How to Punch and Hit Hard
77Do you want punches that hit hard?
There's only one thing you really need to know:
Force = mass x acceleration
This formula, Newton's second law of motion, is the key to knockout punching power.
You don't need a degree in physics to understand it. Basically, how hard you hit depends on how much of your weight you put behind your punches, and how fast you deliver them.
This is why boxing lightweights don't face heavyweights in the ring. Their skill might be equal, but a lightweight will never be able to hit as hard as someone who weighs a hundred or more pounds than they do.
So what does this mean for you?
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A powerful punch:
- has all of your body weight behind it
- accelerates through the target
- brings all of your muscles to bear
So what is the secret to power punching?
Lots
of regular practice. It is my opinion that boxing and kickboxing teach
the best punching techniques. Find a boxing class, and study for at
least a few months to get the basic techniques. Then practice,
practice, practice.
Ine the meantime, here are some tips to help you put more power into your punches:
- Move forward into your punches. Practice footwork that moves your body forward as you execute the punch - but don't depend on this for your power.
- punch through your target. If you are hitting the heavy bag, focus on a point on the other side of the bag, or in the middle of it. In other words, accelerate through the target.
- Put your body into it. Don't just punch with your arm! Move your whole body into the punch.
Try this exercise to get a feel for what I mean:
- First, punch with just your arm.
- Then, put your shoulder behind the punch. Twist your torso, putting your abdominal, chest, and shoulder muscles into it. Do this for a while and see how it feels.
- Next, swing your hips into the punch. Really swing them - if you are punching with your right hand, swivel your right hip forward. Pivot your right foot on the toe, allowing your full body weight to come into the punch.
- Once you have a good idea of how this feels, see if you can bring your leg muscles into play, driving your punch home starting from your calf muscles, through your thighs, hips, abs, pecs, shoulders, and arm muscles.
This video provides a good illustration of the movements:
The best way to train your power is to hit a heavy bag.
You will also need to condition your wrists, hands, and the rest of your body to take the shocks. When you first begin to train you will sprain your wrists and rub your knuckles raw. A good job of wrapping can help prevent this, but you should still be prepared for some pain.
Also, be aware that you can injure yourself. Damage to your rotator cuff, elbows, fingers, wrists and more may occur. Your best bet is to learn proper technique from a qualified instructor!
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Thanks for the tips, MFB. Learning to hit hard is not for everyone. I'll write a hub with some more practical self defense tips in the future.
Excellent hub Will. I need you to do me 2 favors:
1. Remind me to never pick a fight with you.
2. Keep MFB as far away from me as humanly possible.
Straightforward!
Hah, T Augustus! But I learned those tricks in a self-defense class, too. It makes up for not being able to put enough weight behind the punch.
William, the best advice you gave was towards the end, to get a pro to instruct you. People can really hurt themselves, trying to wing it for amateur boxing.
Good hub.
OH BOY !!! Did I enjoy reading this. I especially like the imagery of punching THROUGH a target. I have dreamed of being capable of punching a hole through the chest of my ex---son-in-law. and he is so tall my fist would only reach his chest, just where most people have a heart.It's in the past, so you have not encouraged me to violence but boy have you made me smile.....
haha, i like the bit of physics used here.
great article!
check out my site: http://howtoknocksomeoneout.com
Nice tips you have here William. These indeed contains the actual truth regarding self defense. In defending oneself, technique might be the least that you could remember, the first thing that will come out of your mind is to fight back with brute force, which is indeed true. So all you have to do is to gather your senses and strike.
William, have you read Championship Fighting by Jack Dempsey (best pug that ever lived in my opinion). The type of punching you are describing is a shoulder wave which, when done right, involves pushing into the ground, involving your hips, shoulders and wrist rotation. This type of punching is shared by many external martial arts, including western boxing. Jack Dempsey writes about another way of punching...the way he delivered the most powerful left imaginable. It entails entirely putting your weight on your left leg...and then moving the weighted leg in a way that captures the falling momentum of your body. I believe there are free e-versions of Dempsey's book available on the Internet. It is a short read that I think you will find transformative. One other point, since the topic of your hub is about self-defense, in my opinion closed fist punches are not the best tool for self-defense situations, especially for beginners. A person can reflexively launch palm heel strikes that will be faster and result in zero risk of breaking their wrists or hands...because they are not risking injury they can hit really hard. In my opinion, palms (and elbows and knees, oh my!) are the best tools for people that need self-defense in a pinch.
Sylvie I think I just fell in love with you.
You're missing the most important thing: you have to love it.
MFB III 2 years ago
And if one is truly in danger, such as a female being assualted and facing threats to her very life, or sexuality.... she might seriously consider poking a quick finger to his eye, in the corner with two pounds of pressure, and a scooping motion, then the eye will be popped out and left hanging by the optic nerve, disarming the attacker. Also if a lady under attack
sexually relaxes until she can get a tightly gripped fist around his scrotum, the tightest squeezing and yanking without letting go, will turn him into a mass of begging flesh, no longer holding any interest in violating her rights as a woman. Just a few harsh defense tips that should be taught to all children and women in a world fuill of predators. There are many more ways to incapacitate a perp that I learned in the Marines, as a military policeman, but some are far more damaging or require other martial skills to execute punishment with, the two I have listed should suffice. They are not cruel nor crude when it comes to survival, they are lifesavers.~~~MFB III