# 1 inch punch baby yeah!



## Nabakatsu (Mar 1, 2009)

Soooo, My sihing told me the other day about the dynamics of the 1 inch punch, I had a few misconceptions so it would seem, I'm curious to hear what other people think/believe about this so I will tell you what he told me!
He told me that the initial punch forces the water in the opponents body back and than it bounces back to the front as the 1 inch punch is delivered which creates a sort of shock wave affect have you, I had some crazy ideas of it just being super powerful and using your opponents weight against them to send them flying back.. What are your guys' thoughts?!


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## mook jong man (Mar 1, 2009)

I don't know about the water theory , I suppose it is possible our bodies are composed of a lot of water . But having been on the recieving end a few times with a phone book on my chest , it felt to me like it penetrated straight through me and come out my back .

 Apart from having a sore chest I would also feel slightly nauseous for several minutes after it . My Sifu had two types of 1 inch punch , the one for demos where most of the power is exploded on the surface and dissipates through the pages of the telephone book and the real one where the force is focused into your body and destroys your internal organs . 

I don't know the exact mechanics of it but I suspect that it is done by gathering all the potential force from all parts of the body , both mental and physical , and  by coordinating the force vectors of the wrist , elbow , and body in conjunction with muscle control .

 This force is then released with great acceleration and because of the way the wrist is tensed only at impact the punch accelerates even more producing a damaging penetrative type of force.


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## Sandstorm (Mar 1, 2009)

interesting theory. I think it all comes down to physics and mechanics. If you take a snooker or pool game for example, you point the cue at the ball and gently drive the cue through the ball, it rolls smoothly away. However, if you drive the cue with extreme force/speed over the small distance, the ball will rocket away. Same for the inch punch. You drive your arm as you would a cue, doesn't matter what the object is that your hitting as long as it's movable and in a static position, that item will fly. Add the flexability of the centre of the human body (solar plexus) and you get a crippling blow. I would think the punch could damage internal organs for sure, depending on how much resistance the reciever puts up.

Just my take on it really.

Regards
John


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## jarrod (Mar 1, 2009)

asking as a non-chunner here, is the one inch punch taught as a usable technique or is it more of a training technique?  

jf


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## Sandstorm (Mar 1, 2009)

jarrod said:


> asking as a non-chunner here, is the one inch punch taught as a usable technique or is it more of a training technique?
> 
> jf


 
I would say it's deffinately more of a training tech. Trying to apply in a real altercation would be difficult, but having never tried, I don't know. I would imagine there is too much movement in a real fight to be able to apply it effectively. As a training exercise, it's a great tool for the tool box, and it will help your short range techniques. It won't have the same effect as the training punch, but a short jab into the stomach using the technique will most deffinatley cripple the opponant, at least momentarily. They just won't fly across the street like they do in training


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## mook jong man (Mar 1, 2009)

jarrod said:


> asking as a non-chunner here, is the one inch punch taught as a usable technique or is it more of a training technique?
> 
> jf


 
Its only a demonstration of close range power as we don't believe in breaking boards . The message its trying to get across is , If I can do this much damage from 1 inch what can I do with a little more space at my disposal .

 In a demonstration the inch punch is done from a static position , in a real situation the Wing Chun person will be moving forward putting their body weight into the punches .

 Personally speaking If we are facing each other I need to have about 1 foot of space if I am punching to the solar plexus that way I can throw multiple close range strikes all at the same spot with enough power to do damage.

 Comes in handy when someone tries to grab you around the neck or attempts a front bearhug , you can hit them with a quick volley of punches even if their body is quite close to you.


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## profesormental (Mar 1, 2009)

Greetings.

The water shockwave theory expressed seems rather unlikely.

Inch power, as we use it, is not only for demonstrations. The Inch power is more like a "fa jin" style follow through that is trained with very meticulous mechanics and on the wall bags.

The point is that you maximize the energy transfer between you and the target. That energy is generated in a kinetic chain, in a "wave" like manner. The thing is to make the sequence of events shrink as to be almost instantaneous.

In practice, I use it in close quarter situations where I might be smothered, yet there is a line from my hand to targets on the attacker, like the jaw... just explode with Inch Power and the head of the attacker will snap back, destroying structure and be open for followup elbows if he's not already crumpled on the floor.

Much easier to demo than to explain. I think I can get a camera for next week to record some stuff and maybe I can demo it there, if interested.

Hope that helps.

