Practical?

ramcalgary · Blue Belt

Why learn to punch with your hands from the near the hip when it is not practical to do so when sparring or in a self defence situation.

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Honor is the most important thing a man has once you lose it it is gone forever

three60roundhouse · Pre-Black Belt

If you start at the hip, you are more likely to remember to turn your hips, therefore getting more power from the technique. Also, it reinforces keeping in the correct stances. Our instructor always puts out a balance by reminding us to keep our hands up in a real fight, etc.

Phantasmatic · Purple Belt

Think were your hands are when you are just walking on the streets, usually near your waist. Also when you practice punching from your hips your punches will become stronger and faster for a real fight where your hands are up near your chest.

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"Which one is more foolish, the fool or the fool who follows him?" - Obi Wan Kenobi

Piastre · Yellow Belt

Obviously you don't pull back to the hip when you're actually fighting.
But, as previously mentioned, it does encourage you to rotate properly, so that when you're actually in your fighting stance, you will still rotate whilst punching.
It also is for discipline. To learn to control your body movements. All kihon and combinations etc are done a certain way...for example, when you punch gyakazuki, you punch to the solar plexus. When you punch oi-zuki, you punch level. We do this in ALL combinations. However, this isn't to say that you can't punch gyakazuki to the head in a practical situation. It's designed to enable you to control your movements, your accuracy. If you can't punch to the solar plexus when you're supposed to, it shows that you're not able to hit targets and control your movements. If you can't pull back, it shows you can't control your movements.
I actually had a discussion with somebody who thought we fought with our hands pulled back to our hips. I had a very hard time convincing him otherwise.

SaiFightsMS · KF VIP

Some good points everyone. Also the principle of reciprocal action. When one side is pushed forward pulling the other side back speeds up the movement and the power.

Karateka · Red Belt

Rotating the hip does help in self defence and Kumite. When you rotate after a punch and you retract back, it makes it easier for a front leg kick!

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"Never hit a man while he's down; kick him, its easier"

Sensei Ron Bagley (My Sensei)

AnonymousOne · Red Belt

In time you will understand why, be patient the answer is within yourself

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7th Dan Chidokai

A true combat warrior has to be hard as nails in mind, body and soul. Warriors are action takers and not action fakers. If you are cruising, make time for losing

Jiggy9 · Purple Belt

Once the opponent has been setup, and I know that i have that spare milisecond to excecute a full punch with maximum power from the hips, whilst launching from a low stance - I do it. At that point it is both practical, and effective...

ramcalgary · Blue Belt

Dear anon after studying for 31 years I think I know the answer the answer is simply tradition. You can learn how to turn your hips by learning to punch with your hands high.Rotating the hips is not learned by keeping your hands low to begin a punch otherwise no boxr would know how to turn their hips when they punch.

ZakariRu · Orange Belt

Ram, Exactly! if you suffeciently understand how to punch you should be able to hit without a large decrease in power, with a almost fully extended arm. Try it some time, keep you guard reletively close to your target , i like having my right hand (backside) as far foward as my lead elbow

throw a couple of reverse punches like this against a heavy bag, or one of those horrible makiwara

youll be able to tell right away to what extent your rotating your hip.

Also examine modern foo work, the best traditional competitors for kumite tend to have the best or i should say least traditional foot work.

I think the more and more karateka actually spar the more and more the style is going to change, i read somewhere that in okinawa it was just kata, so if it was just kata theyd need things like chamber to make sure they were doing the right dynamics.

Maybe im trying to start a flame war i can't tell

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