Optimizing the Hammerfist

[@NabilAbdulrashidComedy]

Ah my friend, it’s been a while. You never disappoint .

[@Combatprofessor]

Thanks for watching.

[@-XXI-]

Thanks for sharing

[@Combatprofessor]

Thanks for watching.

[@MrUglyDave]

Thank you sir !

[@Combatprofessor]

Thanks for watching.

[@ibaryabaq9197]

Great detail about that downward energy. Seems that engages more body mass into the strike as well?

[@Combatprofessor]

Absolutely. It can drop someone very easily and is much easier on your hand than an uppercut.

[@Combatprofessor]

Absolutely. It can drop someone very easily and is much easier on your hand than an uppercut.

[@SoldierDrew]

Worst, life changing, injury I ever sustained to the hand in unarmed combat was using hammerfists in a prison fight against three gang members. I was doing well using western boxing, diagonal fists punches, no injuries from punching w/vertical & diagonal bareknuckle fists in prison while serving time for defending my pregnant fiancee from gangsters. But when one of my three attackers balled up on me after I knocked his teeth out onto the 2nd tier catwalk I began hammerfisting the nape of his neck. He was flying on cocaine and adrenaline, frantically moving, and one of my full power hammerfists coming down w/hate missed the C1-C3 vertebra when he moved and impacted his round skull. Broke the distal end of my 5th metacarpal, folding it under the fourth metacarpal, and broke the distal end of my 4th metacarpal after that when I fought off his mob of gang brothers using western boxing w/a broken hand. Every single punch I landed resulted in a knock down but they were veteran prison gang convicts flying on cocaine so they jumped back up as quickly as they got knocked down. By God's grace & mercy they weren't strapped w/shanks or ice picks at that moment. (That came later after I got out the hole/punitive segregation) I trained combat arts & combat sports unceasingly since age four. I often broke concrete blocks, brick and treated pine 2x4 lumber w/edge of hand and hammerfist as part of iron hand training in my teenage years. I competitively boxed and grappled. Taught combatives in the U.S. Army. Worked night club security (never fought as a bouncer, just talked guys down or used a seatbelt hold to escort them out) Survived over a decade in a CCA private prison corporation w/out joining a gang for protection in general population. Survived the streets & jungles of Latin America. Open hand carpal bone strikes and vertical & diagonal punches, I didn't damage my hands. Hammerfist, impacting on the distal end of 5th metacarpal upon round skull bone when the opposition was frantically moving his head to avoid injury resulted in the worst, life changing, injury to my dominate hand. Do not throw hammer fist strikes full power nor in bunches. Straight punches are stronger than hammerfist. Impact evenly distributed across two or three knuckles is stronger than impact upon the distal end of the weakest metacarpal in the hand. The 4th & 5th metacarpals are for gripping tools/weapons, for grappling/wrestling, not for striking the skull.

[@Combatprofessor]

I’m sorry to hear you got injured. I’ve never had issues using hammer fists and have used them a fair amount . I’ve heard the same argument regarding knife hands but again I’ve never had issues. Obviously they’ve been used for thousands of years and are prevalent in many combat systems. As an individual you have to teach what you know has worked for you and I have no doubt they have worked for me.

[@PianoPatterns123]

When there is no longer rule of law and we live in a mad max world because of a total grid down scenario, people are going to have to protect themselves, because there is going to be no 911 help. These videos are a great help to the preparedness community..

[@edi9892]

Thank you for pointing out the risks of using it as a long-ranged attack. The only thing I missed in this video was mentioning the best targets. BTW: when I think of hammer fist, I will always think back to the good old Bud Spencer and Terrance Hill movies... It's needless to say that their combat style was far from grounded in reality and I've never seen any footage of a fight where someone actually copied that trademark hammer fist, but I did hear multiple times that it was allegedly very dangerous. So, I'm a little confused about the validity of the top of the head as a target. The one thing I imagine is that, unlike most other hits, the head can't bounce away and the strike can benefit from putting the bodyweight into it. On the other hand, I don't see much chance for the brain to be shaken as with the typical strikes (including the hammer fist to the temple, or back of the head, when bent over)

[@Combatprofessor]

Base of skull is more about hitting the brain stem and nervous structure of the spine. I’ve used it a few times and it’s a pretty devastating knockout. The temple doesn’t cause the brain shake of a chin or mandibular angle . It’s more the flatness of the surface that makes for a flush impact that makes it favoured. The temple is a junction of various skull plates which is why traditionally it was always regarded as a weak spot over something like the more durable forehead. Plus a cranial artery runs underneath it making it a risk for serious brain trauma. I’ve never thought of hammer to the top of the head. It wouldn’t be my first choice but I have used a palm slap downward on the crown numerous times.

[@edi9892]

@@Combatprofessor I guess that the Muay Thai ellbow drop is the better option, most of the times. The only reason I consider the Bud Spencer move is because I'm very tall and many leave the top of the head virtually uncovered. My thought about the traditional KO points was that they allow the head to spin fast due to leverage.

[@Combatprofessor]

@@edi9892 I would favour the elbow yes. Most knockouts are about spinning the head but some impact points are More neurological like the tmj and others like the temple also carry higher risk.