Punching Elements

How do you throw a punch safely?  That is to say, deliver a strong strike without hurting yourself.  No doubt there are hundreds of things to talk about but we’ll start with four fundamental ideas.

1. Keep your wrist in line with your forearm.  If your wrist is at a different angle than your forearm, then you’re likely to roll it on impact.  Hit something hard enough and you might sprain or even fracture your wrist.

2. Keep a slight bend in your elbow.  This helps prevent hyper extension, particularly if your intended target moves out of the way.  The rule is 95% extension – you want to reach with the strike, but not so far you hurt your elbow.

3. Tighten the fist upon impact.  By squeezing the fist upon impact, you help lessen the chances of a rolled wrist.

4. Hit with the top two knuckles.  This means you’re using the two biggest knuckles to strike with – the base of the index and middle fingers.  While they still can break, they are less likely to break than the ring or pinky knuckle.

More important than all these rules?  Hit the bag.  The feedback is a priceless teaching tool.