Open vs. Closed Hand

[MJS]

When it comes to striking, what is your tool of choice? For me, I prefer an open hand strike such as a palm heel, a hammerfist or an elbow over hitting with my closed fist. IMO, you're going to run less of a chance of getting a hand injury with an open handed strike. Don't get me wrong, I am certainly not saying that a closed fist is a bad idea, just taking into consideration that it may not always be the best choice.

Thoughts?

 

[Drac]

I couldn't agree more..The old knuckles don't heal as fast as they use to for reason unknown..LOL

 

[Nanalo74]

I couldn't agree more..The old knuckles don't heal as fast as they use to for reason unknown..LOL

My thoughts exactly!

Vic
www.combatartsusa.com

 

[green meanie]

I couldn't agree more..The old knuckles don't heal as fast as they use to for reason unknown..LOL

Same here. But it depends on target too. I don't mind putting the knuckles to the body. I'm strictly palm heel and elbows when it come to hitting someone in the head though.

 

[Blindside]

I've broken my hand (through pads) punching to the head, so I try to train open hand to the head. I tried to use hammerfists, but I found that making a fist put me back in the habit of punching, so I've been moving away from that.

Makes for a weird dichotomy in training though, its hard to spar without using the fist (providing padding for your opponent as well) but training other applications with the open hand.

Lamont

 

[arnisador]

I prefer open hand but am not unwilling to use a punch.

 

[jdinca]

Same here. But it depends on target too. I don't mind putting the knuckles to the body. I'm strictly palm heel and elbows when it come to hitting someone in the head though.

I agree. Sometimes a closed fist is called for. I like the heel hand, no knuckles to shred and the wrist is taken out of the equation too.

 

[Navarre]

I'll use whatever will get me in. I like the haito (ridge hand strike) to the jawline and behind the ear. An empi (elbow strike) thrown in an overhand cutting motion to the temple or nose works nicely too.

When it comes to striking, what is your tool of choice?

Preferably a tire iron.

 

[clfsean]

Just depends on what I'm trying to get done & how the hand goes out.

 

[Grenadier]

There is an old adage for hand techniques:

"Hard on soft, soft on hard."

While it's not entirely valid, it does serve as a fair guideline. I prefer to keep the knuckles on soft targets, such as the abdomen, etc. Hammer fist, palm heel, etc., are for the hard targets (top of head, forehead, etc).

 

[Sapper6]

i think it all depends of the target you wish to strike. i too have heard the "adage" of using hard weapons to soft target and vice versa. but that gets one to think, what would be classifed as a hard weapon or a soft weapon?

i personally prefer the ridgehand. it can be used in a multitude of directions and for many purposes. is it a soft or hard weapon? i've used it on both kinds of targets. cheekbones, jaw, side of the neck, the beans, the radials in the forearm, etc.

the old "soft-hard, hard-soft" adage can be true, but it doesn't necessarily have to be.

 

[Connovar]

Palm heel strikes to the face and jaw. Also elbows. Lower body: knees and elbows. I box and do bjj for fun but I dont usually walk around the street wearing my MMA gloves so its open hands for me!

 

[arnisador]

i too have heard the "adage" of using hard weapons to soft target and vice versa.

Yet, with the stick, we like to strike bony targets! A stick to the kneecap hurts a lot more than one to the thigh. For open-hand I think hard-to-soft, soft-to-hard is good general advice, but I agree that it isn't as crisp a distinction as that.

 

[Kenpodoc]

I like the Sean Kelley statement "Slap the Head, Punch the Body and Kick the legs"

Jeff

 

[jfarnsworth]

Preferably a tire iron.

:uhyeah:

Oringinally posted by MJS
When it comes to striking, what is your tool of choice?

I prefer an open hand.

Took this one from the thread in the TKD forum, didn't 'ya.

 

[TheBattousai]

I like defending with an open hand just in case I need to grapple with someone. It takes precious moments away having to unclinche your fist and then grab or whatever. But if needed, it good to train to close the hand into a fist as you strike, doing so generates alot of power, but it takes alot of practice.

 

[Henderson]

There is an old adage for hand techniques:

"Hard on soft, soft on hard."

While it's not entirely valid, it does serve as a fair guideline.

When is it not valid?

&

the old "soft-hard, hard-soft" adage can be true, but it doesn't necessarily have to be.

An instance of it not being true would be?...

As a Goju-ryu guy, these principles are at the core. I am interested in hearing other perspectives, but examples would be most helpful.

Respects,

Frank

 

[MJS]

Took this one from the thread in the TKD forum, didn't 'ya.

Actually, I was thinking of topics while I was at work the other night. I didn't realize that there was a similar thread in TKD.:ultracool

Mike

 

[MJS]

I'm sure that hand conditioning would come into play with some of the 'harder' styles, but for those that do not do it, an open hand strike may be the way to go.

Mike

 

[KenpoTex]

I'm not a big fan of closed fist striking with the exception that I use closed fists to the body, usually in the form of "shovel-hook" type punches. For the head and face I prefer palm-heels, elbows. I also use the handsword/knifehand and the hammerfist for many targets.

After breaking the middle knuckle on my right hand, I decided that there was a lot of merit to the "hard on soft, soft on hard" adage.

...what would be classifed as a hard weapon or a soft weapon?

i personally prefer the ridgehand. it can be used in a multitude of directions and for many purposes. is it a soft or hard weapon? i've used it on both kinds of targets. cheekbones, jaw, side of the neck, the beans, the radials in the forearm, etc.

the old "soft-hard, hard-soft" adage can be true, but it doesn't necessarily have to be.

I agree. I wouldn't necessarily classify a ridgehand or a knifehand, or a palm heel as "soft" (it ain't soft when you get hit with it...). I don't think the point of this saying is to clasify anything but a closed fist as a "soft weapon," But to say, "if we're hitting a hard target, lets use a weapon whose structrure/integrity is least likely to be adversely affected (broken) by coming into contact with a hard target."