The basics of self-defense: how and where to hit so that the blow is serious. Dojo Shikhanov. Fighting fist

Here is a guide to striking for boxers, fighters and all those who want to deliver the right and strong blow! Learn the knockout punch now!

Before starting a conversation about a strong blow, it is necessary to master the theoretical foundations of the generation of energy by the human body. Then we will learn to place the body in the correct position so that all of your strength and all of your weight effectively “flows” into your blow. You will then learn proper striking techniques that will make your punches stronger. Lastly, I'll give you some tips on how to increase the damage of the hits you land on your opponent.

Basic theoretical principles of delivering a strong blow:

1. Speed is not strength. Force is acceleration. That is, strength is not only speed. You need to have a weight that you will accelerate. A quick punch won't be powerful unless you put some of your body weight into it.

2. Move your body. Remember Bruce Lee's famous "inch punch" theory: moving your entire body weight one inch (2.54 cm) will have a greater effect than moving one arm one foot (30 cm). To obtain maximum force, the entire body must move during the impact. The difficulty is that you do not need to focus on moving the body weight over a long distance, it is important to move the body at the same time (explosive mode).

3. Use your feet. The largest muscles in the body will provide the most energy. Those who throw punches using only the weight of their arms will never achieve serious punching power.

4. Stay within your striking range. Even the hardest punch will be wasted if your arms straighten too much (you don't reach). Your punch will be stronger if your fist hits the target a little before your arm is fully extended. Don't stretch out!

5. Strike from different angles. Such blows will be stronger; There will be more opportunities for strikes and the damage from them will be greater.

Energy flow

Place your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
The heel of the back foot (the right heel of a right-handed boxer) is always slightly raised.
Upon impact, your feet will rotate (or twist) in the direction of impact.
When throwing a series of punches, your feet will rotate (or twist) in one direction or another depending on which hand you punch with.
When striking with the right hand, the heel of the right foot is raised while the left foot is completely on the floor. When hitting with your left hand, the opposite is true.
When you throw your strongest punch, both feet should be firmly pressed to the floor. (We will break this rule later when we learn how to throw punches with rotation/twisting).

Legs slightly bent at the knees.
When striking, sit up slightly (body weight goes down), bending your knees.

Rotate your hips towards your opponent as if you were throwing a hip strike.

BODY CASE

Your torso should rotate with maximum amplitude and your punch will “fly” due to this rotation.
Rotation of the body with a large amplitude and a small “reach” of the striking arm gives a stronger blow than a small rotation of the body with full straightening of the arm.
Don't lean forward, don't try to "get" your opponent - instead, rotate your body!

Keep your shoulders relaxed to increase speed and strength and conserve energy.
When hitting, raise your shoulders higher - this will increase the force of the blow due to the work of the shoulder muscles.

FOREARMS

At the beginning of the strike, the forearms are relaxed.
When you throw your punch, your arms fly towards your opponent and straighten until they touch the opponent's body.
Do not strike too long (do not try to reach the enemy), otherwise you will run into a counter strike.
Do not pull your fist toward you before striking. This is called "telegraphing", which allows a skilled fighter to see the blow before it is thrown and deflect it.

HANDS

When you are not striking, your hands are relaxed. You can form a fist, but you don't have to clench it.
When you throw a punch, your fist turns into a brick that you deliver to your opponent.
Your glove starts from your face and ends there.
For straight punches, you move your fist horizontally before making contact. When delivering side blows to the body or head, the fist can stand vertically (“cup-shaped”).

Exhale hard on every beat.
The eyes are 100% ready. When striking, you need to look straight at the target.
Lower your chin slightly to hide it behind the shoulder of your striking hand.

Everything I just described is called energy flow. You need to feel how the energy passes through your entire body from your feet to your fists. If one part of your body is lazy or you don't feel it participating in the strike, you need to train more so that that part also becomes actively involved in the process of striking.

Aiming

Study the distance of all your strikes while standing still and then quickly stepping forward. Try to keep all your shots INSIDE this range.
Shots from too long or too short a distance will not have maximum force.

Jab (straight left punch)

A quick step forward will make this hit much stronger.
Extend your throwing arm and lift your shoulder so you can really drive your jab into your opponent.
Don't lean forward when throwing a jab. Save this for your next shot, the right cross.

Straight right or right cross

Rotate your body, rotate your body and...rotate your body.
The PERFECT target for this shot is not directly in front of you. I'll show you where she is. Do this: Extend your left arm as if throwing a jab. Extend your arm fully and leave it in this position. Now imagine that your opponent has ducked to the left of your jab and his face is now about 30 centimeters from your outstretched left hand. This space of 30 centimeters is the place where your right blow will be most powerful. Don't believe me? Try checking it on the bag. Stand not in the center of the bag, but slightly to the right and apply a right straight, rotating your body counterclockwise as much as possible. Do you feel the force of the blow? Great!

