Alternatives to Fist Strikes

The dangers of fist strikes

Knuckle and finger damage

The human hand is made up of several small bones which are not designed to withstand heavy impact. If you inadvertently strike a hard part of the opponent's body, or a hard object in the environment, chances are you will break your knuckles . The metacarpals may splay on impact and break. This will render your hands useless for the duration of the fight.

Boxers tape their hand to pad the knuckles, but also to hold the metacarpals together to keep them from splaying.

Many martial artists condition their knuckles to strike hard objects, but this does nothing to strengthen the metacarpals, and can lead to arthritis and loss of mobility later in life.

Wrist damage

The wrist must be kept in proper alignment during a fist strike. If the wrist bends on impact, it can easily be sprained, dislocated or broken. Boxers tape their wrists to reduce wrist flex.

Legal implications

To most people in the Western world, a fist strike is more aggressive than an open hand strike. We have been led to believe that it is more damaging than other strikes. So if we see a person striking another with his fists, we assume he is the aggressor.

The knuckles often open up cuts on the opponent, which can appear very damaging even if it is only superficial. Your bloody knuckles will look very incriminating to the authorities.

Alternative strikes

Palm strike

This can be delivered in two ways, either as a regular slap to the face, or as a heavier Iron Palm used by many Chinese martial arts. The former causes pain and eye watering and may stun the opponent, while the latter send a more penetrating shock into the body. This percussive shock can disrupt the nervous system and cause unconsciouness.

There is no way to do justice to the Iron Palm without being taught by a qualified instructor.

The palm strike is useful as it is thrown in a very relaxed manner. The hand can then "adhere" to the opponent which can lead to a control with the hand.

Targets for the slap are the face, ears, back of the head, and the groin. Targets for the Iron Palm are the kidneys and abdominal cavity.

Palm heel

This strike impacts with the mass of bone at the bottom of the palm. This is a very strong part of the hand, and there is no compression of the bones in the hand on impact.

The palm heel is faster because there is no need for any tension in the arm to keep the wrist in alignment. There is less antagonistic muscle contraction and so can be thrown faster.

While the palm heel appears innocuous, the average man can achieve a KO within 6-8 inches with it.

The palm heel can be used with the exact same body mechanics as any fist strike. It is simply a matter of opening the hand to the palm heel position.

Targets for the palm heel are the temples, nose, jaw, chin, shoulder (to negate punches), solar plexus, floating ribs , back of the head and neck, spine, coccyx, kidneys, and bladder.

Knife hand

The classic "karate chop ". This can be delivered horizontally or vertically, depending on the target.

Power comes from the extension of the arm and shoulder and hip rotation. Relaxation is essential.

Targets include the nose, throat, neck, and arms (to cause pain and numbness).

Ridge hand

A strike with the opposite side of the hand to the knife hand. Keep the thumb tucked in.

Targets include the neck, throat, nose, jaw, and groin.

Hammerfist

A strike with the bottom of the fist, using an action like swinging a hammer, but can also be used horizontally.

This strike will not damage the bones of the hands as there is no compression of the knuckles or metacarpals, and there is no leverage to bend the wrist.

All the knife hand targets can be struck with the hammerfist, but it is also good for striking the spine, coccyx, and kidneys of an opponent who is bent over.

Are fist strikes useless?

Not completely. The fist is still a useful tool to have. It's great for striking softer parts of the body such as the solar plexus, floating ribs , the abdomen, the bladder, the groin, and the kidneys. It can cause shock to internal organs in much the same way as an Iron Palm (though not as much), as anyone who has been hit with a liver punch can testify.