Punching Power

[mickey]

From a technical perspective,

Seriously develop the muscles that bring the fist back to the body. For the vertical punch that would be the forearms, biceps, rear deltoids and the lateral muscles.

Talk with FooFighter, Samurai Jack, Iron Fist or Toby. They have the goods to help you out with.

Oops, I forgot Vash, the True Hand of Isshin.

mickey

[Liddel]

Apart from the obvious like hitting a bag or focus mits to give yourself heavy hands,
try using turning power when punching, or practice more Chum Kui, which will increase power by improving turning stepping combining with hands.
The body will add power to a punch.

Or for a 'sharper' punch lots of SLT, heun Sao is everywhere in VT form, this is increasing our inch power, so huen Sao or Bui Sao more more more.

Also press ups, but distiguish between good for VT and Bad.
Good IMO is when you do them with elbows/forearm close to your side not flying out which uses different muscle groups.
This increases elbow power which also plays a big part in th VT punch.

In my experience these are just simple easy things that you can do to get near instant results...
Good luck there slugger

[KPM]

Right wing chun tech headz, listen up.
i need your help on puching power, wing chun styleé.
i study wing chun, but, i am starting to wonder how to increase my punching power by using my whole bodyweight right? except, without leaning forward too much and becoming off balance,,,, i.e. how do you punch using your whole body weight whilst maintaining 60-40 stance (arrow walk/ circle step)??? (mainly straight punches,, u know, chain-punch type)
any advice would be much appreciated.
cheers
thehza

The way I do my WCK, I get augmented power and make more optimum use of bodyweight by connecting the hips/kua with the punch kind of like a western boxer. The movement comes from the kua/tan tien area and is transmitted up the torso and out as the punch with a "wave" or "whip" like action. At first it is a big "wave". But as you get better at it and refine it more it is less and less noticeable while still connecting the punch with the kua and making good use of bodyweight. This does not work if you are "tucking" your pelvis far under and "locking" it. If you want more info, go back a month or so to the thread on "short power" or "inch power."

Keith

[Ravenshaw]

Before practicing this system, I was used to kickboxing and Northern Sil Lum, which used some different power generation methods like turning the hips. Now, I am getting used to staying square while punching. Here are some things that help me.

Clearly, I will get more power if I step or turn in to the punch. Another method I use for a "power" punch (versus very rapid punching like chain punches) is similar to the XingYi system's Fire punch. I tighten my abs and fold my body a tiny bit (it's a subtle movement, not big or anything), then I straighten when I attack. I feel like this gives me more explosive power. I'm still experimenting with it.

Staying loose is a good method for me, especially while rapidly punching. I find that I get deeper impact when my arm is as relaxed as possible. This is also important because if my arm is at all tense, I can't use my chi sau. When someone blocks, I want my arm to automatically turn into bong sau or whatever the appropriate shape would be... without having to see it and think about it.

Anyway, that's what helps me.

[SevenStar]

Can you explain that please?

basically just planting hard and putting your full body completely into the punch. If you watch alot of the weaker, *but in some cases* faster boxers, they just punch. They rotae some, but not necessarily completely, and they don't plant hard. That hard planting and twisting is known as sitting down on the punch.

[GreenCloudCLF]

First: As for planting your foot for the punch, I believe a more appropriate analogy is like you are pushing the floor with your foot.You foot should not just pivot on the floor but should be using the floor to gain more power, pushing off (without coming off the floor)

Second: After you buy the recommended heavy bag, buy a long resistance band tube. Put it around the bag, hold the handles and get into a fighting stance and throw punches with the tube in your hand. This will give you resistance training that works the muscle of the punch becuae you are punching.

[SevenStar]

First: As for planting your foot for the punch, I believe a more appropriate analogy is like you are pushing the floor with your foot.You foot should not just pivot on the floor but should be using the floor to gain more power, pushing off (without coming off the floor)

Second: After you buy the recommended heavy bag, buy a long resistance band tube. Put it around the bag, hold the handles and get into a fighting stance and throw punches with the tube in your hand. This will give you resistance training that works the muscle of the punch becuae you are punching.

Actually, I think the most appropriate word is drive. You drive off of the rear root. That can sound vague though - plant is easier to understand.

the tube is a decent method. you don't have to wrap it around the bag though - that's actually not prefereable, as the bag moves. wrap it around a stationary pillar, or wrap it around yourself. By wrapping it around yourself, you will still have free range of movement and you can train your footwork as well as punching.

[SevenStar]

Another thing we use is the medicine ball. Hold it in your lead hand. Now, throw it to your partner, using the motion of the jab. throw your arm straight out, and bring it straight back. your partner will throw the ball back to you in a similar fashion. We also do this for the straight right.

[GreenCloudCLF]

7*,

I like that last one about the medicine ball. It also works gripping/clawing skill. My training brother and Ijust did a couple of throws, and it was good.

[SevenStar]

Glad ya like it. That one is a favorite of mine.

[Cung-Fu]

One thing that hasn't been mentioned is, you can also increse your power by learning to explode your body muscles as quick as possible, along with the body mechanics mentioned. Strictly speaking "impact energy", increase in speed will bring about a lot more damage to your opponent.

[Samurai Jack]

No one's mentioned iron-fist/iron-palm training. Of course most iron skills can't really be taught over the internet, but the conditioning methods develop punching power very well. One of my favorite basic methods is to grab a thick phonebook, set it on a concrete floor, and kneel with the phonebook beteen your knees. Punch it one hundred times a day and apply Dit Da Jow liberally on the hands (commercial jow is fine). Once you've done this for two months and your wrists and hands are toughened up somewhat, begin removing a single sheet from the phonebook every day. If you use a nice, thick metropolitan phonebook, it'll take around a year and a half or so to get to where you're hitting bare concrete. By that time you'll have excellent short power and rock-hard knuckles, which will complement an infighting style like Wing Chun very well.

Use this method at your own risk, but it really does work well, and is almost fool-proof.

[IronFist]

^ I've heard of people doing that with the phone book on the wall. I'm not sure how they'd mount it on the wall, tho.

[Samurai Jack]

You could easily mount a phonebook on a short concrete wall, or on a flat-faced post with a pair of C-clamps. Then you'd just tighten the clamps as you removed the sheets. I haven't done this, but it would obviously work. Mounting your book upright would probably let you work your punching mechanics too. I just thing the phonebook-on-the-floor method is simpler.

[7th gen yang]

i need your help on puching power.
i study wing chun, but i am starting to wonder how to increase my punching power by using my whole bodyweight? except, without leaning forward too much and becoming off balance,,,, i.e. how do you punch using your whole body weight whilst maintaining 60-40 stance (arrow walk/ circle step)??? (mainly straight punches,, u know, chain-punch type)
Now if you don't study wing chun, don't bail on me,,,,,, i still am interested to know the concept of powerful punch techniques for whatever punch....
any advice would be much appreciated.
cheers
thehza

Here's a Little test for you
Stand up straight feet shoulder width apart
take and raise your right or left arm to shoulder height in front of yourself
have someone push the Raised arm down try to resist

now take your right or left arm which ever you used, and take the other arm and place it on the opposite shoulder of the arm you raised palm resting on the shoulder
now raise the opposing arm to shoulder height and have somebody try to push it down try to resist, tell me where your power comes from?