Left hook (left side)

While throwing left side punches to the opponent's body, lower your elbow. If you throw a side kick to the head, raise your elbow.
Learn to stop your side kick. You don't want it to fly through your opponent. Practice stopping this blow the moment your fist is directly in front of you. This will give that same “pop” from the blow (like from a whip) and will not allow you to “twist” your body.
Well, forget to turn both feet so that they are facing to the side at the moment of delivering this blow.
When throwing a left side kick, lower your right heel to the floor and lift your left to bring all the energy of your left leg into your strike.

Right hook

When throwing a right side kick, shift your body weight from your back foot to your front foot and quickly move your head, bringing its weight into the blow, without taking your eyes away from where you are striking.
When throwing a right hook, make sure that your head does not move to the side, but forward - directly towards your opponent. (This is not easy to do, but it will give your punch more power, although sometimes you will have to make a significant forward movement of your head for defensive purposes.)

Uppercut

Forget everything you saw in the movie "Street Fighter".
A real uppercut is a short and quick blow. The punch doesn't go all the way up, it actually goes forward.
Imagine throwing a long right cross. Now make a new cross, but only now turn your fist so that your palm “looks” up. Now throw your right hand straight at your opponent's head.
The uppercut does not have to be applied strictly from the bottom up, it is better to throw the arm from your waist diagonally upward. This blow is not vertical, it has a horizontal movement.

Striking

It is very important to learn how to hit hard. You can’t just strike hard when you feel like it. We must learn to seize the moment for such a blow. Your distance must be correct, not only for the first shot, but also for the next one.

When is the best time to hit hard?

When the opponent hits himself. A counter strike always causes more damage.
When the opponent does not expect the blow. This can be achieved by breaking through his defense or striking in a ragged rhythm. Fast boxers do this by throwing a very fast straight right or left hook.
At an angle. Hitting at an angle can cause more damage, stun your opponent faster, or at least prevent him from preparing another hard blow.

Most common mistakes

Lifting the foot off the floor. Lifting the foot during the strike removes almost all body weight from the strike.
Trying to reach (pulling). Such a blow will not be strong. Moreover, you become an excellent target for a counter strike. If you hit in such a way that you have to reach too far to reach your opponent, you are limiting yourself to just that one strike, whereas striking with balance and poise allows you to hit in a series.
They forget about the jab. If you don't jab, you'll never be able to prepare a really hard punch. Use your jab! A short, strong jab will stun your opponent (or distract him) and help you set up your signature hard punch.
Episodes are too fast. What happens when you get excited in a fight and start throwing a lot of fast punches with just the weight of your arms, i.e. don't put the rest of your body weight into your punches at all? Of course, you have a lot of energy and your strikes all seem quite strong to you, however, over time, your arms will get tired and the force in your strikes will disappear completely.
Telegraphing. Do not, under any circumstances, move your fist towards you before striking (as if swinging). So many boxers do this in the ring and their punches become predictable. Try standing at the bag without moving and throwing a punch at someone's unexpected command. You shouldn’t jump back and forth at a rhythm that is predictable for your opponent.
Stay away from lifting weights. Trying to hit a powerful punch with the bench press is the same as trying to break the sprint speed record by lifting the barbell to develop your leg muscles. There are many conflicting articles written on the usefulness or otherwise of training with weights for hitting hard, but the science is simple: when you lift weights, your body becomes stronger with a slow movement (the punch is a fast movement). Moreover, training with weights will noticeably increase your strength in a very limited number of movement types. The body will develop unnatural muscle sizes that will have little endurance. If it were possible to build really strong and fast muscles for boxing, a great middleweight boxer could easily become a great heavyweight boxer, right?

Training for hitting hard

Strike slowly. This is one of my favorite tips. I force my players to hit as hard as possible, but slowly - at half speed. Almost everyone I've coached has been surprised by the fact that when they hit slowly, the power of their punches is greater compared to the power of their fast punches. The reason is that no person's body can move faster than their arms. Usually the hand completes the blow before the body begins to rotate. Throwing slow punches allows you to engage your entire body in the punch and really helps make the punch really powerful. Exercise: Stand in a front stance next to the bag or opposite a partner with paws. Place your feet slightly wider than shoulder width and alternate right and left crosses. It is important that before each blow the boxer pauses for two seconds, as if posing in front of a photographer. Try it! There are many exercises for developing speed, however, at this stage our goal is to hit slowly!
Swimming is a great way to build strength throughout your entire body. There are not many exercises to develop strength and endurance that are as effective as swimming!
Isometric exercises. Stand against a wall, bend over slightly and place your fist on the wall and push your fist as if your punch is stuck. Apply maximum effort for 10 seconds; then change hands. 15 reps and 3 sets per arm. This exercise trains the body's ability to conserve energy. It's as if you force your body to become a rubber band - as soon as the obstacle in the path of the fist disappears - BAM!

