Punching

[GoGoGo]

Well it will be a while before the next session of the martial arts that I wanted to join starts (I had to forego the one starting in January because I was injured) and I really would like to know the difference between a martial artist's punch and just the every day man's attempt at a punch.

 

What I do know is that martial artists use their whole body. Everyday people simply use their arm muscles.

 

What I don't know is how to do it. Or more specifically how it feels. I have a few guesses but I'm not sure which way is right.

 

I have a DVD called Jeet Kune Do which is of course instructed by Bruce Lee's authorized person to carry on his art.

 

In this DVD he shows how he catches and then punches. He uses the term "slip" too. He says "slip" cross. Etc... What does he mean by "slip?"

 

My question is, how exactly do you "catch" a punch? Usually it comes so fast that I am unable to do much of anything. Let alone hit right back.

 

Now I know what I am asking sounds pretty stupid because it takes a whole lot of practice. But basically there are some guys who sometimes like to joke around or just be stupid and punch at me out of no where or just put their whole body into a push or more like a ram. Are martial arts designed to help you when you are not expecting an attack from someone? Additionally, what would you do in a situation that someone puts their whole body and just kind of runs at you as if to tackle?

 

Back to punching.... Well, when I watch Bruce Lee as he is teaching on his DVD, I see how he uses his feet and whole body. But I have a tendency to overdo this concept. For example, I seem to hop forward when I punch. If it's not hopping, a lot of times I'll turn my entire body when I punch.

 

Also, I seem to like to take the "use your whole body" thing too far too. I almost twist my entire body just to do a simple punch. The other thing I am missing is a punching bag. Do you know of any makeshift alternatives to a punching bag for a while? I really cannot afford one right now. Is it possible to practice without a bag?

 

Thanks.

[GhostlySykanRyu]

I have that video as well...it doesn't cover that much really.

 

It sounds like you need a qualified instructor...all the information you want can't be explained justly online...and theres not much we can do to give you the "feeling" of a good punch. You can get an idea of proper form from books and such, but again...another person is necessary.

 

I wouldn't recomend trying to "catch" a punch...realistically it's just easier to deflect it, dodge it, or use a stop hit.

 

Yes, you can practice without a bag...to a point. Shadow boxing, movement repetition, and kata are great exercises, as well as sparring. A bag however, lets you feel what it's like to commit and drive into something heavy. I don't have room for a bag myself, so I improvise. I've tried a few things that have worked:

 

-Hanging a duffel bad full of sand or small rocks.

 

-Making a makeshift bag out of rolled up carpet and weights.

 

-Hanging a fridge from a tree...wouldn't recomend it right away.

 

-Strapping pads to a tree.

 

-Beating the hell out of a friend's truck...with his permission of course!

 

I do wish I had room for a punching bag...

 

Anyway, good luck, and find instruction ASAP.

[Cmon]

You said you feel you are over doing the twisting of the body when you punch.

 

Well i have been taught it is better to exagerate (sp) your punches and using your whole body is better because you have more power that way (as my instructer showed me as he nearly pushed me over ).

 

I would just like to ask, does punching improve a lot? Because when i punch i feel i have some power but when i feel others punch and i feel like, wow that would hurt.

[GhostlySykanRyu]

Hopefully, it'll improve throughout our entire lives... and with hard practice I'm sure it will.

[VinnieDaChin]

eventually you learn to punch, essentially, perfectly. after that, combat skills can be improved, but you punch like youre supposed to, and thats the end of it. uh, did i explain that right?

[Nick_UKWC]

Complex question...

 

I taught my friend to punch pretty well in about 10 minutes and the difference it made was good, but it's much harder to explain on here than show in person!

 

Bit nervous about this because I think the crowd might slate me if they don't agree with what I'm saying but what the heck!

 

First of all how are you standing? I don't think there is any point trying to teach you a Wing Chun stance (or any other stance) at this stage but perhaps we can just get the feel of it for you.

