Which Knuckles Should You Punch With?

[@adrianb6193]

"The best fist is the one that fits."

[@marsoc0326]

This is interesting because it's something I've come back to to pondering especially reading the words of Jack Dempsey in his book Championship Fighting. He talks about learning from guys of the previous era who had access to wealthy of knowledge and having been fighters in the bare knuckle eras of boxing and how modern boxing at the time (I believe it was written around the late 40's or about 1950) had started to lose certain mechanics and important details for generating power in their punch. He talks about how "now" (again at the time of the writing) boxers were starting to focus on the two big knuckles. He goes on to explain that they are furthest from the "power line" but no doubt more dense and that the pinky knuckle is the knuckle most in line with the power line but the most fragile. so he advise punching with the ring finger knuckle being the second closest to the power line, slightly sturdier and the main point being that aiming with said knuckle normally ends up bringing contact with all 3 knuckles sharing the brunt of the force,which is the reason he doesn't advise the middle knuckle being the one that protrudes the most and landing with such force to be handled by that one knuckle would be too much. All of it definitely caught my attention given the source it came from, being that it came from Jack Dempsey who was known for being a horrific man to get hit by (then again who would want to get hit by the heavyweight boxing champ) and just some wing chun guy who may have never had any actual experience. He talks about how the majority of men when they started trying to learn boxing as boys didn't go to the gym to be the world champion and learn how to out point you but to learn how to protect themselves. He points out the differences in a boxing match and a street fight (no time limit,no ref, no rules, uneven ground; uneven matching against bigger,stronger, younger or vastly more experienced) and for those reasons why it is best to have the ability to end the fight as quickly as possible. I believe about the first half of the book almost is about learning how to generate power from the drop step, trigger step, shoulder whirl and the surge. I've spent so much time with the two biggest knuckles from my time in boxing and traditional Tae Kwon Do but trying out Dempsey's way, though awkward due to having something different for so long is strange, yet there is something that feels good about it and slightly more natural at moments.

[@mokujin29]

My brother would knock you out in an instant.

[@lesvenola2380]

marsoc0326 thanks for sharing this information 🥊🥊👍

[@thebodysnatcher4359]

Very well said. I learned of the dempsey method when first learning boxing and later read his book as well. I'm a proponent for the three knuckles and find the wrist much weaker when striking with the first two especially when throwing the left hook.

[@bendadestroyer]

I never "learned" how to punch. I have a heavy bad and have always enjoyed punching. The three knuckles definitely feels more aligned, stable, and natural. Punching with two knuckles is so awkward.

[@ugabosch1]

I trained for years in traditional Karate. Punched for years everything with the two knuckles you like. No gloves because we were Karateka. All pushups were on these knuckles during PT. Now at 65 years old those knuckles are seeping synovial fluid into my hands. This causes a lot of pain when using my hands in everyday life. Wish I had known 35 years ago.

[@cloudybrains]

Well I assume if you had trained the last 3 knuckles, those would be the ones seeping synovial fluid into your hands. I guess human hands aren't meant to handle so much abuse.

[@ziekehaze1797]

@@cloudybrains men werent meant to Last so long too

[@TheSuperDmyers]

Vertical fist 3 knuckle, horizontal fist 2 knuckle. Which one of those is better is up to you but it's usually hitting with the wrong part of the hand with a horizontal fist that creates the "boxers fracture" from what I've seen.

[@snowdaledwarf3929]

Jack Dempsey in his book about self defense was advocating three smaller knuckles. He mentioned that this is more natural way to punch and this method was most common in pre-gloves time.

[@blackenskatography9928]

JKD took the theory from Jack Dempsey very much & call it straight lead!!!

[@nigellegall755]

BullShit IMO

[@blackenskatography9928]

@@nigellegall755 kzbin.info/www/bejne/bp2coIOIbtmUq6M

[@Zaid26127]

@@nigellegall755 Nah, read the book, it explains it

[@nigellegall755]

It is way more easier to condition the first two knuckles to strike hard objects and penetrate concrete period, Also the first two knuckles/fingers are connected to the largest muscles in the forearm and when conditioned and strengthened properly stabilize and align the wrist so it does not collapse on impact ( remember you are transferring your whole body weight with velocity into small area to do maximum damage). and that is why I called it BullShit.