To learn to hit harder, you must be willing to forget everything you know and try something new. Like anything else, there is always room for improvement in boxing. Boxers who think they know everything will never learn to punch harder. Keep an open mind and pay attention to techniques and strategies that you have never used yourself, and you will achieve results. Respect other people's striking techniques and explore the possibility of incorporating them into your own.

One of the popular questions for a novice fighter is how to punch correctly. “Remember that your crown is straight!” (C) Vladimir Vysotsky. Vladimir Semyonovich quite rightly highlighted this technique in a comic song: a well-placed direct blow should be in the arsenal of any fighter who masters striking techniques. Let's look at how to deliver a direct punch with your hand, the technique of applying it with both hands from a place and in motion.

First of all, how to make a fist correctly. The thumb covers the second phalanges of the middle and index fingers. At the moment of impact, the fist is strongly compressed, the back side is located in line with the forearm.

General principles of impact. When hitting from a standing position, push strongly with your same foot. The hand flies to the target relaxed (however, we always keep the fist tightly), in the final phase of the blow we tense our back, shoulders, and arm. The blow is delivered while exhaling. After the blow, we don’t “stick”, we immediately return the fist to the head, not forgetting to cover the ribs with our forearms. When delivering a direct blow, almost all beginners experience an error. We do not fly head first; the projection of the nose should not go beyond the knee of the front leg, otherwise you will lose your balance and risk missing an oncoming blow. Instead, belay your head with the correct position (head down, looking at your opponent from under your forehead) and with your second hand. Bring the shoulder of the striking hand forward, but do not “reach” for the head strike. During a direct blow, we do not fully extend the elbow; we leave the arm slightly bent, otherwise in case of a miss, you can get injured.

Direct punch with the front hand (jab). For clarity, let's assume that we are working in a left-handed stance. We push with our left foot, transfer the weight to the right, and move the left knee slightly inward. The push with the leg leads the pelvis and shoulder. The right shoulder moves back a little. We throw our hand at the target, in the final phase of the blow we turn our hand so that the knuckle of the middle finger is slightly higher than the knuckle of the index finger. It is with them that we strike, and in the end we tense up. The shoulder is brought forward, the head is slightly lowered, the right hand protects against an oncoming direct blow.

Far hand straight punch, aka right straight. Push out with your right foot, weight on your left. The leg pulls the pelvis and shoulder, and at the same time we throw the arm at the target. The shoulder in the final phase of the blow is brought forward, the hand is turned, as with a jab, the blow is delivered with the knuckles of the index and middle fingers. Use your left hand to protect your head and body from an oncoming blow. When delivering a direct blow, the elbow is always directed downward; the blow is delivered without swinging or extending the elbow. As they say in our gym, “The elbow flew out to the side - the direct blow became noticeable and long.” When hitting, the hand flies relaxed, tenses only in the final phase.

Direct strike with the front hand on a substep. The length of a safe step is equal to the width of the foot; there is no need to rush at the enemy, risking receiving a counter blow. The step can be either the front foot (additional step) or the far one (cross). Let's look at a direct strike on a step with the front foot (the crosses will become clear after studying the section “combinations of strikes”). We push with our right foot and move our body forward. With the left foot we step from the toe to the full foot. The moment of planting the foot coincides with the final phase of the impact. This synchronization, combined with the extended shoulder, is the key to a good hard blow, watch the video. We don’t fall head first, we keep the weight on the far leg.

Right straight one step forward. Typically this strike is performed after a left feint, step defense or dodge. We push with the right foot, step with the left, weight on the left. We don’t fly head first, we use our left hand to insure ourselves, the moment of planting our foot (from the toe to the full foot) coincides with hitting the target. As usual, the hand flies relaxed, tenses only at the end.

Right straight on a step to the left. Used to counter attack an opponent, usually works well as a counter blow when the opponent attacks with a jab or other blow with the left hand or leg. The technique is simple, we step with our left foot to the left, simultaneously throwing out our right hand, the moment of planting the foot coincides with hitting the target. We comply with all the principles stated above. After execution, it is wise to continue the attack with the left side.

