Punching Information

[Matousek]

I thought this information would be handy to any martial artist,so enjoy!

 

How to make a clenched fist

 

Hold arm straight out in front of the body with hand held flat (palm down) with fingers straight and together with thumb sticking out.

 

Starting with the little finger, tightly roll all the fingers inward until they are tightly curled.

 

Fold thumb firmly down over first and second fingers and tighten the entire fist by squeezing all fingers and thumb inward, into the curl and by squeezing the thumb/index finger and little finger horizontally toward each other.

 

Keep fist in a straight line with the forearm with wrist locked.

 

Tighten fist, wrist, and forearm until they become an integral unit.

 

Individual fingers and wrist cannot withstand much force, but, as a part of a solid integral unit, they can withstand tremendous forces without injury.

 

Keep thumb tightly curled so it does not snag on something while punching and does not give the opponent something to grab.

 

Wrist Alignment

 

If you do not use proper hand alignment when punching, you are exposing yourself to injury. The most common injury is what is known as “boxer’s fracture,” which is a fracture of the long bone that runs across the top of the hand (metacarpal) and/or the knuckle. This fracture usually occurs on the bones of the last two fingers. The top of the hand is not well supported for the transmission of force because it connects to other bones of the wrist at an oblique angle. Other common injuries include the fracture of the wrist and/or the elbow.

 

Boxer's fracture is not just a novice injury. Novice students usually cannot generate enough punching force to cause the fracture, so most boxer's fractures occur in experienced students who let their technique slip and fail to maintain proper hand alignment. Turning the hand so that the last two knuckles strike first is the most common cause of boxer’s fracture. Another problem is that people do not align their entire wrist correctly when doing the basic fore fist punch. If the wrist is bent or bends during contact, injury to the wrist can occur.

 

There is a solid bone-to-bone straight line connection from the knuckles of the first and index fingers through the long bones (metacarpals) of the hand into the wrist and up the forearm. This means that when the arm is extended in a punch, all the bones from the first two knuckles to the shoulder are aligned in basically a straight line. This alignment permits the impact of a punch to be absorbed by the body. However, the metacarpal bones of the last two knuckles meets the wrist at an oblique angle, which prevents the transmission of forces along the arm and leads to a fracture. Allowing the elbow to flare outward during a straight punch (instead of staying behind the fist) causes the last two knuckles to strike first, which leads to fractures.

 

Boxer’s tape their hands into the proper position so that striking forces are properly aligned. The fixed wrist also keeps hook punches in tight and prevents the use of a large hooking punch. Since boxers rely on this artificial means of keeping the wrist aligned, they have not learned how to do so themselves. So in fights out of the ring, they also may damage their hands.

 

Another problem is the use of soft punching bags (older leather bags are relatively hard, which means the hands must be taped and gloved). These soft bags were designed to prevent injuries by absorbing the delivered force, which limits repetitive damage and impact damage to student's hands. However, when these same students punch something hard, a head for example, they fracture their hands.

 

Arm Alignment

 

For the maximum power of a punch to be transferred to the target, the arm must be aligned properly. Try this experiment. Have a partner perform a basic middle punch at your midsection and hold it there. Then put your hands around the puncher's shoulders and pull the puncher's fist into your abdomen. Usually the person's elbow will bend outward and start to collapse. This means the elbow was positioned in a way that all the power of a punch may not have been transmitted into the target, but instead, some of it was absorbed by the weak elbow. Usually this is because the elbow was pointing outward to the side. If the elbow is rotated slightly downward, the arm is much stronger.

 

At first, it feels unnatural to stop the elbow in this position but with practice it will feel more natural. To position the elbow this way in a punch, execute a vertical punch and then rotate your fist into a traditional punch position being careful to keep you elbow in place. Now try the above experiment with the elbow rotated downward. It doe not bend as it did in the first experiment.

 

Besides more power, this elbow position has a secondary advantage. It protects the elbow from an attack from the side that may hyperextend the it.

 

Punching Tips

 

Power is lost in the joints. Power is lost in the shoulder, elbow, and wrist. Bones are perfect transmitters of force, but where one bone ends and another begins is where power is lost. Misaligned, over-tensed, or under-tensed joints will lessen your power. People who wing their punches tend to lose power at the shoulder and elbow. People who bend their wrist when they hook tend to lose the power of that punch at the wrist.