[@jasonchaplin1997]

I think the 3-knuckle wrist and elbow alignment's a big deal. I can hit heavy bags, with full power no gloves or wraps, all day. Seems related to the posture for pushing a large object away: elbows down. (Fist pushups on concrete help too!)

[@FeralWorker]

@64 64 my comment above, different account. Definitely changed my view since then. Full power bare knuckle on heavy bag is absolutely not sustainable or a desirable way to train. I still believe in the 3 knuckle surface for the reasons above, plus keeping the door knocking knuckles our of things. but it has to be trained with the pinky knuckle completely de-emphasised to avoid boxers' fracture. So yeah, training to got with the middle and ring finger knuckles. .. mostly, index finger knucklec should still come into play here and there.

[@antoineb2409]

Mike Tyson broke his hand hitting Mitch Green because (as he said) in the swing he hit the corner of a wall before making contact with Mitch's eye. He ended up knocking a piece of the wall out also lol

[@robotjoxx3166]

I've been hitting a heavy bag without wraps or gloves for 17 years now and can tell you that the three knuckles that Bruce Lee and Jack Dempsey advocate is superior. It's all about proper wrist alignment and avoiding repetitive motion injuries. With three knuckle punching, your wrist is in natural alignment, whereas with two knuckles you have to bend your wrist 45 degrees outward to gain proper alignment. Go to 1:41 in this video to watch his wrist buckle when he hits the pad (put it in slow-mo for maximum buckle). This does not happen with the three-knuckle alignment, and you don't need nearly as much conditioning for your wrists. He's right when he says that you do have to practice hitting things (pads, bags, faces) to be able to hit hard, but his practice shows him not hitting hard. I could easily hit the same pad with three knuckles, without buckling my wrist, and with much more force. In my view, possibly breaking my pinky finger is worth it if I'm not throwing weak punches.

[@TonyqTNT]

In vertical fist punching bare knuckle a lot of the Jeet Kune Do schools advocate a slight inward tilt of the fist prior to contact as if you are beginning to pour out a glass of water. In this method of punching the fist actually strikes the target area with more of a 45 degree diagonal angle configuration and makes striking contact with the three knuckle landing excluding the index knuckle When I was training in boxing I was instructed to rotate the thumb side of the fist completely downward effectively striking with an upside down vertical fist as the fist is turned 180 degrees down Ward with the index finger down and the majority of the pressure force seems be on the middle knuckle landing. I've always used the thumb side down vertical fist middle knuckle landing with gloves on and bare knuckle while sparring and working out on the heavy bag and have never had any problems with the knuckles or wrist. In my opinion rotating the thumb side of the fist corkscrewed downward. and making contact primarily with the middle knuckle is the most ergonomic technical method of punching.

[@sprk11]

so I know this is 3 years old, and most likely won't be read, but I'm going to share what I've been told. The surface you strike with will depend on the orientation of the first. vertical fist the bottom 3, the horizontal fist the first two. It has to do with the wrist alignment as you have pointed out in other videos. Also told once, it was because the primary weapon that is used by the style, and how the weapon is most often used. But, as you say, with out conditioning all theories are point less. Just wanted to share

[@vp-fv1eo]

thanks for sharing bud

[@VTSifuSteve]

Stephan: Which surface of the fist you make contact with largely depends on the kind of punch you use as well as the part of the body you are targeting. My stand-up foundation is Escrima and Wing Chun. When using an elbow-down vertical fist punch, as in Wing Chun I use the bottom three knuckles. I find it to be strong and stable. And that has nothing to do with whether you hit hard or not. Jack Dempsey hit hard using a vertical fist, and likewise favored the bottom three knuckles. Now if you throw an elbow-out boxing-style punch with a horizontal fist, as we often do in Escrima, I'd hit just as you do, with the two large knuckles next to the thumb. Or better yet, hit with a stick and the whole knuckle thing becomes academic! BTW ...Another great video!

[@wingchunmac]

This is to do with vertical fist. The idea is to have the the bone of the forearm (structure) behind the the punch. So with a vertical jab using the bottom knuckles makes sense. If you hit with the top of the had in a vertical fist you can sprain the wrist.

