Maximising punch power

[Goju_boi]

well by teleport I meant making it ovious that you are going for a certain move.

[Why_Worry]

When practicing you should put as much hip movement into it as possible because you want ot use yoru whole body to put power in it and what we learn is to shoot your chi out through your punch/strike and into the target. So we alway suse our hips because thats your center of chi or your hara (or at least around that area. Youd ont need ot have exagerated movements in striking but when practicing its a good idea because when you exagerate it all you learn how to get power in it then when you really need to perform it, it might not be as big of a movement but you will still have the power in it.

[CagedWarrior]

well by teleport I meant making it ovious that you are going for a certain move.

Telegraph is the word. Teleport means to instantaneously travel through space and/or time. Anyway, forget your no-hip karate punches, they may not be as telegraphed, but they don't hurt, so who cares? (Unless you're only point sparring.)

The roundhouse punch has more power behind it than the reverse, because you can put more of your torso and hips into it compared to the reverse. However the reverse is still very powerful becuase you are hitting a relativly soft target ie. the face and can do alot more damage than, say, hitting the side of the head with a roundhouse punch.

Not necessarily. Often times a guys cross (or "reverse") is stronger.

[Why_Worry]

Yeah, what CagedWarrior said is right or at least i agree with it.

[Goju_boi]

Man do I feel stupid for saying teleport.anyways maybe the reason for the very little hip movements at my school is because sadly all we do is point sparring.

[Why_Worry]

Well, we only do point sparring, but we dont do competitions and we dont really spar, but when we do its point sparring. I mean we spar liek once every month or every couple of months. Also some styles dont really use hip movements and just like steps or other things to drive their punches down/forward/in or other things to improve their strikes power.

[Skeptic 2004]

This is something I wrote back in May on an unusual but effective and powerful punching method. I describe a drill for the reverse punch. This was also a discussion in a thread I started in May of the title, "A Different Kind of Punch":

http://www.karateforums.com/viewtopic.php?p=255510&highlight=#255510

I've pasted the first post below for convenience:

I took a visit to Shorin Ryuu's blog a few days ago and left a comment on his article "The Chambered Fist" (his response to the "re-action hand" thread: http://www.karateforums.com/viewtopic.php?t=20242) which described an unusual way of punching that I've been learning since November. Rather than whorde the knowledge to myself and those who read his blog, I figured I would share a description of it and hear your thoughts. I apologize for any errors in its description, and these errors are entirely my own.

I present for your edification my attempt at a description of "the Nakata gyakuzuki (reverse punch)", Nakata being the name of my instructor who is sort of notorious for his punch. His punching methodology is unlike any I've seen so far in my training with various instructors (and I've had the fortune of training with quite a few quality teachers). I describe the reverse punch since it is easiest to see and understand the mechanics of his methodology as compared to other types of punches (e.g., lead jab, uppercut, roundhouse/hook punch, etc.).

1.) Stand in a kihon stance (a shizentai/natural stance) and angle your body off slightly to whatever your target is. That is, don't stand with your hips and shoulders facing full front (the punch works standing full front, but it's easier to see the mechanics of his punch if you're angled off, and there other mechanics involved if you're facing full front). Make sure you have good posture (chin up!) and that your chest is flared (kinda like you're a body builder...). Make sure that the toes of your "lead" leg point forward and the toes of your "back" leg point out at 45 degrees (I use quotes in that in a natural stance there's barely a heel-to-toe difference between how much the "lead" leg leads).

2.) Extend the punching hand from chamber as if you were going to punch like normal from the waist (though it still works if you have your hands up in a ready position), but without turning the koshi...otherwise you hazusu (i.e., hand moves first...hips rotate last. If you rotate hips first and then extend your hand, you hazusu, or negate/deadlock your power). Do not rotate the fist yet. You should be palm up, and assuming you're angled off, your arm should be across your chest at your target. Keep your chest flared. Keep your wrists straight and locked (make sure they aren't bent outward too much or curled inward too much).

3.) When you rotate your fist, use your koshi at the same time (turn your hips as you rotate your fist) as if they were inseparable. When the koshi rotates, you bring your hara and weight forward, adding that extra umph! to that punch. Don't over-rotate. Rotate just enough that the hara is forward. Rotating too much throws your weight off at an angle, and you lose power.

