your job properly,

your students will naturally experience more con dence when they train with you.
This is totally true if they feel their health and safety are your top priority.

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Safety Considerations
Plyometrics can be a very intense form of training. It can place substantial stress

on the bones, joints, and connective tissue.

While Plyometrics can enhance an athlete’s speed, power, and performance, it also

can place him/her at a greater risk of injury than less intense training methods.

Plyometrics is like Strength training for Kids. It can and should be done but in the

correct way and guidance.

Prior to starting a program, there are several things to consider so the training

sessions are performed in a safe and effective way:

1. Exercise Technique – you must, always, teach proper technique, posture, and

execution of each exercise (with a slower velocity)

2. Start with Low Intensity and Low Volume – a Karateka should have an

adequate foundation of muscle strength and endurance (I will go deeper in

this with numbers, later in this eBook)

3. Suf cient Warm-Up – to have the muscles well activated

4. Regular and Proper Feedback – the words you use make a huge difference in

injury prevention

Let’s continue directly to the point!

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Training Load
In contrast to common believes most Karate and Sports trainers have (those who

already use Plyometric Drills), adding weight to the exercises do not bring extra

bene ts and gains of Elastic Energy Recoil and Stretch Re ex Potentiation!!

Mostly, because extra-weight will cause a slower amortization phase that doesn’t
allow for an effective utilization of elastic energy, for example.

This information is particularly relevant if you want to develop Fast-SSC in your

athletes’ legs! And you want it, don’t you?!? That's the way they increase speed in

Kumite and Kata displacements...

You can and must use only body weight!!

You increase the training load by raising the solid jump boxes or hurdles height.

Another way of doing it – the most important for Karate – is “pushing” execution

speed. Always assuring the maintenance of proper technique – don’t forget it!!

The external load is fundamental but in other training methods: like Explosive

Strength methods or Ballistic methods.

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Speed
Drills should be performed in maximal speed (but safely and always maintaining

the correct technique).

Remind that the rate (velocity) of the pre-stretch of the contracting muscle is more

important than the length (more height) of the stretch. This is, jump speed is more

important than jump height. You must focus, primarily, on increasing exercise

execution speed! The exception here is only the jumps in Kata performance...

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 Plyometrics & Karate

Frequency
Plyometrics should be performed 2 to 3 times per week (unless you are alternating

days of upper and lower body drills), on separate days, except when you are closer
to competitions.

In Off-Season/Preparatory Period you perform Plyometrics two or three sessions a

week.

During In-Season/Competitive Period, 1 session is enough to keep the previous

training gains and prevent injuries (after a 10-week of more intense Plyometric

program).

Intensity
The intensity of Plyometric method is typically classi ed as low, medium or high.

When your athletes/students reach more intense levels, volume should decrease.

The intensity for the lower extremities are related to foot contacts, the direction of

the jump, speed, jump height, and body weight. For example:

1. Exercises with both feet are less intense than one foot only.

2. Exercises with no spatial displacement tend to be less intense than drills

where your students displace from the starting point (vertical vs horizontal

Plyometrics)

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Volume
Volume is typically expressed in the number of foot contacts (repetitions and sets)

or jumped distance.

Volumes of approximately 10 weeks in duration, twice a week seem to maximize

the gains in performance (with more than 50 jumps per session, number that

increases progressively along the weeks).

Plyometric Volume per Session:

1. Beginners – 80-100 ground contacts (jumps or steps)

2. Intermediate – 100-120 ground contacts

3. Advanced – 120-140 ground contacts

There are several scienti c studies that used more ground contacts per session,

but the results were not signi cantly better than the numbers you see here. And

you must keep the time to other dimensions of Karate training.

You must plan your classes with maximum ef ciency, so you’re not wasting time!

Rest and Recovery

To be certain that intensity and proper execution of the exercises are preserved, 1

to 5 minutes of rest is needed between Plyometric drills, depending on the

intensity and volume of the workout.

Between training sessions, is recommended a recovery time of 48-72 hours (2-3

days).

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FINAL NOTE

All the information inside this eBook refers to the lower-limbs but the same
principles must be followed for the upper-limbs, too...

I'm talking about Plyo Push-Ups  or Medicine Ball throws, for example.

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My name is Pedro Candeias and I’m the Founder of Karate Science
Academy.  

In Karate Science Academy I have a dream/mission: to Organize Scienti c

Knowledge and make it Universal, Easy, and Useful for every single Karate
instructor or student!  

Fortunately, there will always be more information to organize and new

ways of turning it useful… and Karate Science Academy will always be here
to accomplish this goal.  

As a Sports Trainer (and Karate Instructor), I always felt the need of looking
for answers to the thousands of doubts I had in my mind. Doubts about the
best and safest ways of training human people. I became an Education
Courses “addict”... and, after starting my Master of Science in Sports
Training, I became a Scienti c Articles/ Papers “addict” too. 

I’m going to tell you a secret: my bedside table readings before sleeping
are Scienti c Reviews, Original Evidence-Based Articles, … all about Human
Movement, Sports, and Health (and, of course, Karate).  

I’m pretty sure there are thousands and thousands of Karate Coaches and
Athletes/Students that feel the same way I felt a few years ago… 

I have a huge database of evidence-based knowledge, and growing every

week!