Elements of Punching

I want to write about the elements of punching because recently in the comments section someone expressed some skepticism about a statement made on one of the videos that proper punching technique takes months or years to learn. I want to tell why martial arts instructors say that, and also relate some possible ways to become competent at striking in much shorter time.

Speed vs. Mass

First, you have to understand that any strike involves a transfer of energy from the striker to the target. And this energy transfer is a function of mass and speed.

Force = Mass x Velocity squared

This formula shows the relative relationship of force to mass and velocity. Force is directly proportional to the mass. Thus, if you double the mass, you double the force. This is the physical foundation of the saying, "If it doesn't work, hit it with a hammer. And if it still doesn't work, get a bigger hammer."

A less well known corollary of this formula is that force is directly proportional to the square of the velocity. Thus, if you double the velocity, you quadruple the force.

Martial arts and combatives training seek to maximize striking with both mass and velocity. You learn the various techniques taught in your school for putting your whole weight behind your punch (throwing the hip into the punch, dropping energy, etc.)

The result is that you learn to punch with, say, 160 lbs of body weight rather than 14 lbs. of arm weight. Of course, it takes time to not only learn to punch with your whole body, but also to do so without overextending, thus losing balance and mobility.

Once you learn to practice this consistently, however, the only way you can use it to increase your power is to increase your body mass. For every pound you add, your punching force increases proportionally. But the real multiplier is speed.

If you can put all your body weight behind a punch, you can hit with X lbs. of force. If you can triple your speed, you can hit with 9X lbs. of force. But to increase speed you will probably have to enter into a process of unlearning and learning.

Most beginners want to hit hard. And, since they know that hitting hard requires muscular effort, they tense their muscles as they punch. (This goes for all types of strikes, not just punches.)

Tenseness while striking causes opposing muscle groups to work against each other. For example, the act of straightening the arm utilizes the tricep muscles. If the biceps, which bend the arm, are tense, however, they are causing "drag" on the work being done by the triceps. Ergo, the motion is slowed down.

Thus, punching (or any striking) becomes faster as you learn to contract only the muscles necessary to the movement while relaxing the opposing muscles. Simple? Yes. Easy? Not so much.

There are some drills that will help develop speed in striking.

Continued in "Elements of Punching, 2"