Do you hit things?

Dana Sheets · Post by **Dana Sheets** » Fri Mar 07, 2003 4:28 pm

Tony - thanks for the links!

Robb said

one should also be very careful to make contact with the proper part of the fist or other weapon when hitting objects.

I want to point out that for some people the "proper part of the fist" may be a very different part depending on your body alignment. There was a long thread on this awhile back that, for the seiken in particular, the wrist position covers a wide, wide range. And that for many if not most women - the ideal alignment for a seiken will have the first two knuckles lined up with the bones in the arm.

I've also seen quite a range of how people align their thumbs and hands to do the bushiken strikes.

So there is a lot of variability in my mind in "proper" - each person needs to find what is proper for their body.

Deep Sea · Post by **Deep Sea** » Mon Mar 10, 2003 6:09 am

the ideal alignment for a seiken will have the first two knuckles lined up with the bones in the arm.

When you hit somene like that, it hurts -> them! You need sufficiently less power to generate the much-desired positive effect when punching like that. When working on the heavy bag focusing on that proper alignment one must be careful that the wrist does not fold in when hitting the bag solidly, which it can easily do due to certain movements of the bag itself. When working with a makiwara, that is the way to hit it. When brealing boards, Dana, that is the alignment of the wrist. When doing knuckle pushups a-la-TKD style, your alignment, Dana, is also the way to do it.

Much of the above is a nothing more than a simplified regurgitation of the previous ripostes, such as Rob's discussion on the makiwara, etc. But it is also the world as Al sees it.

[ I knew I must have been doing something right all these years.

]

2Green · Post by **2Green** » Thu Mar 13, 2003 3:35 pm

To re-gurge...I use a 40-pound hanging sandbag...mostly the (softer) top third.
At the risk of mis-quoting, does anyone remember Tony Blauer saying that he recommends using the LAST two knuckles (third & little finger) because they are instinctively "easier to aim" when swinging a fist?
I saw a picture of him on a cover of BB magazine last year and he was punching a partner across the jaw...sure enough, he was using the 3rd and 4th knuckles. I was very surprised at this.
If Mr. Blauer is reading this, how about a comment?
NM