Yeah I do the same thing, but one thing I've been working on is my hips/torso and arm coordination. Most your power in a chop isn't produce from your arms, it's all in the hips/torso. So when my knife is raised in the air, I twist my hips/torso (like swinging a baseball bat) and then come down with my arms. You generate a lot more speed and power that way.
The speed of the blade is accelerated if you can get the hip, leg, torso, and arms sync'd. In a way it like golf. You can hit the ball with all arm and shoulder motion but its the complete, entire smooth movement of the body that will go the farthest or in this case the deepest.
Dan
