No love for the ridgehand?

[Brian R. VanCise]

I guess the power is all from the hip motion + pectoral pulling across.

I use the wrist area for hard targets. I've seen people break concrete with ridgehands (I prefer not to, personally!)

Definately you get alot of power from that hip + pectoral and that it is also one big large motion.

I do not use the wrist, mostly the side of the hand above the thumb. I have however on occasion when shooting in too fast hit someone with the forearm. The result predictably was the same in that they were either disoriented or knocked out. Basically the ridgehand is a big motion therein lies one of the reasons it has alot of power. It is also a reason why you had better hit them because otherwise you will be open because of that large motion.

 

[Carol]

Interesting. My hammerfist has always been stronger than my ridgehand, but I'm guessing I'm not doing it with the same mechanics as the rest of you folks.

If anyone has a clip that would be great

 

[Brian R. VanCise]

Carol the Hammerfist is a great technique and also very good for not damaging your hand. The ridgehand, well let's just say it may have a big payload but you could damage your hand if you do not execute it right.

 

[flashlock]

Interesting. My hammerfist has always been stronger than my ridgehand, but I'm guessing I'm not doing it with the same mechanics as the rest of you folks.

If anyone has a clip that would be great

I agree-I think the hammerfist is more powerful, and you're not going to break your hand as easily as in the ridge-hand.

There's nothing really special in the ridge-hand--it's just a big hook at a slightly different angle (due to the odd striking-area). For me the ridge hand is not a very good choice because I think it is too slow, and it seems to me you could break your hand much easier (or even your wrist!).

I've been hit by a ridgehand once in my life during TKD sparring, but I had dropped my guard--it never happened again, thankfully!

I've never really been able to pull a hammerfist off, either. It seems like one of those "special moves" you have to be thinking of before you throw it. I don't know how Brian V. pulls it off so much, but I don't find it works for me.

So, no love for the ridgehand from this boy!

 

[crushing]

Interesting. My hammerfist has always been stronger than my ridgehand, but I'm guessing I'm not doing it with the same mechanics as the rest of you folks.

If anyone has a clip that would be great

I think the ridge hand puts the power into a narrower area than a hammerfist, which may make it more effective for some strikes, such as those to the neck.

The difference between the hammerfist and the ridge hand is kind of like the difference between the sides of a maul head for splitting wood. You can generate the same amount of power swing the maul, but one side concentrates the power along an edge. Yes, the maul example greatly exagerates the difference.

I found this ridge hand clip on YouTube. Executed this way does take a long time to deliver and would seem easy to block as well as leave yourself open as discussed. I'll have to check out a straight ridge hand as described by FeerlessFreep.


[yt]gSqgI6nzosE[/yt]

 

[matt.m]

Hip, pec, delt, lat. Go ahead and tighten your core when you do it as well. Go ahead and see the good stuff. I don't know, I just hate the knife hand strike and have always liked the ridgehand better.

To do the ridge hand incorporates a lot of the same kind of body mechanics as the set up of the jump spinning crescent. There is just so much force behind the technique.

 

[zDom]

The above clip (underneath the maul pic) give the basic idea.

The way I learned/execute it however has some extra "ooomph" due to a "snap" at the end.

That is, I shoot it forward palm up, then rotate the wrist over so it hits with the thumb side as you pull through with the hip rotatation.

I'll work on getting some footage Tuesday to post Wednesday.

 

[kidswarrior]

That is, I shoot it forward palm up, then rotate the wrist over so it hits with the thumb side as you pull through with the hip rotatation.

I'll work on getting some footage Tuesday to post Wednesday.

Cool. Sounding like a combination of jab and then body motion of a hook. Would love to see it.

 

[Marginal]

I think the ridgehand does benefit structurally vs the hammerfist. It's way easier to knock someone around, (if they try to block) or arrest motion with a ridgehand simply because the elbow and shoulder lock out at a certain point which gives it more rigidity at full extension than the hammerfist. Not really comparable techniques IMO. One's for raw power (hammerfist) the other's as much to redirect or stop the opponent's motion. More like an insert than a pure strike if that makes any sense.