Elements of Punching, 4

Continued from "Elements of Punching, 3"

Why would a martial arts/self defense instructor say that it may take months, or even years, to learn to punch correctly? So far, I've discussed the body dynamics that go into developing punching speed and power. I also showed that modern methods of instruction abbreviate the learning curve.

Now, let's consider the most critical aspect of a punch -- the fist. As I have written in other places, the hand is finely designed, with small bones that are comparatively more delicate than the larger bones of the body. Because of this, a punch to your opponent's cheek bone, forehead or the point of his chin often results in broken hand bones.

It is for this reason that boxers wrap their hands and put on boxing gloves. The layers of padding protect their hands and allow them to punch harder than would be advisable in a bareknuckle match. (Even with all the padding, boxers sometimes break their hands in the ring.)

Thus, traditional martial arts place emphasis on correct punching form. You must learn to align your hand and forearm to protect the bones in your wrist, for example. Karate students must also learn to strike with the first two knuckles in order, not only to concentrate power, but to assure that the path of force will not damage the hand.

Finally, the martial arts student must learn to make a tight fist. As my Shito-Ryu instructor used to say, "You have to squeeze all the air out of your fist. It is not easy to do this to the degree required to keep the hand bones safe.

Also, the student must learn to keep his arms loose and supple while keeping his hands tightly clenched. Not easy.

Since all of these elements of making a fist and punching do not come naturally, it takes time to train oneself to do each one separately, and more time to do them all at once. Then you have to remember to maintain all the elements while executing various kinds of punches.

For this reason, I would say that learning to punch without hurting yourself is the single most time-consuming aspect of punch training. And that's why I prefer to train open hand strikes. They're safer to use, and they have a shorter learning curve.