[@someoriginalname6004]

Thats why some people advice that in a case of vertical two first knuckle punching, to point your wrist down a little and create almost a line with the first two knuckles and your forearm.

[@someoriginalname6004]

That way you can avoid both sprain the wrist and lost of power in strike.

[@MartyMoose1611]

I prefer the Wing Chun 3 knuckle method bc 1. I’m use to it, 2. Added reach advantage, 3. Speed and force especially in close quarters. You can watch Bruce Lee movies and see him punch both ways. Ali said he used the middle knuckle (fully geared up). As you said: it’s about conditioning. And if I do break or crack a bone (and I have) I can still use the “Karate” method. If you’re much over 40 it’s probably best to use the palm, hammer fist, and “chop” (elbows close in). Thanks, Coach for the lesson and many others!

[@someoriginalname6004]

There are other options like two knuckles in the middle. In my hand three knuckles doesn't exactly form something close to flat line. If I put a closed fist to the wall or some other hard flat surface then I always have two points of support, first two knuckles, middle two, or last two. Also if for example we talk about jab, straight or cross then I think that puting fist totally horizontal is overturning it in most cases. Especially in straights or jabs. Most natural movement and without losing power is if my fist is in around 15 - 20 degrees towards ground (considering horizontal means 0 degrees and vertical means 90 degrees). Sadly I don't have enough experience to made any final statement about my knuckles safety in bare knuckle form of fightting in this form of knuckles alignment.

[@ZeKiran3]

I have trained both ways and I never broke my knuckles. However, I did injure the angle my middle knuckle (the 3rd one) from punching really hard with my top two knuckles so I switched to the last three knuckles for like 2 years (really, two years and the doctor told me that everything was okay lol) since I didn't want to stop punching and my middle knuckle still hurted (between middle and index). After that, I realized that using the last three knuckles wasn't too bad so I switched with my left hand too. Now I hit pretty much everyday bare handed with full power my heavy bag using both ways. People tend to say that if you punch using your ring and your pinky you would automatically break your knuckles so they would advise you to conditions your first two knuckles and do push ups on them and all, but the ones you have to condition are the weakest ones so you won't ever break your knuckles. Once your knuckles are hard, the only real argument on which one is better is which one allows you to hit the hardest and this depends on you and your experience.

[@harrymacdonald4908]

Needed this video as I’ve broke 4 of my knuckles all together n only have my middle fingers and index finger knuckles left

[@sabeehb9514]

Great video but I have a question that has bugged me a long time. Perhaps my hands are odd when I make a first but I can't understand the concept of how to punch ! - let me explain. When I make a first if I go to do a horizontal punch on a surface perpendicular to the punch it is not my knuckle that hits at all , it is my fingers. The only way for my knuckle to connect with the surface is if I bend my wrist downwards. Well that would result quickly in a broken wrist. Surely can't be just me, try it, you'll see that the first surface to naturally connect is below the knuckle ie the point where the first and middle fingers bend. So how am I supposed to punch ?

[@345kobi]

The injuries I have seen from punching are wrist sprain and broken thumb. Punching naturally leaves the three smaller knuckles making contact and less likely to suffer wrist sprain or broken thumb. Better yet, hit with the heal of the hand. MMA fighters wear tight fitting, padded gloves to mitigate the possibility of a hand injury.

[@wadayaduin5517]

A third choice: When you equally tighten all four fingers, your fist is lined up to punch with the middle knuckle alone. The fist is then lined-up with the forearm on two planes, the back of the fist and the pinky side. So 1, tighter fist, 2, better alignment. Third advantage: the focused force of that single knuckle does the most damage.

[@user-gq6dg7ee6d]

Smaller the surface of the punch the deadlier the impact. A niddle pops a balloon yet pressing a balloon over 1000 needles wont do much to the balloon. Save your time if you're not that strong and just master the index finger punch, the force is deadly because the punch digs into the skin and reaches the bones compared to other types of punches. Try it out, punch your legs while you sit down (not hard, just testing) Then try the index punch. Use the same amount of force in each punch, watch your speed as well. The index punch is also versatile and can curve like a hook without munch movement and twice the speed.

