The shuto uchi or uke (or knife hand strike / block)

[RJCKarate]

Most of the time I have undergone instruction, as well as seen instruction I have been told to ensure the fingers are locked together, and then thumb pressed in against the hand.

However, my question is when you see many people demonstrate a shuto uchi or uke (even by the same people who instructed you) and often people who are 'expert' in their art their fingers are slightly apart.

Do you think this is because of relaxation of the hand, because it allows for a more effective strike/block, or what is your opinion and the application purpose?

[Blade96]

I was always told to keep my fingers closed and my thumb tucked in as well. I was told, yeah, it makes for a more effective harder strike/block.

as for experts keeping fingers slightly apart, i wouldn't know, because I havent paid that close attention.

I'll leave this to the experts to answer.

[Sokusen]

To get speed and power your hand/arm needs to be relaxed. To do damage you need to be focused on impact. So as long as the hand/arm is focused on impact, a little space between your fingers while it's moving through the air dosen't matter

[CTTKDKing]

To get speed and power your hand/arm needs to be relaxed. To do damage you need to be focused on impact. So as long as the hand/arm is focused on impact, a little space between your fingers while it's moving through the air dosen't matter

Yes, this is accurate. Just make sure you don't strike with a relaxed hand it can cause you pain and even physically damage the hand. Instructors teach you to keep you hand tight the whole time so you don't accidentally forget to tighten your hand up at the last second and break you fingers. This could very easily happen to a newer person who is inexperienced.

[DWx]

Can have a gap or no gap. A lot of people squeeze their fingers together but you shouldn't really need to if you are striking with the right part of the hand and gripping the muscles in your palm. I think when people first start doing it they are taught to squeeze the whole thing for good practice and when striking because it protects the fingers a bit more if you hit wrong. The "experts" have probably done it so much they don't have to do that and can just grip the part used.

I love breaking with knifehand and don't hold my fingers together really anymore, like I said, you don't need to if you hit right.

[bushido_man96]

I agree with DWx. You can still have the hand tight, with gaps in the fingers. I think most instructors don't like to see the gaps, because they want the technique to crisp and clean, and so teach that if the fingers are gapped, its "bad technique," when in fact, there probably isn't much proof that this is the case.

[sensei8]

Most of the time I have undergone instruction, as well as seen instruction I have been told to ensure the fingers are locked together, and then thumb pressed in against the hand.

However, my question is when you see many people demonstrate a shuto uchi or uke (even by the same people who instructed you) and often people who are 'expert' in their art their fingers are slightly apart.

Do you think this is because of relaxation of the hand, because it allows for a more effective strike/block, or what is your opinion and the application purpose?

Relaxed doesn't mean asleep.

Danielle and Brian are solid in that one can have gaps in their fingers and still have a tight hand. Now, gaps to me don't mean having ones fingers as wide open as possible, but, slight gaps aren't no big deal.

Methodologies and how they differ is the beauty of the martial arts. Don't you just love it?!