How useful are open hand strikes really?

[MuayThai Fighter]

MTF....are you & rb related ????

 

No we're not,I don't even know him,why?

[MuayThai Fighter]

Closed Fists - I think they allow you to jam your wrist or break fingers way to often. Most people who just use fists train in gloves that protects the knuckle and wrist. Sparring or Fighting without a glove is completely differant.

 

Open Hands - Jamming fingers is the only real injury you face. I knife hand or a palm strike is just as good as a good punch IMO. They also allow you to grab and throw much quicker.

 

IMO only

 

I disagree,most people who use only fists don't have any training in martial arts period.

 

However most martial artists will use fists in a real fight depending on the situation,where as a street fighter will only use fists.I can't imagine striking somebody opened handed even though I did karate for many years.Punching is more effective.I won't argue the fact that open hand is great for grabbing and throwing,there is no doubt that it is true,but that's provided he's fighting you close up but as far striking,you're taking a big chance of him grabbing your fingers and breaking them.

 

A punch to head will hurt him more then an open strike.It is true that the head is one of the strongest part of the body,but it doesn't stop a person from feeling pain or feeling dizzy from getting hit,unless he's like me or some other people who have an extremely high threshold for pain.

 

Think about it if some people can still get hurt or dizzy by being punched in head even with head gear on,then imagine what it must be like without head gear,this means it must defenitely be effective on street when there is no head gear,especially since both people would be bear fisted in a real situation.

[Synaesthesia]

I have been told that broken fists often result from punching the jaw with the finger bones perpendicular to the jawbone. In other words, clumsy technique is more likely to be a culprit than simply the use of the fist against a relatively hard target.

[JerryLove]

A punch to head will hurt him more then an open strike.It is true that the head is one of the strongest part of the body,but it doesn't stop a person from feeling pain or feeling dizzy from getting hit,unless he's like me or some other people who have an extremely high threshold for pain.

A striek to the head is specifically a location I would disagree with you. The real damage from head hits (broken jaws aside, but those are better open too) comes from bouncing the brin on the inside of the skull. When boxers went from hard fists to soft gloves, there was a lot less blood, but even more brain damage. The same occurs with teh move from closed to open hand. Because you can now hit harder and more solidly (open hand) you have an easier time inflichting the brain trauma that get's you a disorentied or unconsious opponent.

 

There are certainly other targets (mostly soft targets like the abdomen) where I could make a case the other way... but I'd rather hit someone in the head with an open hand than a closed one (typically).

 

BTW, one thing they used to do in the pre-glove days boxing... the boxer would leave his face open, when the punch came, he would drop his head and the punch would hit the crown of his forehead. It hurt a bit, but didn't do much because the head was braced ino the neck... it typically broke the puncher's fingers.

[Smith amp Wesson]

I aint gonna repeat my point again & again till ya get it.

 

Good luck hittin folks in the head with a closed fist(Where's the shakin my head smilie)

[Ironberg]

I personally think it best to leave the knife hands in the dojo and opt for fists on the streets. I used to believe that the ridge hand was a particularly useful technique until I descovered the hard truth that is only seems to work on soft targets such as the abdomen, or perhaps wood. I do think the hands of most athletes these days are probably the poorest trained due to the fact that dojos do not do body conditioning like they used to.

 

The idea about the ridgehand was quickly replaced with a technique I later read about (I don't know the name) where a back fist is turned upside down and hammered sideways using your hips for momentum (reverse backfist??). Why shoot a knife hand into the gut when a hammerfist will be better. However, I still debate whether or not the knifehand takedown upon striking the side of the neck is any effective (the one where you strike, knee the head, and then sweep). You can't seem to not use the knifehand because: 1) it feels really ackward with a hammerfist

 

2) the grab is made almost impossible.

[JerryLove]

mmmm... yea, I do like the hammerfist. Though when I talk "open-hand strikes", I'm discussing primarily slaps.

[Smith amp Wesson]

Slappin ????

 

Slappin like how............Jerry luvvvv.........

[JerryLove]

Just like punching, or hammerfisting, or backfisting.. but without the fist part.

[ChrisD]

Knife hand strikes are quite dangerous when used right. I think people get too much into the boxing mentality where you just need to hit someone in the head repeatedly until you knock them out.. Knife hand strikes to the neck, collarbone, back of the head, groin, etc... They concentrate the power of your strike into one knuckle or the ridge of your hand, typically a smaller area than a closed fist (unless you are doing a phoenix strike or knuckle finger strike).. They can literally drop someone in one well placed hit.

 

Anyone ever see that video of the black belt crossing the street? Black belt in (the announcer said) "kung fu", I'd imagine one of the chinese arts or perhaps karate... Anyway, during some rioting, someone was filming him crossing the road (in street clothes). A bum/homeless type started to come at him as if he was going to attack, the black belt guy knife handed him (HARD) in the neck.. The guy just crumpled to the ground.