 

Elbow. Keep elbow close to the body so that the direction of the strike is parallel to the movement of the centerline of the body. Otherwise, the force of the impact will stop at the elbow and cause injury rather than being reflected back to and absorbed by the body.

 

Do not lock the elbows. When throwing linear punches, do not to lock your elbows. If your elbow locks upon impact, it will have a pushing effect and rob you of critical power. If the elbow is locked it meaning the punch has stopped. If the elbow is still bent on impact, it mean the punch is stilling accelerating.

 

Apply full power. To apply full power, rotate shoulder into the punch, then the hip, and then the rear foot.

 

Straight line. For linear punches, the fist moves in straight line to the target and then back along the same line to the guard position. Wrist stays locked, elbow is behind the fist. Do not arc the punch.

 

Do not telegraph the punch. Telegraphing means inadvertently making your intentions known to your assailant. There are many subtle forms of telegraphing, here are just a few:

 

Cocking your arm back prior to punching or striking

 

Tensing your neck, shoulders, or arms prior to striking

 

Widening your eyes or raising your eyebrows

 

Shifting your shoulders

 

Grinning or opening your mouth

 

Taking a sudden or deep breath.

 

Keep wrist locked. When punching (circular or linear), ensure your wrists are correctly aligned with your forearm. If your wrist bends or collapses on impact, it may either sprain or break.

 

Tighten fists on impact. This augments the impact power of your strike and protects the fist.

 

Relax. Tension is the opposite of everything good or favorable in your performance. Tension is the opposite of speed. Tension is the opposite of power. Tension telegraphs you intentions Tension is the opposite of mobility. Tension is a drain on endurance. In the case of punching power, tension in the shoulders is the problem.

 

Punch with the body. When you punch with the whole body, the opponents feels your mass behind the punch. A Thai saying states that a person who really knows how to hit moves fluidly but his touch is as heavy as a mountain.

 

Focus. Full power must come at the at precisely the right range at the right time so the punch does not come up short or get jammed.

 

Impact Point. The point of impact should be the web space between the first two fingers. This point will not actually strike the target but using it as a striking point will ensure the first two knuckles strike the target first.

 

Sequence. Punching power comes from a succession of coordinated muscle contractions and releases.

 

Power Punching

 

In any type of full contact fighting, the knockout is what excites fighters and fans the most. One of the greatest knockout boxers in history was Rocky Marciano. The Ring magazine (September 1997) said of Marciano,"He never sought refuge in a clinch, never tired, and couldn't be hurt....He was an unstoppable force, breaking bodies and spirits. It was a hellish experience to fight him...Like Dempsey and Louis, he was able to get his whole body into a punch."

 

In 1963, the U.S. Testing Company was asked to measure the power of Rocky's punch. It found that Marciano's knockout punch packed more explosive energy than an armor-piercing bullet and represented as much energy as would be required to spot lift 1000 pounds one foot off the ground. Always ready to take two or three punches to land one, Marciano beat down the guards of his opponents, and then, with the shortest arms in the history of the heavyweight division, he hammered them into submission.

 

Where Did This Power Come From? There is an axiom in boxing that says "You can’t teach power. Either a fighter is born with it or not." Hundreds and hundreds of fighters have proven it to be true. However, in analyzing the punching of power hitters, some things are evident.

 

How a fighter sets himself when he delivers a blow affects power. A "boxer" like Mohamed Ali was on his toes, mobile, with little contact with the floor when he hits. The force of his impact comes only from his arms and shoulders. However, a "slugger" like Marciano plants his feet flat as he punches, using the floor for leverage to get more body weight behind the punch.

 

Power is affected by a fighter's "commitment to the punch." A fighter who is thinking about a counterattack when he throws a punch is not committed to the punch. A fighter who accepts that he might get hit with a weak counter punch and could care less, will put everything into a punch.

