Green Belt – Punches, Kicks & Strikes

The hook punch’s motion is as its name would have you believe. It follows a hook-like path that is useful for getting around your opponent’s guard and is usually used to target the chin, jaw or body. When it connects with the chin or jaw it has the potential to knock your opponent unconscious or cause severe damage to the neck. When it lands on the body, it can break ribs or cause shortness of breath and/or pain. Assume Zenkutsu Dachi. Pull your rear arm back, keeping a 90 degree bend at the elbow and, as you do so, rotate your fist so that the fingers brush against your same side obliques. As soon as the knuckles are in line with your obliques, rotate your shoulders, torso, and hips in to deliver the punch. This is where the power of this technique comes from. As you’re rotating, make sure to keep your arm bent and your elbow high so that your forearm is a little past being parallel with the ground, unless your opponent is shorter than you. Adjust accordingly if they are. Stop when your fist is in front of your face or, at the farthest, in front of your opposite shoulder. This is how far you would need to twist if there were an opponent in front of you within punching distance. Over-twisting will bring you to a vulnerable position where your back is to your opponent and you are unable to see what your opponent is doing. Don’t extend your arm as you rotate and maintain guard with your opposite arm. You can land the punch with your fingers towards the floor or towards you. When the punch lands, quickly return to guard in your basic warrior stance.