The Power of the Backfist

[Bill Mattocks]

We practice the backfist in our dojo both as a block and a strike, as a distraction and as an actual attack. Some have questioned the power or use of the backfist as a practical strike.

I think this should demonstrate that the backfist is an effective strike when employed properly.

http://www.leagle.com/xmlResult.aspx?xmldoc=In COCO 20101115045.xml&docbase=CSLWAR3-2007-CURR

As Vigil turned to leave, the first officer informed Vigil that he was under arrest for disorderly conduct. The officer slowed Vigil's attempt to leave the scene by grabbing his shirt. When Vigil attempted to shrug off the officer's grab, the first officer struck him with a martial arts "back fist" to his face, fracturing multiple bones in his face and dropping Vigil to his knees.

...

With Vigil's injuries both numerous and apparent, he was taken from the scene in an ambulance to a local hospital. Once at the hospital he received over six hours of medical treatment. Vigil's sinal and occipital bones were broken; his left eye was deeply bruised and bleeding;

Without comment on the court's decision that the police used excessive force in this case, I think it is clear that the backfist can be a very effective strike.

Your thoughts on the backfist?

 

[ETinCYQX]

I find myself using it quite often playing around "sparring". One of my favorite combinations is a hook kick and then using the momentum there to spin back into a back kick. When I come off the hook kick off balance or whatever I replace the back kick with a backfist strike.

 

[dancingalone]

Yeah, I've always wondered where the idea that the backfist is only a flicky thing comes from. My tennis coach used to explain that the muscles used in the one-handed backhand stroke are actually more powerful on a pure dynamic level than that of the forearm, so the backhand should in fact be a better stroke bio-mechanically for most people.

I teach the knuckle back fist as a precision strike initially to target the nose or temple. Really, it doesn't take much adaptation to turn it into a forearm strike too when raw clubbing power is desired.

 

[Tez3]

I've always found it a good strike for women and kids as it's more powerful for us than punches often are.
Spinning backfists are often banned in kickboxing and MMA comps or are by agreement only as they are considered a bit too much for comps.

 

[clfsean]

Yeah, I've always wondered where the idea that the backfist is only a flicky thing comes from. My tennis coach used to explain that the muscles used in the one-handed backhand stroke are actually more powerful on a pure dynamic level than that of the forearm, so the backhand should in fact be a better stroke bio-mechanically for most people.

I teach the knuckle back fist as a precision strike initially to target the nose or temple. Really, it doesn't take much adaptation to turn it into a forearm strike too when raw clubbing power is desired.

Flicky thing vs whole body motion... depends. :mst:

We use both in Choy Lee Fut... Biin Choy is a flicky one & Da Choy is a body shot. Depending on the situation & necessity, we have both available.

"Biin" means "whip" or "to whip" so that's the the "flicky" one and the strike is delivered/used in like a whip would. Fast out & back with the energy being whipped or snapped at the end... like a whip or wet towel. This strike is delivered with knuckles but can easily be changed to a forearm if the range or need changes.

"Da" means "to overpower" so that's the "not-flicky" one and the strike is delivered more like a bat being swung from front to back. It's quick, but generally with a non-whipping motion of the arm, but with the body turning on the waist. This strike is delivered with a forearm (at least the way I teach it) since the forearm is a better transmission tool for this type of strike & energy.

 

[Tez3]

Lol at 'flicky thing', descriptive though!

 

[punisher73]

I think the backfist is viewed by many as a boxer's jab. Some boxers do employ it as an arm flick that doesn't have the body behind it and is meant for speed only. Staying with that analogy, some boxers like Jack Dempsey used the whole body behind it and used it as a power punch (Dempseys called his jab a "jolt"). Same as the backfist, you can use it as a power strike and have the whole body behind it or you can use it as a pure speed technique without the body behind it.

I'm a big believer in the backfist, opens up alot of unique angles for usage.

