Help! I can't punch.

[seienchin]

Originally Posted by smoothsake

controlling distance and watching for openings with a live opponent will be much more challenging than hitting a stationary object.

completely agree: but the one thing that many novice "punchers" lack is the knowledge of the right timing and distance for various kinds of punches, and degrees of hip movements. This needs to be perfected through drilling, and then contextualised with live opponents.

[Deaken]

I like to run partner drills where one person throws punches (single slowly and then working up to combinations and faster) the other partner practices "blocking" the punches with their open hand. Then once they are confident about the blocking they work on blocking and countering. This is a safe low contact (if done lightly) way to get used to timing and distance and hand blocking/punching/countering movement. Work this like as if you were practicing very light Kumite so with footwork movements etc, not standing still.

This can be done in round format in a class where every 2 minutes you switch partners to vary the timing and skills and so you don’t become used to any one person.

[Tetsujin]

Hi Starkodama!
I think five-finger and seiken push-ups will strengthten your hands (at least it works for me), keep your nails short (I've noticed that many girls have problems with proper fist clenching due to long nails), Kihon and Ido keiko if do it properly is good too for distance, balance, precision and concentration. Then striking mitts and air shields, and finally work with your partner as a walking target hit him lightly with single-triple punches to solar plexus, stomach, liver. Don't hit whole body, seek for targets. Try to srtike between his guarding hands. Then combine it with knee and low kicks, later with high. Use 3-1 (for example 3 punches and 1 kick) combinations. And I think if you are good with kicking you have to go on and don't stop, till you make it perfect in speed, form, power.

[jcbel]

See if you can get a training partner to do "half-speed" kumite with you - that is both parties are only allowed to defend and attack slowly. I found doing it to be an eye opening exercise.

[Aunty Ichigeki]

If you can talk your opponents into not kicking that will be better for you for the reason's named above... it's hard to punch from 'safe' kicking distance. Practice the punches with some cooperative buddies until you're more comfortable and then work the moving in & out thang!

[Nix]

I propose the same thing as Deaken and Tetsujin. Both things have worked out for me, plus it helps you to learn how to take some blows. Start light abnd focus on speed, then work it up to about 80% force (the blocking drill and the punching drill both).

Deaken: Why would you block with an open hand? Wouldn't that risk breaking your fingers?

[Dent]

Osu! StarKodama,

I'd also stay away from punch outs with the heavyweights unless you know them very well. They make great moving punchbags, but the return fire can be a bit much.

Let us know if any of this is working, and if so, what.

Osu!

[mary222]

might sound weird but punching power start with the foot. im a small girl and i really saw a diffrence by focusing on startin on the foot then twisting the the hips, the shoulder then your arm. your fist doesn't do a lot when punchin exept contact

[Deaken]

Hi Nix,

Specifically for this drill, I have students extend their hands a little further forwards to practice "catching the punches", which is not really catching them, but catching the side of the fist to be able to redirect the arm with your palm. This trains your ability to move the hand and arm of your oponent to create an opening to counter with a punch of your own. it also helps you to properly learn effective distance training. Of course we can't grab but this is a redirection. Most often fighters block punches with their forearms, which works but is damaging after many blows and the forearm block means that you also block the punch when it is very close in to you. By working on trying to react to the punches before the get close and to (when you can) move the hand of your opponent to counter with your own punch you are taking less damage by avoiding getting hit and returning damage using the opening that you have created.

Mastering this technique is good for tournament, but even more important for senior belt gradings where you are not just fighting one round, but 10, 20, 30 rounds against unique back belts. In this type of a situation you need to preserve your body as much as possible to endure the later rounds.

[StarKodama]

Hi Dent!

I am reading this thread very carefully... I'm so grateful for all the advice! In kumite I'm making a concentrated effort to kick much less and focus on punches... but yeah, my punches are still pretty crummy. I also tried the first half of seienchin-san's punch drill routine, and succeeded in taking most of the skin off my seiken knuckles. Whoops.

