Which Knuckles Do You Punch With?

[@thullraven1]

That was one of the best explanations I have ever seen. You are a fantastic teacher.

[@Selfdefensegoat]

Thank you

[@jdzen8548]

hes an instructor. he doesnt teach anything.

[@thullraven1]

@@jdzen8548 An Instructor Instructs, which is the same as teaching. Look it up.

[@jdzen8548]

@@thullraven1 instructing and teaching totally different things. look it up.

[@michaelshort9146]

Good video topic. The hand is made for gripping, not for hitting. The natural part of your fist that lands when throwing a punch is the bottom three knuckles, unless you train to twist the wrist and hit with the two big knuckles. Lean against a wall naturally and see where your fist touches, without twisting the wrist. My first boxing coach taught me a few tests to see this and my last coach was Archie Moore, who said the same. The strongest part of your hand or powe-rline, runs from the pinky knuckle up the arm. Watch someone try to open a bottle and fail, they switch to the pinky and twist. try landing an uppercut with the two big knuckles, cant do it, only one lands. I also think a lot of hand injuries nowadays are guys training with too much hand wrap, too big of a glove for bags then when they fight its a much smaller wrap, and no bigger than a 10 oz glove(for pro). In my era, we mostly used small wraps, and leather bag mitts, not gloves.

[@ThePunchDoctor]

I agree, the power line runs from the last three hand bones into your arm. Trying to land with the first two knuckles is not a good idea.

[@gwine9087]

Very good points. I always told my students, if you can, go for the palm strike.

[@AK_UK_]

I can never understand how people say hit with the top 2 knuckles with a vertical fist. The index knuckle doesn't land. Only time I agree with the top 2 knuckles is when it's not horizontal fist 🤜

[@ThePunchDoctor]

Good explanation. Hitting with the palm is very effective - see Bas Rutten in Pancrase - he often hit with an open hand attempting to land with the pisiform, a wrist bone closest to the ulna. I have a video expanding more on this and give you credit after watching your short. Good stuff man!

[@Docinaplane]

Excellent discussion! Being karate trained, I've always used the two first knuckles, or as you said aimed with the middle one. Yes, I've seen plenty of people get boxer's fractures. I've done the martial arts since Bruce Lee was alive. I've hit plenty of targets, in training and fights, even once hit a concrete wall accidently full force. Up to this day, I have never broken my hand. It did swell up pretty bad from the concrete though, lol.

[@MikeAddison93]

Excellent explanation!

[@milnermartialarts]

Finally an honest, practical explanation with real world experience. Too many boxes people place themselves in and stay there, flow like water be practical and learn to adjust.

[@guydoriansr]

Morning bro! Haven't had any time to comment lately, sorry. Saw this one and had to. Love this one. I appreciate this video because it involves many disciplines and is literally a part of every martial art. I've trained in about 5 different disciplines and each one utilizes the movement and strike/fist/knuckles differently. There is a big reason. Each utilizes strikes from different focused areas of the body/position/placement and from a different perspective. The use of knuckle changes per discipline, but so does the position of the wrist. The knuckle use comes from that knowledge gained based on wrist position. Then as you mentioned it's all about alignment. In Western Boxing aligning the forefinger and middle finger knuckles with the shoulder ,but utilizing a slight bend of the wrist and slight twist of the palm, aligns everything properly. Looking at WB techniques you can also take a look, for instance, at an American hook vs a Euro hook, fist position. I use the American style as it covers more area and thus can have a better chance at hitting more area of the target. It literally forces you to. It also can have more power on impact. The downside is that it can leave you a bit more committed on the follow-through. This can sometimes leave you a bit more vulnerable to a counter, when timing is a factor... and it Always Is. I would say for all reading, find what feels most natural to you and work on that. But! Technique is Everything! I'll leave you with this: If your hands are doing something, so are your feet. Your core must stay center and your body is striking, not just your limbs. "Stay meditated". I'll explain that one another time. It's a phrase of mine that will help you in real combat.

