Technique for the Reverse Punch

[Danny T]

When I was first taught the reverse punch, I was taught to throw it center, another words, to aim towards the center of the body. Then, at this other dojo I was taught to not center the reverse punch but rather to throw it straight forward because you get more power that way due to leverage. The tradeoff is its not as accurate against an opponent who would be standing directly in front and thus might require a step to the side in order to hit the center of the opponent's body. Personally I think both methods have their advantages and disadvantages and I think its easier to transition from a center punch to a forward punch than from a forward punch to a center punch.

There is the form, there is the fundamentals of the punch, there is the drilling of the punch at stationary target for practice and there is the actually application of the punch vs a live moving opponent. The target will change as does the range and the actually movement will have to be adjusted as such.

 

[PhotonGuy]

Another thing I was taught about properly throwing the reverse punch, or any striking technique for that matter, is that upon impact you want your hand to be as hard as a rock but the rest of your body loose and relaxed.

 

[punisher73]

I think you are confusing kihon with the practical application. In kihon the instructor could have your arm in either position without it being 'wrong' in either. In kihon I would teach it straight out from the shoulder, not to the centre, but that is just me. In application you will punch to wherever the target is. If your opponent is directly in front of you you would position your body, as ballen pointed out above, to deliver the strike with maximum power.

Not always, it is also a difference in kihon. Some styles throw that punch from the hip/chest chamber to the solar plexus/sternum area as their basic punch. Other styles will throw that same punch from the hip/chest chamber and it comes straight out from the shoulder and target the pressure point just under the pectoral muscle with their basic punch (both visualizations in kihon assume the "target" is your mirror image squared up to you). I have even seen certain lineages in the same style that vary on this topic.

I have also seen drills to "prove" that their method is "superior". The "punching into centerline method" will say to get yourself into pushup position with arms extended. Now remove one arm from the ground and your body can't support itself, but if you put the hand in line with your centerline, you can balance and hold yourself up. The other school which says to punch straight out, so your extended arm/shoulder are at 90 degrees to each other, will say that when you push a heavy object like a car, you put your hands in line with our armpit and push straight out it is the strongest position.

This is where differences in stances come into play with certain styles and how they are used. Because, while you can hold yourself in the pushup position in the centerline method and not the other method with your feet together in a standard pushup, if you change your feet and plant one foot out to the side to offset the weight, you can hold yourself in the pushup position with your arm straight out and squared to your shoulder like you do with a one arm pushup.

 

[Touch Of Death]

Not always, it is also a difference in kihon. Some styles throw that punch from the hip/chest chamber to the solar plexus/sternum area as their basic punch. Other styles will throw that same punch from the hip/chest chamber and it comes straight out from the shoulder and target the pressure point just under the pectoral muscle with their basic punch (both visualizations in kihon assume the "target" is your mirror image squared up to you). I have even seen certain lineages in the same style that vary on this topic.

I have also seen drills to "prove" that their method is "superior". The "punching into centerline method" will say to get yourself into pushup position with arms extended. Now remove one arm from the ground and your body can't support itself, but if you put the hand in line with your centerline, you can balance and hold yourself up. The other school which says to punch straight out, so your extended arm/shoulder are at 90 degrees to each other, will say that when you push a heavy object like a car, you put your hands in line with our armpit and push straight out it is the strongest position.

This is where differences in stances come into play with certain styles and how they are used. Because, while you can hold yourself in the pushup position in the centerline method and not the other method with your feet together in a standard pushup, if you change your feet and plant one foot out to the side to offset the weight, you can hold yourself in the pushup position with your arm straight out and squared to your shoulder like you do with a one arm pushup.

I think that when you want to keep your distance, you use center line, but when you are chest to chest, you had better consider your car story.

 

[Touch Of Death]

Another thing I was taught about properly throwing the reverse punch, or any striking technique for that matter, is that upon impact you want your hand to be as hard as a rock but the rest of your body loose and relaxed.

I would consider sticking it with the heel, once in a while.

 

[drop bear]

I would say loose and relaxed at the throw. Tense on impact.

 

[PhotonGuy]

I would say loose and relaxed at the throw. Tense on impact.

