Throw an effective punch

To throw an effective punch you need to put your weight into it. While this may sound simple there are quite a few people who understand the idea, but fail in its application. Here’s are the basic steps to master the art.

Stance:

Stand with both feet planted shoulder width apart, knees bent a little less than 45 degrees. Stand close enough, but not too close. Make a fist with both hands and bring both fists, fingers (with thumb across them) facing up, elbows pointing straight out behind you. In Kenpo, this is a horse stance.

Swing:

Close your fist as if you are holding a jug. Bring your hand forward, rotating your fist until it has turned just past an upright position and drive with your top knuckle into the holding position and extend your arm fully. Swing with your shoulders, not your arm. Long punches rarely land squarely. Follow through; don’t pop and pull back. The length you give the punch should come in the form of extension after the point of contact. Just remember, the bones in your hand are small and easy to break. You’re better off striking hard with the heel of your palm. Or you could buy the guy a beer and talk it out.

Action:

Now, you just have to repeat the movement above quickly, timing the rotation and drive of your knuckles to correspond with the extension of your arm. You’ll also need to make sure you let yourself pull your arm back, loosely flexing your elbow at the end of the punch when you do it quickly. Otherwise, you may hurt your elbow (or worse) if you punch too hard, and without restraint. Remember, if there’s no one to absorb your blow when fully outstretched, your elbow will have to take the full force–retracting at the end lets your muscles take the load.

Drive your opposite elbow backwards a bit as you punch to get extra “oomph.”

This punch is most effective in the abdomen and ribcage regions. It can also have devastating effects when used properly to strike the face, but this requires further knowledge to do correctly. I don’t recommend it simply because I haven’t described these techniques, and the skill can be quite mean on your knuckles. It is also worth noting that punching someone in the face with full force (particularly the chin or nose) may kill either through a neck fracture or a resulting skull fracture if the opponent goes down on a hard surface.

If you encounter someone with “abs of steel” who demonstrates an ability to withstand incredibly hard punches to the stomach, this is the punch that will knock the wind out of them. It is primarily a debilitating punch (though it can be used in knock outs, as alluded to above), and it can get you out of a fight very easily if employed correctly.

Don’t go looking for opportunities to try this out. Go find a soft bag, or if you become a bit more experienced, a few cardboard postage boxes.

You don’t need to go crazy practicing. Consistency is a far more potent method of training. Throw 20 of these each day with each hand–just a minute or two out of your day. You’ll surprise yourself — it seems like nothing is happening, and yet you’ll eventually look back and realise how easy it’s become. It’s not going to change your life (it’s only a front punch) but it’s worth practicing.

When punching a hard object, make sure your fist is tight, straight from the wrist, and correctly formed. Although you shouldn’t be punching hard objects in a fight anyway (go for the softer targets, they hurt more).