[@Think--Twice]

perfect explaination. bravo

[@primaco44094]

I agree with you sir. Preferably hit with an open hand if possible. I train on a hard bag or tire without wraps. This helps strengthen my wrist and knuckles. Lots of fighters wrap when training, then when they fight without wraps are more susceptible to damage

[@acupuncturequeenstown712]

Just wanna say I love your stuff. Excellent cross styles approach, realistic, well thought out, simple and effective. Nicely presented. Clear and not too long. You should start doing seminars and travel a bit 🙂

[@blom9991]

I dont think its the likelyhood of breaking the hand that decides how people punch. If you punch with a vertical fist (like in wing chun) it is very natural to hit with the lower three nuckles. If you hit with a horizontal fist it is natural to hit with the two big nuckles. And the horisontal vs verical fist is determined by how the whole martial art is built up, for example the prefered fighting range (close range favors a vertical fist).

[@rockycologne603]

You’re the BEST!!

[@marklawrence855]

For a very long time the wing chun punch 👊 is what I've always used, never let me down 👊🙏

[@gladius2489]

I train with bare hands on a 200lb heavy bag. Fist, palm, knife hand, thumb strike, finger strike. Hit full impact. Have never injured myself.

[@tazundercooked4044]

Love your videos

[@---kr3zg]

Palm strikes are the most effective but when I'm throwing a punch I use the top 2 knuckles

[@nathanbores4193]

Thank you sensei

[@alexblue6991]

My age 71yr old I still do bare knuckles planks on a wooden floor I have broken my pinky knuckle in the past sparing

[@jackieparisi5120]

Great video great teaching question famous UFC fighter baz routine A wapo said punch with your Palm not your fist I feel he was right to a certain point use your Palm instead of your knuckles your Palm could do just as much damage Just like movie tie 8 limbs use other body parts your eabos your wrist four arms

[@allans7281]

Interesting video the knockout punch is as low as you can go which would be the jaw,not the skull

[@zachfogle3693]

This is interesting cause my boxing coach tells me to hit with the bottom three, guess it’s just a different style

[@ThePunchDoctor]

bottom three are the best to land with.

[@kingpanda8390]

Thanks

[@cyberyoda1611]

My Wing Chun teacher taught me that I don't need to hit HARD spots if I can hit the SOFT ones. There are cheekbones, there is nose, a stomach, a neck, and eyes, and I must hit the jaw with my fists????!! I can break it easily. The palm is for the jaw. Or some kind of hammer fist. Not the knuckles of the hand. I don't need to have hands like a construction worker if I hit SOFT places. There are more soft than hard places on the human body. All body punches are totally soft. Liver, stomach,..., all these things are soft.

[@ThePunchDoctor]

Well, cheekbones are hard. Nose is a bone, it's hard. Ribs can be soft as are the core for most people. Sometimes you might have to hit a hard spot, depending on what's available. Look at all the big power punchers in boxing or mma, they will all strike and land with the last three knuckles, the middle, ring and pinky. Landing with those knuckles will utilize the best kinetic chains and allow you to land with the most power possible. I have some videos about that if you want to check it out.

[@cyberyoda1611]

