Knuckles

Bobby · Yellow Belt

In shotokan many people tell me that it is wrong to punch with the bottom 2 knuckles. Why?

I was having a look at my hand the other day (as you do!) and I closed my fist. It looks as if the 1st 2 knuckles look like they are good for going down. And the last 2 look as if they are meant to go up. So should'nt you punch down with the 1st 2 knuckles (as some do in shotokan -hammering the fist then twisting) and punch up with the 2nd to knuckles (like chain punching in wing chun) - many people also say that you will break your bottom 2 knucles if you punch with them. However this maybe true if you punch down with them instead of up!! (sorry if I have confused the hell out of you)

Any suggestions???

ckdstudent · Green Belt

The first two knuckles are natural weapons, pretty much built for punching. They're essentially tougher. If you have to hit with the others try to hit with the bottom three, it causes a little less damage to your hand.

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Pil Sung
Jimmy B

Phantasmatic · Purple Belt

If you squeeze your hand, your middle finger seems to stick out more. I was taught to hit with my strongest 2 knuckles, and they are my middle one and my pointer one. That is the truth with almost anyone.

I play the piano so I think that all my knuckles are rather strong.

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Withers M.A.A. · Brown Belt

If you're doing a front punch and your wrist is completely straight as it should be then when your fist is exteded your first two knuckles will extend farthest. Thus the main reason you hit with these knuckles.

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monkeygirl · KF VIP

You have all made some good points. However, the main reason for this is YOUR OWN SAFETY!
The first two knuckles (middle and index fingers) are locked in pretty good. Try to wiggle them. You can't. They're the largest knuckles as well. The other two knuckles (ring and pinky) are called "floating knuckles" and aren't locked in very well. They wiggle a little bit. If you punch very hard with these knuckles, you'll probably hurt. That's why uneducated people usually hurt their hands.

There's also the previously mentioned reason of the knuckles sticking out further.
Anyway, that's what I've been told.

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SaiFightsMS · KF VIP

Hold your arm straight out in front of you hand in a good fist. Now look at how your knuckles line up with the bones in the forearm. At full or near full extension the contact point of the first two knuckles line up with the bones in the arm thus making the punch solid and much stronger.

That is if you turn your fist over so that you are making contact with your palm to the floor. If you don't rotate your fist things are different.

Bobby · Yellow Belt

KickChick · Black Belt

Actually Bobby what you aare describing is the 3/4 punch ... you are landing with the lower 2 knuckles of the fist (pinky and ring finger). Rotating the whole way allows you to land with the upper 2 knuckles.

There are several different types of punches that can be thrown with proper conditioning of the knuckles.

Boxers use the entire knuckle surface for striking ... keeping the knuckles squared up so that one knuckle doesn't protrude over the others creating a flat surface.

The Wing Chun punch is a vertical or standing fist. The index finger knuckle is anatomically recessed back from the other knuckles and does not come into play when landing a correct vertical fist. Most karate and kung fu styles that use a reverse punch advocate contacting with the index and middle finger knuckle while having a tilt in the wrist to line up those two knuckles with the radius and ulna.
Some Wing Chun practitioners tend to lead with the pinky knuckle and wind up fracturing either the knuckle or the bone behind the knuckle... a boxer's fracture. If you lead with the pinky knuckle, change your focus to lead with the knuckle above the pinky doing this will ensure that the punch, the knuckles and bones in the wrist are in better anatomical position and decrease the potential for injury.

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[ This Message was edited by: KickChick on 2002-05-30 07:15 ]

ckdstudent · Green Belt

'Conditioning' your knuckles by hitting bags of sand repeatedly, knuckle pressups, and similar is almost a good idea. It does give you more solid knuckles, unfortunately it also means that when you reach fifty you'll have trouble holding things like pens, knives, spoons, and so on.

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Pil Sung
Jimmy B

Bobby · Yellow Belt

Interesting......... Well I think I have typed enough. I better had go and experiment and see which is the best for me.

Thanks for all your suggestions and ideas.

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