[@Atif2008]

Thanks for this information, it’s much clear.

[@rparker8761]

I cannot believe that this is an issue! I have broken my hands boxing, wrapped, and both times it was the pinky knuckle/bone. The good thing is that it telescopes the bones, so now my pinky knuckle no longer sticks out, and that bone is stronger than before. Like you were saying about Tyson, the hands are delicate. I read another guy saying that the index bone is the weakest.

[@oreocarlton3343]

what about open palm strikes? army training revolves around open palm strikes.

[@adrianb6193]

you wont break your knuckles for sure.

[@psyience3213]

Go watch bas rutten ko dudes with Palm strikes.

[@gg.3812]

True, in boxing if you insist on only two knuckles you are gonna run into troubles with the ulnar ligaments of your wrist, especially with hooks to the head. The two knuckles only works with bare hands only, with gloves it is better to keep the wrist straight and hit with three (four even better if your angles allow, the gloves help distribute on all four really)

[@langkusinghi]

The two are great for putting more pressure, but the wrist and the hand is designed for landing on the three comfortably

[@marcelozerbini5411]

I naturally punch with the three knuckles. Naturally, all me instructors told me to punch with the two, so, here I am

[@patricks1560]

I gave up in the knuckle debate a long time ago, now I just hold a disposable lighter in my hand and use it like a kubotan. When I was into knuckles, it was more about short punches using the second knuckles. In fact, you csn effectively use the fingers, if you arch them. Doesn't work with gloves though.

[@bobbykiefer4306]

Holding a lighter, it aligns with the three knuckles

[@sicsemperevellomortemtyran309]

Thanks for mentioning Kajukenbo.

[@gloverdragon6854]

im an amatuer boxer, i punch with the two knuckles nearest to the thumb. I punch with ferocity, speed, accuracy and power, almost like a karate practitioner BUT in volume.

[@squifflessquaffles6339]

Glover dragon I’m interested in Boxing, any pointers for a noob?

[@gloverdragon6854]

kuudere chan, bro, do running, try to do 3miles in 25minutes on the treadmills, do sprinting, do road running when you can, 3-5miles. Do conditioning work, try not to do loads of bicep curling. Hit the bag whenever you can, practice footwork and your reaction speed and timing. set days for when you want to do things. most importantly join your local boxing gym if you havent already. good luck on your boxing journey.

[@Docinaplane]

Glover dragon - As a karate / Kenpo fighter, great advice! Did you ever see the movie, "When We Were Kings" ?

[@diosdadoapias]

I am not a martial art practitioner but I practice punching for fitness and i punch karate style with the fore and middle knuckles as impact point when I punch the karate reverse straight punch; and uses the middle, ring and little finger knuckles when punching the right or left cross which to me is still a kind of straight punch but delivered in hypotenuse direction.

[@jeffreykozma8068]

"Unfortunately, however, the hand-bone behind the little knuckle is the most fragile of the five backbones. It can be broken the most easily. You must not attempt to land first with the little knuckle. Instead you must try to land first with the knuckle next to your pinky (the ring finger). We'll call that the 2nd knuckle. Aiming with the 2nd knuckle usually brings about a three-knuckle landing. Those three-knuckles are: middle, second (ring) and pinky. If you aim with the second knuckle, those three knuckles usually will land together because the average fist slopes slightly from the middle knuckle to the pinky. Such a three-knuckle landing not only prevents the hand-bone behind any one knuckle from bearing all the punch-shock, but it also permits punching almost exactly along the power line. Rarely will one of those knuckles make a solo landing. But if you aim with the little knuckle, you risk a dangerous solo landing on forehead or blocking elbow." Always aim with the second knuckle-the one next to your pinky-and LET THE OTHER KNUCKLES TAKE CARE OF THEMSELVES. They'll take care of themselves all right; for the shape of the fist makes it impossible for them to do otherwise." -Jack Dempsey, Championship Fighting.

