).I've mentioned martial arts several times on Dave's, so obviously it is (or rather, was, I am a "lapsed" martial artist, ooh, applying the religious - Catholic only? - meaning of a word to another [metaphor alert] field! Just thought I'd point out one or two things for any linguists still on duty who are still reading this
) an interest of mine.I was walking slowly down my hallway just now with my mail (OK I made that up, I don't get much mail, and just felt like pacing up and down a bit
), doing Choi Kwang Do-c*m-Jeet Kune Do 3-inch-c*m-Shorinji Kempo style front hand punches/jabs (my background/basis is actually Shotokan karate, but like most, I have dabbled and, like some, I have moved on also) when I realized how I might describe the "best" way to make (or perhaps just to describe!) a powerful punch.If you look especially at Bruce Lee, you will notice that he added a little "loop", a moment of extreme tension followed by relaxation to the end of his punches, after which his arm/elbow would drop back somewhat; but often (usually?) his arm wouldn't come back totally to rest in a "boxing" style guard, doubtless due to the Wing Chun concept of a guard being a more "extended" concept, the better to lead into trapping hands, close-range strikes and grappling, use of a knife etc (to add "JKD" arts such as Muay Thai, escrima etc to the WC basis).
I think his way of punching is great, that little snap sure adds more than the karate "accelerating then suddenly slamming on the brakes and tensing the whole body besides the hand, including the an*l sphincter" approach, and helps protect the hand in a way that boxers perhaps don't always do (I'm not quite sure how they generate their power, but it can often appear too "straight-forward", sticking your pom-pom covered hands in and out "as fast as possible" without worrying or caring if they hit a hard head). But to increase its power even more, I think a return to a more compact guard is necessary, leaving the hand extended can start to make a punch feel like a posey push rather than the in-out deadly thrust that the great boxers achieve. (BTW, I appreciate I am seeming to limit myself to jabs or at most only semi- or from a side-on position "hooks", but I think there is a real danger of damaging your thumbs with hooks if the target moves even a little - I have to be more wary of a left thumb that got dislocated with a kick anyway, so I can't clench my lead hand well enough to hook well! Also, see the penultimate paragraph below on what we could classify as "arcing" strikes).
The arts that come closest to me to generating maximum power are Shorinji Kempo and CKD: both have a "loop" and tension in the hand of sorts, but the latter especially whips back into a defensive guard, with the net effect (feeling, illusion?) that the hand has travelled very fast and worked harder to cover the distance, there and back, with a protective "cap" all of its own at the most extreme (contact inches) point of the loop. I suppose I am ulimately talking about accelerating through as much of the target as is possible short of turning the punch into a long shove; the fist will reach a point where it cannot accelerate further into the bodymass and needs to retreat, having dumped all its initial energy (a spent fist is still "alive", though, and can stick, trap, claw back out, hit again over shorter distances, convert from "fist on" down to elbow range etc). The problem is in getting the transfer of energy optimal without breaking your fist or wrist, or leaving the hand out for so long it gets grabbed (if the intention wasn't to be grabbed).
But hey, heads are hard and who wants to go around smashing their hands up in smashing in people's faces?! I'm talking really about developing impact on punchbags and especially punching pads/mitts, for the feeling of release and freedom (no, I am not a tense person in need of venting frustrations, I just enjoy the POW! factor) it brings (not to mention the exercise it provides if done properly). If knocking a guy out of the fight is ever a concern, there are better weapons to be had (palm strike, elbow, knee, knife, gun, tank etc)!
Talking of palm strikes (to the ear), hammerfists etc, they have a nice loop to them, and if you swing your escrima sticks enough you'll get some idea of the "weight" that should be in the hand when striking, that develops naturally through the motion and gets released naturally when the hand makes a "complete" movement/"revolution". CKD swing kicks are also instructive (the foot makes a fair-sized loop all of its own that accelerates past the one the hip, then thigh, and only incidentally the knee, are all making, and the shoetip really does sink into and blast through the target rather than just slapping or thwacking up against it!).
Hope all that hasn't scared anyone off, I'm a softy really. I really don't mind if this gets no response, because I appreciate that this is, after all, an AL forum and English website generally.
