Bad Head Movement: A Dangerous Martial Arts Mistake

Moving the head in the martial arts is a must. But there’s a big difference between good head movement and bad head movement!

In this video, I reveal the bad habit that causes many martial artists to beat themselves up when they train.

If the video won’t load, you can find a summary of the main idea below. Heads up! 🙂

Bad Head Movement in the Martial Arts

I don’t care what style of martial arts you practice, there’s one big mistake you see everywhere—whipping and tipping the head for no good reason. You know… like a bobblehead.

If you’re letting your head whip or tip even a little bit, you’re setting yourself up for trouble. It’s like having a loose wheel on your car…

You may not notice a loose wheel when you’re driving at slow speeds and in a straight line, but once you punch that gas and start making sharp turns, that wheel’s going to wobble and pop off. You’re going to flip over and die in a fireball.

My advice?

Tighten that wheel. Don’t let your head wobble.

How do you do that? Well, this is where things get tricky. You see, most problems in the martial arts are rooted in fear, ignorance, or laziness. But in the case of bobbleheading, I think the problem is rooted in delusion.

Try this experiment…

Sit or stand up straight. Now turn your head from side to side.

What do you feel? You have a sensation of motion, right? But your body is not moving at all! You just feel like you’re moving.

Move your head faster. It feels like you’re moving faster.

Whip your head stronger. It feels like you’re stronger.

But none of that is true! You’re still just standing there.

All of that bad head movement creates the illusion of speed and power. And if you believe in this illusion, it becomes a delusion.

The Bobblehead Delusion

The Bobblehead Delusion slips its way into your training any time you’re desperate to add more speed and power. Hey—improving your technique can take years, but shaking and rocking your head feels like an improvement immediately.

But here’s the problem with shaking and rocking your head…

You’re beating yourself up! You’re causing brain damage!

Think about it—when a bad guy attacks you, what does he want? He wants to knock you out. He wants to shake your brain around and disorient you. He wants to bounce your brain around inside your skull so you get a concussion.

So, when you whip and tip your own head—when you move like a bobblehead—you’re doing all the work for him! You’re helping him! You’re shaking your own brain.

STOP THAT RIGHT NOW!

To be clear here, I’m not talking about slipping and fading, or bobbing and weaving—those are all practiced head movements that you should be doing on purpose. I’m talking about tipping and whipping your head around just because it makes you feel faster and stronger.

Instead of deluding yourself with unnecessary head movement, focus on improving your technique. Challenge yourself to develop your speed and your power without moving your head.

Remember—when you’re training in the martial arts and self-defense, your number one priority should be protecting your head.

If you take a shot to the leg, you can still fight back. If you take a shot to the arm, you can still fight back. But take one good shot to the head and that might be it!

So, use your head—don’t use your head. Improve your moves instead.

Want to make your neck stronger for better head movement? Check out these simple neck exercises!