I'm not gonna give up though! ;D

[Kyokugen]

Okaayyy,,, I can't not punching too, my punch is very weak and not deadly enough

So i start do punching bag and punching wall also a lot of push up, but it just harden my bone and break my skin~~

[Nix]

Slightly off-topic:

Thank you for the explanation, Deaken. I can see the logic, but the way I see it, when you open your palm, you also increase the risk of breaking your fingers. Ideally, I prefer not to just block with the forearm, but to sweep the punch away with the forearm in a smooth motion (soto uke). But I can definatelly see that this is getting increasingly more painful after 20 rounds.

A similar drill is to use the open palm on the opponents upper arms, thus hindering him from extending his arm. This is actually surprisingly effective. If you have the opportunity, you can go one step further and grab his gi.


On a more related topic, I recently learned that women don't evolve hard bones like men do, because they do not produce cartilage (?) like men do. In other words, makiwara and seiken pushups will be essentially a waste of time - perhaps bagwork to thicken the skin on the knuckles works better. Don't quote me on this, if anyone knows more about this subject than I do, please speak up!

Osu!

[Bloke]

Originally Posted by Nix

A similar drill is to use the open palm on the opponents upper arms, thus hindering him from extending his arm. This is actually surprisingly effective.

Osu!

I also do this Nix. It takes a bit of practice but very little effort on your part and makes it easy to control your opponent. One thing is that when you get good at it you need to learn how to punch from that distance i.e hold the bicep pull back slightly and then punch.

[seienchin]

Originally Posted by StarKodama

I also tried the first half of seienchin-san's punch drill routine, and succeeded in taking most of the skin off my seiken knuckles. Whoops.

I'm not gonna give up though! ;D

You go girl! My graduation photos are really funny - there I am, all decked out in formal gear, with cap and gown, and a ballgown underneath....holding a rolled up diploma proudly in both hands.....with quite noticeably red knuckles!!!!!!

you can wear mitts you know

[StarKodama]

Originally Posted by seienchin

you can wear mitts you know

No way!! I wanna have tough hands like my (male) sempai do!

[Dent]

Osu! StarKodama,

Sounds like Jackson from Bloodsport. "I love anything with full contact. I need a few more scars on my face!"

Osu!

[Deaken]

Hi Nix,

In my post, I described for the purpose of this training only to use an open palm however it seems that many top fighters fight with their hands open, and only close their fists for punches so I guess that there are varying opinions on what to consider proper kumite technique. I usually tell my students to fight with their hands closed until they are very experienced, but that's just my opinion.

I was told a story recently from a Shihan from one of his trainings with Sosai where a student asked Sosai how do you know if you are using good technique. Sosai responded something to the effect of "Did you knock him down?" if so it was good technique.

[Gar23]

I have a similar problem. Punches just haven't been my thing and most of the time i joke to myself that tae kwon do would be more my thing. Most of the people in my class throw deadly punches while I just mostly feint with my hands to keep people in kicking range. A lot of times i fear that my punches aren't even felt by my opponent. I mean, I can rabbit punch faster than I or my bag partner can count but they lack any kind of power.

What i'm trying out is working my forearms more, trying to get more out of my benchpress, and heal that last bit of brocitis i got from my baseball days. As well as doing some punching pyramids with 0,3,5,8lbs of weight.

[Aunty Ichigeki]

I had another thought on this. This may or may not be true for you but a lot of girls hold their arms very close to their chests when they fight so it's a long way from their comfortable defensive position to punching position. I find punching more comfortable when I have my guard further out or even, toe to toe, when I guard their wrists with my wrists (tensho style). In this position its a game of shutting down their punches & slipping your own through their guard. Especially good if you're flexible because the flexible person can easily set up both middle & high kicks from this position while inflexible people are more limited. It's kind of comfortable because you can sense, through their wrists, what their body is up to.

[StarKodama]

I've been working hard on my punches! I try hard to punch more and focus on punching in kumite, and every day after training I do as much sandbag as I can, punches only. Seiken pushups too, of course!

Last night was the first time I'd been able to make it to the dojo in a week. We did some mitt stuff in class, where my partner held the mitt and I punched it. It was only when we were all done that I realized that I was able to punch the mitt, at full force, bare-handed! It may sound lame, but I've never been able to do that before. I always had a fear of punching anything without wearing gloves of any kind.

So thank you so much, everybody!! Now if only I could stop spraining my thumbs in kumite....