Jow Ga Fist and Hooks

[JowGaWolf]

I was browsing YouTube and stumbled upon this video that taught me something new about how Jow Ga makes the fist. We don't wrap our thumb around the fingers but put it on the side. This way, we can throw our hooks with a horizontal fist. We also use the vertical fist sometimes, but the horizontal fist targets a specific spot that is less risky to damage the hand when using the horizontal fist with a hook.

Do you use a horizontal fist, vertical fist, or both when throwing hook punches?

 

[Tony Dismukes]

Do you use a horizontal fist, vertical fist, or both when throwing hook punches?

Both, depending on the range and the height of the target.

 

[drop bear]

It makes more sense from a third person viewpoint.

 

[JowGaWolf]

It makes more sense from a third person viewpoint.

Don't hold out on use. Tell us what's going on. Don't make me get up and try it myself lol.

 

[drop bear]

Don't hold out on use. Tell us what's going on. Don't make me get up and try it myself lol.

In close it is thumb up. As I try to make range out of the hook my hand rotates untill it is thumb down.

And this allows knuckle alignment at different distances.

 

[JowGaWolf]

In close it is thumb up. As I try to make range out of the hook my hand rotates untill it is thumb down.

And this allows knuckle alignment at different distances.

hence the change in distance in the video?

 

[drop bear]

hence the change in distance in the video?

Yeah.

It makes more sense from the side

 

[Hanshi]

I tend to hold my fist vertically or otherwise turn it at various angles depending on the particular target. For instance, I like going for easily damaged targets and have a single knuckle punch I like using on the temple. It requires the fist to rotate almost 180 degrees from the vertical fist position. So it depends on "what's for supper".

 

[Wing Woo Gar]

In close it is thumb up. As I try to make range out of the hook my hand rotates untill it is thumb down.

And this allows knuckle alignment at different distances.

Man I like this idea. I never thought about it that way. I usually go vertical to body and horizontal to head. I think our idea makes good sense.

 

[Wing Woo Gar]

Man I like this idea. I never thought about it that way. I usually go vertical to body and horizontal to head. I think our idea makes good sense.

(Edit) YOUR idea not our.

 

[JowGaWolf]

We should make a video of us doing our hooks and use it as a response video to his. Titled. Do you mean like this? Lol

I have no idea of how drop bear does his thumbs down version. I'm trying to think if Ive seen something like that before.

 

[marvin8]

We should make a video of us doing our hooks and use it as a response video to his. Titled. Do you mean like this? Lol

I have no idea of how drop bear does his thumbs down version. I'm trying to think if Ive seen something like that before.

 

[JowGaWolf]

thanks. I forgot about that one. After few minutes of watching him talk about long hook and "delicate knuckle"s I chuckled because those knuckle aren't delicate. I hit with those knuckles all the time and recently came across a bare knuckle fighter who hit with the same knuckles an it just ripped into his opponent's jaw. Still looking for it.

 

[JowGaWolf]

wrong thread

 

[Fungus]

I adhere to the logic of that video! ie. You adapt depending striking surface and distance

But of course one can also via footwork adapt the distance to make your "favourite" technique work I suppose.

A personal reflection is that I find a big difference in wether you go bare knuckle, or have thin or big boxing gloves. Big gloves both protect your knuckels but also "smear" the striking surface. Bare knuckle fighting can emplou diggin one or two knuckles into the target with precision. And lots of pain can follow using less energy. Big boxing glove punches are indeed extremely blunt blows that cant exploit such precision. For tihs reason in kumite hooks can often almost morph into uraken-hybrid. I enjoy this for barek knuckel rib hooks. knucklings diggin into the ribs is painful. Not to mention what sake strike to the temple or back of head would do. This way fingers and thumbs are also protected.

 

[Bill Mattocks]

Isshinryu uses a (mostly) vertical punch and places the thumb on top.

We strike with the top two knuckles. I find that the thumb helps control the wrist to keep it straight and to help keep the fist slightly tilted such that the top two knuckles hit first.

We use a relaxed (not limp) fist that tightens upon impact, keeping muscles relaxed until impact.

Personally, I often use 'old man fist' when I do bagwork, where the fingers extend back towards the wrist rather than being curled. This is less painful for me due to arthritis and a nasty case of
stenosing tenosynovitis.

 

[JowGaWolf]

We strike with the top two knuckles. I find that the thumb helps control the wrist to keep it straight and to help keep the fist slightly tilted such that the top two knuckles hit first.

I think this fist aligns the bones in the hand better. The back of the hand doesn't curve.

 

[marvin8]

In last night’s Colbert vs Valenzuela 2, a leaping, palm in, shovel hook with an upward trajectory lifts the head up and rotates it for a devastating KO.

https://imgur.com/pJ77G1m

 

[Holmejr]

Without tape and gloves, vertical is for sure safer for your hand/wrist and I find the vertical a stronger punch as it better utilizes the body more. in our FMA style, we tend to step into the attack and we’re not as much into dueling. We do practice both, but In our context the vertical hook is typically the better technique .

 

[Oily Dragon]

Yeah.

It makes more sense from the side

It makes even more sense if you've thrown these strikes in combat with and without gloves and with and without an opponent made of concrete.