Straight blows while stepping back. Used to stop an advancing enemy. Rule: left hand hits - step with left foot. We hit with the right - we step with the right foot. Synchronize your arms with your legs and your strikes will be effective.

Important point. Some athletes hit weakly with the front hand, preparing the main attack with the far hand. However, in a real battle, the opponent must be instantly incapacitated, and not outplayed. When training strikes on paws, bags and other implements, as well as in sparring, strive to hit hard with both hands. This skill will be useful both in sports and in real hand-to-hand combat.

Direct strikes on a step forward and backward

Right straight on a step left

Exercises to increase punching power

The exercises are not aimed at increasing muscle mass, but at developing the ability to sharply push with the legs for a good investment in body weight.

Exercise 1. Leg thrusts. Stand up front. Push out sharply with your left leg, transferring your weight to your right. When performed correctly, the leg push twists the pelvis and the entire body, bringing the left shoulder forward. This is exactly the mechanics of the strike. For a good hard direct blow with the hand (and not only direct), all that remains is to position the striking hand correctly. Push-outs with the right leg are performed in the same way. This exercise was suggested by my good friend Sergei Kuzminykh, who trained several Russian kickboxing champions. For better understanding, watch the video below.

Exercise 2. Push-ups with a partner. Stand with your partner opposite each other, take fighting stances. Place your left hands on each other's left shoulders. At the same time, push out sharply, using the mass of your body, as if you were hitting. The exercise is not so easy to describe; for clarity, watch the video.

Exercise 3. Kicks with dumbbells. Take 1-2 kg dumbbells in your hands and throw punches into the air. Apply the blows as sharply as possible, as if pushing out dumbbells and stopping the movement, tensing at the end. You can do shadow boxing during morning exercises, or you can do training while watching evening TV, throwing 20-30 punches with each hand, performing 10 approaches. This exercise can be practiced both at home and during your main workout. Once completed, “spread” your arms, hitting air kicks without dumbbells. The exercise is illustrated in the video.

Exercise 4. Squats with a partner. In addition to good development of the leg muscles, this exercise helps to increase the power of the blow. Place your partner on his back, as in the photo, legs wide, toes pointing out. We squat shallowly; there should be no discomfort in the knees.

In the next lesson we will look at the side kick technique:

Comments:

In the modern crime situation, it is very important to be able to protect yourself and your loved ones. Mastery of any self-defense techniques can always be useful to you at a critical moment. At the same time, it is important that you, while offering resistance to the enemy, do not suffer from your own actions. To do this, it is important to correctly follow the technique of performing the technique. Let's look at the main nuances of punching.

We hit with our fists

Firstly, in order to understand how to punch correctly, you need to form it correctly, otherwise you risk seriously damaging your hand, and even breaking your thumb. When forming a fist correctly, the thumb should be on top of the rest. It cannot be hidden inside, otherwise the entire force of the blow will be directed specifically at it, and, most likely, the incident will end in a dislocation or fracture.
Considering the striking technique directly, it should be noted that it is better not to hit with knuckles. Use the flat surface formed by the first phalanges of tightly closed fingers.
The most effective blow will be one in which the athlete’s weight is invested, this means that at the moment of moving the fist towards the enemy, the whole body must work, including the arm, shoulder and thigh.
It is advisable not to fully extend your elbow at the moment of impact. In general, it is better to fix it in the position: the arm is raised parallel to the floor, and the elbow angle is 90 0. Working with your whole body will make the blow stronger from this position.

For example, a right hand strike from the right side in boxing is carried out as follows. The right leg is tightly fixed on the floor, the main support of the body falls on it, then, along with the movement of the body, energy moves from the legs to the hand, clenched into a regular fist - the body gradually turns, the movement of the lower back and waist turns into the work of the entire torso. It is the boxer’s body that is the main source of energy, the fist is only the means by which this energy is delivered to the opponent.

Video - instructions for placing a strike

Tips from Bodyuk - how to properly prepare your fist

Finally

Now that it has become clear how hard to punch, you can practice the blow, but not one article or training video will give you the same effect as real training in the gym with a trainer who will control the entire process and guide you on the right path. Constant training and self-improvement can bring you and yours into excellent shape. After which you will feel much more confident on the dark streets of the city, and your body will automatically, without your control, respond to the attacker at a critical moment.

Hello, dear readers of the site. Do you know how to make a fist correctly? But the boxing punch is based on this postulate.

Basic postulates of technology

Until a fighter masters how to clench his fist correctly in boxing, he cannot begin to set up and practice various strikes, will not be able to implement them efficiently and risks seriously injuring his hand.

