Vertical Punch

Intensive study has proven that a Jeet Kune Do punch is much more powerful and effective than a karate punch, whereas the karate seikin zukie punch showed more effectiveness as far as exercises and muscle development is concerned. The vertical punch is the most natural position to release the power equally to the target, and your wrist and elbow will not bend when the punch connects with the target. In addition, you are not open for any injuries; your whole bone structure, alignment, and every muscle in the arm is used to its maximum equally, like the forearm, biceps, triceps and the shoulder. Also we use the last three knuckles instead of the first two knuckles, so it’s like hitting someone with a 2x4. By rotating the hand when executing the horizontal punch and adjusting the wrist to line up the bone with the fist you are not distributing the power equally. Some muscles will be used more then others, that is why you might be injured. Some techniques might require a horizontal punch, but it is executed differently from the karate horizontal punch – in Jeet Kune Do it uses the same exact principle as the vertical punch. This way you still have your whole bone structure and alignment behind it. Just simply turn the wrist inward without adjusting the knuckles so they can line up with the target.

The JKD Vertical Punch uses the last three knuckles (middle, ring and pinky). As you rotate to a horizontal positions the hand should have the same bone and muscle structure behind it and still use the last three knuckles.

Testing the power behind the Vertical Punch

If you smash your hand into your parttner's vertical punch, you will see that it is like smashing into a 2X4. The whole arm is extremely strong from the shoulder all the way to the fist. The arm is in great alignment and in a locked position.

Testing the power behind incorrect horizontal punch

By smashing your hand against your partner's fist you will realize that the wrist will bend down and the elbow will kick out on impact. Most people assume a horiozontal punch is the correct punch to execute because they have seen boxers use it. However boxers wrap their wrists to prevent injury.

The JKD horizontal punch uses the last three knuckles in a very natural way. (1) KARATE horizontal punch uses the first two knuckles by adjusting the wrist sideways to line up with the bone behind it in a unnatural way. If you place your fist against a wall in a natural way (2) you will realize that the first two knuckles don't even conect with the surface only the last three knuckles do.

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