“Before I started training in the martial arts a punch was just a punch, a kick just a kick. When I started, a punch was no longer just a punch, a kick no longer just a kick. Now that I understand training, a punch is again, just a punch, a kick just a kick.” –Bruce Lee
Some time ago I wrote what proved to be a very popular article on how to develop a power punch. In that article I looked at some different punching methods and highlighted the use of the whiplash technique to greatly increase the speed and power of a punch.
In this follow up article I’m going to be looking at some other different methods to increase the power and effectiveness of your punches. So let’s start by reminding ourselves of the value of the humble punch.
Your Best Weapon
At one time my favourite technique to use was the kick. I considered punches to be merely a back up to my kicks and in a sparring context, this is mostly still the case, but in terms of street self defense, the punch has now definitely become my technique of choice, for two reasons.
The first reason is that most street confrontations begin with some form of dialogue, so more often than not, things will kick off at punching distance. You are already in the perfect position to use the punch, you don’t have to step back or forward, you simply just throw it from where you are. So if you already have the perfect range for attack, why would you want to manufacture another range unnecessarily by stepping back for a kick or stepping in for a throw or takedown? It’s a waste of time to do that and it adds to the already high risk of the situation by leaving more margins for error.
The second reason is the immense power that you can get behind a punch and with it, the ability to accurately direct that power towards one of the most vulnerable areas of an opponent’s body, the jaw, which will hopefully result in a knockout blow. You manage that and its job done. No need for follow-up techniques or struggling to keep an opponent down after you have threw them or locked them. You just walk or run away.
In terms of simplicity and sheer effectiveness, the punch is hard to beat in a street self defense situation and in many ways it is the perfect weapon when used correctly.
So let’s now take a look at some of the ways in which we can increase the power and over all effectiveness of our punching.
Proper Body Mechanics
When we talk about proper body mechanics we are talking about the practice of proper body weight transference. Powerful punching has nothing to do with the size of the person doing it. It is completely possible that someone of little size and weight could knockout an opponent twice their size and weight simply by punching with their total weight behind the punch.
The reason why so many people fail to generate enough power behind their punches is that they often punch just with the arms and shoulders, forgetting to utilise the hips and torso in the execution of it. This results in only limited power and nowhere near the level of power that that same person would be capable of if they only used their whole body to punch.
To get maximum power from a punch it is necessary to punch from the stomach or the Hara (the one point), as some people call it. In reality, this one point is just the body’s centre of gravity and to punch from here enables you to use your entire body weight to put behind the punch.
Correct use of hips is essential here. The hip must follow the direction of the punch, helping to transfer all the energy gathered from the centre of the body into that square inch of space on your punching hand (the two big knuckles). If
Kime
As stated, Kime is the act of focussing all of your energy into a single point, in this case, your punches moment of impact. For the punch to be effective all of your muscles must collectively tense for a split second on the moment of impact. The hip thrust must also be timed to happen in conjunction with this tensing of the body. Both Kime and hip thrust must therefore be in time for the punch to be truly effective. If either one are out of synch then the power of the punch will be lost and you won’t get the knockout blow you were looking for. Everything has to move in perfect synchronicity therefore. Once you achieve this then you can be said to be truly punching your weight.
Travelling
Travelling is another means to add more power to your punches and it basically involves adding a step or shuffle to the technique, thus adding momentum from your body weight into the mix. Once again, timing is everything here. Your forward moving leg should land or still be moving at the same time as the impact of the blow. Stop too soon and the momentum will be wasted and if you step too slow you will telegraph the punch. Everything must be in synch, step, hip thrust and Kime all happening as one. This is difficult to get right at first, but with practice it gets easier.
The Double Hip
This technique was developed by Peter Consterdine and it is meant to be used at close range (punching distance). Rather than thrust the hip just once, we do it twice to garner extra power into the subsequent blow. So for example, if you are standing with left leg forward, you would turn the left hip towards your opponent before quickly changing and thrusting the right hip as you punch. It’s like a whiplash effect, a quick one two thrust of the hips that has the effect of adding a lot of power to your punch without you having to do much else. It’s a very effective technique, especially when you have little room to move. Try it on the bag or focus pads. Use one hip thrust first, then both hips and compare and contrast. The difference is amazing when done correctly.
The Element of Surprise
I have talked about the element of surprise before as regards to pre-emptive striking, and although it won’t add power to your technique per se, it will have the effect of seeming too, simply because your opponent won’t be expecting it. Your punch will have a much greater effect if your opponent doesn’t see it coming or isn’t expecting it. If you expect to get hit you will ready yourself for the impact and you will quite easily absorb most of it. If you get taken by surprise however, you won’t get a chance to prepare yourself for the impact so the blow will have a much greater effect. In this way, a person of small build could easily drop a much larger opponent, simply by utilising the element of surprise. Thus we have used great power without actually physically generating it.
Further Tips for Power Punching
If you wish to have powerful punches then you must learn to stay relaxed. Too many people think they have to tense their muscles to generate power in their technique when in fact the opposite is true. The whole body must be relaxed, especially the shoulders, until the moment of impact. Speed comes from being relaxed and power comes from speed, so make a point of freeing yourself from any tension when practicing punching (and any other technique for that matter).
You must practice constantly as well. To get the most out of punching each punch must be practiced thousands of times in order to master the many nuances involved and also to get the timing right each time. For street self defense purposes, take one single punch that you are most comfortable with and practice it over and over until you can generate the power needed to knock down an opponent. At the moment I am working on my right hook because that’s my favourite punch and I’ll keep working on it until I’m satisfied it’s good enough, then I’ll work on it some more. It gets repetitive, but it’s extremely satisfying and also comforting to know that I have a technique that won’t fail me when the time comes to use it (and indeed it hasn’t failed me in the past). Just knowing this will do wonders for your confidence and help in making you a hard target for potential attackers because they will sense your confidence and be less inclined to bother you.
Anyway, I hoped you found some useful advice in this article and if you did, feel free to let other people know about it on Twitter or Facebook by clicking the buttons below.
Now, go practice those punches!
Great heavy bags by Ringside and Everlast.
Further Resources
Real Punching (Real (Summersdale))
Knockout Punching: Theory and Practice
