Correct Striking technique

[Tony]

Last night we were practicing on the pads with strikes, chain punches, then slapping the pads, then Leapard strikes, and finally palm strikes.
I found that with my palm strikes I was scraping the skin on my fingers because I had bad technique. It was so tricky because the strikes themselves didn't feel they had any power on the pad as you are only using the first knuckles. The proper technique with leapard strikes as you make know is with your right hand in a leapard hand outward circle round so you hit the left side of the target and then your left leapard strike with the right side all in a circular motion, but on the pad it doesn't feel that effective, although I know it would be a lot more effective on someone's neck or face.
I also remember my last grading where we were punchig the pads and having to twist from one stance to the other and the assistant instructor was telling me to use the first two knuckles of my fist as I was badly scraping my hand again.
Does anyone here have the same trouble using the correct technique each time?

 

[RHD]

Last night we were practicing on the pads with strikes, chain punches, then slapping the pads, then Leapard strikes, and finally palm strikes.
I found that with my palm strikes I was scraping the skin on my fingers because I had bad technique. It was so tricky because the strikes themselves didn't feel they had any power on the pad as you are only using the first knuckles. The proper technique with leapard strikes as you make know is with your right hand in a leapard hand outward circle round so you hit the left side of the target and then your left leapard strike with the right side all in a circular motion, but on the pad it doesn't feel that effective, although I know it would be a lot more effective on someone's neck or face.
I also remember my last grading where we were punchig the pads and having to twist from one stance to the other and the assistant instructor was telling me to use the first two knuckles of my fist as I was badly scraping my hand again.
Does anyone here have the same trouble using the correct technique each time?

Try some bag gloves or leather weight lifter's gloves. This will prevent the knuckle scraping.

Mike

 

[grappling_mandala]

Slow your technique down until you are getting maximum effectiveness while maintaining correct technique, if that means you practice at 1/4 speed then so be it, once you understand how to do something slow you can do it fast.

And you won't scrap your knuckles. It's better to practice something 20 times with perfect technique then 100 times with poor execution and with scrapped knuckles. No gloves in real life only in the club. Practice in a way that puts the technique inside you all the time, not just when you have on gloves and have a pad to hit. You should be able to execute the same technique soft against a hard target or hard against a soft target.

Just my .03. Good training to you bro.

Dave in Oregon

 

[Tony]

Try some bag gloves or leather weight lifter's gloves. This will prevent the knuckle scraping.

Mike

We couldn't wear gloves because we were supposed to be using various hand srtikes and thats very hard to achieve with gloves.

 

[Jim Perkins]

Practice your strikes more on your own get a makiwara start slow and focus your strikes you well learn to correct your strikes and this well condition your hands as well be sure to use a good dit da jaw linament. Start slow correct movment then slow increase power and reps.

Jim

 

[Black Tiger Fist]

Slow your technique down until you are getting maximum effectiveness while maintaining correct technique, if that means you practice at 1/4 speed then so be it, once you understand how to do something slow you can do it fast.

And you won't scrap your knuckles. It's better to practice something 20 times with perfect technique then 100 times with poor execution and with scrapped knuckles. No gloves in real life only in the club. Practice in a way that puts the technique inside you all the time, not just when you have on gloves and have a pad to hit. You should be able to execute the same technique soft against a hard target or hard against a soft target.

Just my .03. Good training to you bro.

Dave in Oregon

That's some excellent advise!

Most ppl try to move too fast in learning a technique. Before they actually understand the technique how and why they're using it ,they've moved on to the next.

Thus, they never have a full understanding or hold on the technique ,making it useless when they actually need it.

The idea is to start slow without any power ,just to get the technique right ,then slowly as you begin to have the mechanics down add more power and speed.

jeff

 

[grappling_mandala]

Thanks. Yeah I think quality of technique before quantity. You know a lot of people forget there are 360 degrees in their sphere to try and new 'tool'.

One of my favorite experiments/chigungs/whatever:

Part A

1. Find a wall.
2. Stand at a distance you can reach the wall.
3. Get in a Cat Stance, or Archer, or Combat Stance, Standing Stake, Holding the Baby, etc ; whatever your comfortable stance is. It might change so don't commit to much to one way.
4. Put either hand on the door. DO NOT PUSH WITH YOUR ARMS.
5. Push on the wall by lower body mechanics first. Rotate your hips, Shift weight from leg to leg, try to find the posture in which you can apply the most amount of force in the direction your facing.
6. Experiment with same side and cross striking, you can incorporate some foot work like cross over kicks, feel how gravity is moving thru your body differently when you make different connections.

Part B

7. Get in a 'cross' striking position with your palm on the wall.
8. Without any change in upper body structure, VERY SLOWLY lift your front foot off the floor. You will feel a transition made as soon as your foot loses contact.
9. Reverse the process. Replace your foot very slowly. How does weight leave or enter your palm?

You can make this a chi gung by finding the 'moment of transitional power' and holding the position against a wall. It's a major core strength builder. I notice that it has helped me 'reach' into my technique while maintaining sensitivity to the whole.

Kind Regards,

Dave in Oregon