I mean, punching is good and all, but for most people I recommend a good strike with the heel of your hand. Like so. The reason? Not many people train enough (like, come one, who actually trains to punch regularly?) to prevent the wrist rolling during the strike of a punch, and it both weakens the strike and can injure your wrist. It’s also a naturally tough area (there are only two places on the body with ‘thick’ skin: the palms and the soles) and the impact is transferred onto larger bones covered in that thick skin, rather than onto the knuckles (i.e., vulnerable joints) covered by thin skin that just loves to split open.
Go try it now against a door frame. See how hard you can hit with each.
Aye, and that plays into the part I forgot to mention: the optics. Imagine a typical confrontation between two people, a various amount of other folks nearby. Maybe it’s at a bar, maybe it’s at a park, maybe it’s in the street with large riots going on around you. Who do you view as the aggressor immediately, on the one hand, a fellow, hands balled, in a pugilistic stance or wildly swinging, or the other one who has his hands up in front of him, palms facing outwards? Little things like that matter if it ever goes to court, and are super important if the police show up initially.
I mean, punching is good and all, but for most people I recommend a good strike with the heel of your hand. Like so. The reason? Not many people train enough (like, come one, who actually trains to punch regularly?) to prevent the wrist rolling during the strike of a punch, and it both weakens the strike and can injure your wrist. It’s also a naturally tough area (there are only two places on the body with ‘thick’ skin: the palms and the soles) and the impact is transferred onto larger bones covered in that thick skin, rather than onto the knuckles (i.e., vulnerable joints) covered by thin skin that just loves to split open.
Go try it now against a door frame. See how hard you can hit with each.
It’s also nice that the injury from hitting someone with the heel of the hand isn’t as obvious as from hitting with the knuckles.
Aye, and that plays into the part I forgot to mention: the optics. Imagine a typical confrontation between two people, a various amount of other folks nearby. Maybe it’s at a bar, maybe it’s at a park, maybe it’s in the street with large riots going on around you. Who do you view as the aggressor immediately, on the one hand, a fellow, hands balled, in a pugilistic stance or wildly swinging, or the other one who has his hands up in front of him, palms facing outwards? Little things like that matter if it ever goes to court, and are super important if the police show up initially.