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Comparing Martial-Art Punches
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Forward/Straight Punch
In most fights or self-defense situations, most people react to their hands, as most will strike or swing their hands like a boxer. It’s quicker and faster reactions which most are familiar with, which should be expected, if hands are to be the case when being confronted by an attacker.
Since the hands are what comes to mind, for styles that apply hand striking techniques, such as Karate, Kenpo, Kung-Fu, Krav Maga, and a few other styles that use hands, learning of such blocking, dodging, parrying and or close range attacks with the hands, it should be the first thing learned before knowing how to kick.
Most would think that it should take various of punches or strikes to injure an opponent, but in truth, it really only takes one punch, in certain parts of the body. Of course, the hands will need to be conditioned, trained when striking parts of the human skull to prevent from bone injury on the hand.
Karate will usually focus on one or strike movements, where the strikes are done in full force, from punching with the first two knuckles of the fist. This is the correct way to punch an opponent when having to strike in any part of the skull or chest to the abdomen.
Karate Punch
Usually Karate Stylists will train their hands on the punching bag filled with sand to condition the knuckles and wrist when striking a straight punch. But usually it will focus on 2-3 strikes on certain parts of the body to overwhelm the body on a specific target. At times Karate may use Boxing type of punches, but more focused in deeper stances, and twisting the hips for powerful striking.
Kenpo being partial Chinese and Japanese Art, the power will come from speed, as the target are manipulated by multiple of strikes on different parts of the body. Which also include various of hand techniques that come from Kung-Fu, from animal strikes, such as Tiger, Leopard, Crane, Snake, and the Dragon. Each animal style has a strength and weakness when striking with the hands. Kenpo, imitates the animals when striking with different parts of the hand, and leaves the upper body open for fluid strikes.
Five Animals Kenpo
Different closed fisted strikes are also utilized, straight punch, the Inverted/Thrust Punch, Hammer Fist, Back Fist and Bottom Fist. All of these strikes coming from Japanese Arts but use for manipulation of strikes that leaves open hand strikes for interpretation to damage an opponent.
Styles such as Tae Kwon Do, do use punches, but usually after the kicks are set up, when wanting to kick form long range distances. Everyone criticizes TKD for a style that uses no punches. Since most are influenced from sport TKD and only see the kicking, it is really intended to become a sport, to make the style harder in World Tae Kwon Do Federation for its practitioners.
Olympic Word TKD Federation
International Tae Kwon Do Federation (ITF), the organization uses their hands in their competitions, especially at a black belt level. W TKD F, uses gear from head to toe, where the chest guard makes it complicated at times to do certain kicks, but makes it safer when being punched in the chest. ITF, there is not much of a heard gear and chest protector, other than big foot padding and gloves, which allows for free of motion, but more likely to be injured from certain punches and kicks. Remember TKD, partial of the hands, had come from Japanese Martial-Arts, but is mostly used in quick punching to execute the kicks.
ITF Competitions
Through out the years, other styles have taken their versions or interpretation of a punch, and the engineering of a punch has changed with different training methods. Regardless of style, or knowing how to punch, each style has their interpretation on how to punch, or what a punch should look like, since most styles tend and are branched out through the years of training. Several of styles have changed the variations of a punch. But knowing how to throw a correct punch or strike with you hands, will teach you about not to injure the hand, the wrist, and the elbows as the shoulders and upper body is developed for striking.
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