Hitting with an open hand vs. closed fist

source

Movies and combat sports have conditioned us to believe that punching with the closed fist is good for self-defense. I am going to do my best to shatter this myth. Punching with an unprotected fist is not only a bad idea, but it can also seriously hurt you. A fight is unpredictable. When you throw a punch, you risk breaking the small bones in your hand or breaking your wrist. You also risk cutting them, which introduces the risk of infection.

In the old-days martial artists spent years toughening their hands so they could punch without breaking them. The conditioning created calluses and increased bone growth from microfractures. Some conditioning methods included punching a post called a “makiwara,” striking a tree, and thrusting the hands into sand, rocks or metal pellets. There are martial artists who still do these things. However, the expectations of modern life frown upon enlarged knuckles, misshapen hands, and large callouses.

Professional fighters reduce the risk of fractures by wearing gloves. This makes for better entertainment because the fights last longer. However, it perpetuates the myth that punching is good for self-defense.

A better alternative is to use open hand strikes. Here are some techniques you can do instead.

Slap

Slapping has a bad rap because it isn’t seen as a masculine thing to do. But I'm not talking about the kind of slap you see in a cat fight. A slap follows a circular path; therefore, you can generate a lot of centrifugal force. A slap that lands with solid part of the palm can break bones. Slapping the ear will blow out the ear drum. Slapping straight down on the bridge of the nose will break it. Slapping down on the top of the head will compress the spine. The best part of slapping is you don’t risk breaking your hand.

The slap heard around the world

The palm strike

The mechanics of the palm strike are the same as a punch except you hit with palm instead of the knuckles. Target areas include the jaw, nose, temple, and solar plexus. The benefit of a palm strike is it’s less telegraphic than a slap.

The palm strike king

Tiger claw

In the old days martial artists would condition their fingers so they could deliver a terrible strike called the tiger claw, which was meant to tear flesh. It’s effective without the conditioning if you target soft areas like the eyes, throat and groin.

The best school is the old school

Karate chop

The karate chop is kind of seen as a joke. But it’s no joke when someone knows how to do it right. The secret is relaxing, and “dumping” your weight when you strike. The best target is the side of the neck.

Seeing is believing

The finger jab

This was one of Bruce Lee’s favorite techniques. Despite Bruce Lee’s physical talents he admired the brutal efficiency of the finger jab the most. Press your fingers together until the form a spear. Curl them slightly and you are ready to do a finger jab. The finger jab is thrown just like a boxer’s jab, and the target is the eyeball. An attacker can’t hit what he can’t see. It’s as simple as that.

Finger jab tutorial