Hand Strength
To use the hand as a weapon requires it top be strong in all actions. Not only must the action of gripping be strong the motion of opening the fingers from the grip must also be strong, as in releasing the hand from a grip.
Most people strength train their arms, legs, and abdomen but neglect their hands. Mas Oyama, one of the most powerful martial arts of this time (he fought and killed bulls barehanded), describes hand and finger exercises in his book Essential Karate. One exercise consists of placing the palms and fingers of both hands together in a prayer-like position with the fingers pointed upward in front of the chest. The hands and fingers are then pushed together in an isometric manner. While maintaining the pressure, the hand are raised above the head and then lowered to the level of the solar plexus. The same up and down motion is used with the finger are pointed away from the body and then with the fingers pointed downward. These motion strengthen the wrists, arms, and chest, while also building flexibility in the wrists.
To strengthen the fingers and wrist, perform pushups on palms with fingers pointed inward, forward, outward, and backward; on fists with knuckles facing inward, forward, outward, and backward; on five, four, three, and two fingers and finally on the thumbs. Another traditional exercise is to stand in a sitting stance with the arms extending to the front and repeatedly close, squeeze, and extend the fingers rapidly for a few minutes.
Dan Hodge, Olympic champion and Oklahoma wrestling coach, noted for his incredible grip, strengthen his powerful grip by repeatedly crumbling a sheets of newspaper into a ball with one hand. At his peak, he could crush a whole apple in one hand. As another exercise, try to fold a sheet of newspaper (or any size paper) in half more than seven times.
Proper Path
The correct path is determined by the position and angle of the target surface in relation to the attacker. To be effective, the hand attack must strike the target surface at a 90 degree angle, going straight into the target, so that maximum force can be concentrated into the target.
Speed
To increase the speed of a punch:
Contract the muscles‑being used more quickly
Relax the muscles not being used
Don't put power into the arm until the moment of contact
Retract the non‑punching hand as quickly as possible
Power Concentration
Power can be concentrated properly only when the hips, chest, shoulders, arms, wrists, and fists are firmly linked, and all the necessary muscles are used properly. By proper use of the summation of forces the power flows smoothly from the legs and hips out through the fist at the point of contact. For this to happen it is necessary to release all unnecessary tension from the arm and the hand at the start. This allows the power to flow freely up through the body to be released in a concentrated blast at the moment of impact.
Clinched Fists
When tensing the body to resist the reaction force in a punch, body muscles are tensed to lock the body in position so that the target absorbs the impact rather than the person punching. We all know the fist should be clinched at impact, but when you it initially be clinched? Beginners should probably clench the fist all the time. Intermediate students should begin to try to clench the fist only at impact. High ranking students should have the timing and distancing necessary to easily choose the proper moment to clench the fist, so that safety is not a concern and they may benefit from the total relaxation provided by a loose hand. During sparring drills, many high ranks like to keep their fists loose even on impact, so they may strike actually touching the opponent without injuring them. After long years of training, the expert may easily choose when to clench the fist or to keep it relaxed.
Fist Rotation
Fist rotation while punching and blocking is one of the very first things taught to a beginner. Rotation of the fist causes the forearm to twist, which changes in the orientation of the muscles of the forearm such that some of these muscles naturally tense. The tensing of the muscles help make the technique stronger. Training with a rotating fist helps coordinate the tension to occur only at the final instant of the technique (timing). The twist of the fist encourages a greater movement (power). When in a self-defense situation, twisting during impact may cause tearing injuries to the attacker. Mohamed Ali's twisting punches ripped many opponents' faces. See Punching topic for more information.
Contact Area
The contact area for a punch is the base knuckles of the first tow fingers. This concentrates all the force of the punch into a very small area and keeps the impact point in alignment with the forearm to lessen the chance for wrist injury. When punching a a high target, some students, especially beginners, have a difficult time keeping the first two knuckles in proper alignment.
This is a common problem when using the twist punch at targets above the solar plexus and particularly the head. To help correct the problem, roll the punching shoulder upward and inward. This realigns the first two knuckles. Another way to avoid the problem is to use a different technique to attack the head, such as:
Use a palm heel strike or knife hand strike.
Use a straight vertical punch, where the fist is not twisted but is held vertically with the thumb side up.
Use a modified punch where the forearm is held vertically in the guard position and the elbow is rotated upward before the punch begins. This lets the punch travel over the opponent’s guard and then slightly downward into the target. Since the punch is angled downward the first two knuckles strike first.
General Tips
Keep the upper body perpendicular to the ground. Do not lean.
Form the attacking hand correctly and firmly.
Be sure the hand travels to the target along the most direct route.
When withdrawing the hand to the side, pull it back as if to hit the hip. Withdraw the hand at maximum speed.
Keep the shoulders relaxed and in a natural position. There is a tendency for the shoulders to rise or for one shoulder to move ahead of the other.
Tense the abdominal muscles at impact.
Breathing should be coordinated with the attacking motion to develop effective focus.
The stance from which the technique is delivered must be strong and stable.
Power comes from the use of the hips and the pivot leg, not just the arms and shoulders.
To extend the range of a hand attack, either move the entire stance toward the target, or widen the distance between the feet and lower the hips. Don't lean forward with the upper body, or reach with the shoulder.
Only strike the head with open hand strikes. Save punches for the soft parts of the torso and neck. The exception to this rule is when you use a hammer fist. You can close your fist and still hit to the hard parts with the bottom of your fist without damaging your hands.
Inverted Technique
An inverted technique is one that is turned upside down. For example, an inward striking knife hand strike has the palm up. If the hand is turned over palm down, it may become an outward striking inverted knife hand strike.
Spinning Technique
A spinning technique is one that is applied after spinning the body 360° toward the side executing the technique.
To Punch or Not to Punch
When knuckles meet skull during a confrontation, the skull will always win. So, maybe the fist is not the best hand striking tool. The palm heel strike may be the better choice.
To execute a palm heel strike, the hand is pulled back as far as possible, locking the wrist, and the fingers curl slightly forward. The palm and finger tips should face the target. Contact is made with the very bottom of the palm just in front of the wrist. The palm heel strike is quite effective. If used on a slightly upward angle, it has a tremendous amount of leverage.
A punch to the head will usually only affect the area where the knuckles make contact. Palm heel strikes have a secondary effect. A palm strike to the head probably will not cause much damage to the contact point, but it will have an effect on the neck and usually will jolt the body. A palm heel strike the underside of the will often produce a knock-out due to the whip lash effect. A palm heel strike anywhere to the head area will almost always affect balance, because the it will take the assailant's ears out of line with the hips, which will expose other parts of the body to combinations or a takedown. The palm heel strike may be used effectively to the hard parts of the body. Punches are best used against the softer muscular parts of the body to avoid injury to the puncher. Palm heel strikes do not appear as violent as clenching your fist and striking someone. To a witness, an open hand strike may appear as a push.
The most common injury in punching occurs when the fist strikes with the last two knuckles. The 5th metacarpal (between the knuckles of the middle finger and pinkie) usually breaks, commonly referred to as a boxer's fracture, which is why boxers always tape their fists prior to training or fighting. A fracture will take 6-8 weeks to heal, while a sprain (tear in ligament) could take up to 6 months to heal, and then rehabilitation could take another 3-4 months.
Grip strength comes from the ulnar side (pinky side) of the hand. A boxer's fracture would significantly affect your grip. Try to hold anything with a handle without using your fourth finger. This means you will not be able to defend yourself by grabbing or gripping a weapon.