The Punch

[mushinmaster]

Okay - my punches suck - they have no power.

I pound relentlessly on the heavy bag trying to develop it, but nothing seems to work.

I use a technique in which the hip, followed by the chest, moves before the hand. The muscles stretch, like a bow, and I thrust the fist forward - it's a proven technique.

My hooks are really bad. To get adequete power, I need to swing my body so much it leaves me wide open.

Any suggestions?

[JaredExtreme]

A key thing to remember is to 'snap' your punch (jabs/crosses), that is, bring it back and forth as quickly as possible.

[SweepEm]

I am not a puncher so I am not sure but your stance should be look at first, then your position of your feet, then your hips, andkeep going up to your shoulders and then head, correct stance is important.

I would go to a boxing gym to get the basics
With a proper stance and then punching, your power will come from the basics.

[Arrgh]

There could be a number of reasons your having problems. Try working with an Escrima stick for a little bit. This might help you develop better body mechanics which can be important to punching. Make sure your not staying flat footed the whole time and that you "keep on your toes" as they say.

One thing that has me curious is the order of body movement you described. I'm no expert, but I used to do a similar movement. Then Joe Lewis showed me that actually moving the hand first, followed by the shoulder, chest, and hips actually made for a faster movement without losing power. It took me a little while to get it down, but it helped a lot. He demonstrates this on his "Jeet Kune Do - What Bruce Lee Taught Me" video tape. Check it out if you can. Here's a link.

http://www.joelewiskarate.com/jlvideos.htm

But, I agree that a boxing gym would be your best bet. Good luck.

[SweepEm]

Boxing lessons are cheap compared to martial arts.

My friends have gone to one here in LA and they got a private boxing lesson,
one on one for an hour at $25 with a great instructor.

I have to get over to that gym this coming year to improve my punching skills.

[mushinmaster]

Thanks for all the advice.

I think my stance is good, but then again I'm not a good puncher. I do know that I punch with all my muscles alinged properly - I 've been told that a lot.

I boxed last year for a little while, but had to stop for basketball season, which unfortunatly has come again.

I'm def going to start going back reguarly when I can- it's great conditioning too! I hope I can get a similar one-on-one rate.

Arrgh: thanx for that link - I'm def interested in that. Telegraphing my movement is what I fear about my current technique.

Anybody know anything about improving power on the hook? When I try and not telegraph it, it doesn't even move the bag.

[Rob B]

Any good boxer will tell you that a good punch starts from your feet, look how they are positioned. I usually like mine a little more than shoulder width apart in a standard stance (left foot fwd). Then see if there is adequate weight transfer from your rear leg to your fwd leg when you jab and cross. Remember, it's your entire body going into that punch starting from your base; not just your hips and shoulders.