# BL's 1 inch Punch



## DavyKOTWF (Aug 7, 2018)

Did Bruce Lee really learn his 1 inch punch from Wing Chun?   Thank-you.


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## ShortBridge (Aug 7, 2018)

I think he probably did, but he made it his own.


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## Martial D (Aug 7, 2018)

DavyKOTWF said:


> Did Bruce Lee really learn his 1 inch punch from Wing Chun?   Thank-you.


Yes, I think so. No other system does short range power generation like that afaik.


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## KPM (Aug 8, 2018)

Southern Mantis does essentially the same short power.   But given that BL was a Wing Chun guy....yes, he learned it from Wing Chun!


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## geezer (Aug 8, 2018)

KPM said:


> Southern Mantis does essentially the same short power.   But given that BL was a Wing Chun guy....yes, he learned it from Wing Chun!



I'd say that he probably learned the basics of his short power generation from his time in WC but certainly altered it later on. Short power can be generated different ways, and to my eye, the JKD method is different from the WC method. Keith, how about your WC Boxing? Do you have a distinct method?


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## DavyKOTWF (Aug 8, 2018)

Thanks for all the replies...so can/do today's WC practitioners get good power from a 1 inch punch?  ( I know BL was exceptional)


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## Bino TWT (Aug 8, 2018)

Yes, he did. And yes, we do. It's one of the demonstrations I'm asked to perform just about everywhere I go lol. 

With that said, it is just an isolated technique to demonstrate the ability to generate short relaxed power without loading up, which is what the Wing Tsun biomechanic engine trains us to do. It's not some mysterious thing.... it gained so much attention when Bruce did it because the world didn't really have any experience of Wing Tsun (or any other soft style systems that shared these mechanics). Any decent practitioner with any skill should be able to perform this no problem.


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## Bino TWT (Aug 8, 2018)

I was at an afterparty after one of our concerts on the east coast a couple months ago. Someone who knew of me was out there telling everyone how skilled I am and about the one inch punch. I was partying and not really wanting to get into that with a bunch of strangers at the moment. Half the people were skeptical and laughing off his claims, and the other half wanted to see it. I said no, but when I looked around, there were about 40 people circled around me with their phones out. Soooo.... I sent a 365 lb man AND the 2 people behind him who were supposed to catch him flying back and onto the ground with the 1 inch punch. I know some of the people here are on my facebook and may have seen the live video I was tagged in; it's circulated pretty well on social media.

Some of my students saw the video and asked me why I went so easy on him lmao.


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## wckf92 (Aug 8, 2018)

Bino TWT said:


> Soooo.... I sent a 365 lb man AND the 2 people behind him who were supposed to catch him flying back and onto the ground with the 1 inch punch. I know some of the people here are on my facebook and may have seen the live video I was tagged in; it's circulated pretty well on social media.



Cool man! Can you post the link so we can check it out? It sounds impressive!


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## Bino TWT (Aug 8, 2018)

It was a live stream, so I'm going to see if I can rip it off FB and upload it to YouTube. In the meanwhile, here's a clip of me on the snotty end of a one inch punch from my previous Sifu.


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## DavyKOTWF (Aug 8, 2018)

Sweet!


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## Kung Fu Wang (Aug 9, 2018)

Let me ask a simple question. If short distance power is that useful then we should see boxers, MMA guys all start to train it.

Does anybody ever heard (or see) that someone was injured badly by short distance power?

I don't even need that 1 inch. I can start with straight arm. All I need is to "pull the other side of my shoulder back".

IMO, if you can hurt your opponent with it, it's a punch. Otherwise, it's just a push.


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## Poppity (Aug 9, 2018)

Kung Fu Wang said:


> Let me ask a simple question. If short distance power is that useful then we should see boxers, MMA guys all start to train it.
> 
> Does anybody ever heard (or see) that someone was injured badly by short distance power?
> 
> ...



I think the 1 inch punch should just be seen as an example of how power generation works for wing chun... from my limited understanding boxers have their principal power generation from their hips, knees and body weight which is behind some of their more powerful strikes.

I suppose the difference is that there a plenty of examples of boxers performing knock-outs without extending their arms and just using their body motion to knock someone out, and there are not a lot of videos of wing chun practitioners knocking someone out with their technique..