These postulates need to be worked out before they become automatic. In the ring, you will no longer have time to concentrate on properly clenching your fist when striking.

So the basics here are:

Relaxation of the hand. There is no tension in it. The muscles of the forearm should not become tired. The same applies to the squeezing mechanism of the hand. You get ready for battle.
The fingers are bent in the following algorithm: little finger (M) – ring finger (BezP) – middle finger (SP) – index finger (UP). Their ends should rest against the center of the palm. The fingers will lock. They will receive protection from many unpleasant factors in case of illiterate blows.
The thumb (BolP) covers the outer surface of the central phalanges of the UP and SP.
The hand takes a certain position: its outer surface forms a straight line with the same part of the forearm. Beginner boxers often make the mistake of bending their wrist. With powerful attacks, this can lead to fractures or dislocations. Don't make the same mistake.
During preparatory actions, your combat instrument (hand and fingers) is not tense. And when attacking, the clenched fist must be very strong. This develops attack power and reduces the risk of injury.
The impact mechanism is the head of the metacarpal bones SP and UP. Reason: they are more resistant to boarding attacks and they are the strongest components of the fist. Your task is to avoid negative consequences and carefully and accurately select a target for attack.

How to clench your fist correctly in a fight?

According to boxing rules, you can only attack with a clenched fist. It must be protected with a professional glove. It must have soft hair padding to soften the blow.

The components of the hand are small bones. They are weakly strengthened when compared to the forearm and ligaments. During the attack, the hand copes with a serious load. For this reason, it must transform into a fist correctly. Any normal boxer does not want to sprain or injure his hand. But such cases often occur in boxing practice. And many athletes get these injuries in the early stages of their careers.

As already indicated, the main causes of injuries are associated with incorrect positions of the fists when attacking, as well as the wrong choice of places for attacks. In many cases, fighters injure their hands by hitting hard areas of their opponent's body, such as the forehead or elbow.

How to clench a fist in a glove correctly?

How a boxer's fist is formed is not visible because of the glove. He himself determines its desired position. The necessary postulates have been described above. And schematically the following picture is obtained:

Bend your fingers and press them to your palm. The thumb is attached to the central phalanx of the UP

The full power of the attack is realized on the metacarpal knuckles. In this process, they are subject to vertical influence. The additional action of the hitting area on the hand is carried out by the main phalanges, on which there is a transverse impact during the attack.

Act in such a way that in the initial stage of the attack there is no tension in the fist. And it appears just before the target is defeated. The fist compresses strongly, acquires powerful hardness and is protected from damage. With constant squeezing, it is difficult to prepare your hands for attacking actions. The muscles of the forearm become very tired. And before the end of the fight, it is already difficult for the fighter to squeeze his hand correctly. He can punch with a relaxed fist. As a result, it stretches the carpal ligaments.

When attacking, make sure that the forearm of the striking hand is in a perpendicular position in relation to it. This is a key criterion when contacting a target. And it is primarily affected by the initial heads of the central metacarpal knuckles.

Based on these criteria, you will soon stop being puzzled by the question of how to clench your fist correctly to strike.

Bandaging

In the training process, use strips of cotton material. They will protect the fist ligaments from sprains. They are special windings. They can be purchased at any sports retail outlet. The parameters of each similar bandage are as follows: length – 250 cm, thickness – 3 cm.

You can also use another fixing agent - an elastic bandage. Thanks to it, your fists will take the correct and safer positions when striking. And get used to holding the right positions and clenching and holding your fists will happen without errors, and automatically.

In real combat, issues of protection are more sensitive. Carpal joints and ligaments need to be protected even better. The boxer performs hand bandaging on his own. Because he can feel in this process how powerful the bandage is. If it's too tight, your hands will simply become numb. If it is too weak, the bandage will constantly slip off during the fight. The boxer will be distracted and may lose. After bandaging, the bandage should not press the hand, it should be free to extend. And he should tighten it perfectly when it turns into a fist.

The principles of proper bandaging are demonstrated in the following schematic image:

Conclusion

Never neglect the rules described in this article. And then minimize the risk of injuring your hand. If it gets damaged, you will be left without boxing for some period. Therefore, you must clearly know how to clench your fist when fighting.

HOW TO PUNCH

At one time I was very pestered with the question: how do you hit with 3 dice? This is a turning point! Although those who asked such questions beat me with two bones and broke their arms from such blows. We have a rule: we hit the hard with the soft, and the soft with the hard, so we don’t break our hands. Many sports fighters who have never hit a person in the face and suddenly get into a fight very often injure their striking hands - a severe bruise or fracture of the bones of the hand - as a rule. To dispel all the myths in this debate “from which end is better to hit eggs - from the blunt or from the sharp”, I will quote excerpts from Jack Dempsey’s book “Explosive Strikes and Aggressive Defense”, kindly provided to me by a friend of mine who once had this question too interested.

