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i read somewhere that by closing your fist right before contact you can put out more power when compared to having a fist from the start. could this be true? and does your style use this method at all.

2006-12-04 04:13:14 · 8 answers · asked by Jas Key 6 in Sports Martial Arts

8 answers

These guys have it dead on. Keeping your hand, arm, etc relaxed while throwing ANY technique makes you faster because tensed up muscles move slower- you have to relax before you move. I'll give you an example...
Your triceps (back of your arm) are working when you throw a punch (VERY basically speaking). If your biceos (front of your arm) are tensed up while your arm is trying to move, your muscles are working against each other in order to move...your biceps are flexed and trying to keep your arm moving TOWARD you while your triceps are trying to move your arm AWAY from you in a punch. It is much better to think of your arm like a whip- generating all the power and speed it can while moving, then contracting into a hard little ball just before impact. This makes you faster and faster makes for more power. The formulae for this would be MA(2) or mass times (acceleration squared). Your speed of technique is VERY important in generating power.
However, a GREAT MANY schools will not teach you this until upper levels, if at all. The reason for this is that if you make contact before you figured you would, your hand will be open and you could easily break your hand and/or fingers. This is especially true of your thumb which can easily get "hooked" into a loose piece of clothing, head gear while sparring, etc. You can dislocate your thumb fairly easily this way.
Bottom line...yes staying completely relaxed makes you faster which in turn makes the technique more powerful.
Hope this helps...
Sensei Cox

2006-12-04 18:36:17 · answer #1 · answered by hitman142002 3 · 0 0

Well, if your hand is clenched into a fist, your muscles are contracted, some of these muscles interfere ever so slightly with the speed of your punch, speed equals power. Also, if you close your hand into a fist before you throw the punch, you telegraph, meaning that you send a message as to what you are going to do before you've even done it. This is bad, this allows more time for your opponent to react, and if he knows proper technique and he has trained hard, he can hit you before your fist is halfway to his head. Why should you have a closed fist before striking? are you trying to knock out the air? nope. Having your arm flexed all the time while punching will tire you out faster, thus, making you slower speed equals power blah blah blah, ect. Punches like hooks and uppercuts though, are a little different, because your arm is curled in and you are making a short motion, curling up your fist *right after* you begin the punch can speed it up a smidge, of course you need to know how to throw hooks and uppercuts, or else they don't work at all. but in terms of jabs and crosses, you need lightning hands that your opponent cannot react to, the faster the better, speed equals power. For better punching try boxing, then move into other styles and learn other hand techniques, because boxing is a little restrained, hands are very diverse.

In short, yes, closing your fist the moment before impact equals more power through speed, but if you do not know how to throw a punch, kick him in the balls because the hand closing thing does not apply to you.

2006-12-05 01:45:40 · answer #2 · answered by Roy B 3 · 0 0

Yes, we snap shut the hand at impact. It only remains tight for a second. Only during impact.
the stress from the your muscles keeping you fist tight takes away from you punch. Keep is normal and close it before impact. Same deal with back fist strike. The hand floats more freely if you have it open, the slamming shut at the last second increase the acceleration.
Please practice this against a makiwara or heavy bag before using in combat.

2006-12-04 12:20:05 · answer #3 · answered by spidertiger440 6 · 1 0

You could make your fist earlier but clench tighter right before impact. Keeping muscles relaxed does help with speed and power as complementary muscles oppose each other when they are tensed up, therefore slowing you down.

2006-12-04 15:59:56 · answer #4 · answered by Ben P 4 · 1 0

Yes. The key is to keep you arm completely relaxed till the last possible instant. This allows you to generate more arm speed & therefore more power.
I do that all the time.

2006-12-04 13:47:57 · answer #5 · answered by yupchagee 7 · 1 0

Wow!is it really that easy?why didn't i just read it somewhere instead of wasting 37 years training.it may have an element of truth in it but there is a lot more to it than that.

2006-12-06 04:33:00 · answer #6 · answered by BUSHIDO 7 · 0 0

And what happens when the target suddenly move 3 inches closer to you? Bad idea.

2006-12-04 15:13:51 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 1 2

no you can break your fingers if your fist is not tight

2006-12-04 12:15:56 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0 1

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