Is it a good idea to pull your punch back fast?

[Kung Fu Wang]

In another thread, I suggest people to pull the punch back fast instead of to let the punch to be frozen in the thin air. I then realize that I may not be fair when I say that.

When you punch, you can let your punch to go all the way, or you can pull your punch back fast. Which way is better? Your thought?

Let the punch to go all the way.

https://i.postimg.cc/m2M5hMM2/Baji-Fajin.gif

Pull punch back fast.

https://i.postimg.cc/mrddKSxV/my-pull-punch-1.gif

 

[Bill Mattocks]

If you leave your appendage out there, someone will take it.

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

If you leave your appendage out there, someone will take it.

But I'm talking about training. I'm not talking about fighting.

 

[Dirty Dog]

But I'm talking about training. I'm not talking about fighting.

What Bill said. If you leave it hanging out there, someone will grab it and spoil your day.

 

[Bill Mattocks]

But I'm talking about training. I'm not talking about fighting.

If training isn't fighting, what is it?

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

If training isn't fighting, what is it?

Let's assume you punch on the heavy bag. When you punch on your heavy bag, you are thinking about "power generation". You are not thinking about "fighting".

Do you prefer to punch like this?

or like this?

https://i.postimg.cc/mrddKSxV/my-pull-punch-1.gif

 

[Oily Dragon]

If training isn't fighting, what is it?

 

[Flying Crane]

If training isn't fighting, what is it?

Training is training. It is not fighting.

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

So when you punch on your heavy bag, do you let your fist to go all the way in, and then "freeze" for a while, or do you pull back fast? Or do you do both?

 

[Flying Crane]

In another thread, I suggest people to pull the punch back fast instead of to let the punch to be frozen in the thin air. I then realize that I may not be fair when I say that.

When you punch, you can let your punch to go all the way, or you can pull your punch back fast. Which way is better? Your thought?

Let the punch to go all the way.

https://i.postimg.cc/m2M5hMM2/Baji-Fajin.gif

Pull punch back fast.

https://i.postimg.cc/mrddKSxV/my-pull-punch-1.gif

This is a question for which the answer is not “either/or”.

The answer is, you need to deliver your power, enough that your strike is effective. AND you need to retract quickly enough to not let your enemy have a chance to grab it if your strike is less effective than you intended.

When you train, you need to train delivering the power. You also need to train quick retraction. These traits can be trained separately to build them optimally, and then train them blended so that you understand how they can work together without becoming ineffective. When you fight, you need to be able to bring those elements together. If you are so focused on retraction that you prematurely begin to retract before your power is delivered, then your strikes are ineffective.

 

[Flying Crane]

So when you punch on your heavy bag, do you let your fist to go all the way in, and then "freeze" for a while, or do you pull back fast?

Training is a journey and both of these options can be appropriate as individual tools in a larger toolbox. It isn’t “either/or”.

 

[Alan0354]

I think it's important to pull back. Two issue if not pulling back, first if you reach for contact and miss, the momentum is going to pull you off balance. This is NOT the same as you practice punching in air. That you expect to not hitting anything. But if you expect to hit something and it's not there, it will pull you off balance.

Second thing is if you commit to punch and miss without pulling back, it put a lot of stress on your elbow. I pulled my elbow missing the target.

I am practicing missing by using a weighted, deflated speed bag, it's hard to punch that because it doesn't bounce in predictable way. So I missed a lot and practice pulling back. I notice in UFC, people pull back if they miss also.

Personally, I do NOT find pulling back affect the power of the punch at all. It's all about practice, synchronization the different body parts and focus at one point. If you don't hit anything at that point(missed) just relax and pull the punch back. Again, there's no secret in punching, perfecting it is another story, it's one of the hardest thing to get from my experience. Just like front kick, it looks so easy, but my experience is it's harder to do a good front kick than round or side kick.

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

I notice in UFC, people pull back if they miss also.

Of course you pull your punch back when you miss. The question is do you pull your punch back when your fist hit on your opponent's head?

In the following clip, I don't see any pull back punch in those knock out punch.

 

[Alan0354]

Of course you pull your punch back when you miss. The question is do you pull your punch back when your fist hit on your opponent's head?

In the following clip, I don't see any pull back punch in those knock out punch.

I think they only go all out when they know they hurt the opponent and it's not going to miss. Like when you first feel the opponent out, you pull back. Then if you land a good punch and the opponent is dazed, then you don't worry about missing.

Below is just MY EXPERIENCE.

Like I said, I don't feel I have less power with the punch that I intend to pull back, it's all about practicing over and over and over and over. Takes MONTHS. 3 years of TKD, went to the school 3 hours before class practicing on the heavy bag, HALF the time on punching alone..........Still months. AND you can lose it. After I quit, I still practice at home with heavy bag, because I was not thinking and just going through the motion, I lost it. It's only lately after GowGa wolf reminded me to practice in slow motion, I started from the beginning. Still, it's been two months, still working on it.

You know when you get it, all of a sudden, the punch is effortless, the fist start penetrating the bag deeper, the sound is different with an echoy sound. You know when you get it. I think they call it Chin-gu-chi or something in Japanese. All the sources focus into one split second to a point.

Obvious other people have their own way, like I showed Chuck Liddell, I don't even see how he generated so much power, but he did!!! So he found his way of punching.

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

I think they only go all out when they know they hurt the opponent and it's not going to miss. Like when you first feel the opponent out, you pull back. Then if you land a good punch and the opponent is dazed, then you don't worry about missing.

- In fighting, do you believe when you fist meets your opponent's body, you don't pull your punch back?
- In training, when you punch on your heavy bag, or into the thin air, do you assume you miss your punch, or do you assume that your punch land?

 

[Flying Crane]

That's the main discussion of this thread. Do you believe that when you fist meets your opponent's body, you don't pull your punch back.

It depends. If you land solid, you may wish to follow-through which, depending on the target, can maximize damage through displacement. Such as, you hit the jaw or side of the head with a hook, and keep going through it, causing the head to turn sharply. Maybe you break the jaw, maybe you break the neck. But the follow-through delivers that displacement more solidly. Or you straight punch the nose or chin and cause the head to snap back on the neck. Again, follow-through causes strong displacement and can increase his injury.

If you straight punch into the torso, you drive in to deliver the power, then you retract before he can grab you, if he is still capable. But deliver the power first.

It is not an “either/or” answer.

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

It depends. If you land solid, you may wish to follow-through which, depending on the target,

My question is when you train your solo drill (or solo form), do you image that your punch will land, or do you image that your punch will miss?

In other words, when you train, do you train

- follow-through?
- not follow-through?
- both?

 

[Alan0354]

- In fighting, do you believe when you fist meets your opponent's body, you don't pull your punch back?
- In training, when you punch on your heavy bag, or into the thin air, do you assume you miss your punch, or do you assume that your punch land?

You read my post, I concentrate in pulling back. No, I pull back even when I landed a solid punch. That's what I was talking about I don't feel any less power compare to an all out punch without pulling back. It's the same.

When I punch bag or air, I cannot assume I miss!!! I can tell my mind I miss, but it doesn't work!!! I actually have to create the situation I really miss!!!

 

[Bill Mattocks]

Training is training. It is not fighting.

Then what's it for?

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

I pull back even when I landed a solid punch.

What's the purpose to pull your punch back when your opponent drops down in front of you?