Punching - elbow in or out?

[DokterVet]

My style uses the typical karate punch, with the elbows kept in all the way through the punching motion.

 

It occurred to me today, however, that keeping the elbows in makes the tricepts responsible for most of the pushing, and almost entirely cuts out the chest.

 

If you are on a bench press, you can press much more weight with your elbows out close to 90 degrees to your (allowing your pectorals to push), than if you tried to puch with your elbows tucked in to your side.

 

So wouldn't it be a good idea to, when punching, chamber the fist at the shoulder with the elbow out 90 degrees instead of at the hip with the elbow in? Wouldn't this let the powerful chest muscles help push the punch out?

 

Why then, does karate teach punching from the hip with the elbows in?

[wcnavstar]

Power from a Karate punch originates from the front of the body and powered by the movement of the hip when used in application. The elbow is kept in to help support the punch and to generate what is sometimes known as Bone Joint Power.

 

By keeping the elbow out, the punch will be nothing but muscle without any good stucture to support it. And those who use this method to punch more often than not end up throwing out a shoulder due to the fact that, punching with the elbow out sends the energy back to the shoulder. Although this does not make it the wrong way to punch.

 

If you as the practitioner are able to make this type of punch work for you without suffering much injury, and you happen to be strong enough to pull off such a technique, then it is truly for yourself the best way to punch.

 

Very Respectfully,

 

wcnavstar

[BladeLee]

If you are on a bench press, you can press much more weight with your elbows out close to 90 degrees to your (allowing your pectorals to push), than if you tried to puch with your elbows tucked in to your side.

 

actually that is not true at all. When benching, you SHOULD keep your elbows tucked in to recruit your triceps as much as possible, and only let them flare out a tad when you have gone past your sticking point. Thats enough though, I don't feel like getting into the whole form of benching

[G95champ]

in

[SaiFightsMS]

You also telegraph your momement more if your elbows are sticking out.

[cross]

DokterVet,

 

Have you actually tried doing what your talking about?

 

If your triceps are doing most of the work in your punches then you are doing them wrong.

[gheinisch]

Keep them in. Your power should come from your hips, legs and butt with a snapping motion at the end. Out you loose power (all arm & shoulder), telegraph your punch and limit your follow-up techniques. IMHO

[TJS]

YOu should keep your elbows down until right before you make contact, at that point you should rotate your fist about 45 deg.

[Shorinryu Sensei]

All of the above are correct, but I'd like to add that another reason to keep the elbow "in" is to protect it from a counter technique to it while your arm is extended at the end of the punch.

 

What? You mean a punch doesn't always land at its target?

 

Yep, afraid so!

[DokterVet]

The elbow is kept in to help support the punch and to generate what is sometimes known as Bone Joint Power.

 

Good point. It helps you lock out the punch.

If your triceps are doing most of the work in your punches then you are doing them wrong.

 

Okay, I guess I meant in terms of major upper body muscle groups. I know the punch starts with the legs, through the hips to the upper body.

 

Do you agree that, in terms of upper body, the triceps are the driving force behind the punch? I'm no kinesiologist, so I could be wrong, but that's how it seems to me.

Keep them in. Your power should come from your hips, legs and butt with a snapping motion at the end. Out you loose power (all arm & shoulder), telegraph your punch and limit your follow-up techniques. IMHO

 

Yes, gheinisch, but what if I use all of the proper body mechanics, as well as the pecs? How is the power lost?

 

Thanks for the replies everyone. Keep in mind I'm playing Devil's advocate right now just to try to understand my technique. I DO punch with my elbows in. I'm just questioning the reasoning behind what I'm doing.