The arm techniques are many in martial arts. From the western boxing syllabus there are four basic punches (jab, cross, hook uppercut), and these have many variations. Then from the oriental martial arts there are many strikes that can incorporate the elbow, fist, palm of the hand, knife and ridge hand, fingers, or forearm. From all of these techniques mentioned, from whatever fighting system in the world, they all have something in common. They are executed through a straight, or through a circular motion. To some, straight strikes are seen as the preferred method. Whether snapping or thrusting, they are thrown in a straight line, are easier to perform and can be thrown much faster than circular strikes when in combination. The jab, one of the main techniques used in western boxing is seen as the most vital weapon. Although not very powerful, it can irritate an opponent and is excellent for setting up other strikes. Circular strikes (such as hook punches, roundhouse elbow strikes) are slower than straight ones. Also to execute them you have to move the striking point from left to right or vice versa, or up to down or vice versa, striking along the way. This leaves you open to counter blows more easily, plus it is easier to see and hence defend against. So why use them? Well a reason they are used is because they are very hard to see coming. The hook punch for example travels in an arc which makes it difficult for your opponent to see until it is too late. Also, when clinch fighting, an elbow coming into the opponent from the side is virtually invisible. Circular strikes hold a great element of surprise which may, to some, balance out there disadvantages. If only straight strikes or only circular strikes where thrown by a fighter then they would become very predictable and very plain. The key is to use both types of striking in combination. Your strikes must seem to come from every angle possible and in any direction, and eventually you will catch your opponent.
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1 comments:
I once read in boxing it’s best to go in jabbing and come out hooking, I think this is sensible advice although in self-defence I wouldn’t just go in and out of his defensive cirkel but go in and try to end the fight as soon as possible. That being said obviously straight and circular techniques both have their advantages and disadvantages: straight punches do have the advantage of being faster (the fastest route between two points is a straight line) and thus should be used the most but hooks and uppercuts can be quite surprising and get more useful when closing the distance. In general it’s a good idea to learn to launch strikes from every possible direction (overhead, diagonal down, diagonal up, straight, underneath, left, right): the more strikes you know the better your combinations will be and the easier it will be to land a hit (and it usually takes only one good shot for the domino’s to start falling in your favour). In the end it’s the combinations that will nail him, although in countering and in the first stages of an attack it’s usually best to only throw straight punches (defending a hook is in my opinion best accomplished by covering up, stepping and throwing a cross or an elbow to his face).
I seriously doubt there are styles out there that only use circular techniques (or purely straight ones for that matter) but styles that only favour a few basic techniques might be caught of guard when you use unfamiliar techniques against them. I’ve never tried sparring a boxer but it would be interesting to see how he’d react to for example hammerfists thrown straight down or in angle. Sparring a kung-fu practioner would be educational too: I’m wondering wether their at first sight rather peculiar techniques would be hard to block or defend (eagle claw, snake and the like). Of course most of them got their ass kicked at major events like the UFC but then again they were required to use gloves and leave alot of techniques out. Elbows by their very nature can only be thrown in a circular motion (even for a forward elbow you’d still have to lift it frst and then thrust it at the target) and they are very, very effective.
Yin and yang, or the clash of opposites. Nothing in this world is eternal but change.
Zara
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