How To Pack A Perfect Punch

We all hope that we will never be forced to physically defend ourselves against an attack from someone who is trying to injure or kill us, but the statistics on violent crime say otherwise. Because of this, it is vital that everyone learns to perform basic self-defense techniques correctly.

Of course, everyone assumes that they automatically know how to perform the punch, the simplest of all techniques, but there is actually a lot more to this move than meets the eye. A wizened martial arts master who had been studying the fighting arts for 80 years once remarked that, "I am just now beginning to understand the punch." Add in that an incorrectly thrown punch can easily hurt you more than it hurts your target, and you definitely want to pay attention to the information in this article.

Let us start with your foundation, foot placement, also known as stance. Remember that the more your knees are bent and the farther apart your feet are the lower your center of gravity will be, and the more stable you will be. However, you do not want to get too deep in your stance or you will end up sacrificing speed.
To make a fist, start with your hands in front of you, palms up. Curl your fingers in towards the center of palm. Make sure your thumb does not get stuck inside your fist, or you will probably break it when you attempt a hard strike. You also do not want it flopping around loose, or it may catch on something and get bent back. Keep it safely tucked underneath your knuckles, at the bottom of your fist. When you punch, make sure that you strike with the first two knuckles on your hand, the ones closest to your thumb. This will concentrate your impact and make for a harder strike.

As you prepare to strike, remember that the shortest distance between two points is a straight line. The shorter the distance your hand has to travel, the faster you will be. On the other hand, the farther back your hand is the more power you will have. The best compromise is to keep your hand on your waist, where you belt would be if you were wearing one, and then strike straight towards the target.

Keep your palm facing up as you move, with the muscles of your arm relaxed, but then flick your wrist at the last instant so that it faces down and tense all of your muscles. A tense muscle is a slow muscle. As you strike, transfer your body weight forward to maximize the impact. Lean into the blow. However, do not "point" your shoulder at the target for extra reach. Keep your shoulders square, to maximize stability and power.

As you impact the target, don't think about hitting it. Think about going through the target to hit whatever is behind it. Keep going with your punch, as far as your arm will go. This follow through is essential for good punching. On the other hand, as soon as you are done punching, pull your hand back very quickly. It is not good tactics to leave your arm hanging out in front of your opponent, ripe for a joint lock or take down move. Remember that your are most vulnerable to a counterattack and most open right after you strike your opponent, so the faster you can recover and get back into your fighting stance, the faster you will eliminate that vulnerability.

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