I think part of the reason, is that when wing chun is practiced poorly it picks up a lot of contradictory habits,  like some practitioners sacrificing all the power in their strikes in favour of a flashy looking lin wan kuen which is fast but keeps the elbows bent and results in everyone thinking wing chun punches are  limp and weak.


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## DavyKOTWF (Aug 9, 2018)

Seems the 1" punch is about 30% punch and 70% push.


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## DavyKOTWF (Aug 9, 2018)

So I went to my heavy bag and tried this.  I can see one getting power more from the push.  Question, @Bino TWT, et al.  To execute it the best,  one does the following:
1)  "pull the other side of my shoulder back" like Kung Fu Wang said.
2) twist hip also, same side pelvic bone forward as hitting fist
3) push weight of body forward and
4) push/hit on through, beyond target

Anything else?


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## DavyKOTWF (Aug 9, 2018)

Snark said:


> I think the 1 inch punch should just be seen as an example of how power generation works for wing chun... from my limited understanding boxers have their principal power generation from their hips, knees and body weight which is behind some of their more powerful strikes.
> .



Like that supposed phantom punch Ali put on Liston.  It seemed to be such a short punch, coming out of nowhere.  Yet Liston went down.


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## wab25 (Aug 9, 2018)

Kung Fu Wang said:


> If short distance power is that useful then we should see boxers, MMA guys all start to train it.


I believe the boxers punch is very close to the 1 inch punch in many aspects. Primarily, you never pull back to punch. You hold your hands in the guard position, then whether its a jab or cross, the hand starts from that position, only moving straight forward. But, your entire body should be behind that punch. Sure, most of the time there is more than one inch in distance, but that just means even more power gets generated. The power developed in that first inch, by a proper boxing punch should be the same... the boxer just has the benefit of more distance, to develop more power through the subsequent inches. 

When you look at a boxers uppercut, when close in, their hand doesn't move that far. They shouldn't be punching for the ceiling. The whole body: feet, knees, legs, hips, waist, shoulders explode driving the hand up. If you are in the right position, that upper cut only moves a few inches at most. Its also not pulled back, before being thrown. The idea is to move your body such that his head ends up above your fist, by 2 or three inches... then bang, all the power your body can generate goes into his chin, and you are still in your guard.


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## Martial D (Aug 9, 2018)

wab25 said:


> I believe the boxers punch is very close to the 1 inch punch in many aspects. Primarily, you never pull back to punch. You hold your hands in the guard position, then whether its a jab or cross, the hand starts from that position, only moving straight forward. But, your entire body should be behind that punch. Sure, most of the time there is more than one inch in distance, but that just means even more power gets generated. The power developed in that first inch, by a proper boxing punch should be the same... the boxer just has the benefit of more distance, to develop more power through the subsequent inches.
> 
> When you look at a boxers uppercut, when close in, their hand doesn't move that far. They shouldn't be punching for the ceiling. The whole body: feet, knees, legs, hips, waist, shoulders explode driving the hand up. If you are in the right position, that upper cut only moves a few inches at most. Its also not pulled back, before being thrown. The idea is to move your body such that his head ends up above your fist, by 2 or three inches... then bang, all the power your body can generate goes into his chin, and you are still in your guard.


Ya boxing has short power, but not really short straight line power.


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## Steve (Aug 9, 2018)

Bino TWT said:


> I was at an afterparty after one of our concerts on the east coast a couple months ago. Someone who knew of me was out there telling everyone how skilled I am and about the one inch punch. I was partying and not really wanting to get into that with a bunch of strangers at the moment. Half the people were skeptical and laughing off his claims, and the other half wanted to see it. I said no, but when I looked around, there were about 40 people circled around me with their phones out. Soooo.... I sent a 365 lb man AND the 2 people behind him who were supposed to catch him flying back and onto the ground with the 1 inch punch. I know some of the people here are on my facebook and may have seen the live video I was tagged in; it's circulated pretty well on social media.
> 
> Some of my students saw the video and asked me why I went so easy on him lmao.


I wouldn't mind seeing that video.  Link please!


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## VPT (Aug 9, 2018)

Martial D said:


> Yes, I think so. No other system does short range power generation like that afaik.