[@someoriginalname6004]

In my hand three knuckles doesn't exactly form something close to flat line. If I put a closed fist to the wall or some other hard flat surface then I always have two points of support, first two knuckles, middle two, or last two. Considering the way I hit (in straight, jab and cross I see as most natural not exactly horizontal position but something close around 15-20 degree towards ground) and the alignment of knuckles with the bone, two middle knuckles seems most natural and logical choice.

[@jakegaming841]

Thx for uploading this because now the guy will pay for punching my nose

[@marcoperrotta9619]

I think it also depends on the anatomy of the specific hand. For example, when I was young I was given one month in a karate dojo, as a gift from an aunt of mine. She had won it in a local lottery. Well, the sensei told us the same that is explained in this video, i.e. to use the line of the two big fingers. Well, guys, when I try to do so, my wrist gets completely unaligned, because the medium finger knuckle of my hand is too prominent with respect to the index finger. I think I do not have a choice. Luckily enough, I see that Mike Tyson when trains bare hands seems to use the same technique. 🙂

[@mysteryman447]

two knuckles, less surface area with the same force is going to have a sharper impact

[@ThomasRonnberg]

I punched something really hard with the middle finger to pinky finger and totally destroyed the bones in my hand. My pinky finger and the bone in the palm that supports it is permanently shifted i can't even straighten all the fingers out equally anymore on that hand. I was taught to punch with those fingers but then i started talking to some people and they say you should punch with the index and middle finger. I'm not sure what the best is but i've met a lot of dudes who've broken their pinky related bones by punching with the middle to pinky fingers. I wouldn't recommend it. Although i've seen a lot of very experienced dudes with stubby middle to pinky knuckles so it really makes me think. What i've learned though is if smashing hard objects it's probably better to use the bottom of the palm.

[@mightymite3958]

Thats why i dodnt use gloves on the bag and I hit the power pole 8n the back to condition my hands

[@davidholle6569]

The three knuckes feel way more natural in the wrist for me... Do you think punching open hand in a street fight is in any way worse than with knuckes ?

[@bursuk]

The ring finger is where the power line comes out. Keep the hand relaxed and land flat with the bottom 3 knuckles. Do not tense the hand, even on impact. With this method, the hand needs to be vertical, not horizontal (thumb up). This is Jack Dempsey/wing chun traditional bareknuckle punching. (^_^)

[@darrenlee1480]

You should check English martial arts channel on pugilism, that guy is able to generate all his power into a single vertical fist punch.

[@BrentDelong1253]

I think a lot depends on where and how you are throwing that punch. If it works, use it.

[@fernz6026]

My pinky side knuckles are what I use when punching stuff for fun, tried using the big knuckles and hurt my hand with 2 light hits.

[@zriter59escritor33]

The two largest knuckles are the least likely to break upon pressure and the least difficult to toughen. The third knuckle is much thinner and the fourth much more so.

[@bladeboytb1]

I can't seem to make contact with my knuckles. I keep making contact with the tip of my knuckles. 🤔

[@BobRoss-wm3lc]

On your web site you called the second option, the “three little knuckles” pretty sure your middle knuckle is the biggest knuckle you have 😂

[@scheisstag]

I slightly disagree with you Stephan: I think only people who are hitting a lot of boards are into this: "which are the right knuckles to hit something?" thing. Because only when you hit things with a linear surface, like Makiwara or boards, you have to ask yourself this question at all. I train to hit people. They dont have a linear surface anywhere. The closest thing to resemble a human body in hardness and shape is a hard sandbag (depends on the filling of course). I train with a sandbag glove, which is basically only one layer of leather without any padding. I do not use hand wraps. I only tried breaking boards once and for fun and never did any hand conditioning training. But I also never hurted myself at the bag, during training, in the ring, or at a barenucklefight. And I had 40 fights in the ring and 30 at parking lots. And did lots of Kyukushinkai training. And I would say I am hitting with the middle nuckle.

[@rparker8761]

On two occasions I broke my 4th metacarpal-once on the left hand, then the right. Both were in the ring, hands wrapped and taped. I was boxing hitting other boxers. You assertion that "only when you hit things with a linear surface" do you ask this question.