 

Marciano’s incredible power began in his feet as they pushed off the mat, then it moved through his thick, muscular legs, the swivel of his hips, and the twist he put into his upper body as he snapped forward his short arm and finally it erupted at hisfist. The power of a punch is calculated by the energy applied to the target. So the kinetic energy of Marciano's punch, that is the degree of damage the punch would generate, is equal to 1/2 mass x velocity x velocity (1/2mv2). Rocky's striking mass was equal to the mass of his arm plus the body mass he shoved forward behind punch. As the arm punches forward, the time from beginning to end of the punch increases as you increase the distance of the punch. Since velocity = feet per sec, that means the longer the range the less velocity. Since energy generated is mass times vel x vel, if your punches are short, as was Marciano's, your velocity is incredible! And the transmitted energy at impact is enormous!

 

Joe Louis, who was knocked out by Rocky in the 8th round, said of Marciano, "It hurt to bump into him...." Archie Moore, who was knocked out by Rocky in the 9th round, when asked by reporters which of Marciano's punches hurt him the most, said, "Man they all hurt." Fred Brown said, "He hits you with something that looks like a little tap to the crowd, but the guy who gets it shakes right down to his legs."

 

Lock out and Snap Back Punches

 

In a lock out punch, the arm is thrust out to about 98% of the elbow's extension, and then the arm is held in an isometric contraction, motionless, for a second. In a snap back punch, the arm is thrust out in the same manner but it is quickly withdrawn without any apparent stoppage. Both punches impact the target using muscle power with the mass of the body behind them, the difference comes after contact is made.

 

In the lock out punch, the muscles contracting to thrust the fist into the target are contracted isometrically to firmly connect the arm to the torso, while protecting the elbow joint from injury due to high speed hyper-extension. Contact time is extended. In the snap back punch, contact time is extremely short. Both types are appropriate for different circumstances, targets, and desired outcomes.

 

The lock out punch is useful for beginners to learn punching motions. Most patterns and one-steps use the lock out punch. For sparring, the snap back punch is usually more effective. If your opponent is charging forward about to run over you, then drive a lock out punch into them , with a firm connection to the floor to take the impact of impaling him/her To drive an opponent backward, bury a lock out punch into them with deep penetration. To hit an opponent who is moving back, use the snap back punch.

 

Locking out a punch leaves you vulnerable for a relatively long time. If you are dealing with a person who knows joint locks or wrestling technique, always snap back. During competition locking out punch wastes too much time, you need to snap back and quickly attack again and again until Break! is called.

 

Head Hunting

 

When angered, it is human nature to punch toward the head. In boxing, the pubic cheers for head shots and wonders why the fighter that was hitting the opponent in the head lost the fight. Boxers know body shots will win the fight, either by knockout, by weakening the opponent so a head shot may be effective, or by punishing the opponent until he or she quits.

 

In Taekwondo training and in class sparring sessions, we practice punching to the head. But, is this a prudent thing to do? The head is hard and hands are fragile. This is not a good combination. Bare hand punches are an excellent weapon to use to attack the soft body, but not the hard head. There are soft targets on the head, such as the nose or the jaw hinge, but the targets are small, surrounded by hard bone, constantly moving, and difficult to hit. Since the bones of the head are harder, thicker, and more structurally sound than the bones of the hand, if your punch hits the forehead, areas of the jaw, or the cheekbones you may injure you hand so as not to be able to use it to defend yourself any longer. If you punch someone in the mouth you may cut you hand on his or her teeth. The Journal of Clinical Infectious Diseases reports a confirmed case of a police officer contracting both HIV and hepatitis C from punching a suspect in the mouth. There is also the possibility of contracting an infection from the bacteria in

 

the opponent's mouth.

 

If you think you need to strike the head with your hands, the safer and more effective technique is to use the palm heel strike. Palm strikes to the head can be lethal and they protect the fragile bones and joints in the hand. There is an old saying: hard strikes soft, soft strikes hard. Use hard weapons, such as fists, elbows, knees, finger tips, etc., on soft targets, such as muscles, torso, eyes, etc. Use soft weapons, such as palm heel, sole of the foot, etc., on hard targets, such as the head, elbows, knees, and other bony surfaces.

 

In a self-defense situation, resist the temptation to punch to the head and you will have the use of your hands for a longer period of time during the attack. You will also be able to use your hands in your daily activities the next day.