@@ThePunchDoctor I am nobody, I have a 4. degree in Wing Chun. You are 100 times more educated in fighting than me. But I don't think a regular person should have hands as if he works on the railway, or he works in a mine. It is ridiculous that some karate masters have more thick and more rough hands and knuckles than my soles. It is really stupid. Cheekbones are not as hard as the jaw, because you can easily break your arm if you hit the jaw. The nose is more than soft, I broke it twice, it was on the basketball. So easy to break. When you have some plastic surgery, they use a rubber hammer to break your nose bone in pieces. You don't need even to hit the ribs, you have stomach, liver, spline, and balls. I hit with the last 2 knuckles, I learned that in Wing Chun. And I think it is OK, you don't hurt your hand, in comparison to the punch with the two first knuckles. And if we talk about strength, you are (I think) a Wing Chun man, you know how hard the full-body punch in Wing Chun is, which starts from the heel, goes through the whole body, and finally, explodes through the fist, the body with the full body strength. To hit somebody in the stomach is the end of the story. I don't know, but the power is not crucial. Eyes, balls, nose, stomach, throat, a lot of targets. If you need to hit harder things, use your palm or hammer fist. And I really don't know why we practice karate, kung fu,..., THEN we go to the self-defense courses??!! What is the use of these martial arts, if a standard boxer can beat us easily??!! While we use bong sao, tan sao, and other things, the other fist is in our faces. Wing Chun is great, you must love it, but if somebody has some short punches like boxers do, you will get 10 punches while you use one WC block. So sad.

[@ThePunchDoctor]

@@cyberyoda1611 I have huge appreciation for jeet kun do. HUGE appreciation. The Tao of jeet kune do and Bruce Lee's books were paramount in my development and in how I view striking. You are somebody. You have expertise in your discipline. The ability to change your striking target mid movement is very advanced. I suggest that the check bone is much more dense and a much worse target for your punches. The jaw is a much better target. If you hit the jaw effectively you can create a knock out due to brain acceleration, or even break the jaw with a forceful punch. The cheek is very hard. I teach three methods of creating a knock out. Angular acceleration - hitting the chin to create rapid rotation in the skull, linear acceleration hitting with a forceful straight punch, or angular acceleration with a punch to the head or temple. I advocate hitting with the last three knuckles - middle, ring and pinky. I create an argument for that in my latest video.

[@theguywithone]

The first two hurt you, the last three hurt me.

[@Pirannacon]

Im telling my opponent not to move, so i hit with the right knuckle, so i dont hurt myself.

[@seanlive6975]

Good luck with that in a real fight

[@ThePunchDoctor]

if you plan to land with the last three you will do yourself a great service. It's a larger impact zone and there are more bones supporting your strike. Land with the last three - middle, ring and pinky.

[@Pirannacon]

@@seanlive6975 Sarcasm dude

[@Polar-pencil]

Thanks i was looking for this Cuz Kevin Holland Broked his all knuckles in fight with Wonderboy Thomson also my hand is Injured too RN

[@Selfdefensegoat]

Glad you found it

[@cj18519]

man, because of an injury after punching a man in the face my 2nd knuckle became smaller and my first knuckle is the biggest and it goes first when i am punching, do you think that it is a good thing because its more at the front and its easier to land with this first bigger knuckle? The second knuckle became thicker but it ist as pointy, thank you for your response, great video

[@OldasMTV]

The egg 😂

[@Jake4211-]

shit man look at the size of those "ham hocks". I don't care what knuckle you use, if you get hit by those things you're snoring🤕

[@usmc8408]

Dude, you never EVER hit with the pinky knuckle! That is the surest way to a broken hand.

[@ThePunchDoctor]

you want to land with your last three, middle, ring and pinky. Focus on those and you will recruit better muscles to power your punch. Jack Dempsey, one of the most devastating punchers of all time talked about this in his book "Championship Fighting." You want to lead with your ring finger. I explain that in my latest video if you want to watch that.

[@harveyquirke6376]

A cast iron. Bar. P heads. Don't. See. It. Coming

[@bellgab]

Then there's the hammer blow.

[@moontan91]

palm strike

[@johntay3831]

Sifu Kevin, from your experience, which part of the knuckles are stronger and more stable for hitting? Want to hear your opinion.

[@ThePunchDoctor]

middle, ring, and pinky together are stronger than the first knuckle and middle knuckle. Plus when you intend to strike with those you can recruit more kinetic chains to power your punch. I have some videos about that if you're interested.

[@jdzen8548]

you actually advise people to punch in a real fight? no wraps no gloves no conditioning??