A LITTLE EDUCATIONAL EDUCATION FOR THOSE TO WHOM THIS NAME SAYS NOTHING
Jack Dempsey, nicknamed “The Bonecrusher of Manassa,” is an American professional boxer, world heavyweight champion, and a prolific knockout artist. He fought more than 80 fights, winning 62 of them and knocking out his opponents in more than 50. Boxed from 1915 to 1927. By 1950, he wrote the book “Explosive Strikes and Aggressive Defense,” in which he criticized modern boxing, which, in his opinion, had turned into show business, where game-planned boxers replaced true knockout fighters. This man was born just 10 years after boxing gloves officially appeared in boxing. This boxer was not just a puncher, but also defended himself very competently - many years have passed, and modern boxers are still doing the so-called with all their might. "Dempsey's sunshine" is still relevant. Dempsey learned to box when the art of pugilism was still based on the developments gained in the era of bare-knuckle competition. This is why Dempsey's recommendations are more than valuable.

So Jack Dempsey Explosive Strikes and Aggressive Defense Line of Power.
Impact surface of the fist.

For a blow to be truly powerful, it must be delivered along the “line of force.” This line runs from your shoulder straight down your arm, through your hand, and ends at the knuckle of your little finger. You can check it yourself - rest your fist against the wall at chin level and try to lean firmly and reliably on your fist. The conclusion is clear: the natural and most reliable end of your hand, creating an ideal and rigid striking structure without distortions and unnatural bends in the joints, is the knuckle of your little finger. Accordingly, we will achieve the greatest strength and rigidity of the blow by striking with it. For comparison, lean on the other 2 knuckles - the index and middle fingers. Note the unnatural twist of the wrist. This position of the hitting hand has now become very popular, and in vain, since it creates a direct threat of fracture and dislocation of the wrist.
Unfortunately, the palmar bone behind the little finger is also the weakest of all 5 bones. It is very easy to break. Therefore, under no circumstances try to aim with your little finger knuckle! If you only hit it, you risk getting a severe fracture of the carpal bones. The problem is solved like this: INSTEAD OF YOUR LITTLE FINGER KNACE, AIM WITH THE KNACE OF YOUR RING FINGER. Look at the position of the knuckles of your fist: the knuckles of the middle finger, ring finger and little finger are located almost in one straight line. This is the ideal striking surface of your fist. If you aim with the knuckle of your ring finger, you will almost always hit with 3 knuckles at once, distributing the impact impulse between them and thus insuring the striking surface of the fist from damage. In addition, the shock impulse will pass very close to the ideal “line of force”.
All other options are dangerous!

Middle finger
The knuckle of the middle finger is the strongest, but also sticks out the most. If you try to aim with it, then you will hit with it alone. This is the source of most hand injuries. The bone of the middle finger is quite strong, but not so strong that it can withstand the full force of a blow “with investment” alone. Especially when the hand is not protected by anything.
- Forefinger
The knuckle of the index finger is strong - and sometimes it will hit the target along with the other three. It will hit - well, okay. But purposefully hitting with it is a big mistake, since the displacement of the striking point from the “line of force” causes an unnatural position of the wrist and is fraught with a fracture.
- Thumb
Avoid any strikes that use your thumb as the striking surface. Not only is it located farthest from the “line of force” (and therefore simply not able to deliver a strong blow), but it also breaks easily and is knocked out of the joint.
CONCLUSION: ALWAYS AIM WITH THE KNIGHT OF YOUR RING FINGER. Nature will take care of the rest - the shape of the fist will not allow the other 2 knuckles to remain away from the blow. This will not only strengthen the blow (since the “line of force” runs nearby), but will also significantly protect the fist - there are 3 strike kittens at once, and besides, the knuckle of the middle finger is the strongest on the hand.
Over time, you will understand that these principles apply equally to straight punches, hooks, and uppercuts. If the blows are placed correctly, the striking surface of the hand remains the same.
Let's summarize. The power of a blow depends on the "mass investment" and whether the blow is struck along a "line of force." Blows delivered along this line hit the target with 3 knuckles: the middle, ring and little fingers. In order to evenly distribute the shock impulse between them and avoid injuries to the hand, it is necessary to aim at the target with the knuckle of the ring finger. Any blows that do not reach the target with this striking surface (in particular, swings) are inherently incorrect. They deviate from the line of force, lack striking power and can easily injure the striker.

