From Sensei David Baker
Midtown Karate Dojo, NYC, New York

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Accelerate through the point of contact.

Newton's Second Law of Motion may be written as:
(net) Force = Mass x Acceleration

Virtually all our techniques are designed to ACCELERATE through the point of
contact. Arm techniques accelerate because of the torquing action of the
forearm. (Our punch, backfist, the various blocks, nukite, even the elbow
strike torques.) The front snap kick accelerates through full extension
because of the whipping action of the technique. Even the nihanchi stomp
accelerates because of the falling body weight. [32ft x (sec x sec)]

The importance of acceleration, over that of constant speed as it relates to
force, can be illustrated in the analogy of bumper cars. If I push the pedal
down and bump my friend in the other car, he gets jostled. However, if I push
the pedal down, and then right before impact I throw my body weight into the
steering wheel, he may get a mild case of whiplash.