AskMen.com discourages its readers from entering a situation with their fists clenched, but when one is imposed upon by fists, we advocate swift and compelling modes of self-defense — ones that respond to aggression with precision.
This is where knowing how to throw a punch comes in: If you have never punched someone, you haven’t experienced the horror of finding out that punches neither throw nor land like they do in Hollywood.
It’s important to convey this in the following four steps on how to throw a punch so that you can apply the basic mechanics of punch-throwing to your next round.
Those of us who’ve been the subject of a punch or two over the years can tell you that some guys know how to throw a punch, and others don’t. Differentiating between the two isn’t difficult; the latter’s blows feel no worse than an errant limb catching your cheek in a wrestling match, while the former’s punches land hard and feel like they’re ringing a bell in your head.
To obtain the desired “bell-ringing” results, here is how to throw a punch in four simple steps.
Step 1 Choose a target
Before you throw a punch, you are free to pick any part of your opponent’s face for your bull’s-eye, but since this is a high-stress situation, you may not have time to pinpoint a target. You’re in luck, however, because the human face is prepackaged with the perfect target, conveniently placed at the center: the nose.
Here’s what can happen when you throw a punch at the nose: First, the pain is extraordinary — no other body part hurts quite the way the nose does. Second, it bleeds uncontrollably. Swelling begins soon afterward, causing the eyes to swell also. In no time, it will become difficult and then impossible to breathe through the nose. In short, the nose is the facial pathway to debilitating your aggressor without putting his life in immediate jeopardy (although blood loss is a potential danger).
A bonus: When hit, the nose features one special effect to make Hollywood envious — an audible crunch.
Step 2 Assume a boxing stance
When you throw a punch, your feet play a much bigger role in hitting and in taking a hit than you might imagine. Chiefly, your feet (and by extension, your lower body) provide your frame with the balance necessary to throw a hard punch, to avoid a punch, and to sustain one without tumbling to the floor.
For this purpose, we will assume you intend to throw a punch with your right hand. Put your left foot forward and your right foot back, about 12-18 inches apart, such that you’re facing your aggressor at a three-quarter angle. Keep your knees bent and put your fists up, leading with your left.
There is one crucial feature to this stance that you would be wise not to overlook: Your back leg should be supporting most of your weight — not all of it, but most of it.
Step 3 Shift your weight behind your punch
Here is where you make the difference between a so-so punch and a hard one because there is an enormous difference between punching with your arm and punching with your weight.
When you prepare to throw a punch, push off a bit with your back leg. As you extend your arm and fist, swivel your torso so that your fist isn’t leading and your torso is driving your arm. Your follow-through should be accompanied by a shift in weight from your back to your front foot, made possible by the initial push from your back leg to your front.
If your fist lands on your target, consider yourself phenomenally lucky. Try not to act too surprised, and try not to be too obvious about just how much it hurts your hand when you land the punch.
Step 4 Return to your original stance
This isn’t a hit-and-run, or at least not yet. Having thrown your punch it’s generally not going to be enough because a lot can happen afterward. So, the first thing to do after you throw a punch is to return to your stance as outlined in step two. The stance provides you with preparation for whatever might come next — whether you’ll need to defend yourself, throw another punch or take off.
Your stance is the best place to be; if you connected, but he’s not fazed and he’s coming back at you; if you missed (or he eluded) your punch and he’s coming back at you; if you connected and his nose is gushing and he’s shrieking like a baby; if you connected and he fell to the floor and his friend comes after you.
Once you see that you are no longer in danger, walk away.
[Via Askmen.com]
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