 

[Touch Of Death]

Mohamad Ali was great with the backnuckle; he just needed to be at the right distance so contact was made with the front of the glove. Power comes from the skill to center your strikes in front of your body weight.
Sean

 

[Stac3y]

I have a friend (a big, strong, tough lady) who was knocked out in class by a spinning backfist. I've had my nose broken by a non-spinning one. To me, the beautiful thing about the backfist is that it's easy to control--you can vary the power of it from very light and "flicky" to freight train with ease.

 

[seasoned]

The back fist can be seen in some of the Okinawan GoJu kata. This technique was not owned by point sparring or boxing, but is a very powerful strike, in close. Seen coming off of a forward elbow strike to their solar plexus, and capitalizing on their forward face coming into it. Also coming off of an upper cut to their chin, rocking their head back and exposing the throat to this devastating close technique.

 

[Bill Mattocks]

The back fist can be seen in some of the Okinawan GoJu kata. This technique was not owned by point sparring or boxing, but is a very powerful strike, in close. Seen coming off of a forward elbow strike to their solar plexus, and capitalizing on their forward face coming into it. Also coming off of an upper cut to their chin, rocking their head back and exposing the throat to this devastating close technique.

In Isshin-Ryu as well. Seisan kata; backfist thrown out of a cat stance with a forward shuffle to add momentum. Seiunchin; a backfist thrown just as you described; an uppercut followed by a backfist from the same hand in the same basic movement. Chinto; a sideways backfist thrown after performing an x-block of an incoming fist, tossing the fist to the right and grabbing the obi with the right, then pulling the opponent into the backfist to the chest, followed by a straight right punch to the chest, then a grab and dump to the right using the power of the kamae.

It is also part of our basic exercises; known as 'ura uke, seiken tsuki'. A backfist followed by a straight punch. It is thrown as both a thrust and a block (thus, ure uke). We draw the fist to the ear with the elbow straight out in front, then fire it directly at the opponent's face. Could be a block on the way up, as it will intercept and redirect a punch thrown with the opponent's opposite hand, and then the backfist is just a natural, since they can no longer block it. The backfist is the only upper-body exercise we perform where we do not cross the centerline when executing it; it can be faster than a middle-body block for this reason, but at the expense of not being able to counter a blow coming from the opponent's other side.

 

[Tez3]

I have no problem doing it the karate way I was taught, elbow facing target then back fist strikes but I have huge problems doing it the way they teach in the JKD class I go to. They do the back fist then follow through with the elbow. It's good the times I can get it right but that's not often.
I have problems with the lunge or junzuki punch in JKD too where you punch then bring your arm back sharply so the fist is at the side of the head, odd for a karateka lol!

 

[Touch Of Death]

I have no problem doing it the karate way I was taught, elbow facing target then back fist strikes but I have huge problems doing it the way they teach in the JKD class I go to. They do the back fist then follow through with the elbow. It's good the times I can get it right but that's not often.
I have problems with the lunge or junzuki punch in JKD too where you punch then bring your arm back sharply so the fist is at the side of the head, odd for a karateka lol!

return motion is half your art.
Sean

 

[Blade96]

My thoughts on backfist - uraken - which I do heian nidan and now doing again heian sandan kata is that its a good strike and - definately not a - flicky thing in fact we have to use our hips when doing it not just arm but shoulder and stuff, one of my classmates in fact failed his green belt while doing heian sandan for it cause he did uraken with just his arms and there was no hip or shoulder in it.

 

[Tez3]

My thoughts on backfist - uraken - which I do heian nidan and now doing again heian sandan kata is that its a good strike and - definately not a - flicky thing in fact we have to use our hips when doing it not just arm but shoulder and stuff, one of my classmates in fact failed his green belt while doing heian sandan for it cause he did uraken with just his arms and there was no hip or shoulder in it.

In Wado Urakenuchi doesn't always have to be done with twisting the hips, there's little or no twist when it's done by the front hand, twist on the back hand. In Pinan Sandan there is no backfist. There's Yoko Tettsuichi and Koteuke but no backfists.

 

[bluewaveschool]

My father has a vicious spinning backfist that no one ever sees coming, until it takes your head off. Every time someone asks to learn it... he shows them the hard way. So I say the backfist can have some serious power to it.