 

Body Shots

 

Even though body shots are powerful and useful, this does not mean body shots are always the best tactic to use. If you are fighting Muay Thai fighter and you drop you head for a body punch, you may receive a knee to the head. If fighting a ground fighter, dropping you head may lead to a takedown. However, a fighter is tired and is hiding behind a guard is a choice body shot target.

 

Body punches may be thrown with both hands but the lead hand is the most effective since it is closer, faster, and harder to see and block.

 

The key to body punching is positioning and the dropping of your weight. To set up a body punch the knee bend to lower the body weight (do not drop the hands to cock for the punch). Do not reach, you will lose power. Being in close is best, especially when the opponent is covering up. Hard body shots will open the head for head attacks.

 

How to Use Body Shots: Body punches are executed similar to a hook to the head. Power comes from turning on the ball of the lead foot to initiate a hip turn and a solid follow through with the lead hand. Immediately after landing the punch, straighten the legs and return to the guard position.

 

Defense Against Body Shots: Raise a knee and lower an elbow to block a body shot. Attack the opponents lowered head. Clench (or tie up) the opponent by grasping the back of the opponent's head with your lead hand, while protecting your face with the right, and then secure the clench with the right hand.

 

Bare Hand Punching

 

While sparring, Taekwondo students wear hand protectors. In class they strike padded bags, padded target paddles, and padded body shields. When breaking with hand techniques, most students prefer to use elbow, hammer fist, or palm heel, avoiding the fore fist punch. None of these things prepare the student for punching something hard with a bar hand. When sparring, most students use the fore fist punch, so, on the street, most will use a fore fist punch to the head. When this happens, the knuckles, hand, or wrist is usually damaged more than the attackers face. For self-defense purposes, students need to learn to punch with bare knuckles.

 

Humans are really the only animal an opposing thumb. This position of the thumb provides increased gripping which is why grappling moves are much more natural than punching ones. Humans do not need training on how to grab, pull, pinch, nip, yank hair, hold etc. However, they do need instruction on how to punch properly. When young children hit, it is usually with open slaps or hammer fist type strikes, rather than forward punching.

 

Look at the structure of the hand. It is designed for gripping, not punching. When you make a fist, there is a small but discernable gap in the finger/palm area. This is because nature intended some object to be in that gap. To hold a tight closed fist requires a great degree of muscle contraction. The natural position of the hand is a relaxed ball not a tight club. Proper punching requires a properly formed fist, not a deformed fist. Deformation by building large calluses on the knuckles may be achieved but is almost impossible to undo..

 

The late Karate master Masutaru Oyama, founder of the Yukushinkai Karate style, was well known for the development of his fist. He was known for his breaking prowess and his ability to knockout bulls in the bull ring. He developed his fists using ancient iron hand training until his first two knuckles looked more like a single knuckle so that later life he was unable to pick up small objects. He hgave up dexterity to develop what was essentially a club at the end of his wrist. This training was acceptable centuries ago when being a warrior was a way of life. However, now we like to write, type, and use the television remote. There no reason to develop this type of fist since you may never use it and it is detrimental to normal daily use.

 

Nowadays, we prefer to learn proper punching techniques so our hands are not deformed. Punching training involves: impact training, the use of 'rubs', and an understanding of correct punching technique.

 

If you want to see natural punching movement, watch a 4 or 5 year old child throw a small stone The child picks up the stone, draws it back, and steps forward on the non throwing leg side. The order of movement is opposite leg, throwing side hip, shoulder, arm, and finally the hand.

 

Impact training, such as punching the makiwari, is not to develop the fist but to strengthen the wrist, which must be locked at the moment of impact to prevent injury. However, there are easier ways to develop the wrist, such as push-ups on spread finger tips and wrist curls with weights. Punching sand bags or bags of pebbles will harden the outer skin of the knuckles but it hampers knuckle movement so it is not recommended. Board breaking builds confidence in you punching ability but it only teaches you how to break boards. To learn how to punch a person, watch people who do it for a living, such as boxers.