[@shhshsbwhwwh9779]

Normal, wrong sentence

[@IHamDogg]

So.... When i clench my fist.. All 4 of my knuckles form a literal straight line.. I cannot get my last 2 knuckles to slope. Did I fuck my hands up? I've always had insane punching power but I figured that was due to my size? My right hand ring knuckle sticks out the Furthest.

[@adrianb6193]

Palm strikes and elbows hurts too :D

[@squifflessquaffles6339]

Adrian B Yup.

[@Hythloday71]

I guess I punch with the whole broad face, that is centred on the most promonent knuckle. I think best to spread the force to reduce chance of breaking. I think training to hit with particular knuckles, just isn't going to be a guarantee of anything in a real fight, except may be broken ones.

[@psyience3213]

I never thought that was a debate. I broke my pinky knuckle (boxer's break) when I was like, 10, I learned which knuckles to punch with right then. I'll tell you, a boxer's break is a debilitating injury. Your hand is out of three fight and the pain is excruciating, regardless of adrenaline. I did a lot of damage to my hand and no damage to him. Same reason why you shouldn't punch to the skull. If you break your hand your done. First 2 knuckles for sure.

[@rparker8761]

Lol, I never thought this was a debate either! I broke both my pinky metacarpels boxing, and always tried to focus on using my first two knuckles (do push-ups using only those knuckles). And street fights are bullshit, and will leave you with sore hands for months. The worst thing is the fucking hours hitting the heavy bag----especially in gyms with huge heavy bags, so the bottom is like punching concrete. My hands are now arthritic big time. I met Joe Frazier and his hands are so fucked up he can barely hold a pen

[@psyience3213]

jesus christ, big reason why i focus on grappling lol i rather some road rash than a broken hand, assuming i execute well.

[@sskspartan]

arvik skoynib you are dumb son of a bitch.Conditioning hands doesnt cause arthritis.Frazier couldnt hold pen because he was fucking deathly ill and in the brain and nervous system too

[@jessesimmons9238]

Matthew Van Helden I have experienced a boxer's break(fractured and dislocated my pinky) as well.

[@SwordTune]

You are confused about the debate because the way you punched was wrong. There is a correct way to do both, and if you punch incorrectly with either as the intended form, you hurt yourself.

[@KidCliff]

i used the other three cus i thought it would make it stronger and now my pinky and ring finger are swelled and fucked up rn

[@aptcmpasion]

Fight Science did an episode where various MA-guys (TKD, karate kungfu, ninja...) were WAY out powered, on the instruments, by a boxer (w/ handwraps!)

[@TheClinchMagazine]

Yeah I saw that too. He outpowered them by double

[@dazza1015]

This is when u use wraps you are able to exert your full force onto your opponent without as much risk. Boxing gloves are mistaken for reducing impact of punches when all they do is reduce the inpact on the hand by increasing area of impact on the hand. The same amount of force will be exerted on your opponent when using gloves. U hit with a pound of force they will feel that force entirely. However without gloves punches are very slightly pulled and not as much force is exerted as possible in order to preserver the bones in the hand

[@adnanadil4498]

And the positioning of the fist- vertical or horizontal?

[@seandavidr]

Placing your punches seems to be really, really important. Hitting to the top of the head is likely to break your hand no matter what knuckles you use or how conditioned your hand is.

[@rudvangol]

Good video! Thank you

[@jessesimmons9238]

I can use my first three knuckles. I managed to strengthen the ring knuckle to handle force without pain or damage.

[@subhub637]

me too. is that bad? should i try and fix it?

[@pelvist]

I was always taught to use three smaller knuckles.

[@MrCiegorojas]

I have a question, my right Ulna bone is a tiny bit longer than normal ulna bones are, That, is my ulna bone is closer to the lunate bone, which already caused a very small cyst in the lunate .... usually cause by trauma or in my case from punching the heavy bag real hard for some time. So, would you think punching with the three fingers position would relieve at least a bit of pressure, or perhaps increase the distance, between these two bones?? Thank you all.

[@josephperkins4857]

Sorry but the bald guy is wrong. In a fight, it is more common for the bones in the hand to the two big knuckles to be broken rather than the bones to the three lower knuckles. This is because the impact of a punch is often concentrated on the first two knuckles of the hand, which can lead to fractures. However, it is important to note that the likelihood of any bone breaking during a fight depends on various factors, such as the force of the impact and the positioning of the strike. Additionally, hitting the head may increase the risk of hand injuries, as the skull is a hard and solid structure.

