Hardest Punch...

[Apprentice]

They say, the hardest punch, isn't always the fastest punch...

now i always wondered this, i figure, it's not always the fastest punch, because if you use your whole body, it will be slower, yet harder...now

IF all the proper body techniques is into the punch, legs, wasit, shoulder, arm, fist, everything...THEN is it "The Faster the punch the Harder the punch?"

This is strictly an external question, i know, "If one has better Qi, his punches will be stronger than someone with weaker Qi"...but what do you guys think? If not, then what IS the strongest one?

[Johnny Hot Shot]

Is probably an elbow.

true, true

[Apprentice]

Maybe hardest strike maybe(maybe), but i mean PUNCH wise, with a fist, sorry no claws, pecks or finger strikes, just fists...

[SanHeChuan]

if you're relaxed and have trained puching with your body right then it wont be slower, probly even faster that someone who hasn't trained puching.

[fei]

This is from my personal experience and training, but a strong and fast punch comes from technique as well as your root.

What I have learned is that the strength of your punch is imeasurable (to a certain point that is) when you learn to use your hip and following the proper relaxing and tensing techniques for punching.
then with proper technique your punch will be the fastest and the strongest.

I know that karate and japanese arts do not use the hip theory for strength instead saying that it's all in the shoulder and pulling back of the other fist.
But I have learned from two sifus that using the hip generates the most power in a punch/attack. I do believe the 1-inch punch also uses a lot of the hip to generate power.

[Mr. Nemo]

I don't know the specific physics of punching, but from experience I can tell you that the two things that affect how hard a punch is are speed and weight. Speed is self-explanatory, but weight is a little tricky. When I get hit hard, I feel like the punches are very heavy - people that use their whole body to punch have a great deal of weight behind their punches.

So, to answer your question, no, it's not only speed. If we were able to magically create two different people whose punching technique was perfect, I think in theory the heavier of the two would hit harder.

[straight blast]

The hardest punch can sometimes be determined by speed. Let me explain.
The faster the opponent moves into your punch, the more it's going to hurt him. This is a real life rule (not only true in Tekken) if the opponent runs into the correct extension of your strike at speed (preferably as he's unloading his own strike) it hurts like a biotch, and does more damage.
The classic stop-hit is the most damaging way to punch I know.

[kull]

All things being equal, meaning same body mechanics, same technique execution...the person who punches faster will do more damage.

This is basic Newtonian Physics. Recall formula for kinetic energy.
1/2m x v2, m= mass and v= velocity. Velocity is squared. Therefor if you double your velocity, u will hit with 4x the amount of energy. Where if you double the mass and velocity is constant, you will hit with half of the amount of energy.

[nightair]

I feel that it is equally speed and technique...also I feel that punches are stonger with emphases on "intent"

[Former castleva]

A punch may be easier to block if your opponent gives all his body weight to you,his body is going to tell you about it.
In a self-defense situation,quick punch (only using the muscles of your arm) may finish the job.

[EARTH DRAGON]

I have always found that the best punch rather it be fast or hard is done without thinking about it. If you move from intent you can only move so fast, however if you move from instinct or reaction you move much quicker thus faster which leads to harder. If you instinctivly you move before you have time to think. When you think you actually slow down your movement. thinkng about swatting a bee is much slower than then just swatting simply out of fear that you will be stung.......

[Apprentice]

So basically, it IS speed and proper body mechanics...if you act out of instinct, you will move faster, thus creating more speed, and if you have trained a punch to be done properly for alot of time, then you will have speed AND mechanics...the instinct thing makes sense, thats why animals are very strong(like tigers), they rely on instincts all the time, no thinking really, it's their instincts to kill and defend themselves, no thought into it...very interesting, thanx for all the replies

[fiercest tiger]

fastest and hardest punch is absolutely useless without timming!

timming is more important than any of them, speed and power comes naturally.

my 2 cents worth