What is circle punch?

[JowGaWolf]

As a Chinese, I have never heard about the term "Northern Longfist". Some long fist guys like to call themselves as "Northern Shaolin". When I had my CMA school, I used the term "Northern Shaolin" because more American know about Shaolin than about long fist. Actually, long fist has nothing to do with the Shaolin temple.

Well you know Americans and Westerners in general. We mess up a lot of naming of things. We just make stuff up , go with it and there you have it. A new word. Like "Being Woke" , "Aight" and "Bruh" So anything is possible on our end. We can't even get the metric system right lol.

From my experience most people don't know Shaolin except what they used to see in the movies and in photos like this. My neighbors still think I do Karate. If there's a neighborhood get together, the question is "Still doing karate" Neighbors often see me train in the front of my house.

 

[Alan0354]

That used to be one of my favorite strikes then one day I just stopped doing them without reason.

It's just like a tool in the tool chest for you to use if you need it. I never think about circle punch until UFC people use it for long distance attack, that made me start this thread. First looked like long hook, then, something looked different. Now I understand it a lot more. For me, it's easier to think of it as Ridge hand, then just hold the hand differently to experiment which is better for me.

I emphasize what different does it make whether it's circle punch, Ridge hand, from whatever Chinese MA etc. It's the idea and the use that is important.

 

[Flying Crane]

Ok. So my head exploded to day. I was reading a conversation of some Jow Ga and other system (unknown) Sifu's talking about Choy Ga. So Jow Ga has Choy Ga forms, Choy Ga has Jow ga Forms, Choy Li Fut has Choy ga Forms. All three systems have those big wheel punches. There is definitely mixing going on within the systems and most likely friends of different systems shared forms with each other. I once knew a Lama Pi form as they have similar movement to Jow Ga The only big noticeable difference is that Lama Pi forms extend in a similar way as Northern Longfist.

Interesting, and what exactly are you referring to with your last sentence?

 

[Deleted member 39746]

I have always had circle punch refer to anything thats not a straght or uppercut. (as well as things not otherwise caterogirsed) ie Hooks. As far as my naming convetion goes, thats a form of hook hes just renamed, i have seen hooks (more for long range) do what he is calling a circle punch.

And yes i am getting big D&D/old RPG circle kick vibes from this.

The sort of underhook thing is called hook uppercut or soething, its sort of a hybrid.

Addendum: As far as i have had it expalined, the "circle punch" in the video is a more long ranged hook.

 

[JowGaWolf]

Interesting, and what exactly are you referring to with your last sentence?

I was referring to the long strikes in their form. Jow Ga, Hung Ga use a long uppercut called Pow Choy that stops at my chin height. Lama Pi has the same punch but in the form they follow through as if they are trying to uppercut someone who is 7ft tall. A lot of these systems have been blending, at least in the US.

 

[Flying Crane]

I was referring to the long strikes in their form. Jow Ga, Hung Ga use a long uppercut called Pow Choy that stops at my chin height. Lama Pi has the same punch but in the form they follow through as if they are trying to uppercut someone who is 7ft tall. A lot of these systems have been blending, at least in the US.

Ah yes, we do that same big pau choi. All the way through. Big extended movements. It is part of that “exaggerated” movement that I always mention. But also, if you drive that under the chin, make sure you don’t stop when you make contact. Go all the way through.

 

[AIKIKENJITSU]

What exactly is circle punch. I went on youtube to look and this is the only one I found and I was told this is not right:

Can anyone show me how to do a circle punch, I never heard of this in my days. I only know hook punch.

Thanks

I've taught American Kenpo (my version) for fifty years. I do a circular punch like the above video. Curve my wrist and thumb down, striking with my foreinger and middle knuckle, bending , bending my wrist. My advice is to not make or think of moves being over complicated; the similar the better.
Sifu
Puyallup, WA

 

[Alan0354]

I've taught American Kenpo (my version) for fifty years. I do a circular punch like the above video. Curve my wrist and thumb down, striking with my foreinger and middle knuckle, bending , bending my wrist. My advice is to not make or think of moves being over complicated; the similar the better.
Sifu
Puyallup, WA

I am on strike this week because my grand daughter is staying with us. I'll try all of them next week.