If you cannot step into the enemy, hit him straight with your shoulders turned, but if you have the opportunity to step forward even a little, hit him using the “falling blow” principle.
Setting up the technique of direct strikes at the “falling step”
Stand in a left-handed stance. Bend your knees slightly, transfer the main weight of your body to your front left leg, so that the metatarsus of your right foot touches the floor lightly. Now, WITHOUT PRELIMINARY AUXILIARY MOVEMENT, take a long, quick step with your left foot in the direction of the target. I emphasize - WITHOUT additional movements! You will definitely want to move back a little - don't do it. The idea is that you sharply bend your left loaded leg and allow your body to FALL FORWARD with a long stride. The whole movement is fast, convulsive and from the outside looks extremely clumsy. But it is precisely this clumsy leap that is the basis of a knockout direct blow. This is the basis for setting up the heaviest direct blow with the investment of the entire body weight.
Actually, when we walk, each step we take includes a slight “fall.” The human step in general is a series of ups and downs. In the “falling step,” the fall stage is brought to the maximum, it is enhanced for two reasons: 1. before the step, almost all the weight is on the front leg 2. the step is so long that it gives gravity the opportunity to give the body an unusual “free fall” moment. It is for this reason that at the end of the movement your left leg “slams” heavily into the floor. In the twilight of his career, Joe Gans rarely missed with his long, straight left—but when he did, the landing of his left foot could be heard half a block away.
Despite the fact that at the beginning of the step your weight was loaded mainly on your left leg, you did not fall to the floor. Why? Because after lifting your left leg off the floor, the toe of your right leg instinctively pushed you forward with a leap, trying to maintain the balance of your body falling forward. The left leg acted as a trigger for the subsequent push with the right leg.
I repeat again - there is no preliminary movement before the "falling step" - and especially not moving back, which is a natural reaction of your body! Shifting your weight back will slow down the strike, signal the opponent to start the strike, and weaken the strike itself. In a fight there is no room for luxury, which is unnecessary movements. There may be only one convenient moment to hit the target. Therefore, no preparation. PAY ATTENTION TO A VERY IMPORTANT DETAIL – THIS PUNCH IS BEEN PUT WITH THE FIST IN A VERTICAL POSITION.
Twisting the fist and turning it palm down is used in the now very popular “semi-straight punches” - which are fought by rotating the shoulders. But that's why they are semi-straight. THERE IS SUCH A RULE: AS soon as you start placing your fist with your palm down, you start to turn your punch, and the straight line turns into a barely noticeable loop. This is nature, it is impossible to deceive it, it loves round movements, there is more harmony in them. This is how the human body works. But the "falling step kick" is a PURE STRAIGHT KICK - it doesn't require any rotation. They will only smear it and give it unnecessary curves. The blow must go clearly in a straight line!
Be sure to learn how to make this kick with a long step - then you will not care whether your step is half a meter long or several centimeters, which are almost invisible from the side.
After you learn how to do the “straight in the fall”, compare it with the straight, applied only by twisting the torso - and you will see for yourself that in the second version you will never achieve such a penetrating effect and investment as with the “falling step” . The fact is that in a left-sided stance, the fighter is turned to the enemy with his left shoulder - which significantly reduces the torque put into the left blow. So it turns out that the left blow through rotation of the shoulders is stronger the further the left shoulder is pulled back at the beginning of the blow. Pulling the left shoulder back in itself gives a signal to an experienced opponent about what kind of blow will be delivered. In addition, it weakens your defense and creates the risk of receiving an oncoming knockout blow.
Basics of “investing” body weight into a blow
The basis for throwing a strong punch is to move your body weight. There are only 4 ways to invest our body weight in a striking movement: 1). fall forward 2). forward movement jumping forward 3). rotation of the shoulders with the involvement of strong back muscles and transfer of body weight from one leg to the other 4). upward movement of body weight - for example, when throwing uppercuts.
Each blow combines at least 2 of the 4 listed components. The more components in a blow, the stronger it is. That is why the most powerful blow that can be delivered with the left hand is a direct blow delivered at a “falling step”. It combines 3 elements simultaneously - falling, forward movement of the body and twisting of the torso. Today this blow has been almost completely forgotten and erased from the combat arsenal. Meanwhile, the “falling step” itself guarantees the presence of a hard direct blow, into which most of your mass will be invested.
There are a number of reasons why the straight line at the “falling step” has almost ceased to be used. New-fashioned instructors teach boxers to strike exclusively by twisting the body. For some reason, stepping forward with a strong insertion of the left hand into the blow is considered a dangerous maneuver - they say that the enemy can dodge and knock out with a counter blow. Well, spanking with jabs is much safer.

