I'm not a large-framed person. I stand at 5'7", probably in the lowest 25% in terms of size and weight of fighters. Regardless of this fact, I'm able to hit as hard as nearly anyone in the game, and much harder than most. The reason for this is purely body mechanics. In general, good form and strong mechanics allow for more efficient fighting, but it primarily serves as the most important determiner of hit strength. Muscle means nothing if it's not trained to work properly and efficiently. Proper body mechanics also lend towards much stronger control as well, which is a mark of a truly skilled warrior.
Every shot you throw is executed by almost every part of your body: your core (abdomen/hips), legs, chest, shoulders, arms and hands all come into play. To attain the highest possible efficiency, aka. high shot power for low effort, you must be able to transfer the energy smoothly, and without loss, from your legs (with a step based shot) or hips/core (for a static shot) upwards through your upper body into your arms, all the way to your fingertips. Doing this well allows you to throw harder shots from offset positioning, throw solid shots without over-committing, and break shields with less effort and less danger to your opponent. Well-practiced, ergonomic movements are easier to control as well. To reduce force on risky shots, you can apply force in the opposite direction preemptive to contact, using force to simply close to gap quickly first.
The core is probably the single most important part of your body for shot power. Creating most of the force with your arms should only be necessary when forced to throw your shot from a position where using your core isn't possible. A combination of twisting your hips/abdomen and using your shoulder as the pivot point to drive your swing allows for quick, solid power creation. You can think about it this way: If the force for a swing originates in your core, each part of your body the kinetic energy reaches is a stage. If you're using your arms to create your swing force, you're committing to your shot at the second to last stage by applying power there. If you're creating 75% of your force at your core, you have multiple stages until contact in which to modify and manipulate your swing direction/angle/speed. Shots where power is from the core are also harder to read due to less wind-up.
Legs also contribute to shot force, but in a less direct manner. Taking a step in a direction means that throwing a shot in that same direction requires less reach. This allows you to tighten your swing radius/stab into a shorter arc, which allows your opponent less time to react, as well as allowing you to throw the same shot location harder with less effort, since you're not forced to reach and over-extend, which adds to your overall attack time. Also, by stepping hard and planting a foot, a fighter can use this planted pivot to create a whip effect with their swing. This can create wrap opportunities that aren't normally there or change a shot's angle drastically. Remember to keep your knees comfortably bent whenever pivoting and to twist your hip into the shot as well to prevent stress injuries.
Your shoulder and chest are the next most important area for power generation, and having muscle in these regions makes a bigger difference than the others. These muscle groups provide a measure of stability and force in conjunction with your core. It's also important to work with your body's momentum as often as possible. This can also encompass the use of spins, but in the case of Sword and Board and probably Flo, almost every attack you can make with a spin can be done more efficiently without one (though certainly less stylishly). Red weapons are more spin-friendly, as it sometimes costs you more to arrest your momentum than to take that energy an convert it into a spin.
Stabbing power-generation is a bit different. Your force should come from a combination of your shoulders/core and stepping forward. I generally set my arm and wrist into place, and let my thumb/hand positioning guide the stab's final resting place. You can extend a bit during the stab if you're out of ideal range, but a stable stab comes from the locking of the arm into the body. As you step into the stab (and you should almost always be stepping, preferably with your sword side foot) your hip should be swinging as well, creating extra force by forcing the core of your weight forward. As your arm shouldn't be contributing deeply at this point, you can use it to fine tune the final strength of the stab. Often if I know a stab is in a vulnerable spot, or I'm in close enough range that I'm likely to hit hard without a true lunge, I'll pull force from my stab by giving with my arm. We all want to end the day unharmed, and stabs can be dangerous when thrown hard with smaller profile stabbing tips. Control is paramount.
When your body moves in smooth synchronicity everything becomes easier. Energy is finite, and fighting efficiently means you can kick ass harder and for longer. When practicing your swinging and stabbing form: slow and smooth is the key. Hone your control, gather your force, perfect your form and become the hardest hitting, safest fighter you can be.
-The Golden Lion
Stabbing power-generation is a bit different. Your force should come from a combination of your shoulders/core and stepping forward. I generally set my arm and wrist into place, and let my thumb/hand positioning guide the stab's final resting place. You can extend a bit during the stab if you're out of ideal range, but a stable stab comes from the locking of the arm into the body. As you step into the stab (and you should almost always be stepping, preferably with your sword side foot) your hip should be swinging as well, creating extra force by forcing the core of your weight forward. As your arm shouldn't be contributing deeply at this point, you can use it to fine tune the final strength of the stab. Often if I know a stab is in a vulnerable spot, or I'm in close enough range that I'm likely to hit hard without a true lunge, I'll pull force from my stab by giving with my arm. We all want to end the day unharmed, and stabs can be dangerous when thrown hard with smaller profile stabbing tips. Control is paramount.
When your body moves in smooth synchronicity everything becomes easier. Energy is finite, and fighting efficiently means you can kick ass harder and for longer. When practicing your swinging and stabbing form: slow and smooth is the key. Hone your control, gather your force, perfect your form and become the hardest hitting, safest fighter you can be.
-The Golden Lion
