Hand Chambered?

[cross]

Why do most traditional martial arts teach with the hand chambered at the side?

[Chop Choy]

To emphasize one's "rotational" force and to reach out further (basic long fist concept).

[Drunken Monkey]

i always thought it was just part of the training,

 

y'know, so you don't get used to doing "lazy" punches.

[Pacificshore]

it helps with the rotation of the punch, plus it teaches you to keep your weapons close to your body instead of dangling your arms about. Same concept for tucking your thumb in when doing a shuto strike

[kempocos]

We use a parry or brush instead of a block and often see it as grabbing the arm and pulling it to the hip. This is to take the attacker off balance and to mantain control of thier wepon, the arm.

[cross]

Thanks for your replies.

 

Here are my thoughts:

 

It teaches you the full range of the movement and the correct body mechanics. So then you can perform the technique from any position while maintaining the correct mechanics and maximising power.

[wrestlingkaratechamp]

cross you said it perfect

[delta1]

It teaches you the full range of the movement and the correct body mechanics. So then you can perform the technique from any position while maintaining the correct mechanics and maximising power.

 

Exactly! But it can (not necessarily does) teach some bad habbits if you aren't careful. For example, I see most people doing this stiffly instead of relaxed. Relaxation is far more important to speed and power than distance. And chambering automatically in a fight takes your weapon out of optimal position for offense or defense. It also telegraphs. Not saying it is a bad thing to practice, we just need to think about what we are doing and why.

 

The chamber does have some practical applications. As already pointed out, it can represent a grab and pull. Also a back elbow strike, or a block protecting the ribs or kidneys. And sometimes it is used to get the weapon out of the way, as when blocking or checking inward to clear an opponents weapon and turn him- you must chamber your other hand to get it out of the way momentarily and pepare to follow up with a strike.

 

I disagree with it helping the rotation of the punch. Rotation comes at the end, and doesn't start before the elbow clears the body. So you can get as much rotation if the punch starts with the elbow just in front of the body as you can from full chamber. Starting to rotate earlier throws the elbow out and ruins allignment, and robs power. The only time you'd do this is with a hooking punch, which uses entirely different body mechanics, and is never (at least in my experience) done from a full chamber.

[Sasori_Te]

I agree with kempocos and Delta here. Relaxation is a key element that is often overlooked in training. Most empty hand techniques are designed to be delivered with a relaxed weapon. You should only tense at the moment of impact and immediately relax again. Easy to say...very hard to do. This transfers maximum power to the target. Sorry. I'm getting off the subject ... if I was ever on it in the first place. *L*

[karatekid1975]

Interesting topic I heard all the above mentioned from current and previous instructors. My fav would be the elbow strike. Or it and be the "grap and pull" thing. That can continue on to be a take-down/sweep.

 

I also agree with Drunken Monkey about the lazy punches. Champering the hand helps you know or realize what both your hands are doing. When I help the kids with their forms, I ask them about what their non-punching hand is doing. Usually when I ask, it's just dangling around, but once they realize that it's not champered, they pull it up real fast.