Punches

[lotusleaf]

How do you throw a correct jab and hook? A lot of people do the western boxing jab, but the hook has a lot of variations. What's the best way, and how do you develop power and punch correctly that you don't injure the wrist or the fingers?

[Satanachia]

Jab is pretty simple, and pretty much the smallest/weakest punch you've got. But its also the quickest. Um, what can i say. I tend to lead with my left arm, so you basically just shoot it out like its spring loaded, and if you want you can put body into it, but this tends to telegraph that the punch is coming. In short its basically just your tricep that's firing. When you first start, you're bicep will tense as well and inhibit the speed and power, but after endless training eventually your body learns to use the most efficient movement, and the bicep will remain loose while only the tricep shoots that fist out. Basically again, its a quick punch. Used to find your distance, start a confrontation, lead into other punches and techniques, etc. We use the top two knuckles when we punch and of course remember to try and hit "through" the target.

The hook is a bit harder. Basically now you do put your body into it. Twist your abdominal muscles and rotate the body all the way from the ground up and really aim to drive through the target again. Bend the arm at the elbow when you punch. A hook done with a straight arm might hurt if it hits, but its **** easy to block. Hell, as long as you've got a decent boxing guard you don't really have to do that much against straight arm circular punches as they get blocked anyway. You bend your elbow to get round the guard or the wood block and gives you a bit more penetrating power. Basically train the hook with the lead hand. The rear hook is a favourite of drunks and guys that don't have a clue what they're doing though. Its powerful yes, but its slow and you can generally see it coming hours away. Plus half of the time when people throw it they aren't even in range to land it.

As for making it so you don't damage your wrist and fingers. Work up from the bottom to condition them. Try starting with normal targets wearing wraps or boxing gloves at first. After a while, gradually start taking them off or using smaller thinner gloves. If you've got punching bags, start on the light with gloves on. Gradually move up through medium and eventually up to the heavy bags. Slowly ween yourself off gloves on each of them, until finally you've got yourself hitting thunderous punches into heavy targets without gloves.

In short though, make sure your doing it safely. You'll only condition your hands through practice, but don't get ahead of yourself, otherwise you can break bones, get swollen knuckles, or bleed knuckles, the later of which is really more of a messy inconvienience than anything else.

Well, hope i've helped. Oh, also as you go on you'll probaly find the nerves and stuff start to get desensitized in your fingers and hands. You can of course do everything normally, but if you make your living via playing your classical harp or something, maybe you should try something else.:D

[shaolinboxer]

To jab: (orthodox, meaning left hand forward) The goal is to bring you lead fist into alignment with your wrist, elbow, shoulder, and hip just as you take a step to the outside (stepping with you left foot first). When you punch think *step*. This is where the "stiffness" of a jab comes from. Don't bend your wrist to align with the taget..adjust from your elbow and shoulder.

To hook: There are a few variations. For a lead retreating/neutral hook (perhaps the most poweful and hardest to block, as opposed to a hook that leans into the target exposing the face but increasing the maximum range) take a square boxing stance, rear heel off of the floor. Now raise your elbow so that it projects in a straight line from your torso (to the side) and extend your forearm to 90 degrees. You can experiment with your fist facing down or facing towards you (meaning if you opened your fist your plam would face down or towards you). Pivot 90 degrees into the punch, keeping you weight centerd or shifting your weight to your back foot. You should end up in a stance that is a mirror image of you original neutral stance, with you front heel raised off of the floor, at 90 degrees. Keep you elbow up and you fist directly infront of the elbow, without bending the wrist to meet the target.

[Mr Nunchaku]

This is what we learned in TKD (and what is taught in many other martial arts as well). When you jab your arm should be very relaxed. Throw your arm out as fast as you can like you are throwing a baseball (but do not lose accuracey). Then right before the moment of impact tighten all your muscles.

If you have big and bulky muscles you are strong but you will be slower (heh, unless you are Tyson or any of those guys who have trained to have the fastest jabs). A fast jab is a strong jab, speed increases force. Also, punching from the shoulder is good, and be sure not to over-extend your elbow. Breath out fast when you jab. As said before moving your body with it gives more power at the cost of telegraphing it, up to you what you think you should do. Also, a lot of TKD and karateka talk a lot about punching with your waist. That is very powerful, but slower and you should learn when to do that.

