Note: This post was in a previous AWCA Weblog on another site before being moved to the AWCAOnline server. It is re-posted here in its entirety.
Original posting date: Thursday, May 25, 2006 08:06:00 AM
An interesting conversation I have been having with Dave Smith in Australia (http://www.fighting-fathers.com/) concerns using the bottom three knuckles vs. the top two as most others do.
Before we go on, though, I recommend checking out Dave’s site and his excellent newsletter; he has a great insight to a variety of topics, and also promotes some really great tools for those that want to get into Internet business marketing (his Ezine-Express is what you see when you read AWCA Notes, too, so as you already know, it is a first-rate program).
Now then. On to punching.
For us in WC/ VT/ WT, using the bottom three knuckles is a matter of physics. Based on how the body is built, the bottom three are in alignment with the forearm, which reinforces the fist and protects the wrist from being “tweaked” during the power we deliver.
Striking in this manner allows for the entire arm to act as a sort of human shock absorber, and as long as the body is trained on a wall bag and learns to overcome rebound, this type of punching can deliver some of the most powerful “dropping” blows imaginable.
So why do others not see that? I see two reasons for this possibility:
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They were never taught it or they witnessed a performance by someone that did not really understand it, and/or
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It does not conform to the manner in which their punching concepts are delivered
Understanding Yat-chi-cheung-kuen
There is no mystery to this punch. It is nothing more than a simple matter of learning the body’s anatomy, the biomechanics of movement, and how to deliver an “explosion” of force in very tight or confined spaces.
And while it is very, very simple, using it effectively requires a great deal of steady and consistent training.
It has to start slowly, originating on the centerline and delivered directly forward on the straightest path possible. Power is delivered by keeping the entire body relaxed and then suddenly “exploding” the fist forward by contracting the triceps and back muscles.
The target is also not the front of the opponent; instead, the real target is what is ”behind” them.
For example, when I strike, I am not aiming for their nose. I am aiming to go “through” their face and hit the back of the head. When I strike the chest, I am not aiming for the chest; I am aiming to go “through” their chest and hit their back.
Training in this manner teaches more explosion and power, and being on the receiving end of this punching method is why we literally “drop” the opponent where he is standing.
How is this trained? Very simply, by hitting immoveable objects, objects that will not swing or dissipate force. And that object is a wall bag.
A wall bag is, well, just what it sounds like: a punching bag that is mounted on a wall. Being filled with sand, dried peas, beans, rice, etc., it provides a striking surface without any “give” as to its physical position.
In plain English, it does not move when you hit it.
So because it is stationary and not moving, it forces you to overcome the rebound being generated. All of your power is exploding into this bag, but your power immediately is halted because of it. What is happening is that you are learning to explode into an opponent, releasing your full force, and then your body is learning how to overcome the rebound of the bag not going anywhere.
If you do not learn to overcome this rebound, you either break your hand or your wrist, and you get thrown backwards.
As your punches get more conditioned, so does your body. Your punching gets faster and more powerful, and your body is getting stronger, as well as more pliable. This is the “relaxed explosion of force” being developed that creates the true power of the punch.
When others use the top two knuckles, something has to twist, turn or move so as to reinforce the wrist. If it doesn’t, a great deal of damage is seen. And because of this slight twist, it forces an unnatural contraction of musculature, which in turn slows the punch down.
Punching Concepts
The other matter is “how” our punches are delivered vs. how others delivers theirs.
For example, our punches are generally delivered on the straightest line possible so that it decreases the time it takes to get there. Additionally, this straightline delivery can also combine with the incoming power of the opponent’s attack, which effectively doubles our attacking power with half the effort.
With other methods, there is a bit of “chambering” that happens, and this chambering is used to create an explosion and momentum type of action. The body is put behind the punch for even more power, so make no mistake about it: these punches, even though the punches are less efficient, they will still drop you if you are on the receiving end. However, in order to be performed in their manner, they must use the top two knuckles vs. the bottom three.
So the punches are in direct alignment with how each method delivers them. Because of our concepts and how we approach the engagement, using the bottom three serves us very well. And because of how others approach their own fights, they use the top two.
Pretty simple when you look at it like that.
