Punching from the waist..

[Bretty101]

Give me a brick to break (the best way to test any technique) or get me to do a pattern and you'll see me punch from the hip. Any other time i don't. I think it's a bit silly.

 

Go and ask this question in the karate forum, karate students don't seem happy unless they have one fist stuck to their waist leaving chin sticking out mouth wide open with a shout. Interesting concept.

 

Punching from the hip definately builds power and cooordination and i find strengthens my back, but i wouldn't use it in a fight.

 

Bretty

[ZR440]

In KSW, over-extension shouldn't be happening no matter if the punch is stopped at an imaginary target or retracted back to the hip. Our elbows are slightly bent with fist pointed dead ahead. It's a heckofa powerful punch that would be useful in close quarters situations.

[hobbitbob]

Re Punching form the waist:

 

Okay, coming from a traditional Karate background, I do use the withdrawing hand concept during sparring. My guard is the typical "Japanese Karateka" guard, with hands held in front, and in a modified front stance.

 

If one keeps in mind that sparring is for training distancing and timing, and not training self defence, then the utility of the withdrawing hand makes sense. Just as practicing the blocks with a complete chambering motion may trranslate into joint locking techniques, practicing the punching with the hikite motion trains pulling one's opponent into the technique.

 

It seems that a common mistake made by many younger TKD-ka is to asume that forms are without utility, or are only the "art" of TKD. THis is, of course false. A similar mistake is the myth of the "multiple attackers." In fact, forms practice trains one to become proficient against common attacks, like bear hugs, swinigng punches, etc...

 

This said, it makes some sense to practice a modified from of "self defense" sparring, where elbows, knees, etc.. are allowed. Often this is done in our Dojo using the "one step sparring" paradigm, where one person is the attacker and the other defends.

 

Okay, stepping off my soapbox.

 

[tekkenchaos]

When punching from the waist, ur coverhand and ur punch act like a pully. More power comes from it...Also the coverhand coming back to your waist acts as an elbow to an enemy attacking from behind. It also works your arms a LOT )

[ckdstudent]

While pulling someone onto a punch may seem effective, it does take up both of your hands, and leaves theirs free.

 

As for using the pulling back of one arm to elbow someone behind you, if someone's got that close and they've got any intelligence at all they'll already have hit you if they're going to, and if they're just standing around then they might decide to hit you after you elbow them in the stomach.

[mastertae]

in taekwondo they enphasize punching with the hip during fights and to punch through...as you get into more advanced forms they do start to use the hip more in their punches because the techniques become complicated sometime...also a balck belt is actually not an adcanced belt...in korea they consider you starting to actually learn the art...they also train their kicks a little differently...they dont always use the instep for their round house for instance...but in most other countries thats the only way they teach it

[koreantiger81]

Thanks for all your comments!

 

I still don't see the purpose of punching from the waist...Punching from the waist may have power, but remember you should use your hips to generate this power. I can't think of any situation where punching from the waist may be practical in a self-defense situation. Your punch has to travel a further distance to get to your target, then if your punch came from in front of you....Why practice something the wrong way??? although you may learn punching from the waist in forms, some don't generally apply this in sparring...

 

I believe it's important to keep in mind, that martial arts is evolving just like anything else. It appears to me that punching from the waist was created to look pleasing to the eye. Try doing your form/pattern from punching from a guarding position....Punching from the waist looks more attractice, clean, and sharp..That's all it does.

[ZR440]

You must not ever been hit with a hard kidney punch. They make you lean over sideways like you just threw your back out. And then you pee blood for a few days. That's one example of where a punch from the waist is nothing to laugh at.

[ckdstudent]

I think you'll find that punching from the waist in that case makes no difference, its the target that matters, and a bodypunch is just as effective as punching from the waist for a kidney punch.

[koreantiger81]

ckdstudent..

 

I started this thread, 'cause i've become critical about tae kwon do patterns...Bruce Lee didn't believe in patterns..He believed that if a person wants to learn how to fight, he actually has to engage in real sparring...I haven't totally accepted Bruce Lee's view about patterns; however, I believe if you're going to do a pattern, you should practice techniques in the most practical, efficient, and effective matter.

 

I'm not saying that punching from the waist is ineffective.Yes you can do damage by punching from the waist...In some cases it is effective, such as punching to the kidneys..However, there's a more efficient way of punching. By punching from the waist, you compromise your guard and speed. To punch from the waist, you first have to pull your hand back to your waist and then punch...as a result your hand has to travel a greater distance...wouldn't you agree that this doubles the time to throw a punch? it becomes too telepathic... Take a look at boxers..they never punch from the waist...It wouldn't make sense...It'll just open you wide open..