Punch (combat)
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In fighting and martial arts, a punch is a strike made using the hand closed into a fist. Punches vary in technique, speed, and range. The most forceful punches incorporate motion of the whole body: a short step, a shift of the body, a turn of the shoulders, and an extension of the arm. However, in some contexts this motion is not appropriate and the punch is a much more constrained motion. One example is the "one inch punch" from Wing Chun, which is intended for use at very close quarters against an opponent who is close to the practitioner. As the name suggests, it is a very short, sharp motion with seemingly minimal body motion. A skilled striker can be potentially lethal with their punches.
A forceful punch that lands wrongly or strikes the wrong target may damage the hand; for this reason padded gloves are worn in many sports that involve punching (such as boxing). When punches are practised on a heavy punching bag, bag gloves are worn to protect the skin of the hand, and the hands are wrapped tightly to protect them from damage due to repetitive impacts.
The elbow should not be locked out at the extension of a punch. This weakens the punch and makes the elbow susceptible to be broken. In the long term, it wears the cartilage which can eventually lead to arthritis.
Many martial arts such as Karate, Taekwondo, Muay Thai and Wing Chun combine punches with kicks and other strikes, whereas boxing relies only on punches. Some martial arts, like wrestling, include no strikes at all.
Karate
Punching techniques in karate are called tsuki. Contact must be made with the knuckles (seiken). If any other part of the hand is used to strike with, such as the back of the fist (uraken) or the bottom of the fist (tetsui), then the blow is classified as a strike (uchi).
Boxing
In boxing, punches are classified according to the motion and direction of the strike; contact is always made with the knuckles.
There are four typical punches in boxing: the jab, cross, hook, and uppercut. Other kinds of punches can also be executed in boxing, such as the bolo punch, but the four punches listed above are the primary punches thrown in boxing matches.
For training purposes, punches may sometimes be assigned numbers for easy reference, allowing combinations to be easily named as "1-2-3" rather than "jab, cross, hook." This is especially useful for advanced combinations, as rhythm changes can be indicated by grouping so that "11-23-6" is a different combination than "1-1-2-3-6." A typical assignment is as follows:
- 1 - Jab
- 2 - Cross
- 3 - Lead hook
- 4 - Rear hook
- 5 - Lead uppercut
- 6 - Rear uppercut
The Guinness World Record for most punches in a minute is 548, set by Mick Fabar from Australia at the Aussie Stadium in Sydney on June 22, 2006. The record was previously 470 by Paddy Doyle, a boxer from the UK. [1]
Wing Chun
Wing Chun practitioners punch with a vertical fist, or "sun fist". The impact is made with the bottom three knuckles, which keeps the wrist in proper alignment and reduces risk of injury to the wrist.
Wing Chun punches are always linear with the elbow pointed down. Wing chun practitioners believe that this makes the punch faster and structurally stronger, as the skeletal alignment is better than a horizontal punch. Unlike boxing, Wing Chun practitioners do not usually practice wearing gloves or hand-wraps.
Ninjutsu
Like karate, punching techniques in bujinkan ninjutsu are usually called tsuki. There are many types of punches which one would use depending on the situation, required force and distance from the opponent.
One basic beginner's punch is very similar to Wing Chun's vertical fist punch. Ninjas believe that by bending the knees as they punch, they can effectively use body weight to strike hard without relying on brute muscle force. Like Wing Chun, ninjutsu practitioners usually practice bare-knuckled.
Different punch types
- Jab: A straight punch thrown with the lead hand. The arm is extended and the punch driven by the rotation of the torso. There are several types of jabs, varying in usage. Some jabs they can be thrown very powefully, and this fact is often discounted.
- Straight: A direct punch, like the jab, but that employs most of the body in its motion. This punch is delivered with the rear hand for maximum power. The arm, shoulders, hip and legs work together to bring great velocity to the movement. Also called the "Cross" in boxing and kickboxing.
- Hook: A relatively wide sweeping, rotating motion of the hip is the hallmark of the hook punch; it is executed by bending the elbow, bringing the arm to a parallel position with the ground, and using the abdominal muscles to twist the upper body away from the target. The hook is characteristically hard to block, very fast and powerful, making it a favorite amongst many fighters.
- Uppercut: From a standard boxing stance, the knees are bent slightly and the torso is rotated while the fist is raised towards the target, usually the chin or the nose. The knuckles make contact. Although it varies with the fighter, the uppercut is usually a devastating punch. Mike Tyson had a very powerful uppercut.
- Hammer punch: A compacted fist is brought down as fast as possible on the intended target. This punch also needs the use of the shoulders, and is usually accompanied by a step towards the target. Like the Palm heel, it is most effective against the head and neck region.
- Long fist: By tucking the fingertips against the bottom knuckle of each finger, a long fist is formed. Long fists are deployed like regular punches, but only target soft tissue. They offer decreased strength but increased reach.
- Backfist: A backfist is performed by forming a fist and striking with the tops of the two largest knuckles. Backfists target soft tissue. A spinning backfist is performed when the attacker swivels 360 degrees before landing the punch, adding extra momentum to the attack. Fraser Drew has a powerful spinning backfist.
- Haymaker: A full body closed fist punch that mimics the action of throwing a baseball. A haymaker uses a person's entire weight to throw the punch, thus, a long windup is needed. And while haymakers are very powerful and may knock out an opponent in one blow, they are slow, predictable, and throw the attacker off balance; only suitable for a last resort. They are mostly seen in movies and are rarely used in actual fighting. Haymakers are frequently used from a mounted position in mixed martial arts as part of the "ground and pound" method.
- Overhand: Performed in a similar motion as the hook, it is done in a manner so the blow lands from a vertical angle rather than a horizontal one. It involves leaning the upper body sideways while rotating the striking arm towards the target. Although it lacks the power of a hook, it is useful in surprising an opponent who is suspecting a more 'orthodox' punch.
- Chambered Punch: A strike commonly performed in karate, kung fu, and tae kwon do. It involves thrusting the attacking fist towards the target from the hip, while the opposite hand is pulled back quickly at the same time, acting as a counter-balance. During this movement the hip is rotated forward in a 'snapping' motion. It is considered to have more of a 'penetrating' rather than a 'jarring' effect. Note that in Taekwondo the fist is re-chambered underneath the shoulder before the punch is unleashed.
- Upset Punch: Starts with the fist in the chambered position, with the palm facing downwards. As the fist extends in a horizontal movement, the forearm stays parallel to the ground, and the hand rotates to face upwards just before impact, to tense the arm. Delivered to the abdomen or solar plexus.
- One-Two Punch: Boxing technique where one punch is somewhat slowed down for the opponent to easily dodge, while that same hand retreats on the same path, the opposite handed is released at much faster pace in jab-like fashion. From the opponent's stand point, the difference in speed in between the two punches makes it seem as if the punch comes out of nowhere.
Other types of hand strikes
In multiple martial-art styles, other hand strikes are taught and used in combination with punches. More information can be found in the strike (attack) article.