[@yinyang5732]

I am able to use all four front knuckles. Being able to punch with all four front knuckles is good for punching hard objects.

[@woowowo7471]

My problem is my knuckles aren’t big enough compared to my fingers so I can’t punch something flat like a wall without a extremely bent wrist

[@iouliosevripiotis6754]

Why is my third knuckle smaller than the fourth?.

[@moneysoles5185]

This is like soccer, you train to punch with gloves, and in soccer, with cleats, but when you punch without gloves, or cleats it is harder

[@davejohnson-yi2rk]

I recently hit a home, stand-up punching bag, I think twice, with the large knuckles of my right hand. The knuckles now have ached for a week & even holding a fork or pen hurts like a sonofabitch! Believe me there's ABSOLUTELY NO SAFE WAY TO PUNCH ANYTHING! The tiny bones in both hands are simply too fragile & easily sprained, fractured, dislocated & broken. BTW, now I'm on my way to an orthopedist to see if they can hopefully give me an injection of cortisone/lidocaine for the pain & swelling for TWO Punches!!! That's why you'll NEVER see any of the Gracie family knuckle punch, even when their hands are totally wrapped for MMA events. They SLAP - they DON"T PUNCH! Because (as much as I don't like them - which is a subject for a different time - ) - I do respect the fact that they reaalize that a broken hand is worthless. If you have to punch - use a SLAP instead! Punch to the GUT! CLAW WITH OPEN FINGERS into the Eyes! But take my advice (or ignore it at your peril), if I can f-k up my hand from a single punch to a stand-up dummy, then ANYONE can screw up their knuckles & you CANNOT REPEAT CANNOT "HARDEN YOUR KNUCKLES" & 'YOU CANNOT "CONDITION" YOUR KNUCKLES! I will try and ask the orthopedist for a DEFINITIVE ANSWER ON "KNUCKLE CONDITIONING". I think I know what the answer will be though. Good luck to all you guys out there. Train but train SMART! Been there. Tried that & now in pain. - - - D.J.

[@zolomon6933]

My boxing trainer said. It doesnt matter, if you going full power you'll most likely break your hand anyways

[@pirelo5935]

Even with knuckle conditioning hitting an elbow or the point of the jaw is gonna brake your hand for sure

[@lolic4712]

No no not at all

[@ultimatewarriors1291]

what is stronger to punch than a wall

[@bored-in-the-house3950]

Mike Tyson used to condition his knuckles bare knuckle too… he probably broke his hand because most people break their hands in bare knuckle street fights… maybe the best answer is don’t bareknuckle fight and if you have to… then throw elbows.

[@shirshak3699]

How can we condition our fists in home?

[@Lamont24012]

Shirshak Roy push ups on knuckles .and sand bags.

[@iseeyou7368]

I used to play bloody knuckles wit da lower 3 knuckles so much I would bruise them, also I would punch throw walks wit em,

[@sugarhoneyicetea6044]

It's always my ring finger on my right hand that bruises

[@paydn202]

i used to have a friend in elementary that would fight everyone, but he always wrapped his fingers around his thumb lmfao.

[@sicsemperevellomortemtyran309]

I accidentally hit with lower 3 knuckles, and fractured those bones. Couldn't even shake a hand for 1 full year.

[@michaelgregory4057]

I use my skull my pinky and ring knuckles my elbow and my knee

[@itsme-mj9ic]

I’ve always been taught the first two knuckles. Punching with the first two creates a strong line through your arm. It’s not just because they are bigger

[@Brian_Moser1118]

when i use the big two knuckles i hurt my fist

[@caidenjorde8332]

Why not all 4?

[@subhub637]

i like punching with my middle two. is that bad? people make fun of me lol

[@bayoubilly6971]

Awsome. I know a guy with over 100 street fights. By the age of say 24? His knuckles were like golf balls. To many breaks. But guy never lost. He always said after about 10 clean hits hands were junk had to go to ground and pound!!

