Bad Balance when Punching

In order to deliver the fastest and most powerful punch possible it is necessary that the body be in the correct position always. This means that when punching on the spot, the knees are bent, the body is upright and the feet are about shoulder width apart. Even when you twist your hips and shoulders for the punch and when your back heel twists off the floor for punches with the reverse hand you should still keep this body position.

Of course punching is not always carried out on the spot and most of the time it is done when moving in towards an opponent. When moving forward it can be very easy for this correct body position to alter which in effect will make the punch much weaker.

One of the main habits which many create when moving in and punching, is to bring the back foot forward and in towards the body which disrupts your balance and makes the punch very much less effective.

The above diagram (forgive me for the poor quality) shows this. Fig A shows the feet position when moving forward. They stay shoulder width apart always, even when a punch is executed which provides the best balance possible allowing for a powerful and fast punch (as long as all the other criteria are met). Fig B shows what happens sometimes. When a fighter moves in and strikes, instead of striking with the feet kept shoulder width apart, the back foot moves forward and in towards the other foot nearly crossing over the centre line, which all martial artists should know is a big mistake. Why is it a mistake? Because it puts the body well off balance and when the body is off balance speed and power is sacrificed. Not to mention the fact that a fighter is much easier to take down when off balance.

Obviously with a good trainer by your side telling you when you do such a thing, you should not fall into this trap, but, nearly always, bad habits are created when training alone.

The best way to look out for this is to do just that. Shadow box in front of a mirror at a medium pace and look out to check weather you are making this mistake. If you are, do your best to fight the temptation of bringing that back foot in to your body when moving forward. After you cut this bad habit out, you will notice that your punches will be more faster and powerful and your balance when punching and moving will improve.

Marks

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Tags: punching, martial arts, balance, shadow boxing

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