I guess you don't know a lot about Bak Mei. Short range "shock power" is the default strategy of the whole style...


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## wckf92 (Aug 9, 2018)

Take notice of the different terms popping up...
"Short range"
"Short power"
"Shock power"
etc...

WC, at least how I learned it, is centered around "shock power"...whether it's long or short; regardless of limb (arm, leg etc)  

But, it's an interesting thread so far!


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## Kung Fu Wang (Aug 9, 2018)

What's the ration that you have ever used your "short power" vs. "long power" to knock your opponent down?

1. 0/100?
2. 25/75?
3. 50/50?
4. 75/25?
5. 100/0?


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## DavyKOTWF (Aug 9, 2018)

Steve said:


> I wouldn't mind seeing that video.  Link please!


He posted it on up in the thread Steve.  Pretty cool.  So many guys here in Washington State.


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## Steve (Aug 9, 2018)

DavyKOTWF said:


> He posted it on up in the thread Steve.  Pretty cool.  So many guys here in Washington State.


I saw a demo where he gets pusjed, but not the party video he mentioned.  If i missed it can you link to it?


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## DavyKOTWF (Aug 9, 2018)

Steve said:


> I saw a demo where he gets pusjed, but not the party video he mentioned.  If i missed it can you link to it?


Oh, my bad.  I thought his 1 inch punch he showed WAS the party thing.  Probably doesn't have the party vid then.  Just google Bruce and watch his 1"er.


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## Steve (Aug 9, 2018)

DavyKOTWF said:


> Oh, my bad.  I thought his 1 inch punch he showed WAS the party thing.  Probably doesn't have the party vid then.  Just google Bruce and watch his 1"er.


Maybe not . But he mentioned that it was shared all over social media so I'm betting he can share it .  if you're cool with it, I'll juat wait for him to speak for himself.    

I have seen bruce lee"s.


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## wckf92 (Aug 9, 2018)

Explosive...!


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## VPT (Aug 10, 2018)

wckf92 said:


> Take notice of the different terms popping up...
> "Short range"
> "Short power"
> "Shock power"
> ...



I think Bak Mei power generation is quite different. Wing Chun does not quite look like this in its approach:


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## DavyKOTWF (Sep 5, 2018)

wckf92 said:


> Explosive...!



Thanks for this vid.  Seems he throws a LOT of waist into it;  seems more punch here too, since he withdraws the punch quickly...more punch and maybe 3" of push?    Didn't Bruce usually lead with his strong hand, right hand?  So it was already there to throw, not a cross.


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## Buka (Sep 5, 2018)

DavyKOTWF said:


> Like that supposed phantom punch Ali put on Liston.  It seemed to be such a short punch, coming out of nowhere.  Yet Liston went down.



That was just a short right hand to the jaw. Clay called it an "anchor punch".


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## JR 137 (Sep 6, 2018)

Buka said:


> That was just a short right hand to the jaw. Clay called it an "anchor punch".


His mamma named him Clay, I’m a call him Clay.

Umm hmm that’s right, he always be Clay to me, I don’t give a F what he change his name to.  He is Clay, I say Clay.


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## ShortBridge (Sep 6, 2018)

Joe Louis was 74 years old when he fought Rocky Marciano!


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## geezer (Sep 6, 2018)

JR 137 said:


> His mamma named him Clay, I’m a call him Clay.
> 
> Umm hmm that’s right, he always be Clay to me, I don’t give a F what he change his name to.  He is Clay, I say Clay.



Y'all may disagree, but for me... He's _the greatest_ ... whatever name you use.

Now to get back on topic, forget whether it's one inch, several inches or a full foot. It's short-power, and it ain't no push!!! And yes (to John Wang's question) it is very useful in fighting regardless of style.


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## JR 137 (Sep 6, 2018)

ShortBridge said:


> Joe Louis was 74 years old when he fought Rocky Marciano!


I don’t know how old he was, but he got his a$$ whooped.


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## Cephalopod (Sep 6, 2018)

wckf92 said:


> Explosive...!



Anybody notice how other dude's back foot comes forward as he falls?
Not saying dude doesn't have power, I just hate parlor tricks.


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