But if you think about it - what's the difference? Essentially, every time you extend your left fist towards the target in an attempt to reach your opponent, you expose yourself to the danger of receiving a counter punch. Moreover, a boxer who is accustomed to using a jab uses it much more often than a striker who puts knockout power into his front hand. This is understandable - they don’t exchange knockout blows in vain and don’t poke them anywhere. So isn’t it better to hit hard with your front hand, with the goal of knocking out your opponent, and not just slap him in the face?
My advice is this: use a light jab exclusively in the “deuce” - when your left fist hits the opponent in the upper part of the head - lifting it and thereby allowing the right blow to clearly hit the upturned chin. In all other cases, use the technique of direct strikes “in the fall.”
The importance of throwing a knockout punch with the left hand
For a street puncher, landing a knockout punch with the LEFT hand is of great importance. Why do we start on the left? The fact is that for a “standard right-hander” the left fist is much more important than the right (we don’t take left-handed people into account, it has its own specifics). At first, such a statement may seem strange, because we are trying to deliver a knockout blow as quickly as possible and, logically, we should start with a “strong” right.
Will explain. In a left-sided stance, the left hand is closer to the opponent. Accordingly, it reaches its target faster and is more difficult to parry than the right one. A well-placed left straight or hook will at a minimum keep your opponent off balance and open him up to a finishing right hand. Hitting with your left is not only easier, but also much safer. The hitting hand covers the rebound, on the other hand it is protected by the right hand. The left hand is one of the least vulnerable striking positions. It is for this reason that the striking series is usually started with the left. Starting with a right hand against an experienced opponent is so dangerous that this blow even received the name “slay 3.14 zdyulina” (another translation option is “sucker punch”). However, I in no way deny the possibility of using this blow with lethal effect.
Unfortunately, modern boxing has almost lost the skill of the knockout left punch, replacing it everywhere with the play jab, which serves only as preparation for the knockout right punch. At the same time, for some reason everyone forgot that a correctly placed blow with the front hand can successfully knock out the enemy no worse than the back hand.
Fight and knockout blow
A fight has a number of significant differences from fighting in the ring (emphasis mine, A.B.). The main thing is a very high level of injuries. Always remember: the longer the fight goes on, the more likely you are to become crippled. Each new minute of a street collision dramatically reduces your chances of getting out of it without serious injuries or injuries. Several important conclusions follow from this: the fight must be ended as quickly as possible. The best way to stop a fight is to knock out your opponent. Therefore, the fight should be dominated by HEAVY KNOCKOUTS. The place for light jabs and beautiful maneuvers is in the ring. In a fight, it is not beauty that is important, but efficiency.
Mid-range exchange rule
In a head-on collision and exchange of blows at mid-range, the more “straight” you hit, the more likely you are to be “inside” your opponent’s attack.
The general rule of exchange is that whichever opponent dominates the “central straight” has a significantly higher percentage of hits on target.
The opponent, “pushed out” from the central line, is forced to throw punches along circular trajectories with an additional swing. Displacing the enemy from the “central straight” at a medium distance leads to the fact that he is left to work mainly with SWINGS (swing is a sweeping blow with the hand along an arcing path like a stick, see below in the text - A.B.) with all the ensuing consequences. Circular blows of a person forced out of the “central straight” are often delayed or fly by, because must travel a greater distance compared to the trajectory of a direct strike - which is also the shortest distance to the target. If swings hit, they cause significantly less damage than counter straights along the “center line.” Remember: any type of swing used against competent straight work has no chance of success.
From this comes the rule for mutual exchanges at medium distance - try to “round off your blows” as little as possible, strive to master the central straight line and find yourself “inside” the line of attack, pushing the enemy’s attacking limbs to the periphery.
About swings
The swing is one of the most ineffective strikes and is more dangerous for the striker himself than for the one at whom it is aimed (there is no strength or investment in the body in the strike itself, there is a high probability of damage to the striking limb, the strike is struck sweepingly and for a long time, it is well read, It’s much easier to escape and defend yourself than from direct action).
Don't confuse swing with hook! The hook is a short side blow with a body attachment, a purely melee weapon. The dependence is this: the greater the distance, the more the “hook” loses its effectiveness and in the end turns into a “swing”. By the way, a sweeping “uppercut” at long and medium distances is not an uppercut at all (for a true uppercut, like a hook, is a melee weapon), but the same swing, but which opens up the striker even more. The paradox is that “swing” is the most natural striking movement for the average person. The real place of this blow is in the trash heap. Give it up and never think about it - of course, unless you want your brains blown out.