[@chiclown5475]

U should first learn to condition your wrists and knuckles by punching sand mixed with ball bearing bb..u should only use a punch on the opponents body (mostly) depending on who your fighting fat or skinny..when punching the face you actually get more strength by Palm hitting(Buddhist Palm) on their face n follow thru..most ppl don't even know how to use kinetic energy to throw their punches.. don't break your hand on the person skull ..that's what I used to do to ppl when fighting...stops the fight real fast

[@Red-zm1kk]

Why not all five :o

[@FishEyess]

my middle finger is the one that bruises

[@Nordrig]

Mayweather broke his ring knuckle using GLOVES. I love boxing more than other martial arts. But facts are facts.

[@icantthinkofagoodname5275]

Here I come rougher than the rest of them, the best of them tougher than leather, they call me knuckles and unlike sonic I don't chuckle

[@yinyang5732]

Pepe Da Boi are you strong enough to punch a steel beam full force?

[@CianHealyCianhealy02]

U got 4 knuckles bro not 5😂😂

[@spooky-nz9vj]

Which knuckles do u think hes talking about bruh

[@viefcheesecake]

there is a knuckle on the thumb

[@user-nh5zd3ic8r]

Imma 3 knuckle person

[@maineoutdoorsman677]

Correct I hope they watch ur video I just watched a nether an they were all fucked up .they never Broke there lower two knuckles an was without my right hand an had too choke the guy out with neck lock

[@gb1984yt]

This is why bareknuckle boxers in the 18th century fought with fists turned outwardly

[@SenpaiTorpidDOW]

What do you mean turned outwardly? Do you mean palms inwards rather than down? Vertical fists?

[@gb1984yt]

When people break knuckles,they fight with no gloves but with a boxers punch,this is the outside knuckles striking,bareknuckle hit with the inside of your fist,the two closest knuckles to your thumb,or you'll break them, another way is to use the palm of your hands.

[@jamielagor4720]

Fist turned outward

[@hybridstreetmethods8860]

This really depends on region if you look at the different treaties on barefist boxing they advocate vertical fist, palm up, palm in, palm out...also open hand in regards to hooking. All recommend conditioning of hads regardless of punching preference. The most common factor for bk boxing is lower punch volume (no spray and pray) and mostly straight punches to the head and everything to the body

[@venivendivici888]

I was only shown how to punch with the lower three nuckles as a kid. I've had multiple hand/finger breaks. But the Fu#kin wrist, damn, yeah your fu€ed.

[@bubba6755]

I use Buddhist Palm

[@TonyqTNT]

Is this similar to Episcopalian Palm? Human physiology is essentially the same worldwide. A palm strike is structurally the same regardless of: Religion Political affiliation Ethnicity Race Gender (biological) Gender (identification) Economic status Vegan Omnivore Carnivore Good person Bad person Intelligent person Less intelligent person Night person Morning person

[@Billy-ho5ms]

Hard against soft. Soft against hard.

[@nicholaswestendorf1983]

You are wrong sir. “Traditional” martial arts, i.e. KUNG FU, where all the Japanese systems come from, generally punch with the lower three, it creates the actual power line. Also, bare knuckle boxing back before gloves, people punched with the lower three, it IS a better wrist structure as well as creating the “Power line” that Dempsey describes. Tyson learned contemporary boxing, hitting with the top two knuckles, turning the fist horizontal etc, THAT is why he broke his hand hitting a dude without gloves on. The typical karate punch twists the wrist and forearm bones which place the wrist in an unstable position, you are likely to hit someone and the wrist folds in breaking your wrist. Wing chun punch not powerful? Dempsey (lower Three knuckles, verticals fist) punches not powerful ? You are obviously biased and misinformed about arts other than Hard Japanese arts.

[@w4grappling705]

Yes...if you want to brake your wrist by hitting a rounded and solid object like the human head,strike with the first two knuckle.Jesus Crist !

[@blank3097]

um the knuckles to punch with can be bloody,brass,or steal . find me some nazis and allow me to demonstrate. nah, im playin. if you want to fight you should try learning instead. because science

[@jhonjohnjonjondoe5011]

this is stupid advice for the first 2 knuckles