Thanks

 

[Caster]

What exactly is circle punch. I went on youtube to look and this is the only one I found and I was told this is not right:

Can anyone show me how to do a circle punch, I never heard of this in my days. I only know hook punch.

Thanks

This punch is mostly prevalent in jkd.

Being a jkd guy ill try and give an explanation in the way I most understand and utilize it.

Let's say you are striking forward with a jab or straight lead, your opponent wants to catch it or push it aside, you decide you'll simply go around, so you relax your arm briefly, and wind around the defensive arm, gaining momentum as your arm spins to strike your opponent from the side. In wing chun this would be a jao sao type attack.

Another way to utilize the circular punch is - say your very close to your opponent in grappling type range. You simply don't have enough room to get a hook, though the opponents side is exposed; You'll want to relax the arm a bit allowing it to fall then winding it around to it can gain momentum and thus power, this will help make up fo some of the lack of hip engagement in this extremely close quarters situation.

Cheers!

What exactly is circle punch. I went on youtube to look and this is the only one I found and I was told this is not right:

Can anyone show me how to do a circle punch, I never heard of this in my days. I only know hook punch.

Thanks

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

3 right circle punches can be seen at 0/28 - 0/31. This is one of my favor combos. When I walk, I like to do

- right low hook, right middle hook, right high hook,
- left low hook, left middle hook, left high hook.
- ...

When I walk like this, people will stay away from my path.

 

[JowGaWolf]

When I walk like this, people will stay away from my path.

Probably not for the reasons you think. Crazy guy coming down the street punching lol.

just joking. giving you a hard time.

 

[JowGaWolf]

Probably not for the reasons you think. Crazy guy coming down the street punching lol.

just joking. giving you a hard time.

So in an Ironic turn of events. I was the "Crazy guy coming down the street swinging a staff" I try to walk every night for health and rehab purposes and part of that process I use a staff and I do a few kung fu swings with it. So, 3 ladies 2 adults and 1 girl from a different neighborhood walked by (keep in mind it's getting dark). Upon passing them for a second time, one of the ladies took it as an opportunity to scare the little girl.

Guess who they pointed at? Yep me and my staff. I'm pretty sure that was what was going on as the lady pointed in my direction and I could see the girl pull back as if she was scared. I'm pretty sure my wife wasn't scaring them lol.

By the way, I only walk at night in my neighborhood as my neighbors are familiar with the guy that practices the staff in his front yard.

 

[Alan0354]

3 right circle punches can be seen at 0/28 - 0/31. This is one of my favor combos. When I walk, I like to do

- right low hook, right middle hook, right high hook,
- left low hook, left middle hook, left high hook.
- ...

When I walk like this, people will stay away from my path.

Depends on how big you are and how big the other guy is. Just yesterday, we took our grand daughter to Carmel Ca. to walk around, I saw two guys that's like 6'8", arm like 19". I looked at my walking stick, I seriously question whether it's heavy enough for being 18oz(heavy for a cane)!!!

Please don't lecture me size and strength doesn't matter. IT REALLY DOES. AND do NOT assume they don't know how to fight.

 

[Yokozuna514]

Depends on how big you are and how big the other guy is. Just yesterday, we took our grand daughter to Carmel Ca. to walk around, I saw two guys that's like 6'8", arm like 19". I looked at my walking stick, I seriously question whether it's heavy enough for being 18oz(heavy for a cane)!!!

Please don't lecture me size and strength doesn't matter. IT REALLY DOES. AND do NOT assume they don't know how to fight.

Alan, a ton of bricks falling has no technique but it can still kill you if it falls on you. No one is going to dispute that size and strength do not matter. If it didn't, what would be the point of all those pushups . Most combat sports have weight categories to help level the playing field a little. Kyokushin still have open weight tournaments but you rarely see smaller guys finishing at the top.

