Boxing: Short vs Tall

[Neil]

Well, actually a kick is most effective to the groin, rather than to the head, thats why you have fists!

 

I'm afraid you are actually wrong there! Why do I know this? Not through theorizing, but doing. Get a dumbell out or a chishi if you have one. Now punch out. Experiment with different distances. Try punching and holding your arm out so it is almost locked-out. Then try holding it a few inches away from the body. I think you migh find it is a lot easier to hold the dumbell when it is closer to the body. All the time the punch or kick is travelling from the body it gets weaker. You migh say it gts more powerful as it increases in speed, but at the same time it is ISOLATING itself from the rest of the body. Isolation is weak! Co-ordiantion is strong. The closer the arm is to the body, the more connected it is, and makes it stronger. Don't beleive me? Well pick up the dumbells! You can use exercise for health and fitness, but you can also use it to learn correct biomechanics, such in this case. Also punch the bag, or makiwara and see the difference bettween a low close-in shot, and a long-rabge punch going upwards, and watch the distance the bags moves. But since we are arguing about distance, as we already know that something going down is a lot stronger than something traveling up, so simply experiment by punching straight out from a close distance, and then from a longer distance. Or you can just ignore me and continue to write bull****.

 

Neil

[Warp Spider]

You are correct that the farther away your arm gets the less force you will exert. However, the arm still continues to accelerate and has more momentum, which is what will be transferred to the target when you hit.

 

The bag in your example will move farther from a close-in punch because you can push the bag when you hit it. A close-in punch is better if you plan to "shove" the person when you hit them, but a longer swing will have more momentum on impact thus generating more pain/damage to the target. I guess it depends on whether you want to try to knock the person back or whether you want to try to knock them out.

[StoneSkin]

Try punching and holding your arm out so it is almost locked-out. Then try holding it a few inches away from the body. I think you migh find it is a lot easier to hold the dumbell when it is closer to the body

 

When you are holding a dumbell close to the body you are using your shoulders bi-cepts, brachi,and forearms to keep the weight there.

 

If you hold the dumbbell straight out in front of you, you are only using the front of your shoulders to hold the weight up. This is why it is harder to do this.

Isolation is weak! Co-ordiantion is strong.

Exactly. When you hold the weight out in front of you are isolating that shoulder muscle.

Also punch the bag, or makiwara and see the difference bettween a low close-in shot, and a long-rabge punch going upwards, and watch the distance the bags moves

 

The bag always moves more when you hit the top rather then the bottom. You can push it easier.

so simply experiment by punching straight out from a close distance, and then from a longer distance. Or you can just ignore me and continue to write bull****.

 

Power comes from proper skeletal alignment, and that is no bull****

 

Lets take a look at the one inch punch for example that is not notice how bruce fully extends his arm and twists his hips, its proper skeletal alignment, the one inch punch is not done close in like how you are describing.

[MMouse]

To write the idea that an extended punch has no power is insane. Ever been hit by a fully extended cross? From an extended position it is difficult to add power.

 

Power invloves speed. As your punch moves forward accelerating , it gets harder.

[Synaesthesia]

Similarly, although more force can be exerted on an ax near you, you always strike a tough log with full extension.

[wrestlingkaratechamp]

David tua is 5 foot 9 and hes a heavyweight boxer and hes good

[Coudo]

neil saids here:

You want to be punching down.

 

Wrong.

 

If you are punching down you only get the added speed of " m*g= your arms weight*9,81m/s^2(this is the gravity in Finland, the closer to the equator you get the lower it gets), now if you calculate the added power it is'nt really that big, and since your body only supports the punch, it does'nt add any power.

 

Now, if you punch upwards then you can use your legs to add power, and by that increase your power multiple times.

 

When hitting down you loose most of the power that your legs can add.

[Guy_Who_Fights]

Good point Coudo, the legs can easily produce a force greater than 9.8m/s^2, resulting in more force than gravity. But here's an ectra tidbit to add to you already existing knowledge for fun: When your opponenent is standing straight (as an example) and you punch them at an angle parallel to the ground, after overcoming their own inertia, they will move straight back with no further resistance (let's neglect air resistance for onbious reasons). When you punch they opponent on a downward angle, after overcoming their own inertia, they can move downward with no further resistance (in fact ,gravity will gladly help them to move down quickly). But when you punch the opponent on an upward angle, after overcoming their own inertian, they must still overcome gravity to move up! You are actually using gravity against your opponent. Sort of like punching them when they are against a wall - they cannot move backward as a result of the punch's force, and consequently more of the punch's force goes into the opponent. Gravity is like having a wall constantly above your opponent. It is not a major factor, but enough to add force to your punches. And in martial art, every little bit counts.

[Coudo]

Well added GWF, just want to say that the bodys weight is'nt that little of a factor. If we take a hanging for example, it's the bodys weight that snapps the neck, so the bodys weight is leathal when used against you.

 

The only reason boxers survive an uppercut on their chin is because they have good neckmuskles, and are pushing their chin downwards.