 

Karate style punches were created to penetrate the wooden armor of the Bushi (only the Samurai officers could afford metal armor). If punched with the first two knuckles, the wood broke and the broken ends would possibly stick into the soldier. This first two knuckle style punch is the one used in Taekwondo. Some think the impact area should be the last three knuckles. In this position, the top of the fist is not parallel to the floor but angled downward about 45 degrees toward the little finger. Is debatable which way is best, so the method you are taught by your instructor. If you practice both ways, when you are suddenly attacked on the street, you will end up using something in between the two that is ineffective.

 

Old bare knuckle boxers rubbed sheep urine and alum crystals into their handsafter punching practice. A better substitute is methylated spirits. After punching only a fairly rough surface, such as a heavy canvas punching bag, the knuckles will be reddened. Then rub in the spirits and let it dry. It takes about a month of three or four times a week, and your hands get quite tough.

 

When punching start with the fist relaxed and just before impact squeeze the fist tight. Practice punching from a normal stance as you would have on a daily basis. From this position, suddenly punch the target, coordinating everything to get maximum power.

 

One-Inch Punch

 

The one inch punch, made famous by Bruce Lee, is actually an ancient technique called Fa Jing. The technique isused in the Neija (Internal) styles of Gung Fu , such as TaiJi Quan and Weng Shun Kuen. Fa Jing literally means "explosive power". Its power comes an "internal" source, as opposed to muscular strength. The technique uses relaxation and creating a fluid, whip like motion that does not telegraph your intentions. The technique surprises opponents and knocks them off balance.

 

There are many ways to generate power in Fa Jing. In Tai Ji Quan, it is generated by shaking the waist violently. In Wudang Weng Shun Kuen, it is come from the ground. The key is relaxation.

 

To perform Fa Jing, hold your hand horizontally, palm down, the fingers hanging down. Then make a SUDDEN punching movement. The hand should snap into a fist from the sudden speed. Keep arm and hand relaxed, even when the hand is clenched into a fist. Fist should be rotated slightly upward at moment of impact and the arm should not be fully extended. Extend your arm after contact with the target while snapping your body in the punch. Do not push, punch through the target.

 

Once you have learned the Fa Jing Punch, it is fun to demonstrate it as Bruce Lee did. Have someone hold a thick telephone book against his or her solar plexus. Now apply the Fa Jing Punch through the phone book.

 

 

 

Hope you find all this usefull!

 

All information above is taken from http://tkdtutor.com/index.htm

[manuelito]

nice read. thanks

[granmasterchen]

i agree

[SoonerJohn]

Good read. I learned the following bit of information the hard way:

Keep thumb tightly curled so it does not snag on something while punching and does not give the opponent something to grab.

 

Catch your thumb once while punching and you to will learn to keep them curled in.

[SevenStar]

it's a good read. some people may debate some of it though, as far as structure goes. There is no one "right" fist - in addition to the horizontal fist, there is also the structurally strong vertical fist and also the diamond fist. the vertical fist doesn't hit with the top two knucks - it connects with the bottom three.

 

there is really no need, IMO to raise the leg while blocking a body punch. the forearems and elbows work just fine.

 

also, this:

 

"Even though body shots are powerful and useful, this does not mean body shots are always the best tactic to use. If you are fighting Muay Thai fighter and you drop you head for a body punch, you may receive a knee to the head. If fighting a ground fighter, dropping you head may lead to a takedown. However, a fighter is tired and is hiding behind a guard is a choice body shot target. "

 

when throwing a straight right to the body, your head won't drop much at all. Same for a body hook. When you drop your head, it's usually in response to his hook punch. While you are weaving, you can toss in a liver punch or body hook while youre low. The reason you are low is because you are evading his hook, NOT because of the body punch.

 

As far as a grappler goes, lowering your head lowers your center of gravity and may reduce your chances of being take down.

[Rick]

I agree with SevenStar once again - i was wondering about the chinese vertical fist (chinese practitioners believe that there is a pressure point that adversely effects breathing situated in between the index and middle fingers). I use that punch quite a bit. And also the raising the leg bit... That's particularly why i don't like kicking too much (although i'm quite well versed in kicking) - if he's REALLY fast he'll turn the punch into a fake and spin around and sweep u...

 

Rick