How to stop pushing and start punching?

[Towel Snapper]

With a name like Towel Snapper you should know all about pullback, or snapping your punches back so they will be punches not pushes. Just like when you snap a towel, you snap the punch back. Same concept.

My name precedes my abilities, its one thing to know a theory its another to be able to do it in real life. Im not there yet.

 

[PhotonGuy]

You only want to snap back your punch once your arm is fully extended. Once your elbow is completely straight then you snap it back, at least that's what my main style teaches, other styles are different. As for this shoulder roll used when throwing punches, it would really help if I saw a video of it, maybe I will try it out if I see what it looks like.

 

[Towel Snapper]

Ok i have figured out what i was doing wrong, i was rushing the punch in an attempt to make it faster/more sudden/ more powerful, i was basically using my waist arms and chest to extend my arms b4 my hips had finished their rotation without even realizing I was doing it, when i needed to only rotate my hips and leave the rest completely limp, and to allow it the rest of my body to have a delay behind my hips. I was rushing "thinking" any delay is bad but this delay allows for speed n power to build up so its a good thing.

I was stopping my own power. Now it feels like my fists are balls on the end of a string that is my arm for straight punches ie they are an impacting punch and not a bench press like pushing motion. My hooks feel alot faster too.

 

[Touch Of Death]

I think I would disagree totally with this idea. To 'snap' a punch back as we used to do in point sparring you actually stop your punch before it has delivered full power. It looks smart, it sounds great in a canvas gi but you won't see a professional fighter punching that way.



Agreed that the power comes from the hips but how do you 'roll' your shoulders?

OK, here you are talking of your hips rotating and causing the shoulders to rotate which is what I teach. Are you saying your shoulders rotate and roll or just rotate? The only time I have seen a punch taught from a shoulder roll, and I teach it, is in Systema and that's not the type of punch you normally see. I could never imagine it being used in tournaments.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=CDaeqo9PqUA

I'm not suggesting one is better than the other. They just have different applications.
:asian:

Full extension with a snap back is not a bad thing.

 

[K-man]

You only want to snap back your punch once your arm is fully extended. Once your elbow is completely straight then you snap it back, at least that's what my main style teaches, other styles are different. As for this shoulder roll used when throwing punches, it would really help if I saw a video of it, maybe I will try it out if I see what it looks like.

Once your arm is completely straight it is highly vulnerable. Extended yes, straight no. I have never seen anyone teach punching with a totally straight arm.
:asian:

 

[Towel Snapper]

Once your arm is completely straight it is highly vulnerable. Extended yes, straight no. I have never seen anyone teach punching with a totally straight arm.
:asian:

I thought thats what caused the automatic snap back, once your arm is fully straightened and extended it reaches a sudden stop which causes it to bounce back?

I have heard that you should always punch with a slightly bent arm too but I thought that was so you get the snap back as you go into your target?

Im no expert but I just figured how do you snap the arm back automatically if you dont let it get to full extension first? (for the straight right), the right cross might be a different story?

 

[K-man]

I thought thats what caused the automatic snap back, once your arm is fully straightened and extended it reaches a sudden stop which causes it to bounce back?

I have heard that you should always punch with a slightly bent arm too but I thought that was so you get the snap back as you go into your target?

Im no expert but I just figured how do you snap the arm back automatically if you dont let it get to full extension first? (for the straight right), the right cross might be a different story.

I suppose it is something that you develop over time and with experience. We were taught from day one never to allow the arm to fully straighten. When you extend your arm in the punch it stops just fractionally short of straight. The extension comes from the shoulder, not the elbow, and the return of the shoulder is what pulls the arm back without the need to even think about it. It is nothing to do with a sudden stop. Probably the only sudden stop would be punching rocks or walls. Not that I am suggesting you do it, but I'm sure if you were to punch a solid wall as hard as you could at about the maximum distance you can comfortably reach, it won't bounce back because there would be no extension in that strike to allow the shoulder action I have described. Even a makiwara has give in it.

For what it's worth, the terms 'right cross' and 'straight right' are pretty much the same punch. Some might say that they are the same punch. Certainly in common usage the terms are interchangeable and with pads it is the same. The subtle difference is that the 'straight' is the dominant hand strike going straight between your opponent's guard and the 'cross' is the same punch crossing your opponent's forward arm. It might be slightly looped to get through.
:asian:

 

[donnaTKD]

Agreed that the power comes from the hips but how do you 'roll' your shoulders?

OK, here you are talking of your hips rotating and causing the shoulders to rotate which is what I teach. Are you saying your shoulders rotate and roll or just rotate? The only time I have seen a punch taught from a shoulder roll, and I teach it, is in Systema and that's not the type of punch you normally see. I could never imagine it being used in tournaments.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=CDaeqo9PqUA

I'm not suggesting one is better than the other. They just have different applications.
:asian:

rolling the shoulders is one the things that i was taught a long time ago. you rotate your shoulders for a jab and a cross but you roll your shoulders for other shots.

just 1 example, an uppercut your hips are steady, you dip the shoulder that your gunna send the shot from then roll it forwards and upwards to exert max through the punch.

 

[K-man]

rolling the shoulders is one the things that i was taught a long time ago. you rotate your shoulders for a jab and a cross but you roll your shoulders for other shots.

just 1 example, an uppercut your hips are steady, you dip the shoulder that your gunna send the shot from then roll it forwards and upwards to exert max through the punch.

Cool! I thought you were referring to a straight punch which is what we were talking about.
:asian:

 

[Tgace]

I was also taught that rolling shoulders adds a little more chin protection as well....

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[Touch Of Death]

I was also taught that rolling shoulders adds a little more chin protection as well....

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If you simply have your guard up, the very act of dropping your elbow to center line will bring the shoulder over your chin. If you roll the shoulder your elbow wings out, and you will be hating life when you get older, but I'm just sayin'

 

[PhotonGuy]

I tried rolling my shoulders while throwing punches on the heavy bag and I did notice a difference. My style teaches you not to do that but all styles are different. I would like to get some professional training on this.

 

[drop bear]

If you simply have your guard up, the very act of dropping your elbow to center line will bring the shoulder over your chin. If you roll the shoulder your elbow wings out, and you will be hating life when you get older, but I'm just sayin'

There is a hunch that you are supposed to adopt for technical correct boxing. Your elbows don't wing out because of shoulder roll. They do it because of poor technique.

 

[drop bear]

i always roll my shoulders through so the punch hits with as much force as i can generate and aim to punch all the way through --- never had a problem with it and i've won plenty of scraps too

you're not aiming to hit the bag person or whatever --- you're aiming for the space directly behind it. i think maybe you're scared of hurting yourself so you're not hitting it prpoerly --- maybe

Yeah that can be a bit iffy. You sort of do but you also are supposed to land that shot at the end of your range. So you can take the punch through idea to far. Landing the punch closer than a good arm extension. Loosing a bit of velocity and then trying to make up for power by punching through.

What you wind up doing is pushing. Which doesn't hurt the other guy as much as just a crisp hit on and wastes a lot of energy.

It is like fast punching vs heavy punching.

So for a person that is pushing you tell you them to punch on the target not through.