Juan M. Mercado


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## jarrod (Mar 1, 2009)

profesormental said:


> Much easier to demo than to explain. I think I can get a camera for next week to record some stuff and maybe I can demo it there, if interested.
> 
> 
> Juan M. Mercado



i'd like to see that, i'm interested in demos by any MTer.  i'd like it if the "members in motion" section was used for demos more often.  i think a lot of us could communicate much better that way.  

jf


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## redantstyle (Mar 1, 2009)

> The point is that you maximize the energy transfer between you and the target. That energy is generated in a kinetic chain, in a "wave" like manner. The thing is to make the sequence of events shrink as to be almost instantaneous.


 
plus rep that.

there is indeed a bounceback or wave effect per the third law of motion.  this compressive force is primary for generating force over a short space.  'sink' or 'root' are terms that refer to this adjustment.

speed and contact interval are also major determinants of 'wattage'.  too slow and all you get is a push. 

regards.


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## geezer (Mar 1, 2009)

redantstyle said:


> plus rep that.
> 
> there is indeed a bounceback or wave effect per the third law of motion.  this compressive force is primary for generating force over a short space.  'sink' or 'root' are terms that refer to this adjustment.
> 
> ...



Leung Ting taught us pretty much the same thing regarding the &#8220;bounceback&#8221; and timing. Essentially, there are _two stages_ to the one-inch punch. The first is the hard impact of the &#8220;bottom-fist&#8221; or lower three knuckles. The second stage is to snap the wrist upward, driving the bottom knuckle sharply forward another inch or so. These are aplied in very close sequence. If you let the interval between the two lag a bit, allowing the &#8220;bounceback&#8221; to complete itself and then add the second part of the punch, the effect is to accelerate your opponent&#8217;s entire body backwards without hurting him too much. This is the demo version that can be safely executed with just a phonebook for padding.

The second way of applying the inch-punch is to shorten the interval between the initial impact and the following wrist snap, so that the second thrusts impacts exactly as the first one reaches maximum penetration and the &#8220;bounceback&#8221; begins. You effectvely collide with, and _thrust through _the &#8220;bounceback&#8221;. This does_ not_ make for a good demonstration, since your opponent&#8217;s body does not move backward. Instead the punch penetrates deeply, and your opponent usually crumples to the ground in pain. I have felt this done very lightly, and it hurts like hell, totally knocking the wind out of you, or worse. But, to a bystander, it looks like nothing happened. The effect of the first version of the punch is a bit like butting a watermelon with the fat end of a baseball bat. It knocks the melon backward, bruising it a bit. That&#8217;s all. The second version is like jabbing the melon just as hard with the point of a screwdriver. The melon doesn&#8217;t move, but you go right through it.

Now to respond to Jarrod, _hell yes_ this kind of short-power has combat applications. Any way you can get useful punching power in a short distance without having to draw way back and telegraph your intent, that's gotta be a good thing to stick in your toolbox. Different systems may have some different ways of generating this power. I learned a different approach  studying Escrima with Rene Latosa, for example. But regardless, if it works, it's good. Just my dos centavos.


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## Eru IlÃºvatar (Mar 1, 2009)

I agree with the profesor completely. One inch punch as we most know it, I belive, was popularised by Bruce Lee.





 
As profesor said, the trick is in the kinetic linking; trying to put/involve most of your biger muscle groups in this one punch. I hear a lot of pepople saying that the trick is in the wrist snap, or the relaxation of the arm. And allthough that is importan, I would say the trick is in the correct body structure which we learn mostly threw Siu Lim Tao.

I don't know if the one inch punch was a popular training/demo method before Bruce Lee, but as the profesor has said it ilustrates a WC concept/ability to be able to strike with power from small distances. We want to be able to strike with the nearest weapon to the nearest target, and do that with power. To do this we need an effective power generation method, which is SLT structure. In close quarter fighting you often don't have the option to cock the hand for more power, so you want to be able to deliver power even from a short distance such as a few inches. This technique is definately applicable/should be applyed.

One diffrence from how Bruce Lee did and how most WC people want to be able to it is that Bruce Lee did it from a relatively long stance, thus being easier to puch of the heel. In WC the beuty is that one can generate power/exploit body structure and push from the heels even from a relatively upright position and even with feet lined up sauch as in the YGKYM stance. That is obviously a bit harder and takes more skill to master. But with correct WC structure and with a lot of SLT it becomes quite natural.

Allthough things like correct body building like BL did, don't hurt in maximising this skill, I would again like to point out that the real "secret" is in the correct body alignment/structure. I hear tho, that a lot of schools teach it rather late. I think Mook mentioned that at his school it was thought after 3 years. At my school for example it was more or less drilled from day one. It was a very foreign concept to me at first. I also knew that this "correct" body alignment should be the source of my power. But I probably realy started to feel it only about after a year or 2. But when you start feeling that preasure in the heels when sombody is pushing you/your hitting/pushing somebody else you know your on the right track.

The best way to getting it in my opinion, is correct SLT with a straight back and hip curl as much as you possibly can. Also relax while doing it and don't force it. Just let your upper body settle in the horse/stance.


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## AceHBK (Mar 1, 2009)

mook jong man said:


> Its only a demonstration of close range power as we don't believe in breaking boards .