 

I'll assume you're right handed for this...stand with your legs about shoulder width apart but with your left leg leading and your weight 50/50 on each foot. with your legs like this you should find that your hips are at about 45 degrees from straight ahead. Raise your fists to about your eye line.

 

Jab with your left hand, fast and straight in and out. As your jab comes back cross with the right. Let your weight carry forward a little, on the front knee. Twist your hip forward as the punch extends until they face straight forward, you should find your right heel comes up off the floor. Let your shoulders go with your hips, keep your abs tight.

 

You should find that you get a good sense of moving your body in a cohesive way for the 'cross'.

 

As for what to hit, I have an old phone book taped up and hung against the wall. Wouldn't recommend belting that as hard as you can right away though, you'll probably break something.

[Chaz]

In San Soo we don't bring our fist together till right before the point of impact because it generates more force and speed behind the punch, your never just making a fist or tensing up for no apparent reason. But thats definately a preference to the art, not the way all styles do it...I'm pretty sure Bruce Lee used that method, though I could be wrong...

[jarrettmeyer]

My favorite part about MA is the physics. I am constantly amazed by the dual nature of the complexity and simplicity of MA.

 

I'm new at this, so I might not be able to do everything correctly, but one thing I can defintely do is explain why things work correctly. (Hey, it's the engineer in me.)

 

So, what makes a punch really work?

 

(1) Speed. The faster something gets there, the more damage it does. If I hit you with my car going 5 mph, all I will do is make you really angry. If I hit you at 20 mph, I will bruise you and make you angrier. If I hit you at 85 mph, you're dead. Same car. Same mass. Same road. All speed.

 

(2) Alignment. If you strike correctly, all of your bones from your knuckle to you scapula will be in alignment. A small amount of improper flex at the wrist can cause serious damage to you when you're trying to hurt the other guy.

 

(3) Penetration. Make a fist. The front of your fist looks like it is about 2" x 4" = 8 sq. inches. In reality, we want to strike with a much smaller area. I have been taught to use the first two knucles. When we punching a bag, only two knucles should be getting red. If all 4 are getting red, then you are not properly aligned. Penetration is important. A very important concept in physics is that force is force is force. All 3 lb objects traveling through the air at a constant 25 mph all have the exact same amount of force. Imagine a 3 lb ball made of wood and a 3 lb ball made of lead. The lead would be a smaller ball. Without any knowledge of physics, your brain already knows that you would rather get hit with the ball of wood. Why? The smaller object will penetrate and cause more damage.

 

As far as using your whole body goes, this goes into control. Yes, you want to throw yourself into your punch, but not so much that you're off balance. We define balance quite simply: keep your shoulders above your hips, and keep your hips above your feet.

[SevenStar]

You said you feel you are over doing the twisting of the body when you punch.

 

Well i have been taught it is better to exagerate (sp) your punches and using your whole body is better because you have more power that way (as my instructer showed me as he nearly pushed me over ).

 

you will also overcommit yourself, making you vulnerable to various things. As you progress, you will be able to make your rotation smaller and not overcommit.

 

 

I would just like to ask, does punching improve a lot? Because when i punch i feel i have some power but when i feel others punch and i feel like, wow that would hurt.

 

Some people will never have as much power as others. Size, muscle, speed, etc. all play into it. However, you can indeed improve your punching. getting your mechanics down should be priority, and you advance from there.

[SevenStar]

So, what makes a punch really work?

 

(1) Speed. The faster something gets there, the more damage it does. If I hit you with my car going 5 mph, all I will do is make you really angry. If I hit you at 20 mph, I will bruise you and make you angrier. If I hit you at 85 mph, you're dead. Same car. Same mass. Same road. All speed.

 

speed is fine, but the example with cars isn't really applicable, IMO. humans can't move at the speed of cars. Who punches faster, de la hoya or tyson? Who do you suppose hits harder? theoretically, if de la hoya punched fast enough, he could hit harder than tyson, but humans are only capable of producing so much speed. This is part of the reason why we have weight classes.