Ridge Hand

[joesteph]

We used to practice ridge hand strikes on an 80 pound bag.

Hi Saxon, I practice it against BOB, going for the temple and throat areas.

Temple? Forget it. Side of the jaw. Will unhinge the jaw causing unconsciousness or will fracture the jaw causing severe pain and mental distress.

This I hadn't thought of. Good tip for the next sparring session I have with BOB. Another posting said it could be used against the ribs, if you want a body shot.

My favorite ridge hand usage is when side-stepping a charging opponent. Lay the strike across the area above the upper lip and below the nostrils for good effect.

I practice a Korean style, Soo Bahk Do. They call this area the In Choong, and it's supposed to have a lot of nerve endings there.

Be careful not to fully lock the elbow when delivering the strike or you could injure the joint. Keep the elbow slightly flexed at impact.

I hear you. I made that mistake when doing heavy strikes against BOB, and I discovered I had to have that same slight bend at the elbow as in delivering a punch, or else I'd be hyperextending.