Specifically you want your hand to be tense on impact but yes, its also important to stay loose on the throw. But if your hand isn't tight on impact that can lead to a bent wrist. I was having problems with that because I wasn't tightening my hand enough on impact so I would sometimes bend my wrist but I've been working on that. That is why you want your hand to be as hard as a rock when you land the punch. By keeping the rest of your body loose and your hand tense, you can generate tremendous power.

 

[Buka]

Different styles have different ideas on a tense or relaxed fist on impact. Tadashi Yamishita used to do a demo where he smashed the hell out of a lot of stacks of wood, going from one to the next, lickety split. Then he would turn to the audience and open the fist he was breaking with.

A small bird, a Japanese White Eye, which weighs a few grams, would fly out of his hand up into the rafters.

I got a chance to spend a couple days with him in the nineties and asked him about it. He only uses a relaxed fist, fingers barely touching his palm, wrist straight of course. He would hit you in the chest and it felt like a hammer. A big hammer. I've been pretty much doing it that way since. So far, no problems.

Tight fist, loose fist, it's all good if you train properly, I guess.

 

[PhotonGuy]

Different styles have different ideas on a tense or relaxed fist on impact. Tadashi Yamishita used to do a demo where he smashed the hell out of a lot of stacks of wood, going from one to the next, lickety split. Then he would turn to the audience and open the fist he was breaking with.

A small bird, a Japanese White Eye, which weighs a few grams, would fly out of his hand up into the rafters.

I got a chance to spend a couple days with him in the nineties and asked him about it. He only uses a relaxed fist, fingers barely touching his palm, wrist straight of course. He would hit you in the chest and it felt like a hammer. A big hammer. I've been pretty much doing it that way since. So far, no problems.

Tight fist, loose fist, it's all good if you train properly, I guess.

Wow that is amazing. It would take tremendous skill and ability to be able to do all that and hold a live bird at the same time although it is possible to tighten the hand without completely closing it. From my experience, my wrist can bend if I don't have a tight enough hand upon impact and for that reason I focus on making my hand as hard as possible at the point of impact and I also like to do finger strengthening exercises.

 

[RTKDCMB]

Different styles have different ideas on a tense or relaxed fist on impact. Tadashi Yamishita used to do a demo where he smashed the hell out of a lot of stacks of wood, going from one to the next, lickety split. Then he would turn to the audience and open the fist he was breaking with.

A small bird, a Japanese White Eye, which weighs a few grams, would fly out of his hand up into the rafters.

I got a chance to spend a couple days with him in the nineties and asked him about it. He only uses a relaxed fist, fingers barely touching his palm, wrist straight of course. He would hit you in the chest and it felt like a hammer. A big hammer. I've been pretty much doing it that way since. So far, no problems.

Tight fist, loose fist, it's all good if you train properly, I guess.

Probably scared the crap out of the bird though.

 

[Dirty Dog]

Wow that is amazing. It would take tremendous skill and ability to be able to do all that and hold a live bird at the same time although it is possible to tighten the hand without completely closing it. From my experience, my wrist can bend if I don't have a tight enough hand upon impact and for that reason I focus on making my hand as hard as possible at the point of impact and I also like to do finger strengthening exercises.

Tightening the hand without closing it is not really all that difficult. I do a break at demos. 16x4x2" patio brick. Straight punch with an egg in my hand. It impresses at demos, but honestly it's not all that difficult.

 

[Buka]

With hands at your side - snap your hand into a fist as fast as you can. You'll see the wrist bend. (Same when the arm is held out in front of you). In times of surprise that call for immediate action (a punch) that bend has to be corrected before the punch hits. A fun exercise, that can be beneficial just because it acquaints the fighter with his wrist position in the fast clenching of his fist... is to stand hands at side and slowly form that fist without that wrist bend. It can be done quicker by tapping the fingertips against the heel of the hand...then morphing it into a fist. It's kind of fun/interesting and helps learn about that fist formation.
We do it a lot in down time. Standing in line for something, waiting, working a detail, whatever. Nobody will notice, it passes the time and re-enforces that straight wrist.
The wrist is also why I have my guys do pushups on knuckles. (not kids) If you're going to be doing them anyway, might as well work that straight wrist.

As Bruce Lee said, "There are no wrists in boxing."

DD - I've always liked that egg break. I've always been a sucker for good Karate demos. Plus, when done, you can make French toast.

 

[kodora81]

Is that why my instructors make us do knuckle pushups? And here I simply thought it was to make us badass.