What is meant by the term "chambering" a punch?

Answer 1

in explaining chambering it should be noted that there are vast differences between fighting an opponent (practice fighting or in competition) and the use of karate as self-defense against a random attack. Also, there are vast differences between what is taught to beginners in terms of technique and its use, and more advanced understanding of technique and applications. Unfortunately the latter has been largely lost as karate has expanded and evolved world-wide. The result is that entire generations of students never learned, or looked to uncover, applications of chambering.

Answer 2

Chambering

Chambering is cocking the punch or starting the punch from a ****** position. While it is not good to chamber a punch, unless the opponent is stunned and the punch is finishing blow, it is good to start punches from a chambered position when possible since the chamber allows the punch to generate more power. When beginning Taekwondo students are taught to punch, they are taught to chamber the punch at the hip and to re-chamber (or pull-back) the other hand to the hip.

These are the extremes of the motions. If the muscles are trained in the extremes of movements, then less extreme movements are easier to perform. This extremes are used to teach the theories of punching and to put artistic expression into the performance of patterns, they are not used in free-sparring and only used in self-defense under certain conditions, such as the aforementioned finishing blow

http://tkdtutor.com/09Techinques/Hands/Punching/Chambering.htm

Answer 3

when they pull the punch back to thier hips and punch from thier hips.

The claim is that it generates more power. If the way people punched by just using thier hands and arms, that would be true.

chambering produces bad habits like keeping shoulders from bieng thrown into the punch, keeping hips from bieng used for power, and keeping legs for bieng used for power.

Martial arts is about maximizing power, defending yourself and bieng able to hit your target. chambering reduces your chances of all three.

Maybe there was a "historical" application that made sense, but the way it is today, makes none. the fact is that it takes your arm and puts it in a weaker position where it can't guard you and is pointless. if the purpose is to grab and retract then what are you grabbing?

and what good does it do when you are essentially wasting one hand to grab as it won't be effective and you will get hit. Grapplers use both hands and thier entire body.

If you are hoping to pull them over or out of position with just one hand, then I strongly suggest you try it on a resisting opponent first and see how miserably you will fail.

Answer 4

I just wanted to add my two cents' worth...

The reason I have been given to chambering (something that I have not practiced in over a decade) is twofold: one, for the same reason that others have posted which concerns cocking the punch back to prepare it, and two, to throw an elbow-strike to the rear in anticipation of multiple attackers. Arguably, it is also used to force a beginning martial artist to be aware of where he/she is positioning his/her body parts at all times, as opposed to just letting the loose arm flail and swing about uselessly.

In essence, chambering a punch is just to bring the arm which is not in use back to the body. I prefer to keep my guard up.

Answer 5

This is the act of bringing the fist back to the belt before throwing a punch. This is done in martial arts in part as a natural action before a punch, but also a natural grabbing action afterwards. This is training for actual combat, as opposed to boxing, whose punches are much stronger even without a chamber, but whose training does not prepare to light grabbing/pulling of a civil confrontation. (Grabbing is rightfully illegal in boxing, it wouldn't be nearly as fun to watch if they could grab each other, we definitely wouldn't get the interesting knockout punches as often)

Answer 6

if your teacher is telling you "chamber your punch" quit, he do not know what is talking about, every punch is chambered "that is it has a starting point"

Answer 7

Bringing your hand into position to get maximum power in a punch. The ideal position for this is at your side, belt level & knuckles up. Obvioulsy, in a fight, you don't have time to do that. We practice that way because that increases our power in a realistic situation.

Answer 8

Bringing it up to room temperature. (Chamber = room in French)

Answer 9

I've never heard that term. I could only guess.