It is good for you to question whether your 18 oz walking stick will help you defend against someone who is 6'-8" with arms that are 19" in diameter. There are probably many other reasons you should question if that is a good idea at all. However, that doesn't mean you shouldn't train and try to improve yourself physically and mentally against attacks. It just means you should be more realistic and honest about which types of situations you will be more successful in defending yourself with your can. How can you find these limits ? Find opportunities to test your skills against live non-cooperating opponents who you trust can help you find the areas you need to work on to become better.

Hopefully the source of what is prompting you to feel the need to defend yourself will also lessen (ie: Attacks against Asians). Good luck and keep safe.

 

[JowGaWolf]

Alan, a ton of bricks falling has no technique but it can still kill you if it falls on you. No one is going to dispute that size and strength do not matter.

I'm going to say that size and weight don't matter in the way that we assume. Size and weight will change the approach in which someone has to use in order to win. Just because they are bigger and stronger doesn't mean that those advantages are the things that give them the win.

If I had to fight someone taller and bigger than me by a great deal then I know that punching the face may not be an option. I may have to start looking at other points to attack in order to win. Someone who is taller and stronger may have a coordination issue that I can exploit. Their footwork may not be the best. Their size may give me a speed advantage and an endurance advantage. A win may not be a KO, but a disengagement.

In competitive sports smaller fighters have been able to win against larger fighters.

Does size and weight matter? Yep, but there are 2 sides of that.

It is good for you to question whether your 18 oz walking stick will help you defend against someone who is 6'-8" with arms that are 19" in diameter. There are probably many other reasons you should question if that is a good idea at all. However, that doesn't mean you shouldn't train and try to improve yourself physically and mentally against attacks. It just means you should be more realistic and honest about which types of situations you will be more successful in defending yourself with your can. How can you find these limits ?

ha ha ha.. I already know the answer this one. Me vs someone who is 6'-8" I'm not going to be able to hit that person unless they come down to my level. If I have to fight someone like that then I'm already thinking. stick and move. Crack some shins. Especially if I had a cane. Yep, time to tenderize those shins before I start kicking them lol.

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

I looked at my walking stick, I seriously question whether it's heavy enough for being 18oz(heavy for a cane)!!!

Some MA people carry walking stick with sword in it.

The cane gun is even better.

I have a solid steel spear head that can be attached at the end of my hiking stick. I use it to deal with mountain lion when I hike.

 

[Martial D]

WOW!!! I did not know this. Never know to strike with part of the hand like this. I have to try this to see.

Thanks

Don't..don't do that. Punching with your middle knuckles will just get you broken fingers. Take everything you hear on this site with a grain of salt.. seriously.

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

Don't..don't do that. Punching with your middle knuckles will just get you broken fingers. Take everything you hear on this site with a grain of salt.. seriously.

Agree! During the full contact Karate time (1973 - 1976), many Karate guys came to me for external medicine (used for iron palm training) for their broken knuckles from their ridge hand striking.

Sometime people may forget that they should use hard to hit soft, and use soft to hit hard. A palm edge strike on the skull is much more effective than a fist on the skull.

 

[JowGaWolf]

Don't..don't do that. Punching with your middle knuckles will just get you broken fingers.

There's nothing wrong with hitting someone with the middle knuckle. If you target your punches and understand what parts of the fist to use and when then it's not an issue.

People who only know how to use these 2 knuckles on a fist are usually the ones worried about breaking their hands. People should also learn how to target their punches instead of just swinging hard and hope to hit something.

Get good with targeting your opponent and learn to strike with different areas of your fist and a lot of the worries about breaking the hand and knuckles should evaporate.

 

[JowGaWolf]

Sometime people may forget that they should use hard to hit soft, and use soft to hit hard.

They don't forget. They only know know how to strike using one area of the fist. How many boxers do you know that are trained to strike with the base of their fist or the palm of their hand?

Perfect example of what I'm saying. Trying to hit with the same two knuckles