Voila. The Nakata gyakuzuki. Obviously, when performed this should all be done smoothly and there are a ton of other things that go into it (keeping your chest flared, keeping your posture straight, keeping your chin up, using gamaku, rooting yourself with the outside edges of your feet, bringing hara forward, keeping a tight fist at all times if you plan on punching with a closed fist yet inhaling/relaxing all other muscles as you extend your punch, exhaling/contracting your muscles and accelerating your punch on contact, etc.). Rotation of the fist (and thus, the koshi) does not occur until right after impact, so on initial contact, you're actually hitting palm up with the koshi unturned. Rotating the fist and koshi drives the punch into and through the target for penetrating power. Nakata's punch has incredible penetration, and this is what made his punch so famous/unusual.

Try this punch on for size on a bag or a pad (or a person... ). If you do it right, you might be pleasantly surprised by the results. I've found it actually takes less effort to punch with the same amount of power than the old way I used to punch. The trick is doing the punch correctly - it has a very steep learning curve. But, once it is mastered, it is very effective. I speak from experience having been clocked by it...

[lgm]

I've got to agree with caged warrior here. You can put a lot of body into a hook if you know how to execute it properly. Proper hooks don't swing wildly. They stay in close and tight allowing your weight to stay behind it and even drive it down. Of course a straight lunge or reverse punch is powerful too, but it would be a mistake to assume you can't get the same drive into a hook.

I have no disagreement that a hook punch which is delivered by one who knows how to execute it properly and can put a lot of his body behind it is more powerful than the same punch which is delivered by another who doesn't know how to execute properly and can't put his body behind it. But since two different variables are involved here, namely the person punching and kind of punch done, and unless one is adequately controlled, we would not be able to conclude validly which of these two variables caused a more powerful punch.

But, if we control one of these variables, namely the person punching, we may be able to know which punch (hook punch or straight lunge punch) is more powerful than the other. So, if one and the same person were to do a hook punch (kagi zuki) in one test and then a straight lunge punch(oi zuki) in another test, which kind of punch do you think will be more powerful and why do you think so?

[lgm]

A hook is an extremely powerful punch if executed correctly, and a lot of "body" can be put behind it. The only other punches that can be harder than it are the cross and uppercut. (Im assuming a lunge punch is the same thing as a cross?) As for the reverse punch- you don't mean the kind that have palms facing the sky when you punch, do you?

A reverse punch is basically the same as a cross punch.

Sorry, guys, but I think we have a communication problem on what lunge punch, cross punch and reverse punch are. I don't think we are talking of the same things with those terms.

In Shotokan karate, lunch punch (oi zuki) is a stepping punch, usually straight punch type where you step forward as you punch straight. Same foot and same punching arm/fist forward.

Now, reverse punch (gyaku zuki), in Shotokan karate, is punching straight forward while assuming a stance where the forward foot is opposite that of the punching arm/fist.

We don't have what you call a "cross punch", but I think this should be equivalent to what we have a "hook punch" (kagi zuki), where the punch is directed not to the front but to the side at right angles to the body, usually but not always where the lead foot is opposite to the punching arm/fist.

I would appreciate how you define those 3 terms which I just defined in your own karate style or organization, so we will know if we are talking of the same thing. We cannot intelligently debate on which punch is more powerful unless we are clear on what the nature of these punches are. Thanks!

[Rich_2k3]

A hook is an extremely powerful punch if executed correctly, and a lot of "body" can be put behind it. The only other punches that can be harder than it are the cross and uppercut. (Im assuming a lunge punch is the same thing as a cross?) As for the reverse punch- you don't mean the kind that have palms facing the sky when you punch, do you?

A reverse punch is basically the same as a cross punch.

Sorry, guys, but I think we have a communication problem on what lunge punch, cross punch and reverse punch are. I don't think we are talking of the same things with those terms.

In Shotokan karate, lunch punch (oi zuki) is a stepping punch, usually straight punch type where you step forward as you punch straight. Same foot and same punching arm/fist forward.

Now, reverse punch (gyaku zuki), in Shotokan karate, is punching straight forward while assuming a stance where the forward foot is opposite that of the punching arm/fist.

We don't have what you call a "cross punch", but I think this should be equivalent to what we have a "hook punch" (kagi zuki), where the punch is directed not to the front but to the side at right angles to the body, usually but not always where the lead foot is opposite to the punching arm/fist.

I would appreciate how you define those 3 terms which I just defined in your own karate style or organization, so we will know if we are talking of the same thing. We cannot intelligently debate on which punch is more powerful unless we are clear on what the nature of these punches are. Thanks!

No, a cross punch is used in boxing and is a straight punch like the reverse. I know with a word like "cross" it sounds like a right angled punch but thats a hook (in boxing).