PUNCHES

Although a punch starts out its life with a somewhat circular path, the real meat and potatoes, the part that really matters is linear.

A correctly executed punch begins at the waist.  With a small backward circular motion it is brought to armpit level.  The arm is then extended straight out.   At the end of the punch the elbow should be slightly bent and the arm level with the shoulder.



The force of the punch is dependent on the mass and acceleration. 

                                         

 
F=ma
m = mass
a = acceleration



http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_1V7wnZxPqok/RpZjWdrDayI/AAAAAAAAFmg/MT4HHbvCqkc/s400/cartoon+punch.jpg


There is only a limited amount of mass in your arm.  In order to get the most force behind a punch the attacker needs to get the mass of their whole body into the equation.  This is accomplished with the use of specific stances and body movements. 

 

The body movement is called sine wave.   Sine wave is a down-up-down motion that occurs while the attacker is moving forward that creates movement in the whole body and puts more mass behind the punch.


The attacker can draw on the mass of the entire earth as well. This is accomplished by pushing with the back foot on the ground as they execute the punch.  Thanks to Isaac Newton we know that the force applied by the attacker on the Earth creates a force of the same magnitude by the Earth on the attacker.  This can then be translated through the attacker's body and added to the force applied to the board.


There is a physics related reason for the bent elbow as well. A completely extended arm at the moment of impact would mean that the acceleration and momentum had stopped, or at the very least began declining, before impact.  In order to maximize the force of the punch, impact should come when the acceleration was at its greatest. 


The attacking tool of a punch should be the first two knuckles of the hand.  This limits the area that force acts over thereby increasing the pressure on the board.  Striking the target with the proper attacking tool brings the whole arm into alignment.  This strengthens the arm and prevents it from buckling.


 

Taken by A. White. Used with permission.




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