F I S T

[DarthBator]

In a real fight I've always used my last 3 knuckles for the verticle style straight punches (the cross, hook, lead jab). 3 knuckles presents a flat straight wrist and a larger overall striking surface area. However depending on the situation I'll strike with my top knuckles as well (anytime I throw a horizontal fist punch, which can be quite often).

IMO striking with the top 2 knuckles feels the most destructive with immediate contact, I have never hit a real person like this but I would imagine it would do serious tissue damage and could damage the softer smaller bones in the face badly. However striking with the bottom 3 knuckles gives a larger surface are and feels like it has more "power" behind it (moving force, uprooting force etc).

Different strokes for different folks, personally I prefer open hand. Ask any doctor, one of the most common injuries in fights is a boxers fracture (I've had 2 now, they hurt). I'll generally go out of my way to stay away from the fist bones vs head bones match up, your head is hard and there are much better tools available for use against that target.

[elliotNess]

I've never seen anyone with the two smaller knuckle conditioned. I've seen lots of people with the first two big knuckles conditioned from Makawari or Sand or other.

[Tant01]

Golf club.... lol

....Different strokes for different folks, personally I prefer open hand. ... I'll generally go out of my way to stay away from the fist bones vs. head bones match up, your head is hard and there are much better tools available for use against that target.

Yup. I don't practice breaking things with my head but I've used the crown of my head to "intercept" a fist.

Maybe not good JKD but it worked... I felt sorry for the guy!

[EmptyneSs]

the last two bones are just much weaker than the first two. i know a few people at my gym who have broken their hands in real fights, and every single one of them had the same kind of fracture. it was the bone in the hand above the 3rd knuckle, it breaks and busts out the hand. they all have a scar on their hand in the same spot too from were the bone broke uner pressure and was forced out the skin sideways. seems to me like the bone above the 3rd knuckle is the one most prone to breaking. if you are going to use your fists, using the first two inmop is a better bet. the first two are just structurally stronger, the bones are much bigger.

[kuk sool won]

In a fight, i don't think anyone can punch the same way everytime, unless your opponent has no legs and no neck he is always going to be moving and things don't always go as planned

[blitz]

In a fight, i don't think anyone can punch the same way everytime, unless your opponent has no legs and no neck he is always going to be moving and things don't always go as planned

So my plan for world domination by fighting each and everyone of you people wont work?

[Kenpodog]

This poll doesn't make sense to me??

Which is more effective and hurts your hand less
Punching with two biggest knuckles
Punching with Middle knuckle and two smaller ones
Palm Strike
Ridge Hand

In American Kenpo, we have a principle called contouring.
This means that the weapon used (hammer fist, vertical/snake punch, palm strike, ridge hand/reverse hand sword, etc..) is selected because it fits the target.
It also has to make sense:
(hard with soft, soft with hard, but that's another thread)

For example, I might use a ridge hand or half fist to the throat, but a palm heel to the jaw. In addition, when punching, what you strike with might depend on the angle and alignment. In a straight on snake or vertical punch (I like the 2 top or biggest knuckles).

This poll is comparing apples to oranges

[elliotNess]

This poll doesn't make sense to me??

Which is more effective and hurts your hand less
Punching with two biggest knuckles
Punching with Middle knuckle and two smaller ones
Palm Strike
Ridge Hand

In American Kenpo, we have a principle called contouring.
This means that the weapon used (hammer fist, vertical/snake punch, palm strike, ridge hand/reverse hand sword, etc..) is selected because it fits the target.
It also has to make sense:
(hard with soft, soft with hard, but that's another thread)

For example, I might use a ridge hand or half fist to the throat, but a palm heel to the jaw. In addition, when punching, what you strike with might depend on the angle and alignment. In a straight on snake or vertical punch (I like the 2 top or biggest knuckles).

This poll is comparing apples to oranges

Why do you think Contemporary boxing has punch statistics? They count the punches landed, they count the punches missed. They even break it down into power shots and percentages landed. This poll has the same principle.

[Kenpodog]

Why do you think Contemporary boxing has punch statistics? They count the punches landed, they count the punches missed. They even break it down into power shots and percentages landed. This poll has the same principle.

Well if the poll wasn't comparing apples to oranges, then comparing this poll to boxing statistics certainly is

If I had to answer:
Which is more effective and hurts your hand less

Ridge Hand to the throat (extremely effective and doesn't hurt the hand at all).

[georgie]

look at it this way......streetfighting is like bareknuckle boxing not "kata" or point sparring or even full contact martial arts....bare knuckle boxers used the middle and bottom 2 knuckles....why?....cuz it keeps the wrist perfectly straight and forms the powerline.....boxers (nowadays) dont use the first 2 knuckles...they use BOXING GLOVES as do mixed martial artists ....if your breaking your hands like this then you fists are soft and you lack accuracy ......condition condition condition.......bruce lee advocated this type of fist as did jack dempsey and rocky marciano.....and the bareknuckle boxers of old would agree.

[EmptyneSs]

look at it this way......streetfighting is like bareknuckle boxing not "kata" or point sparring or even full contact martial arts....bare knuckle boxers used the middle and bottom 2 knuckles....why?....cuz it keeps the wrist perfectly straight and forms the powerline.....boxers (nowadays) dont use the first 2 knuckles...they use BOXING GLOVES as do mixed martial artists ....if your breaking your hands like this then you fists are soft and you lack accuracy ......condition condition condition.......bruce lee advocated this type of fist as did jack dempsey and rocky marciano.....and the bareknuckle boxers of old would agree.

first you discredit boxings punching style because you claim they wear gloves. then you use marciano and dempsey, who are boxers, to support your claim. you contradict yourself here.

btw, if you want to look at barenuckly boxing you can look at mt . mt has been done barenuckle for centuries, and the 2 knuckle landing has been used extensively.

[georgie]

first you discredit boxings punching style because you claim they wear gloves. then you use marciano and dempsey, who are boxers, to support your claim. you contradict yourself here.

btw, if you want to look at barenuckly boxing you can look at mt . mt has been done barenuckle for centuries, and the 2 knuckle landing has been used extensively.

first of all i do not contradict myself because dempsey wrote one of the best books in history on the subject of streetfighting and advocated the three knuckel landing.....second of all MT fighters do not and will never punch as hard or as often as competetive western boxers and thirdly you must bend the wrist slightly to hit with the first 2 knuckles which " common sense would tell you" is not a good idea when hitting bone .....im not knocking your belief in what works for you....im merely saying what i beleive and what works for me ....i am entitled to my own opinion and in my own experiences with fighting and altercations that always worked for me ....better yet if your hitting anything but the stomach or nose i would use the palm strike.... no damage with a lot of force...

[holly9000]

better yet if your hitting anything but the stomach or nose i would use the palm strike.... no damage with a lot of force...

I tend to agree

[holly9000]

for some reason this posted 3 times

[holly9000]

anyway there's no reason to fight - can't we all just get along?

(I ran out of things to say)