*In my best Bruce Lee voice*

*"Boards don't hit back."

*lol

Didn't Uma Thurman "portray" the 1 inch punch in the movie Kill Bill when she was buried alive?I remember trying that for a week against a wall after I saw that.


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## geezer (Mar 1, 2009)

Eru Ilúvatar;1132285 said:
			
		

> I agree with the profesor completely. One inch punch as we most know it, I belive, was popularised by Bruce Lee.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



I agree absolutely. If I can amend my previous comments regarding application of the wrist snap and timing... that stuff is just the final 2% or "icing on the cake". It's your basic structure.. what _Iluvatar_ referred to above that makes it work.


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## redantstyle (Mar 1, 2009)

> The second way of applying the inch-punch is to shorten the interval between the initial impact and the following wrist snap, so that the second thrusts impacts exactly as the first one reaches maximum penetration and the &#8220;bounceback&#8221; begins. You effectvely collide with, and _thrust through _the &#8220;bounceback&#8221;. This does_ not_ make for a good demonstration, since your opponent&#8217;s body does not move backward. Instead the punch penetrates deeply, and your opponent usually crumples to the ground in pain. I have felt this done very lightly, and it hurts like hell, totally knocking the wind out of you, or worse. But, to a bystander, it looks like nothing happened. The effect of the first version of the punch is a bit like butting a watermelon with the fat end of a baseball bat. It knocks the melon backward, bruising it a bit. That&#8217;s all. The second version is like jabbing the melon just as hard with the point of a screwdriver. The melon doesn&#8217;t move, but you go right through it.


 
nice posting. 

what 'really' causes the damage is compression. or more appropriately, a localized acceleration of tissue at the strike point, relative to the whole, 'backwards' or 'in and down at an angle'. 'power' is the transfer of momentum or kinetic energy. so you make 'part' of him move inwards rather swiftly while the whole of his body remains fairly static. it's the quality of that transfer, heretofore mentioned, that really puts the 'punch' in short jins. if you catch someone coming forward, and combine momentums, it can really put a crimp in their style as you essentially reverse the direction of a 'core sample' in their body.


the demo punch you describe is necessary concession in training.  a good stutter punch to the bladder or plexus works great, but your ukes are not liable to want to play with you any more.


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## Nabakatsu (Mar 1, 2009)

Thanks so much for all your great posts guys, a lot of good information here!
I can't wait until I have a wall bag to really get into this stuff! cheers!


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## AceHBK (Mar 3, 2009)

Here is a decent youtube documentary on theory of the 1 inch punch


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## mook jong man (Mar 3, 2009)

Good stuff , great video I enjoyed that.
Thanks for finding that Ace.


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## Nabakatsu (Mar 3, 2009)

Ahhh, I haven't seen that for ages, thanks a lot for bringing that back to my attention Ace


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## koenig (Mar 11, 2009)

Most 1 inch punches I've seen, even on youtube, involve pulling the hand back way farther than 1 inch.  Watch them in slow mo.  It doesn't count if your hand starts 1 inch away but then you pull it back 6 inches while moving your body forward to try and fool everyone.


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## KamonGuy2 (Mar 17, 2009)

There are many misconceptions about the one inch punch
The first is to fixate upon the one inch bit. A punch should be able to be performed at any range. One inch, three inches  etc

The second is that it is some mystical power involving chi. It is simply good body mechanics

The third is that it sends your opponent flying back. If that happened when you did it, your opponent would merely get up, grab a chair and come back at you

A good punch is where your opponent stays in the same spot whilst his internal structure collapses

Too many of these demos are done by people hitting students holding telephone books in their chests. Strangely enough, the flat footed student flies backwards as though hit by a train

Im sure there are masters out there who genuinely can do that on non-compliant subjects. My own master does it but it never moves me back. Instead it makes me feel like I want to die, and he only uses half of his power


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## Ben Grimm (Mar 17, 2009)

That's real 1 inch punching


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## koenig (Mar 17, 2009)

Kamon Guy said:


> There are many misconceptions about the one inch punch
> The first is to fixate upon the one inch bit. A punch should be able to be performed at any range. One inch, three inches  etc



No argument here.

But in 1 inch punch demos, if you pull your hand back first, it doesn't count.

I can start from 1 inch away, pull my hand back to my shoulder and then deliver a hard punch.  But that's not a 1 inch punch


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## Ben Grimm (Mar 18, 2009)

I've seen that many times. I prefer just to drill it with both hands. If my hand is out. then calisthetics.


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## KamonGuy2 (Mar 18, 2009)

No argument. In Kamon we do have a bit of retraction sometimes when dealing a hit, but this is not a wing chun concept at such. 

The idea is to incorperate the hits as part of the turning motion, meaning that you sometimes need to pull the hand back

It kind of goes against the principles of wing chun, but increases the power of the hit tenfold


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