Best Hand Strike

[majlee95]

Actually, the nature of this thread should be "favorite hand strike" rather than "best hand strike". I was wondering what others in the MA community thought of as their favorite hand strike. Of course, taking in account strength, speed, economy, fluidity, range, how much it is telegraphed, etc..

My favorite would have to be the uppercut. It's not a good punch to use often such as a jab or a straight lead and it lacks range but if it lands correctly on the opponent's jaw/chin, it can be devastating, even more so if your back foot is on its toes. It can often make quick work of in-fighting, IMO.

Second favorite would have to be a knife hand to the collarbone.

:asian:

 

[Muad'Dib]

I will have to agree...........palm fist to the chin from a right punch or roundhouse. On the left punch, chop to the throat.

 

[digitalronin]

worst hand strike: the spearhand, has anyone actually used this?

 

[terryl965]

palmstrike to the middle of the chest and brake the whole rib cage, or to the nose and pudh it straigh to the head.

 

[Simon Curran]

worst hand strike: the spearhand, has anyone actually used this?

My thoughts exactly, in order to be able to use it without breaking your fingers you are going to have to have the strongest hands known to man...

 

[TigerWoman]

There are guys with strong hands, even strong fingers... The over 6' guys in our class are awesome hand breakers. Speed break, fingers on-then quick palm to 6 bricks. One can easily do a thumb break (thumb is doing the break) to a concrete patio brick. He is a 1st dan. Spear would be a devastating attack for him to do. TW

 

[ghostdog2]

A straight right ( left if you're left handed ) settles most arguments.

 

[Bammx2]

Ridge hand to the side of the neck,temple or jaw joint.
(trained many years for an awsomwe windmill action on that one!)
Never failed me either!
Right hook or any elbow strike.

 

[Zepp]

My favorite hand strike is the one that my opponent never sees coming.

The one I used most often is probably a jab.

BTW, the spearhand thrust is meant to be used against soft tissue targets, such as the solarplexus or throat. Obviously since it requires a lot of precision to use without hurting your fingers, it's not the best choice of strike to rely on for self-defense. Though you could sucker-punch someone in the solarplexus with it... :EG:

 

[Eldritch Knight]

My favorite are palm strikes, especially as finisher to a trap or a combination. My second favorite would possibly be monkey hand (index finger and thumb together at a point, with middle finger supporting) to the soft spots of the face and torso. With those pointy jabs to the face, most people raise their guard, making them susceptible to kicks to the torso.

Now that I think about it, its been a long time since I've thrown a regular punch. I almost always use open-hand attacks. Hmm....

 

[digitalronin]

There are guys with strong hands, even strong fingers... The over 6' guys in our class are awesome hand breakers. Speed break, fingers on-then quick palm to 6 bricks. One can easily do a thumb break (thumb is doing the break) to a concrete patio brick. He is a 1st dan. Spear would be a devastating attack for him to do. TW

It still an unnatural strike in comparison to palm, close fist, and knife hand strikes. The most common application of the spear is a throat strike, which and more effectively be replaced with a knife hand. A person's strongest strike is rarely a spear hand.

 

[majlee95]

My favorite hand strike is the one that my opponent never sees coming.

Me too.

I've started moving away from punches other than the jab and the uppercut. I've sprained all ten fingers at one point or another punching incorrectly and have had a broken pinky from throwing a right hook that landed awkwardly (only the ring finger and the pinky landed).

I'll still use the jab for outside fighting but for finishers/counters after a jam/trap I mainly use a knife hand or a hammerfist, maybe a backfist if I'm feeling creative that day.

 

[clapping_tiger]

Favorite in self-defense situation would be the palm strike, either as a straight attack to the chin, or instead of a hook.

2nd favorite would be a ridgehand, but I use this in sparring.

As far as the spearhand goes, I have never used one, but I thought it was mainly used for attacking the throat, and it doesn't take much there. Although in the finger set, you do use a spear hand to strike up into the ribcage, I don't think that would be to effective for me.

 

[Simon Curran]

Open handed slaps with proper "back up mass" are pretty devastating too.

 

[bignick]

It still an unnatural strike in comparison to palm, close fist, and knife hand strikes. The most common application of the spear is a throat strike, which and more effectively be replaced with a knife hand. A person's strongest strike is rarely a spear hand.

A lot of the movements martial artists make are unnatural. Certainly, if you don't train to use a spearhand than you won't probably use it. My jujutsu instructor used to do spearhand breaks all the time when he was younger. Said it was never a problem. One of my tae kwon do instructors did one once and said it was an experience he wouldn't like to repeat. The difference being that my jujutsu instructor trained to use it against harder targets.

A weird little side note, my jujutsu instructor (also a karate practioner) said he used to work out every once and a while at my tae kwon do school back in the 80's. The head instructor at the time saw him do a spearhand break once and told him to stop because it would affect his vision. Whether from some sort of accupressure point or for some other reason, I don't know.

 

[rmclain]

I've never heard of that affecting vision. Hmm...

For a few demonstrations in the 1990's, i would break 1 board using the spearhand. But, after doing this demonstration a few times, my finger joints would ache a bit afterwards. So, I quit doing that demonstration. Don't want any health problems in the future.

R. McLain

 

[Simon Curran]

I've never heard of that affecting vision. Hmm...

For a few demonstrations in the 1990's, i would break 1 board using the spearhand. But, after doing this demonstration a few times, my finger joints would ache a bit afterwards. So, I quit doing that demonstration. Don't want any health problems in the future.

R. McLain

Hardly a surprise your fingers hurt...

 

[Chronuss]

It still an unnatural strike in comparison to palm, close fist, and knife hand strikes.

how is it unnatural? you described the basic hand position named in the last strike in your list. it's the same hand, wrist, and arm position; however, instead of striking on a horizontal plane or diagonal plane, it's simply striking on a vertical. nothing unnatural about that.

 

[Chronuss]

My thoughts exactly, in order to be able to use it without breaking your fingers you are going to have to have the strongest hands known to man...

wouldn't have to have the strongest, per se, but you would have to take into consideration proper body alignment to yield correct results.

 

[Simon Curran]

wouldn't have to have the strongest, per se, but you would have to take into consideration proper body alignment to yield correct results.

Granted, but I once broke a metacarpal in a street altercation, and that was using a closed fist, the adrenaline dump would generally tend to negate the ability to maintain correct form in a "have to use it" situation