To make you punches better, try looking in a mirror and doing a jab, reverse, hook, uppercut going from lead hand to reverse to lead to reverse. Try to do all 4 fast, accurate, and in about one second. Hit the punching bag so you will know what it is like to make contact.

[Satanachia]

Oh and make sure you train to come straight back into the guard after the punches. Don't ever leave an arm out there if its blocked, otherwise they can lock on and teach you a lesson in pain.

[LEGEND]

hand breakage is very common when u're punching...no real way in conditioning the hands. It's somewhat attune to genetics...either u're like WOLVERINE and have thick bones or u're not. If u're not...then u may want to use elbows and knees.

[Dan_uk]

I'm no X-men Xpert but I thought Wolverine's strong bones etc was not due to genetics but a sort of metalic exo-skeleton jazz thingy that was grafted onto his own skeleton????? Thats what it said in the film anyway!

The jab shoots out, I like to keep the fist horizontal as opposed to vertical. The punch is not committed and is short and sharp to give threat and a quick shot to get a reaction and lead onto other things. All punches we do, we state that if they go out at 50 they get back at 100. The reason for this being obviously we don't throw the punch out slow but we try to return it to the guard as soon as possible.

The hook is kept tight and we punch these types of shots (hooks, uppercuts, crosses) in an imaginary small box to keep it tight and in close. Again keeping the shot short and sharp. Alot of power can be generated because of the hip movement. Again being wary not to committ the strike too much and again we apply the out at 50 back at 100 principle. The fist can be horizontal or vertical. I prefer vertical. As the waist turns, if the hook is with the left hand then you raise onto the ball of the left foot and visa versa if the right hand is being used.

Committed shots are for a very very very clear opening for example if the opponent is stunned but otherwise we keep the shots short, sharp, still powerful but not committed and just aim to bombard the opponent with many shots untill the desired effect is accomplished.

If a shot is committed then there is a risk of being countered if you miss or the opponent bobs or weaves etc etc.

Try throwing a committed shot at a focus pad and have it moved out of the way by your training partner before contact is made. It is actually quite alot of effort to return to your guard after missing.

I hope these comments help.

[Water Dragon]

Weak side forward, hands up en guarde. Learn the jab in stages. First, just think about reaching out and grabbing something. Thinking of the punch like this will automatically line up your body correctly. The jab is not about power, although a solid jab will split a lip or bloody a nose. Throw a few thousand on the bag in this manner.

When you are confident with this, forget about throwing the jab out. Just think of snapping it back in, this will build your speed. Throw a few thousand more like this. At this point, think about your stepping. Always circle on your jab.

Next, begin to think about what comes next. The jab is a lead in to something, it serves to distract one's attention from the big guns. The most common follow up is a right cross (if your a boxer) or a solid body shot (if you're a Kung Fu guy) It can be more though. Lately, I've been focusing on jab-jab-clinch and having a lot of success with it.

I wont comment on the hook, as I prefer elbows at that range. Same mechanic though. It's a torque or spiral with your point of contact at the end. The tighter you can make your spiral, the more power at the end.

In all punches, never try to hit hard. You actually hit much harder when relaxed. Don't believe me? Go try both ways on a 100 pound heavy bag. The lesson becomes very apparent.

[Cyborg]

I have to disagree with Legends comment about bone strength, you can toughen your knuckles by punching a makiwara or using a small steel plate to rap on them. Don't do it hard enough to bring blood or even hurt much. Just do alot of it.

For that matter forearm strength will help absorb the shock and help keep the alignment of the wrist.

[LEGEND]

I just don't believe in the punch too much...I've seen so many martial artists break there hands in sparring much less real fights! But too each his own.

[JWTAYLOR]

Work the heavy bag gloveless. You'll build up your hands and wrists just fine.

JWT

[fa_jing]

Gloveless on the heavy bag? Maybe if you have a leather bag, don't try this with canvas or vinyl. -FJ