I need striking advice

[The_Judo_Jibboo]

Hi guys,
Judo was my introduction to the martial arts and as such almost all of my experience with other fighters has come through that medium. I love judo and will practice it the rest of my life, but i do want to learn at least the basics of several martial arts. i'm planning on first branching out to martial arts most closely tied to judo; first jujitsu then shuai chiao, finally making a larger jump to jkd and muay thai.
Until then, i'm curious about the basics of striking in all it's forms, whether it's with the palms, fists, blade of the hand, or kicks. Most specifically i'm interested in the mechanics of balling the fist and how the wrist should be held so that i don't break my hand punching something! Also i'm curious as to what exactly the striking surfaces are for different kinds of kicks, but any advice at all on striking is welcome whether it addresses these points or if it's tidbits you've found helpful yourselves.

[vadrip]

If you're going to be taking up muay thai then they will explain how they want you to strike using your hand, knees, elbows and legs.

In regards to open hand striking that's more self defense oriented striking and in judo katas they showcase some open handed and closed fist strikes and a few kicks so just ask your sensei about that.

Immerse yourself in the training first and just let nature take its course no need fixating on things before you've even started them yet.

[seppuku]

Most specifically i'm interested in the mechanics of balling the fist and how the wrist should be held so that i don't break my hand punching something!

Dont have your thumb on the inside of your fist. Clench a fist, then look at the back of your hand. Move your thumb until you cant see it because your hand is in the way. That should be about right. Keep your wrist straight if you want to hit something, even if your throwing an uppercut or hook. Beyond that, different styles teach different ways to punch. General opinion is to hit with the first two knuckles though.

You may find that ju-jitsu is rather similar to judo. I quit judo soon after starting ju-jitsu. Get into a muay thai gym as soon as you can manage, dont worry about the large difference between judo and thai boxing. Just my opinion

Peace

[Scott Bolinger]

well, with my book, you get all the basic punches and kicks as well as kata's of my style of kickboxing. You'll also get different work out routines to help develop different kicks, with different speed drills to help develop speed in the hands and feet as well as weight training.