Advice on throwing a solid punch/heavybag hitting.

[Burning_Inside]

Over the last few months I had been somewhat regularly wailing on the heavy bags at the gym before a workout. Over the past few weeks tho', I've been making sure I do it 4 days a week before every workout, for about 7-10 minutes. Basically the only thing I was looking for is to be able to land solid hard shots without breaking my wrist.

I remember a year and a half ago I got interested in whacking the bag, partialy because it aggravated me that i couldn't throw a punch at the big black one without practically snapping my wrist back and just having the overall punch hurt my knuckles like hell. So it inspired me.

Now just over the past few weeks I have got much much better at landing solid blows on the bag. I don't know how much it weighs, but the bag i use is one of the big black ones. I have always started off the routine by hitting it bare knuckles then switching over to my lifting gloves, which don't provide any real padding, just to shield my skin from getting torn apart. The way I saw it was that if you're tearing your knuckles up, then you're not having full control over landing your punches. Now, I can wail on the thing no problem for a full 10 minutes bare knuckles and maybe cut a knuckle ever so slightly. As of last night, my left punch has become more solid, as I am a righty, and my lefts usually just sucked. They hurt to land, and I dreaded them, and they had no control, but out of the blue last night, they are so much better. Mybe it's the n-acetyl-tyrosine I'm taking thats making my mind work better heh.

So anyway, I'm also starting to develop the decent punch I was looking for. The bags starting to feel softer and starting to travel further when I whack it. Now I'm going to describe to you how I throw a punch, and if anyone here has any other tricks to possibly make it better, let me know.

OK, I begin by keeping my arm in the position of a completed hammer curl rep. I then turn at the waist. At this time, my arm is loose and relaxed. I am making a fist, but it's not clenched at all. I then lead in with my opposite foot while turning my waist into the bag, then i sort of launch my arm out with it at the shoulder a split second after. Everything in my arm is loose up until about an inch away from impact, then I tighten everything up, and my fist hits. This is the way I've evolved naturally over the past few weeks, and it seems to be working the best.

So do any of the boxer types here have any advice, and can you maybe give me some tips on how to develop a killer blow? I just want to be able to knock someone out with one punch when needed, and not have to land it in any certain spot to do so. Don't have time to be fucking around when your life may be on the line.

 

[NWinters]

To have a hard, heavy punch you gotta punch hard heavy objects. Boards are fun to punch, and so are bricks (sounds ridiculous doesnt it). Do not pull your punches. I find that if you can hurt your opponet with a jab then you have a pretty solid punch.

 

[hellboy]

There's really a lot to it. Your BEST bet is to join a boxing class or kickboxing class and you'll get some hands on instruction. You can always quit the classes once you feel you've got the technique down - but you wont because you'll become addicted instead.

I'll give you my views on this and then I'll give you a couple of websites.

1. Your stance
You NEVER want to be squared off in front of the guy (bag). If you are a lefty you want your right foot and right shoulder slightly ahead. Do not place the feet directly in front (in a line) of each other. The best way to do this is to stand square in front of the bag and then step slightly back with your power side foot. This will put you in position to jab with your weak side and cross with your power side.

Punching - remember that the majority of your power is gonna come from your hips and legs. No shit. I know you're punching but the theory is more like doing a standing push press for shoulders.

Jabs - short quick punches thrown with the leading fist. You're gonna take a slight quick step forward with the leading foot and at the same time snap the leading fist out in a straight line to the bag. Power in this punch is not the most important issue. This is a quick punch for manipulating your opponents guard, or for just in general pissing them off and making them do stupid mistakes. Sometimes though you can get lucky and bust them good with one so have fun. In the beginning you should really concentrate on what your lead foot is doing when you throw a jab.

The Cross -
Here's your power punch. There's more technique involved but this is the one you want to really lay someone out with if you can. Since youre gonna throw this with your rear fist you will need to turn at the waist to do this. Once again throw this punch in a straight line to your opponent. When you turn from the waist think about moving your shoulder and hip as one. And push power into the punch from your rear foot. This should cause your rear foot to turn out slightly.

This stuff is almost impossible to put into words that make sense. And I'm not nearly as versed in the subtle nuances as folks like thaibox and prolly others here are. But I think I've got the basics ok. Here's a couple of articles on punches for you to read.

The Cross
http://www.dolfzine.com/page605.htm

The Jab
http://www.dolfzine.com/page583.htm

and the Hook
http://www.dolfzine.com/page635.htm

Good luck and seriously if you're interested in this you should sign up for some trial period at a kickboxing or boxing school. They will be FAR more useful than anything you can read on the net for learning how to punch.

hb

 

[shwaym]

heres what ive been taught in Pai Lum Kung Fu:

your hips are invloved in leads punches as well.

just think of your opposite hip bone pushing foreward against your lead hip bone as you shift your weight onto your lead foot.

try to get your timing/sequence down first. feet, knees, hips, sholder forearm, hand.

try to hit through the bag or past it.

get your hand back into guard immediatly after all power has been issued.

if you hit a canvas bag or a hard carpeted floor regularly, your knuckles will toughen up considerably in a matter of weeks.

 

[c3ntrifug3]

Hellboy hit the nail dead on.

A good punch starts with your hips with the power travelling up your body like a whip. The main thing which you need to focus on is keeping your shoulders relaxed. The biggest drag on punching power is muscle tension in your shoulders which, effectively, acts like a brake for your arm's speed.

On a somewhat related note, I don't advise you rely on boxing for self defense. There was an incident where I live a couple years back where someone attacked an amature boxer. The boxer, in self defense, hit the guy in the face and killed him. Spent some serious time in prison for that.

If you want viable self defense for today's current litigious environment you should look into Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (my personal favorite) or Judo. Striking martial arts put you at simply too great of a liability for civil/criminal suits.

 

[TC2]

"try to hit through the bag or past it." good advice BUT, make sure you got strong wrists and forearms before you really get into it.

It's really hard to "show" someone how to a correct, hard punch on the net.

Just practice, or go to a boxing gym and get instruction.

Learn to use your WHOLE body, the power punches start in your feet and travel up your thigh through your midsection and finally down your arm.

Train your abs well, lots of power can be generated with a strong midsection.

 

[TC2]

Also, I would'nt advise punching(if your going to wail on it)
without atleast light gloves on. It is possible to get stress fractures in your hands(think shinsplints for your hands), I've had them and they suck.

 

[Warpath]

When you make a fist, tuck you finger knuckles so that they make a 90 degree angle with the top of your fist. Align the top of your fist so that it makes a parallel plane with your forearm. Now point your arm with your fist clenched as described above and align your fist so that your first two knuckles are in straight alignment with your radius. Your lead hand should be slightly above your cheekbone and about 6 inches in front of your face with your upper arm tucked against your body. Your power hand should touch the temple of that side with that upper arm tucked against that side of your body. Point your lead shoulder at the target. When you punch, your body should rotate and your arms should have the movement of both a piston and a corkscrew. At full extension your fist should have turned over so much that the top plane of your fist is making a 45 degree angle above horizontal.